Tutorial Real Life Apollo 11

[Lopez de la Osa]

Hi,

I am trying this mision: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Tutorial:_Apollo_11 but, naturally, I have some problems...

1. The stages. When I get the KLO I have yet the stage-3, so I use it to go to Mun, I mean, I make the tranfer orbit with this stage. In the tutorial, I undertand that decouple that stage and reorganize the modules in that travel. I 'try to' reorganize the modules in Mun orbit. What is better? Why? I mean... the stage-3 give me mass but in fact I really don't see if it is usefull.

2. Reorganizing modules. Well, Now that I am at Mun orbit, Why must I reorganize the modules? I tranfers the karbanauts and try to land directily. Even when I try to reorganize, the problem is that I don't have enought electric charge and I have to use RCS and RV-105-thruster. But with this kind of motors I am not able to re-dock, the most dificult I see is that I am not able to rotate the parts. Any tips for this?

3. In an early attemp, the landing module take land/mun in a slope, so the landing module fall. The landing module exploit when I try to get it arrise. The command module was free to go back since there is nobody to wait for. The pod had a heat shield, even with that shield, the pod burn out, Is this normal? I have to said that the re-entry in the atmospher was very vertical, without horizontal component.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Lopez de la Osa

[FancyMouse]

1. Not really beneficial for Mun. With this method, you don't need to bring the fuel that you'll use for returning to Kerbin down to the surface of Mun. However, because it only requires <300m/s to return to Kerbin from Mun orbit, it's often not worth it. Things will get changed when you explore some farther/bigger moon/planets, when it takes over 500m/s or even more fuel to go back. Then you'll see the difference.

2. This is a consequence of the above design. If you already bring enough fuel, then you don't have to (and thus don't have to use this design at all). But when you use the above design and you don't bring all the fuel to come back, you'll need to dock with the low-orbit module and pick up fuel from there. Docking itself is a separate and non-trivial topic you might want to practice and learn if you're not feeling comfortable with it.

3. You probably have your periapsis too low so that you come in too steep. Generally with ~35km there should be no need for heat shield when returning from as far as Minmus or even Duna.

"without horizontal component." "with that shield, the pod burn out, Is this normal?"

Yes it's expected, reason above.

Edited November 9, 2015 by FancyMouse

[RocketPropelledGiraffe]

Well, what action makes sense depends on what you want to recreate, really.

The tutorial mission tries to recreate some of the steps the real Apollo missions did, that means you have the Lunar transfer stage (stage 3) to leave Kerbin orbit and get to the Mun. In the real missions, the stage was sent on a collision course with the Moon, and the CSM did the retrograde burn to get into orbit. That's the reason why it was not possible to do the docking maneuver with the Lunar lander in Moon orbit - the CSM main engine had to be available to even get there.

The reason why all the stages do not seem to fit together properly for their purpose and you still have all of stage 3 available in orbit is pretty simple, I think: The design in the wiki is based on the old aerodynamics in KSP, which required roughly 1000 m/s more Delta-v to get into orbit. That means the launch stages are overbuilt for the current game version.

If you want to recreate an Apollo-like landing, stick with the purpose of each stage as listed (even though the real lander had a separate ascend stage). Otherwise, you can do and create whatever you like, of course.