2 Kerbals on mission to Eve

[gilflo]

I built a lander able to land 2 Kerbals on Eve for exploration and science mission: Evalander. It's rated on take off from 300m altitude to bring those 2 men on a 100km orbit over Eve where it will dock a return shuttle. I am studying a 3 Kerbals version on the same lander. I just have to test the minimum landing altitude to reach orbit on take off
The launcher will support Evalander plus the return shuttle and a Scansat Satellite fully equipped.
A 2nd launcher will fly this plane, ELEA (Eve Lab and Exploration Aircraft), to Eve so that my 2 Kerbals can use it to perform science and exploration. A nuclear reactor heats the air in the combustion chamber and drive the turbine, so this aircraft has unlimited range.

Evalander launch: launcher equipped with SpaceY engines

ELEA launch.

ELEA getting orbit

Departure for Eve with protractor

To launch ELEA to Eve will do myself the maneuver node, that's longer but cheaper.

Retrograde breaking with engine for a 110km orbit around Eve

I set a deployable shield at the top of Evalander, in addition to speedbrakes. I don't know if it helps for braking, but I will use it next to aerobrake on prograde after launching of the Scansat Satellite.

Launch of Scansat satellite when app is 750km. you can see its tweak scaled Atomic Bulb Engine from Atomic age, one of the best atomic engine (only liquid fuel for a ton of DV)

Aerobraking in Eve atmo down to 75kms protected by the shield. I could have done it earlier but the Bulb Atomic Engine of the scans satellite would explode to heat as soon as it encounters atmosphere.Even in vaccuum it need to small radiator to run perfectly.

Polar orbit for the satellite

Scanners deployed

Beginning scan

ELEA is set in orbit around Eve

Scan finish, we can see the biomes

Now i am going to examine the scans to find a landing site for Evalander and ELEA

http://www.hostingpics.net/album/gilflo-281113.html

Edited June 13, 2016 by gilflo
correction

[Wallygator]

Very nice!  That's a lot of work!!!

looking forward to the completion!

[gilflo]

Here is the landing of Evalander

I have only 500DV left for retrograde for landing, so we will find a site just on the orbit trajectory. Use of Mechjeb as i am not good enough to land exactly where i target...First eject the return shuttle

Then braking, but mechjeb is not so good we are entering atmosphere and we are 14 kms ahead of target

Too late, begins to heat

leaving last tank and opening deployable shield an lost another 40kms ahead of target,

62 kms and M14,RCS not still ON, speedbrakes open

42 kms M9.6 RCS on

15kms, RCS off, we are going to flip to eject top RCS tanks and vernors, then shield

Ejecting top

Ejecting shield

11000m opening chutes, just one part of chutes

3000m, i did not realize that all chutes were not open!

430m just realizing all chutes are not opened!!!

opening all chutes and now I pray!!

landing with bounce, nothing broken, those SapceY gears are very strong and the site seems awesome for landing an aircraft.

[gilflo]

Screen of first exit on Eve and were we are on the map.
Going out of the pod:

Setting the flag

Map: on the zoom map the land seems very bumpy but in fact it's flat. We are 50 kms ahead of target.

Ship weight on landing 158T - landing at 2.5m/s but it was not that smooth, there was a terrible bounce du to my late opening of all chutes. Take off 140T

Stock tanks - Some KW Rocketry stuff and MRS stuff
Pod from LBSI and ladders from Lithobrake exploration technologies (very useful long ladders)
Gears and engines from SpaceY : engines all tweakscaled, much more interesting for Weight/TWR/DV than Aerospace, even if they not so performing on the first 2000m

Edited June 13, 2016 by gilflo

[gilflo]

HD vid of the Entry in atmosphere and the landing

Very brutal landing on Eve, the chutes opening 1s before impact and bouncing on ground with the lander. They auto cut after the 2nd landing and the lander is perfectly safe and operational.
Absolutely no break!!! Awesome...

1s before impact vertical speed is still 104m/s and becomes 14.3m/s at impact making chutes thrown on ground and bounced with the lander before a second landing. The g needle jump in the red zone at impact.

[gilflo]

Mission continue. I design the ELEA, Eve Exploration and Lab Aircraft. it will be sent to Eve by remote control, land near Evalander so that my 2 Kerbals can use it.

Aircraft is finished, I got a lot of flight controls trouble du to the mod "Deflection control", but i solved them and kept this mod. We are ready for launch

The deployable shield on the  the aircraft nose will be used for Eve orbit interception in prograde aerobraking and I hope to use the less DV possible. in case it does not work i got a lot of DV left. Then it will be use for prograde Entry. 

Automatic Launch in the night

Above 6000m

Sun rise 24000m

Ejection of 2nd stage

Coast to 605kms apoapsis

Ejection of 3rd stage

circularizing, everything ok

Departure for Eve

Edited June 18, 2016 by gilflo

[gilflo]

Continuing the mission with Eve orbit interception

Awesome!  Burning for a 70 kms Periapsis , Deployable shield open on prograde, we made a 2300kms Apo after the first pass, the shield heating to 3100, at the cost of a few RCS DV.

The ship works very well!

Lowest point

APO 2300kms

4 more circles with a 76km Apo, I realize during the last one I did not need RCS to maintain prograde during aerobraking. Total cost was 550DV and we should have saved half!

Nose shield is definitely a very good option to save DV

Landing with the plane on Evalander landing site on Wednesday or Thursday. My 2 Kerbals are waiting the plane for their Eve tour!!!

Edited June 18, 2016 by gilflo

[gilflo]

To follow it here, plane is arriving......