Interplanetary Planning Thread

[aceassasin]

Im starting this thread so people can share their plans for interplanetary missions

My Plan (For my scenario i am assuming this is a small Mars like planet with a thin atmosphere )

When the first planet is released i will design a small robotic flyby probe that will fly by the planet and take some pictures to prove i can get there

Then i will design a large robotic Lander to land on the surface and take some photos sample the atmosphere and release a rover

Finally i will be ready for manned flight i will first send my capsule to oribit the planet and return to kerbin

while this goes on i will test my Lander on the moon

Finally i will launch an unmanned orbital return craft and bring it to the planet

then it is the big day time for the first manned landing on another planet i will launch and burn to get there

after however many days i will insert into orbit and prepare to land

After a certain amount of time bouncing on the surface i will take off with the accent stage and rendevouz with the orbital return vehicle

i will burn back to kerbin and return heroes

[Lordherrmann]

The idea of a large Saturn-like gas giant with several moons appeals to me the most.

You can consider such a system as a little solar system itself, with bigger moons that even could have an atmosphere and little Minmus-like muns. If you manage to go there you are able explore to explore a great diversity of worlds without using too much fuel. Another thing are the spectacular of a ringed gas giant from up close.

It hasn\'t got a ring, but I\'m sure you\'ll get my point.

You first could send several little probes there to later launch a Discovery-like mission to it with a big mothership and several shuttles to land on the moons.

[Khrissetti]

I\'d like a jovian but I\'d settle for Murs, first.

[Richy teh space man]

Put me down for a gas giant planet too

But realistically.. I think its more likely we\'ll see the inner planets filled out first, and assuming docking is around my plan is to use some big mothership with a few probes to go flying arond on the surface, maybe the odd space plane if the atmosphere is thick enough (and I actually make one that works too)

[Phoenix Aerospace]

This plan would work for exploration of any planetary body, regardless of size. This plan is designed to incorporate the Kosmos and Novapunch addon packs.

Part I: Fuel depot

Using an off-the-shelf reusable heavy lift launcher, I plan to launch an orbiting fuel depot composed of a node-equipped 'spine', habitation modules, and docking ports for use as a drydock. Fuel tanks will, if all goes as planned, be attatched to the nodes. Visiting craft would have their tanks and engines detatched by an on-site tug, have them swapped out with a fresh tank from the 'spine', and finally have the engine attatched. New tanks would be delivered by the visiting launchers.

Part II: Interplanetary craft

The craft themselves will essentially be mobile space stations built around a central node and propelled by a single nuclear thermal engine from the Kosmos pack. Of course, the tank will be resupplied at the Depot. In 'front' will be attatched the node. This node will incorporate docking ports for visiting crew capsules at its 'top' and 'bottom'. On the sides will be the crew modules and backup solar panels. In front, and occupying the last side of the node, will be the payload rack and docking point for a lander. My plan is to eventually have these craft be used as resupply ferries between Kerbin and a permanent base on the mun. The idea behind using a NERVA-style NTR for propulsion is due to their relatively low fuel consumption for their power. This should in theory allow for several kerbin-mun missions before needing to swap out the propulsion tank.

[Sky Visitor]

Imagine the lag induced by the countless particles which make up those rings. There would need to be an option to minimize the number of objects in the rings or said rings would be unapproachable by players using an integrated GPU.

[Redrumssam]

Imagine the lag induced by the countless particles which make up those rings. There would need to be an option to minimize the number of objects in the rings or said rings would be unapproachable by players using an integrated GPU.

No offense intended here, but you\'re saying you\'d need an actual gaming computer to play this game? Really, if you\'re playing games like this you should think about saving up to build a pc that can handle it. It is a hobby worth investing money in if you already spend any significant amount of time enjoying pc games.

[PakledHostage]

My plan is in line with yours, aceassasin. I will send robotic probes to orbit the planet and land on its surface before I send a Kerballed mission. I want to learn enough about the new planet and its orbit before sending Kerbals that I can build an efficient lander and maybe even work out a cycler trajectory for my kerballed flight. The cycler trajectory will give them a free trip home if their orbital insertion stage fails to ignite when they get to the new planet.

I will probably also place the lander and booster for the return trip into orbit prior to launching the Kerbals on their historic mission. I want to be sure that they\'ve got a ticket home.

[Sky Visitor]

No offense intended here, but you\'re saying you\'d need an actual gaming computer to play this game? Really, if you\'re playing games like this you should think about saving up to build a pc that can handle it. It is a hobby worth investing money in if you already spend any significant amount of time enjoying pc games.

My PC is more than adequate, however from the number of threads that I see of people complaining of lag and such it would seem that a significant portion of the player base is using some Black Friday deal laptop. Don\'t get me wrong, I do agree with you, which is why I have spent the extra money to get a higher quality PC as well as a joystick to fly with, but the effects on the current players as a whole must be taken into consideration when creating updates.

[Accelerando]

No offense intended here, but you\'re saying you\'d need an actual gaming computer to play this game? Really, if you\'re playing games like this you should think about saving up to build a pc that can handle it. It is a hobby worth investing money in if you already spend any significant amount of time enjoying pc games.

Excuse me, some people simply don\'t have the means to save up more money so they can spend dozens to hundreds more dollars on brand new equipment just so they can get some enjoyment out of the game they already paid 7-15 dollars for. That\'s like saying I should spend $100 on a new microscope so I can continue to read books because publishers stopped printing the letters big enough for normal human eyes to process.

Even if a person has the means — if I buy a game and it starts out easy to run on my computer (was the case in .13) but quickly grows to the point where I have to spend more money on equipment or peripherals just to play, I would call that a damn waste.

[aceassasin]

No offense intended here, but you\'re saying you\'d need an actual gaming computer to play this game? Really, if you\'re playing games like this you should think about saving up to build a pc that can handle it. It is a hobby worth investing money in if you already spend any significant amount of time enjoying pc games.

Well i\'m sure the devs will include some option to increase the density/quality of the ring system

[Candre]

1. Fuel depot sent into orbit around Minmus, along with fueling missions.

2. Empty rescue vehicle sent into orbit around Minmus; docking with fuel depot ensues.

3. Departure of currently unmanned vehicle into orbit around the other planet.

4. Manned vehicle sent into orbit around Minmus; docking ensues.

5. Departure into orbit around planet.

6. In the case of low fuel or some other failure, the unmanned vehicle will dock with the manned craft and refuel / transfer crew.

7. Go home.

8. ???

9. PROFIT

[Markus Reese]

My plan if possible would be the thinner murs like atmosphere. Something kerbin-esque. I would probably set up, if needed, a fuel depot on minmus to do my second launch from. Current designs I have are making a direct oneshot possible though.

[Vanamonde]

It seems to me that there\'s a problem with the structure of the poll question. As far as the work the developers have to do to make it, a gas giant with 10 moons would really require the creation of 11 worlds. It\'s not like a choice between one apple and one orange, but more like a choice between one apple and a box of oranges. I mean, the gas giant+moons is the one I voted for , but it\'s not likely to happen any time soon.

[kacperrutka26]

I would like a neptune like planet that\'s far in the solar system. That would be challenging to get to but worth to get to. Obviously when docking will be available

[duckunlimited2]

Well, I think the next planet to be released will be a little murs like-planet with 1 or 2 very small moons around it. My murs mission will be over the top ambitious:

I will construct a mothership that houses a few satellites, landers, spaceplanes, rovers for the extensive mission on the planet. It will also hold supplies, pretty big living spaces, and will hold 7-9 kerbals for the mission. I plan this mission to be extensive with many different missions on many different landing sites. However, I only think the mothership would hold enough fuel to go to the planet and not come back so I will plan to also bring a second craft, holding tons of fuel, to murs to refuel the mothership when its time for it to go back home to kerbin.

[Trebuchet-Launch]

Murs! And I have actual, rational reasons here.

Unlike the gas giants, which would require far more work to be done on the game, Murs missions could be done after implementation of EVA and the ability to move from one vehicle to another on the ground. No docking necessary. A Mars Direct style mission plan would suffice:

(1) Send unmanned return vehicle to Murs.

(2) Send kerbals to Murs in descent vehicle.

(3) Both capture into Murs orbit

(4) Land the return vehicle

(5) Attempt surface rendezvous

(6) Transfer kerbals to return vehicle by EVA

(7) Boost for home

Oh - and as long as we\'re thinking about Murs, if we have Munoliths on the moons, Murs needs a Murs Face resembling Jeb or something.

[closette]

Not really mentioned as an option but I\'d prefer a Mars-like planet in a Venus-like orbit, i.e. closer to Kerbol than Kerbin. (Call it Menus?) That would make for a different trajectory plan from Kerbin, and there could be some interesting gravity-assist (aka slingshot) trajectories to outer planets once they get added in.

Landing through a thin atmosphere would be fun - aerobraking, then parachutes and (perhaps) airbags to deploy.

[Czman007]

My two step plan to get to anoter planet in true kerbal fashion,

Step 1: Point Rocket towards Planet

Step 2: Fire Rockets

[closette]

Step 3: Get stranded in orbit around Kerbol for all time.

Planets are moving targets.