Onward to Jool! - A Jool 5 challenge log.

[DerekL1963]

I haven't posted in a few days because RL has been busy, and because the flights I have been able to fly have been pretty boring...  Flying my tanker back and forth, loading up at a fuel depot and fueling the mothership for the upcoming mission

.


The various vehicles were launched with only oxidizer and monoprop onboard to save weight and simplify on-orbit logistics.  Even so, and even with TAC Fuel Balancer it was tedious as heck to keep track of all the tanks....

The fueling job is now complete, and all that's left to do is launch the crew transfer vehicle and the crew, one last fueling mission to fuel the transfer vehicle and we're off to Jool!

[DerekL1963]

Update 10/20/2016:

The last component, the T/TV which shuttles propellant and crew around the Joolian system, is launched.

On orbit, the T/TV passed over KSC just minutes before the crew is launched.

And finally...  the big launch, the ferry flight of Jool-5's flight crew.



After docking with the T/TV, the crew is transferred...



(Doesn't Valentina look pleased that's she's just ferrying the crew and not going to be stuck in space for years?)

And the ferry returns to Kerbin...  (I was coming in pretty steep, from a 250km orbit, and so when the service module was jettisioned when I hit atmosphere it hung close to the capsule for quite awhile.)



And the T/TV rendezvouses with the mothership...  This was a really white knuckle docking, somehow the Quad lander had gotten rotated slightly and I wasn't 100% sure that the T/TV would clear the lander's radial stages.



A final visit by the OFV tops off the T/TV's monopropellant and fuel tanks.  Plus it's just a really cool shot.



And finally after twelve launches...  711 tons, sixteen LV-N's, and 4300 m/s of of dV.  The mothership is ready to depart.

[sdj64]

Great work, it looks like a capable ship.  I think you should have more than 4300 dV with that design, unless the orange tanks are lander fuel only (I can't tell since you're using a fuel switcher)?  Especially if you pumped fuel from two of your engine stages to the other two and dropped them when you run out, like asparagus staging.

Your landers also look like they are capable with safe margins of delta V.  Did you test your Laythe lander on Kerbin first?  With no fins or gimballed engines it might not fly straight in atmosphere.

[DerekL1963]

23 hours ago, sdj64 said:

Great work, it looks like a capable ship.  I think you should have more than 4300 dV with that design, unless the orange tanks are lander fuel only (I can't tell since you're using a fuel switcher)?  Especially if you pumped fuel from two of your engine stages to the other two and dropped them when you run out, like asparagus staging.

Thanks!

The orange and iron tanks are either LFO (for the landers) or LF (for the crew transport/fuel transfer vehicle), the MK3 tanks are LF for the main engines.  I hadn't tried dropping engine stages, mostly to retain a decent t/w ratio at Jool insertion.  And it's actually got a pretty decent mass fraction, the engine stages at departure are around 50% of the total weight, so I don't actually gain much by dropping a pair.

The only real problem caused by keeping them around is changing attitude, but the monoprop left in their tanks (which will be used to refuel the transport/transfer vehicle) makes up for that.
 

23 hours ago, sdj64 said:

Your landers also look like they are capable with safe margins of delta V.  Did you test your Laythe lander on Kerbin first?  With no fins or gimballed engines it might not fly straight in atmosphere.

The Laythe lander was tested by Hyperediting it to Laythe.  (Hyperedit was uninstalled prior to starting assembly in Kerbin orbit.)  I avoid tumbling by flying an insanely lofted trajectory and not starting my gravity turn until it's into the upper atmosphere.

Edited October 23, 2016 by DerekL1963

[DerekL1963]

Update 10/24/2016

Y48 D267

Aaand - we're underway for Jool!



After completing the burn, I took @sdj64's suggestion and dropped two of the drive sections.  It did drop my t/w (but not unmanageably so), I gained 300 m/s of d/V (12%), and there's plenty of monoprop in the remaining two drive sections.  (I was running short during my dress rehearsal, and I'm counting on tanks in the drive sections to help out.)

Plus doing so right after the burn means they have plenty of time to drift clear of the mothership, helped along by using their remaining mono for a retro-burn.



A close encounter with the Mun on the way of Kerbin's SOI.



Y51 D379

After three years in transit - braking into a 47,000km orbit around Jool with Vall in the background.  The burn ended up in a slightly eccentric, slightly inclined orbit, and after a couple of quick burns I'm ready for operations!

[Mister Dilsby]

Woo hoo! What a great moment, arriving in the Jool system. Every moment there is interesting, I still get a little thrill every time one of the moons casts a shadow. Congrats!

[JacobJHC]

Congrats on getting your ship to Jool. I like your ship's design. It has a large drive section and some very interesting landers if I may say so myself. I tip my hat as we are both currently completing the challenge. You just made it to Jool, I just made orbit. Good Luck on the rest of your mission.

 

[DerekL1963]

3 hours ago, Kuzzter said:

Woo hoo! What a great moment, arriving in the Jool system. Every moment there is interesting, I still get a little thrill every time one of the moons casts a shadow. Congrats!

I won't lie, I spent a good part of the final approach only mildly timewarped - I love watching the dance of the inner moons.
 

3 hours ago, JacobJHC said:

Congrats on getting your ship to Jool. I like your ship's design. It has a large drive section and some very interesting landers if I may say so myself.

Thanks!

[DerekL1963]

Update 10/26/2016

Y51 D387 - Tylo operations commence.   With three out-and-back flights and six dockings, it's the most complex phase of the mission.

Undocking the Quad Lander, a bit of a nail biter because I have to translate as soon as I undock to avoid hitting the T/TV.  I probably should have undocked the T/TV first and moved it to one of the side docking ports.



Y51 D419 - The T/TV meets up with the Quad Lander in Tylo orbit and refuels the cruise/crash stage.

 

 

Y52 D35 - The T/TV makes a round trip back to the mothership and fetches the crew and the fuel the Quad Lander will eventually need to return to the mothership.  After transferring the crew to the Quad Lander, they strap in and start the landing...  The first part is a nailbiter as I have to kick the cruise/crash stage away as soon as it runs dry.



Kicking up some dust just a few seconds before touchdown!



After touchdown, Jeb and Bill plant a flag and take the obligatory selfie.



With no atmosphere and only gravity losses to contend with, the lander pitches way over almost immediately and burns for orbit...  scary but efficient.



I forgot to write down the date, but after transferring to the T/TV, the crew returns to the mothership.



Y52 D104 - The Quad Lander returns to the mothership, officially ending the Tylo phase of the mission.

[DerekL1963]

Update 10/27/2016

Logistically, the Laythe landing is much simpler because it's a one-way trip for the lander, and only one out-and-back trip for the T/TV.  But as we'll see, the mission is not without it's own challenges.

Y52 D104 - Undocking the Laythe lander, which then heads for Laythe.



Y52 D110 - The T/TV approaches Laythe to transfer the crew and refuel the lander.  (And a way cool picture.  )



Y52 D111 - Landing day!




Flag planted.



I thought I had gotten a screenshot of the ascent trajectory - straight up without pitching over until fairly high up (to avoid tumbling), but it seems to have vanished in the mist.

After the lander returns to orbit, since it won't be reused, it's drained of LFO and monoprop and left in orbit.



Y52 D118 - the T/TV docks with the mothership, and Laythe operations are complete.  (And look at the d/V - almost ran the tanks dry.)

[DerekL1963]

Y52 D118 - The Quad Lander departs the mothership and heads to Vall.

 

Y 52 D137 - Once the lander is in a stable orbit at Vall, the T/TV undocks and heads down to refuel it.  During rendezvous and docking, I made a few screwups and used way too much monoprop.  Long term, not a problem as I have plenty in reserve.  Short term, a problem because the reserves are in tanks on the mothership.   But I figured out what I had done wrong, looked at the numbers, and crossing my fingers pressed on.




Y52 D156

The first step in landing is resetting my thrust, reducing the t/w ratio from nearly 6.00 to 2.00ish, which is much more sane.



Laythe on the horizon shortly before touchdown.



Once down, a flag is planted and the obligatory selfie for the folks back home is taken - and the boys are photobombed by Tylo!



Mathematically speaking, it's entirely reasonable for MJ's ascent autopilot to pitch way over as soon as the gear clears the ground.  It still gives me a heart attack every time though.



Burning for orbit... once again a wonderful view.



Once in orbit, the Quad Lander and the T/TV link up to take off the crew and refuel the lander.



Y52 D181 - the T/TV returns to the mothership.



Y52 D203 The quad lander returns to the mothership, this time docking to the crew compartment, and the Vall phase of operations is complete.  Three moons down, two to go.

[DerekL1963]

Y52 D203 - The lander undocks, destination Bop!

Approaching Bop, like any other of the small bodies, is nerve wracking - you don't always get a visual display of your encounter the SOI is so small...



Y52 D216 - After entering orbit and picking a nice flat sunlight landing area, the descent begins.  It's not until I'm in final descent that I realize I may have made an error, there's a big mountain right to the East of the landing site...  right in my ascent path!



After touchdown, the boys get out to explore...  Jeb can't resist jumping.



Obligatory PR photo for the folks back home...



Clearing the mountain by manually ascending five kilometers before handing over to the ascent autopilot.



After reaching orbit, I plot an escape trajectory and eventually reach a stable circular orbit around Jool...  where the crew awaits for the arrival of the T/TV and more fuel.

Y52 D241 - arrival of the T/TV with a fresh load of fuel.

Edited November 1, 2016 by DerekL1963

[DerekL1963]

Y52 D241 - When I originally practiced this, after refueling I headed back to the mothership.  This actually makes no sense, since I'm already halfway to Pol!  So, fat on fuel, I undock from the T/TV and head off on the last landing mission.



Y52 D260 - Pol orbit, and descent.





Y52 D261 - Touchdown and a flag raising on Pol!  All five moons complete.



Headed back to the mothership...  don't miss that rendezvous burn!



Y52 D284 - The lander docks with the mothership, it's job completed.



Y52 D295 - the T/TV docks with the mothership, time to refuel and head home.

Edited November 1, 2016 by DerekL1963

[DerekL1963]

Y52 D295 - Headed home, the T/TV undocks and maneuvers clear of the mothership.



Fortunately, I get a nice return window without waiting too long.



Y53 D08 - Trans Kerbin Injection - headed home!



The long fall Kerbolward....



Y55 D297 - after seven years and thirty days...  the intrepid explorers brake into Kerbin orbit.

I forgot to write the day(s) down, but crew recovery commenced immediately after the end of the braking burn...

With Valentina once again piloting, the recovery vehicle climbs for orbit.



And swiftly docks with the T/TV...



Passing over KSC, re-entry heat builds...



A picture perfect touchdown off of KSC...



Crew recovery...



Five flags...



It's been a ton of work, and a long hard trip...  but it's done.

[DAL59]

All of the images are broken.  

I recommend you never use photobucket.  It is really buggy..  

[DerekL1963]

1 hour ago, DAL59 said:

All of the images are broken.  

I recommend you never use photobucket.  It is really buggy..  

I know they're broken, but have not had the time to fix them.  (It's several hours of time I haven't had with other projects on my plate.)

They are not broken because Photobucket is buggy, they're broken because Photobucket changed it's image hosting policy.

[DAL59]

3 minutes ago, DerekL1963 said:

They are not broken because Photobucket is buggy, they're broken because Photobucket changed it's image hosting policy.

400 dollars a year!  That's ridiculous!  That explains why so many images on the internet are missing...    

[DerekL1963]

2 minutes ago, DAL59 said:

400 dollars a year!  That's ridiculous!  That explains why so many images on the internet are missing...    

Ayup.

[Ace76inDC]

An old report but great!  Thanks for sharing.  I keep coming back to this game as you mentioned in your first post, wondering if that's still the case.

 

[DerekL1963]

14 minutes ago, Ace76inDC said:

An old report but great!  Thanks for sharing.  I keep coming back to this game as you mentioned in your first post, wondering if that's still the case.

 

Thank you!