Outer planets tour with two Kerbin launches

[Plummet]

Hi

I completed my goal of landing on and returning from all the stock bodies some time ago, so recently got around to installing the Outer Planets mod.

I'm glad I did - I think it is excellent, adds a lot to the game and has a stock feel.

I've now landed on all the outer planets bodies and managed to do so with only two Kerbin launches (using a mining lander) so I thought I'd write that up.

I used:

- KSP for Steam 1.2.2
- Mechjeb (just for dV calcs)
- Space Y. I landed on all the stock bodies with stock parts, but decided to use the larger Space Y components for the outer planets challenge. I'm really impressed with this mod too - again the parts have a stock feel and aren't over-powered. I do have a heavy lifter made from stock parts that is more than powerful enough to do the job, but it runs slow on my PC as it has so many engines! With Space Y it all looks tidier..
- Atomic Age. I used the Nuclear Lightbulb for one of my stages
- WarpEverywhere - this mod (or similar) is essential for outer planets IMHO
- PreciseNode
- Kerbal Alarm Clock

The lander

The lander is made from stock parts. It has a Rockomax 64, surrounded by 4x Rockomax 32, surrounded by 4x Rockomax 16s with Rockmax 8s on top...

Engines are a central Vector and 4 Aerospikes (on the outer ring).

It carries plenty of batteries and solar panels, plus a fuel cell array which is essential for the most distant planets. It also has a mining set-up (drill, small Convert-O-Tron, ore tanks) and radiators. Legs are on girders to spread the base and to make landings easier. A Mk1-2 pod allowed me to take a full team of 3. I threw on a comms dish (although I didn't use Commnet), parachutes and a docking port for good measure.

It provides 4600 dV and plenty of TWR - 1.33 fully fueled on the heaviest body (Slate).

The tour

I started by using my Space Y heavy lifter to transfer straight to Sarnus, I used MechJeb's window planner for this launch, but made all the other transfers by eyeball & manouveur node experimentation.

The lifter uses a quad-Emu surrounded by Fenir boosters as the first stage. Second stage has a ring of 6 Ratite engines. 3rd stage has 4 Nuclear Lightbulbs, and finally the launcher sits on top of all that.

I started with a landing at Tekto (making use of the parachutes) and then worked my way inwards (skipping Slate initially).

The refueling setup works well - just warp like crazy for a few dozen days until the tanks are all topped off. I found that in some cases I needed to only use one radiator otherwise I'd run out of electric charge during the night. For Plock and Neidon the solar panels are no use so I had to use the fuel cell array. Fortunately with the radiator panels closed you still make a net gain in fuel when mining. Just have to remember to switch the fuel cell off again when leaving as otherwise all your fuel burns away when warping through the planet transfers!

Slate was the only real problem on the whole tour. My lander has enough dV for a powered descent and landing, and after refueling can get back in to a decent orbit, but it doesn't have enough dV to transfer to one of the other moons. So, I had to send a refueling tanker and refuel in Slate orbit.

I then worked my way outwards and visited all the moons of Urlum and Neidon, before finalling visiting Plock and Karen. The lander had enough dV to make all these transfers just by hopping from one system or moon to another.

Coming home

This was one of the most fun parts of the tour - making my way back from Plock to Kerbin without having to send a refueling mission.

It took a few stops...the route was:

- Plock - > reverse assist at Neidon -> reverse slingshot at Jool -> Duna
- Landing at Duna for refuelling (making use of the chutes again). Only just made it...had about 30 dV left on landing!
- Reverse assist at Mun, landing at Minmus for refuelling

The refuelling stop at Minmus was needed because I didn't pack a heatshield and separator. So, I made a power-assisted re-entry to avoid burning up in the Kerbin atmosphere, and also a final landing burn to make it down intact.

All in all it was one of my most enjoyable KSP missions and I highly recommend the Outer Planets pack.

Now I need something else.. are there any other planet packs that are as good?

Happy flying,

Plummet.