Eve and KIS -- hmmm

[Loren Pechtel]

Given how hard it is to get enough Δv to get off Eve I'm wondering if anyone has tried using the jetpack along with some extra fuel (from the KIS mod) as the upper stage of an Eve return?  A backpack full of fuel gives the Kerbal enough Δv to make it back from the surface but the TWR is too low to even get off the ground.  If you got into space I would think you could do the last 1000 m/s or so on the jetpack + a fuel cartridge.

Anyone tried anything like this?

[Foxster]

I suppose you could but what makes you think Eve is that hard? 

If you make streamlining an absolute priority then you can easily make orbit. 

[Spricigo]

Not a answer, just some question you probably would consider:

 

How much time it will require to apply that 1000m/s with the jetpack? How much you will be losing to gravity at this point? How will you manage to do apply deltaV in the correct direction?

 

I suspect that, if is possible at all, is not even near practical.

 

[Sharpy]

Doable, but the jetpack has a lousy TWR, especially if the kerbal is encumbered with extra payload like the fuel. I wouldn't base my primary plan upon this, but if I find I'm 500m/s short of orbit, I wouldn't hesitate to jump the ship. Orient camera so that navball points prograde, press space to rotate kerbal to camera, W for forward, shift for up, to make sure my trajectory won't skirt the atmosphere before reaching apoapsis... should work.

[Loren Pechtel]

4 hours ago, Sharpy said:

Doable, but the jetpack has a lousy TWR, especially if the kerbal is encumbered with extra payload like the fuel. I wouldn't base my primary plan upon this, but if I find I'm 500m/s short of orbit, I wouldn't hesitate to jump the ship. Orient camera so that navball points prograde, press space to rotate kerbal to camera, W for forward, shift for up, to make sure my trajectory won't skirt the atmosphere before reaching apoapsis... should work.

Which is why I figured a decent portion of the orbital velocity would already have to be established before going to jetpack.  Otherwise gravity would bring you down before you built up the needed velocity.

[fourfa]

On 1/24/2017 at 10:42 AM, Foxster said:

I suppose you could but what makes you think Eve is that hard? 

If you make streamlining an absolute priority then you can easily make orbit. 

Perhaps someone can link the latest lightweight Eve return challenges (I looked and don't see it)?

But as an example, I have been working on a compact grand tour mothership, which would require an Eve return rocket that can fit in a pretty short Mk3 cargo bay.  The usual designs are tall pencils, with very bulky heatshields.  I've been wondering if a jetpack circularization final stage could help make it workable.

[Foxster]

 

1 hour ago, fourfa said:

Perhaps someone can link the latest lightweight Eve return challenges (I looked and don't see it)?

But as an example, I have been working on a compact grand tour mothership, which would require an Eve return rocket that can fit in a pretty short Mk3 cargo bay.  The usual designs are tall pencils, with very bulky heatshields.  I've been wondering if a jetpack circularization final stage could help make it workable.

Which mk3 bay: 25, 50 or 100?

The long one (100) is do-able I think with something like the craft I posted last in that challenge but it would be difficult with the heatshield, chutes, etc. The 50 might be do-able with some shuffling about, it would be pretty tricky though. I doubt the 25 is going to work out OK. 

How about setting it as a challenge? I'd give it a go. 

Edited January 25, 2017 by Foxster

[fourfa]

I was thinking the 50 might be realistic, if all the disposable descent parts can be shuffled about to make the thing roughly cylindrical.