Mun in one trip

[phantom000]

Not a challenge, just something i really REALLY want to try! The idea is to complete all Mun research, that is every experiment in every biome and recover all the data before returning to Kerbin.

Has anyone ever tried that?

[Foxster]

A few of us have. There's been challenges in the past along these lines. 

It tends to be easier now that you can refuel your craft as you hop around the biomes. Still a nice challenge to do it without refuelling. 

 

[MinimalMinmus]

It doesn't seem very hard, you just need to rove accross the surface reaping science, then you move to a polar LMO and do the relevant science, and you end with HMO.

[Superfluous J]

I landed in every (Or every one minus one, I don't recall exactly. I had already landed in a bimoe earlier in that career so could have skipped that biome) years ago. I had an orbiter with tons of fuel and a lander that could get down and back up. I orbited polar and just grabbed every biome one by one. It was quite lucrative.

I don't recall if I had *every* experiment but I'd not be surprised if I did.

[phantom000]

My question is should i transmit the data back to kerbin? or should i store it and bring it all back at once?

[TopHeavy11]

3 minutes ago, phantom000 said:

My question is should i transmit the data back to kerbin? or should i store it and bring it all back at once?

With this type of haul, it's no longer a question of "Should I bring it home?" but rather a question of "Do I have enough EC to transmit it back home?" Honestly, if you exhausted the entire Mun in one trip, then the bounty will be well more then you would want to risk on re-entry and parachutes. I way transmit it all (or at least most of it.)

[septemberWaves]

8 minutes ago, phantom000 said:

My question is should i transmit the data back to kerbin? or should i store it and bring it all back at once?

I'd say, transmit the data that has 100% transmission rate (crew reports, EVA reports, etc), and keep everything else so that you get all the science points.

[Randazzo]

55 minutes ago, eloquentJane said:

I'd say, transmit the data that has 100% transmission rate (crew reports, EVA reports, etc), and keep everything else so that you get all the science points.

Agreed. It seems a waste of time to bother going to every biome only to transmit the data and get a fraction of the science.

[septemberWaves]

3 minutes ago, Randazzo said:

Agreed. It seems a waste of time to bother going to every biome only to transmit the data and get a fraction of the science.

Also, aside from not transmitting, if you want to get the maximum possible science then you should take a science container as well as a command pod. You can then store one copy of experiments like the materials study in the science container, and the other copy in the command pod. This ensures that you get the most data out of the experiments, and don't have to go back to redo them for the rest of the science points.

[phantom000]

I am trying to design a lander of some kind that can carry all the experiments down to the surface then back into orbit, dock with a station to transfer the data and refuel then head back down. Its not easy, it needs a docking port, an RCS system, landing struts and at least one of every experiment. If anyone has done this before, could you show me a picture?

 

[septemberWaves]

I suggest you design your lander to be able to reach a polar orbit, and put your mothership in a polar orbit when you're doing the mission. This is because you can only land on the equator from an equatorial orbit without having to do an expensive plane change, but you can land anywhere from a polar orbit. It does mean you'll sometimes have to wait a while for your desired landing site to be beneath your orbit, but at least there's minimal plane changing required.

[Tex_NL]

All biomes in one trip is pretty easy when you bring a rover and a lot of patience.

[TopHeavy11]

On 2/11/2017 at 11:06 AM, Tex_NL said:

All biomes in one trip is pretty easy when you bring a rover and a lot of patience.

You have to consider low and high above science too

[Tex_NL]

2 minutes ago, TopHeavy11 said:

You have to consider low and high above science too

Low is easy. Just hit a bump at speed, jump and hit all science at one with an action key.
High is also very easy from a polar orbit.

[phantom000]

I am going to try the Rover approach. Landings are quite tricky and if you get one wrong you would have to start over. I think driving a cross the surface would be much safer.

The only question is how do i get it there? I have to:

1. Get it into Kerbin's orbit

2. Get it to Mun

3. Get it down to Mun's surface safely

4. Remove it from the landing vehicle.

FYI, i am doing this in Research Mode, so if you were wondering 'why i do not use *insert part here*' it is probably because i do not have it yet.

 

[overkill13]

Looks top heavy with a skinny wheelbase.  That's a recipe for disaster.  Get it all closer to ground level and put on an additional reaction wheel and turn on SAS when you start moving.  Also know that roving the whole of Mun is gonna take forever.

[Human Person]

I wouldn't do it without scansat installed

[LoSBoL]

On ‎11‎-‎2‎-‎2017 at 3:56 PM, phantom000 said:

I am trying to design a lander of some kind that can carry all the experiments down to the surface then back into orbit, dock with a station to transfer the data and refuel then head back down. Its not easy, it needs a docking port, an RCS system, landing struts and at least one of every experiment. If anyone has done this before, could you show me a picture?

 

I used this to hop around, works pretty good, has all the science experiments on board + 4 science canisters and a DV of around 2500 to do a few Mun hops before refueling in polar orbit.

Can't bring the lander home to Kerbin though, It docks to my LKO station which has multiple descent pods. Rescued Kerbals are mandated to grab some science before they bring themselves down to Kerbin.