To the Mohole!

[Biggen]

So I've done some limited landings on the Mun and Duna and I even having a mining base setup on Minimus with a refueling depot in LKO but I haven't done any real "planning" as far as getting something into interstellar space.  I *only* have about 150 hours poured into KSP so I only know enough to be dangerous at this point.  With than in mind, I figured a trip to one of the hardest planets in the game was in order and a visit to it's famed Mohole couldn't be left off the list!

The plan is as follows:

1. Send three sat probs into orbit around Moho that are evenly spaced to get 100% communication coverage for Moho. - Completed!
2. Send an autonomous science lander equipped with a two man rover to Moho and have it land as close as possible to the Mohole. - Completed!
3. Send a mothership containing at two Kerbals to Moho and have them land near the autonomous landing site. - Partially completed!
4. Have the kerbins get into the rover and explore the Mohole, get science, and eat snacks while keeping warm at 300C! - Work in Progress
5. Have kerbins depart from Moho, dock with the mothership, and return to Kerbal. - Work in Progress
   1. Optional requirement is to send a refueling tug to the mothership in Moho orbit.  Getting back will be tight!

So, with all of that said, here is where I am.

http://imgur.com/a/99n5f

A couple notes:

1. Want to thank @Raptor9 for his craft designs.  I used a heavily modified Bullfrog lander and I built my own rover but designed it very closely to his Ferret rover.  Kudos for the job very well done these.

2. Leaving from Kerbin when Moho is at the AN is where it's at.  That way your encounter with Moho is parallel with your orbit around Kerbol.  My worst attempt at stopping and orbiting at Moho cost me 2500 dV.  I've did it on another attempt for as little as 1500 dV before.

3. Flying over the Mohole at low altitudes (10km) causes issues.  My craft would spin out of control, I'd lose camera alignment, etc...  I had to readjust my orbit after the flyby picture I took.  There is some weird crap happening close to the hole itself. You have been warned!

4. The rocky area surrounding the Mohole is a hazardous.  I tried a dozen attempts to land close but it's simply too rocky and hilly.  Think of the terrain as the Mun times 10!  Forget landing there.  I picked a nice flat crater to the southwest.  I hope it's within range of the rover.

5. I had to time warp to find that nice crater in the daylight since Moho rotates so freaking slowly.  Actually, it's closer to dawn.  The sunlight in that landing site will increase as the planet rotates.  

I'll work on next getting the mother ship into orbit in pieces and assembling it so I can send some kerbins off to their doo... uh, adventure...

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2017 by Biggen

[Biggen]

Mothership is enroute with 4 brave kerbals!  Updated pictures...