Single launch round trip missions to Eve

[godemperorzack]

Hey guys,

I've been working on a new Eve mission off and on after version 1.0 was released with the new aerodynamics (I know, Eve is all I do ). Compared to my prior experience on Eve, atmospheric entry heating ending up being the huge challenge this time around. The goal of the mission was to send a 3 man pod to Eve sea level and return it back to Kerbin in a single launch with no docking or refueling. It was a fun couple months working on the project. If your interested, check it out:

Full Imgur Album

I'd like to hear other people's experiences on Eve and see pictures of other large scale missions (particularly reentry solutions).

Thanks to everyone for making these forums a great source of info and entertainment!

Edited December 1, 2017 by godemperorzack
Link fix

[Snark]

I don't have a screenshot handy, but I've done this before.  Considerably smaller ship than yours, though (I was only carrying one kerbal, not three, so the payload was a lot smaller).

• My lander was a 6-asparagus cluster of Vectors under FL-T800's stacked two high, with a Terrier for the upper stage boosting a single Mk1 command pod into orbit.  Lander mass sitting on the surface was something like 54 tons, IIRC.
• The lander could only get to low Eve orbit.  The Kerbin-return vehicle stayed in orbit while the lander went down.  It was all one launch, though.
• Descent & reentry was pretty simple, just use an inflatable heatshield sitting under the lander, which is jettisoned before landing.  Aero stability aided by a bunch of airbrakes on the top end, mounted on radial decouplers, jettisoned along with heat shield.

 

[Foxster]

My 3-man mission was  similar to Snarks - I didn't try to put the whole craft down on Eve and get it back to orbit. I didn't use the 4.0t Mk1-2 capsule, I did it with the much lighter combo of a mk1 capsule and a mk1 crew cabin that weighed in at just 1.8t combined. 

Those two things meant that the launch mass of the mission was much less than yours - not saying it was "better" though, just lighter. 

[Vanamonde]

Looks like this is going to end up being a craft-sharing thread, and so, moved to the craft-sharing subforum.