What's not to Ike, also Duna (Pic Heavy)

[James Kerman]

My entry for the KSP Challenge: " Visiting Duna and Ike".
KSP: 1.3.0
Mods: KER and ScanSat

On the pad.


In the air.


1st stage separation.


In orbit.


On to Duna!


Midway deployment of Sentinel/Relay and correction burn.


I decided to go to Ike first hoping my wide wheel base will help with the landings (what was I thinking?). 


I make orbit.  On top of the vessel there's a Scan/relay sat.  I want to map the moon before landing but I also want to map Duna so it stays connected for now.


I land on decent ground and refuel - I've never been to Ike's north pole so I want to be fuelled up for contingencies.  The Kerbals take a photo.


Takeoff and aiming for the pole.


Uhh, It looks a little steep.


Yes it is quite steep.  Touch and go only in this configuration.


Ok that failed.  I have another option but it will have to wait.  Meanwhile I go for the highest peak as best I can tell by the Scansat information.


The landing was quite hairy.  I waved off a few times but managed to land 2.2km away.  Vessel landed at 12,588m.


Haybo goes EVA and gets to 12,730m - Its not as gnarly as I expected.  There's likely a worse (and higher) spot.


Ike ops are done for now but I'll be back.  To Duna.


Deploying Scansat.


I drop orbit and prepare to drop my lander.  Jeb stays on the mother ship.



De-orbiting into northern pole.  The actual pole is highly visible - not a good sign.


Landed about 6km away.


Repack chutes and separate rover and lander.


Ready to roll.


The rover is no match for the steep slopes.  I opt to EVA and try to make it to the secondary summit in front.


While posing for a photo (after placing a flag), Bill slips.


Luckily he lands on his head and rolls to within 200m of the rover.


Oh what a feeling.


The Flag - very far from the summit.  Also apparently the third eye.


Back to the lander.


Big problem.  I realize the valley I'm in gets no sunlight.  I use the 400m/s left to hop out and end up in a spot that rarely sees the sun.  Fueling up 1000m/s takes 17days.


Another hop south and full fuel.


I target what I believe to be Duna's highest point and land.  I land at 8,248m and plant a flag at 8,262m.




Next land in the western Canyon.




A crater next then back to Ike.

Edited December 8, 2017 by James Kerman

[Geschosskopf]

Impressive mission.

Duna's north pole area is just nasty terrain.  It all looks like the tracks left by city-sized tank.  But it's fun to drive rovers off the cliffs

 

[James Kerman]

Yeah, coming in to the first landing and seeing the terrain laid out, I knew my rover I didn't have a hope.

[James Kerman]

I muck around a bit trying to find the lowest point.  241m is the best I can do.


I land in a polar crater.


RV and dock to the mother ship.




Now back to Ike.

[James Kerman]

Back in polar orbit of Ike.


I land at the south pole first.



Next I target the lowest point.


North pole landing (South pole biome??).


Time to go home.  I Dock with the mother ship, make equatorial orbit around Duna, transfer crew, science and Fuel and detach the lander.  It will remain in the Duna system as a rescue tender.

Just waiting for a window to get home, now.

[James Kerman]

Burn home and go for a low polar orbit.



Undock from the service module which will now be used as a tanker and de orbit the pod using RCS.



Crew landed for a well deserved swim.

[obney kerman]

On ‎12‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 7:34 PM, James Kerman said:

Is she... overheating?

[Geschosskopf]

Impressive mission!  Very thorough exploration!

[James Kerman]

6 hours ago, obney kerman said:

Is she... overheating?

Somewhat.  Haybo is an engineer and assists in heat management (and mining) so after a long burn on the nukes her cheeks get quite rosy.

5 hours ago, Geschosskopf said:

Impressive mission!  Very thorough exploration!

Thank you very much.  I was just lucky that the challenge came up as I was prepping a less ambitious mission to Duna.