Jool 500 Kolonization Mission (Redux)

[jinnantonix]

Jool 500 Kolonization Mission (Redux)

 

Overview

The idea of the Jool 500 Kolonization Challenge is to take five hundred kerbals to colonise all 5 of Jool's moons, in the most complete way possible. The main challenge of this mission is the scale of it. It is not enough to simply launch 5 massive crew transports and land each of them on a moon. It is not even enough to bring a base and a rover along too. No, the goal of this challenge is to create a self-sustaining civilization in the Jool system including satellite networks, resource gathering/transport, etc

Simulator

Kerbal Space Program v1.10.1 with Making History and Breaking Ground.  Game Mode:  Sandbox, Normal. 

Mods:

• USI-LS
• Kerbal Planetary Base System
• SpaceY Heavy Lifters
• NearFuture Electrical
• Kerbal Atomics
• SSTU Labs
• Tweakscale
• Bon Voyage
• MechJeb 
• Kerbal Engineer
• Kerbal Alarm Clock
• Trajectories
• Ship Manifest

Thanks to

• All the brilliant developers of KSP and the above mods
• Alex for The Alex Moon Launch Window Planner 

Edited March 29, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

Mission Schedule

• Transit Window 1:  Relay satellites/network, probes, small rovers, bases (farms) and outposts, and large freighters for orbit to surface operations.

5 transit vehicles

1. TV1 Laythe A   Kerbals 1
2. TV1 Laythe B   Kerbals 1
3. TV1 Tylo             Kerbals 1
4. TV1 Vall              Kerbals 1
5. TV1 Pol+Bop   Kerbals 1

 

• Transit Window 2:  Interplanetary vessels to deliver 500 Kerbals, plus space stations, large rovers and resource carriers

5 transit vehicles

1. TV2 Laythe A   Kerbals 112
2. TV2 Laythe B   Kerbals 112
3. TV2 Tylo             Kerbals 90
4. TV2 Vall              Kerbals 90
5. TV2 Pol+Bop   Kerbals 91

Mission Architecture

It has been discovered that there are water and ore resources available on Laythe, allowing hydroponic farms (bases) to be built.   Each base supports 18 kerbals and generates an excess of USI-LS supplies.  Eight bases manufacture sufficient supplies to support 500 kerbals.  Kerbals are housed in outposts on each of Jool's moons, occupying every biome in the Jool system, as well as a space station around each moon.  Each outpost has enough seats and supply storage to support 10 kerbals for about one year.  Supplies are transported from the Laythe bases (farms) to each moon's space stations (housing 1 Kerbal for each moon) using nuclear tugs, freighters, resource carriers.   The supplies are then transferred to the outposts using freighters and large rovers.

 

Craft

Scanners and relay satellites:  Orbital discovery and communications craft

Spoiler

Moon Relay 
There are 6 moon relays deployed around each of Jool's moons, 3 in equatorial orbit and 3 in polar orbit, each  spaced 60 degrees apart to give maximum surface coverage.  



Jool Relay
There are six interplanetary relays, for boosting the signal from moon relays between Jool and Kerbin.  The relay hub [see below] is launched form the T1 Laythe A transit craft shortly after entering Jool SOI, then proceeds to be capture in a Laythe flyby into a highly elliptical Jool orbit with an Ap outside the orbit of Pol.  Relays are positioned in polar and equatorial orbits, 0 degrees apart to give maximum coverage of the Jool system.



Scanner
Each moon is scanned for resources using an M700 scanner, which is positioned using the T1 transit tug.  


 

Probe and scouting rovers :  Mobile exploration vehicles

Spoiler

Probe: 

Landed at each biome, collects and transmits science, and determines resource availability (Ore, water, uranium).  The probe is able to move around to find a flat area of surface for landing the freighters.

 

Small Rover

Landed at each biome, the rover has 5 command chair seats, and can reach speeds of 40 m/s.

The Sea Rover is powered by a Juno engine.


 

Bases and Outposts:  Habitat supporting  kerbals

Spoiler

Bases (Hydroponic Farms)

Houses 18 Kerbals each and mine ore and water to manufacture USI-LE Supplies.  There are 8 farms located at Laythe Dunes and Peaks.

Outposts

Houses up to 12 Kerbals  (typically 10), and has USI-LS supplies storage to last about 1 Kerbal year.

 

Space Station

Supports up to 25 kerbals, but typically one or two only.   30,000 units of supply storage.  Placed in low equatorial orbit around each moon.

Resource carriers:  Large Freighter, Supply Carrier, and Nuclear Fuel Facility 

Spoiler

Freighters

Nuclear tug :  Provides efficient propulsion for each transit vehicle, and delivers relay and scanners.  May use ISRU to refuel and provide payload delivery facility on Vall, Pol or Bop.

Laythe:  SSTO.  Provides high thrust propulsion, using ISRU to refuel and provide payload delivery facility on Laythe

Tylo:  SSTO Provides adaptable high thrust propulsion, using ISRU to refuel and provide payload delivery facility on Tylo

Large Rovers:  Includes 10 seats

Spoiler

Sea Plane:  Amphibious aircraft that provides crew and supply transport to remote Laythe outposts.  Refuels by docking with the Laythe Freighter.  Has 10 command chairs, plus two pressurised pilot seats.

 

Large Rover (Tylo, Laythe) :  Includes  supply tanks and science lab with science equipment

 

Large Rover (Vall, Pol, Bop) :  Includes  liquid fuel engines for biome hopping,  science lab with science equipment.  Does not have supply tanks as outposts are resupplied by direct docking with the nuclear tugs.

 

Space Transport:  Large Vessels
 

Spoiler

Superlifter

Massive SSTO vehicle, designed to be re-usable.  Used to launch the transit craft to orbit.   Has a payload capacity of 250 t re-usable and 300 t expendable. 
 

Interplanetary vessel

A craft capable of carrying over 100 Kerbals between Kerbin to Jool's moons.  Designed to spin, creating artificial gravity during interplanetary journeys.
 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

After 19 launches of the Superlifter, the five Transit 1 vehicles have been assembled in low Kerbin orbit, and on a staggered schedule for transit from Kerbin to Jool.  Each craft has one engineer aboard so that the ISRU based refuelling system operates at maximum efficiency once in the Jool system.  Each outpost is fully stocked with USI-LS supplies, so the engineers will not go hungry.

The plan is that each craft will proceed directly to it's respective moon, Laythe (two craft) , Vall, Tylo, and one craft going  to Pol and Bop. Each transit vehicle will enter highly elliptical equatorial orbit, transfer to polar orbit so the craft has access to all biomes as the moon rotates beneath.  Communications relays are setup and resource scanning is completed.  Probes are landed  on each biome, and science returned to Kerbin.  Finally rovers and outposts are landed on each biome using dedicated large freighters, specifically designed for each moon, that can ISRU refuel after each landing on the moon's surface.  The tug(s) then refuel at Pol and return to their moon's equatorial orbit to complete the relay setup, ready to rendezvous with transit 2 vehicles when they arrive.

 

 

Video:  Jool500 Transit 1 vehicle assembly and Kerbin launch. (pending)

Edited February 23, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

 Here is part 1 of the mission, assembly of the first 5 transit vehicles in low Kerbin orbit.  The craft have now all burned for Jool.
 

 

[jinnantonix]

My first transit craft has entered Tylo SOI.  The process is as follows:

• Retro burn to equatorial highly elliptical orbit.
• + At Ap, decouple the outpost cluster and leave in orbit for later recovery [Tylo and Laythe only]
• At Vall, Pol and Bop the craft releases equatorial probes.
• Transfer to polar orbit, and at Pe burn to circular orbit at altitude = 1000km
• Release three relay satellites, and adjust orbits so they are 60 degrees apart (provides even surface coverage)
• Wait for one orbit of moon, recording the biomes that pass, and searching for biomes close to the equator
• Identify 2 equatorial locations where biomes are close to each other, so resources landed are easy to distribute in a rover [Tylo only, see image below]
• Release probes one at a time over the target biomes, to verify flat landing sites and do science, discover resources
• Land the freighter and refuel *
• Launch freighter westward to equatorial orbit, and release relay satellites, adjust as previous
• Rendezvous with the outpost cluster in highly elliptical orbit, transfer to polar orbit and burn to low orbit,  [Tylo and Laythe only]
• Land each outpost and small rover using probes as a target, adjusting position to flat ground, and refueling (this requires many days)

+ Exceptions: 
T1 Laythe A - bases (hydroponic farms) - proceeds directly to equatorial low Laythe orbit (altitude = 100km).
Tylo and Laythe requires the outposts to to be dropped in highly elliptical orbit, due to high gravity.
* On Laythe the tug cannot be landed in the atmosphere.  It has just enough fuel to transfer back to equatorial orbit for releasing the relays.

Edited March 1, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

All Kolonisation hardware has now been deployed to every biome in the Jool system.  The video shows the Jool relay gravity capture and deployment, and Laythe landings - some (but not all) of the key moments in the deployment of relays, probes, outposts, bases (hydroponic farms) and small rovers to every land and sea biome on Laythe.  Engineers Bill and Supal Kerman are enjoying a rest in a greenhouse on the Dunes Base D, awaiting the 500 Kolonists.  Parallel to the Laythe deployment has been hardware delivery to the other moons which will be shown in Jool 500 part 3 – Vall, Tylo, Pol and Bop hardware deployments.

 

[jinnantonix]

 

[jinnantonix]

I am adding Ship Manifest mod to assist with the transfer of Kerbals.

Edited March 12, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

A small setback.  I visited my bases (hydroponic farms) on Laythe, and discovered that they were missing 80% of their parts.  I was able to back up to a previous quicksave.  However when I use the [ and ] keys to move between bases, they randomly bounce in the air and explode, and in particular the base that was adjacent to the Laythe Freighter.  I was able to fix this by going to each base via the Tracking Station, and manually change all autostruts to 'Grandfather'.  So far no more Kraken.

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

The designs for five transit 2 craft are ready, and the kolonisation phase is about to begin.  Each T2 craft requires 3 launches. 
Launch 1:   Rover/Supply module:  Supplies for the Kerbals in transit, and large rovers/carriers -  these are unique to each craft and purpose built for each moon. 
Launch 2:  Nuclear tug.  Identical for each launch, and is the propulsion device for the Interplanetary Vessel
Launch 3:  Interplanetary Vessel capable of carrying at least 100 Kerbals, and Space Station for each moon

The Rover/Supply module is docked at LKO 90km orbit to the nuclear tug, and  five T2 craft are assembled.  The five Interplanetary Vessels, each including about 90, 91 or 112 Kerbals depending on destination, are then launched and docked to their respective T2 craft, and immediately burn for Jool.  Extra fuel is used to reduce the transit time to less than 1.5 years so there are sufficient supplies for the trip.  The 5 craft proceed to burn to low orbit at their respective moon, the Laythe craft go direct to Laythe, and the Tylo, Vall and PolBop craft doing a Tylo gravity capture.

T2 Laythe A on the launch pad...

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

Here is part 4 of the mission, assembly of the first 5 transit vehicles in low Kerbin orbit.  The craft have now all burned for Jool.

 

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

The first kolonists have landed at Tylo Site A.  The Tylo orbital freighter has rendezvoused with the T2 Tylo interplanetary vessel,   The freighter docks with the large rover, and a 32 seat habitat module, and transports 41 kerbals to the outpost in Gagarin Crater (image below).  The freighter refuels by ISRU .  The large rover transports 10 kerbals to the outpost at Tycho Crater, and then returns to Gagarin and transports 10 kerbals each to Minor Craters and Tylo Midlands outposts.  In the event of the rover becoming damaged, an engineer may rendezvous using the small rover.  (noting that tyres apparently do not damage when the spring and damper settings are correct). 

After refuelling, the orbital freighter will launch and rendezvous again with the T2 Tylo craft in orbit, to bring the next batch of 40 kolonists to Tylo Site B outposts.  A third and final launch and rendezvous will deliver the last 10 Kerbals and the nuclear fuel carrier to Tylo Lowlands Outpost. One kerbal engineer will remain in the Tylo Space Station

 

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

While the first landings on Tylo and Laythe are refueling, the landings on Vall are completed.  All 90 kerbals reside in outposts in 9 separate biomes on Vall's surface, with 1 kerbal engineer in orbit in the docked interplanetary vessel / space station.
 

 

[jinnantonix]

At the end of the Vall kolonisation, the orbital station is configured as below.  The nuclear tug has enough U and LH2 fuel to get the Interplanetary Vessel to Pol.  In the future additional fuel will be transferred to give it enough dV to launch directly to Kerbin.

The second nuclear tug is refuelling on the surface.  About a year from now, as the supplies begin to run out, the second nuclear tug will launch, rendezvous with the Vall Orbital Station and take the supply tanks to Laythe to be filled, return to Vall, and then will dock with the 9 outposts and space station to resupply them.

Edited March 31, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

The Tylo Kolonisation is complete.  There are 90 kerbals on the surface in 9 separate biomes, with one kerbal remaining in the Tylo Orbital Station.  The high dV required for Tylo landings requires a minimum of surface/orbit transits, so a large 10 seat rover is used to move the kerbals from the landing site to the outposts.  Three landings are required over 54 days to complete.  The first two land 40 kolonists each, and the final lands 10 kolonists and the nuclear mining unit at the Lowlands site.  A kerbal engineer remains in orbit in the Tylo Orbital Station.

 

 

 

[jinnantonix]

The Kolonisation of Pol and Bop is complete.  There are 90 kerbals on the surface in 9 separate biomes, with one kerbal remaining in the Bop Orbital Station. 

The nuclear tug from Pol/Bop transit 1 vehicle is fully fuelled at Pol and will transit to Laythe to retrieve the stranded tugs and other craft in orbit there.
 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

 

The Kolonisation of the Jool system is complete.  

In part 8 of my Jool 500 mission, I show the kolonisation of Jool's innermost moon Laythe with 226 kerbals in 10 separate biomes. The Dunes and Peaks biomes each have 72 kerbals in 4 hydroponic bases, supplying an excess of supplies for the rest of the Jool 500 kolony. Also a large rover and a nuclear drilling rig are added, with a sea plane used to transport kerbals to remote outposts. At the conclusion, the Laythe Orbital Station is in orbit around Laythe with one kerbal engineer aboard, and the T2 Laythe B craft transits to become Pol Orbital Station. There are now 500 kerbals kolonising the Jool system.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by jinnantonix