DunaManiac's Attempt at the Minmus Elcano Challenge [Complete]

DunaManiac · April 13, 2022

This is my attempt at an Elcano, specifically circumnavigating Minmus. As I'm on vacation I've had a lot of time for KSP lately, so I decided the best way to waste my time would be to circumnavigate Minmus.

The rover; the Standard Reconnaissance Vehicle is a mostly stock rover, with several modded parts such as the SSPRx service bay, the KIS containers, and the Near Future command pod. I wanted to develop a rover that could be used reasonably well on most bodies, so I figured that an Elcano would be a perfect way to see if it really deserves the title "Standard." It can carry two kerbals, and its service bay contains a generous amount of science experiments. It can also carry a large amount of BG surface experiments, as well as items within its KIS cargo containers. This is the first time I have attempted a long drive like this, since the time I drove 70 kilometers on Minmus a few years ago.

However, I was very pleased with the SRV's final performance. It only crashed once, and that was after 90 kilometers of driving, and even then only because I was careless and wasn't monitoring it. For the other 280 kilometers, I drove completely without incident.

The starting position was at MSB1, located at 14 degrees north, 65 degrees east.

Part 0: Launch and Delivery

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Edited April 14, 2022 by DunaManiac

DunaManiac · April 13, 2022

Part 1: The first 75 kilometers

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For the first 75 kilometers, I had a pretty good idea of the route. I was going to do a long arcing curve for about 40 kilometers, then I would reach a land bridge and that would take me down onto the Greater flats, similar to the route outlined here:

The reason for this arcing curve is because I wanted to avoid the areas of sharp, rolling hills created by procedural noise that most of Minmus actually is. Henceforth, I'll call these Perlin fields.

Setting out from the base (aka MSB1) with Irsey, I began the grueling 370 kilometer long journey.

The early parts of the terrain were fairly featureless. Thankfully, however, this first bit was flat.

I decided I was going to stop every 10 kilometers. and first of these waypoints is here.

Eventually I began to notice that the rover had a small, but persistent turn to the left. Exactly why that was is a mystery, but I had to deal with it for the rest of the journey.

About 30 kilometers into the journey, the terrain began to become more lumpy as the perlin fields to the north approached.

This was the plateau I was aiming for. Beyond it lied the landbridge that would take us down into the Greater flats. The slopes of the plateau was fairly steep, except for a single path in the center. I decided to go through it, it would be better than braving the perlin fields.

As I approached, the plateau loomed before me.

Passing an olivine formation, I began to climb the slope. The SRV made quick work of it.

As I was moving over 20 m/s at this point, I had a hearty jump as I cleared the slope onto the plateau. The first challenge that Minmus had thrown at me, the rover had passed with ease.

At this point I was 40 kilometers away from my starting point. The path ahead was simple. I would drive along this landbridge until I reached the bottom of the Great flats, where I would continue for the next 20 kilometers after that, similar to the path outlined below.

Setting out from Waypoint 4 and planting another one 10 kilometers away I found there was a discontinuity between two plateaus, and only a tiny land-bridge connecting them. I would have to pass, or risk descending into the perlin fields.

However, I passed without a hitch.

At this point, I was 60 kilometers into the mission. All that was left to do was to drive down the land bridge and I'd be home free for the next 20 kilometers.

I set a waypoint, 70 kilometers away from the starting point and began to drive down the slight slope.

I selected a nice place to start the climb out of the flats 20 kilometers away at Site W2KV, and I began the long trek across the Greater Flats.

DunaManiac · April 13, 2022

Part 2: Out of the Flats and Into the Flats.

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Leaving Waypoint 7, I began the long trek across the Greater flats.

Driving across the flats was fairly easy. Unfortunately it was marred by the persistent left turn, forcing me to monitor it every 30 seconds or so. I paused to set a waypoint 80 kilometers from the base before continuing again.

I saw a few cliffs that looked like knife-edges as I passed. Glad I'm not traversing those!

90 kilometers out I began to approach Sector W2KV. Its about the gentlest slope I could find to get out of the flats. It may not had been the best place, but at least it was relatively shallow compared to the steep slopes surrounding the great flats. And most importantly, I would be spared the perlin fields and be delivered straight to one of the relatively flat highlands. The only problem was that it caused me to go south a fair bit.

Pausing to set another waypoint, I laid out the route before me:

Before I could begin the major climb however, I still had to pass over a small cliff separating a small pocket of flats from the rest of the Great flats. I could go around it but I decided to instead go straight over it to save time.

Climbing over the minor slope, I paused to set a waypoint in this small, flat pocket. Marking the 100 kilometers I had travelled up until that point, I prepared for the major climb.

After crossing the flat pocket, I began the climb.

Thankfully, however, the climb was relatively easily, and I was catapaulted off onto the highland plateau. By now I had driven over 115 kilometers.

The next route, laid out below, would be more or less in a straight line until I reached the Great Flats. All I would have to do was stear clear of the southern gulch.

After driving through utterly unremarkable terrain for about 10 kilometers, planting waypoint 13. However, at this point, I was faced with a choice. Do I go around the Great Flats, or through them?

Ultimately, I decided to go through the flats. Its the quickest way, and I wouldn't have to deal with the perlin fields. The only risk would be that I would not be able to get out. However, I decided to take that risk.

Unlike the descent into the greater flats, there was no clear or smooth path down. So I decided to wing it and go in a straight line down.

The descent was a challenge. Most of the time I was driving at over 20 meters per second. I found the brakes were very unreliable. Not to mention weak, if they were engaged sometimes I would be thrown into the air without warning. I resorted instead to simply driving in reverse to reduce speed, even though that did aggravate the mysterious left turn.

However, I made it down in one piece, and stopped to plant Waypoint 14. By now I had driven 140 kilometers. Not even halfway. Next, I planned to cross the great flats and drive across the highlands until I came upon the lesser flats.

Edited April 13, 2022 by DunaManiac

DunaManiac · April 13, 2022

Part 3: The Long Haul

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I decided that simply traveling through the Great flats in a straight line would be the best course.

After driving through the flats for 20 kilometers and placing waypoints 15, 16, and 17, I came upon the end of the great flats. I found a nice place to attempt a climb right in the thinnest part of the Great flats, or the "bottleneck," as I like to call them. After leaving the flats and climbing back onto the highlands, I planned to push on for the next 40 kilometers until I reach the lesser flats. The only complication is that there is a rift pushing up about halfway through with only a small land-bridge connecting them.

After safely climbing up the slope, as well as getting some air as I was moving rather quickly, Irsey gleefully marked Waypoint 18, or the halfway point. By this point, she had driven 180 kilometers and through two flats. There were only 40 kilometers of highlands before the lesser flats.

After planting waypoint 19, we came upon the land bridge in front of us. I planned to move swiftly over the land-bridge, otherwise I would have to dip through a valley to the south or brave the perlin fields in the north.

I began to cross the land-bridge.

At this point the left turn was seriously bothering me. I began to pull dangerously close to the northern edge of the land-bridge, where there were was a ridge that I really did not want to send my rover flying, as by this point I was moving at 23 m/s. However, I edged past it.

After planting waypoint 20, marking 200 kilometers driven, I set a course for my entry point. Unlike the great flats and the greater flats, the entry into the Lesser flats threatened to be even steeper.

After passing by some green sandstone, and planting waypoints 21, and 22, the highland plateau began to end. I had driven through it for nearly 40 kilometers.

The route next was fairly straightforward. I would enter the lesser flats, drive directly west before turning north, and crossing a pass though the midlands onto a nearby flat.

I found that under closer inspection however, that the slope was much steeper than I had anticipated. I decided to press on however, as this would be a good test of the rover's capabilities. I did know to avoid a near-shear drop slightly to the south and proceed in a straight line.

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After making it down I planted Waypoint 24, marking 240 kilometers travelled.

I aimed to pass into the nearby flats through a small pass called "Keeton's Crevice," apparently. There was a pass to the north, but I figured it would take too long and decided to go with the more difficult southerly one.

DunaManiac · April 14, 2022

Part 4: The Lesser Flats.

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After driving for about 20 kilometers across the Lesser flats, and planting waypoint 25, I eventually approached Keeton's crevice. The only problem is this "pass" looked much lower from the map view. Instead, apparently in order to get into it one must climb a shear cliff several hundred meters tall. At this point, being two thirds of the way across Minmus, I decided to brave it.

After stopping to plant waypoint 26, Irsey began her climb.

The rover actually handled very well. It seems to be very powerful, climbing up that 70 degree slope as if it was a flat. I was very impressed by its performance. However, this pass goes on for about 10 kilometers and is not particualry flat, almost perlin-y.

After crossing the lesser flats and Keeton's Crevice, I planned to continue to drive across the flats, driving around that "island" in its center before climbing out of it onto a spur of some flat highlands and following it in more a less straight line back to MSB1.

After stopping to plant a waypoint marking another 10 kilometers, I pressed on through the pass.

There was only one problem, as I reached the other side of Keeton's Crevice, I realized that it was just as steep on the otherside. I decided to take a risk and brave that slope.

Nearly a 70 degree slope!

However, the rover made it down safely. The brakes again sent me in the air, which is probably the only reason I survived.

Leaving Keeton's "Crevice" behind, I stopped to place waypoint #28. At this point, my starting point was only 80 kilometers away. By now, I had driven 260 kilometers.

My next goal was to climb out of these flats, before climbing up onto "Kerman's Buldge" and following the plateau southwest before I could proceed in a straight line back to the base.

Eventually I reached the slope.

Climbing up it would be a simple matter, just driving straight ahead. Unlike the other slopes though, I would have to climb in stages because I would be climbing a fairly steep slope for 10 kilometers.