Exploring Jool's moons

[1of6Billion]

From Bop to Laythe or vice versa?

I launched a nuclear / solar probe to Jool with an ISA MapSat. So fuel (seems to be) infinite. Should I explore the moons from outside to inside, or the other way around? Or doesn't it matter?

[swiftgates24]

The easiest way to do it is:

Bop-Lowest Gravity

Vall-Not very big and no atmosphere

Tylo-Big but has no atmosphere

Laythe-Has atmosphere, large, and is hard to find a landing location.

That's assuming you don't have infinite fuel (which you do). If you want to do it the fun way... Laythe,Vall,Tylo,Bop. Basically in to out.

[1of6Billion]

Ah.. No landing. 1 Craft.

Mapping all moons

[swiftgates24]

That makes it easy Go Big to small (Tylo,Laythe,Vall,Bop)

[nhnifong]

As soon as you get to jool, the first thing you are going to want to do is aerobrake in it. How hard you aerobrake will determine which moon you can visit first. I tend to try and save my velocity, go to bop, and progressively fall into jools gravity well. I don't plan on having the delta-v to get back out until someone invents a kethane scoop.

[1of6Billion]

Erm...kuch... Decided to go Laythe - Tall -Tylo - Bop, so Mechjeb can help me out

Just got a nice (semi)polar orbit around Laythe now. Gonna map it.

Hopefully the ion engine is powerful enough to get out of Jool's gravity well...

[OldReliable]

I launched landers for all four moons simultaneously, I also launched a return vehicle. You can see I had to fiddle to get them all there.

Powerful ships = Wide launch window.

[1of6Billion]

Erm...kuch... Decided to go Laythe - Tall -Tylo - Bop, so Mechjeb can help me out

Just got a nice (semi)polar orbit around Laythe now. Gonna map it.

Hopefully the ion engine is powerful enough to get out of Jool's gravity well...

I learned that a 90° inclined orbit does NOT give you full coverage of the planet. At least, not @ 150km. You end up flying over the same terrain over and over and missing some parts.

Anyway, the ion engine got the craft from Layhte to Vall without any problems. Took over 1 hour in real time, but it's sitting there now. Going to map it tonight.

[1of6Billion]

I launched landers for all four moons simultaneously, I also launched a return vehicle. You can see I had to fiddle to get them all there.

Powerful ships = Wide launch window.

You've got some floating device for Laythe?

I will only attempt landing again when it gets fixed in Mechjeb. For now crashing is guaranteed.

[nhnifong]

Landing works fine in mechjeb right now.

[1of6Billion]

Landing works fine in mechjeb right now.

Land At Target??

[Nibb31]

Use Land at Target until you are in the atmosphere. Then switch to Land.

[1of6Billion]

Use Land at Target until you are in the atmosphere. Then switch to Land.

I did that @ Mun. No Atmosphere... Started with Land At Target. After "Safe to Warp" I switched to "LAND". It just plainly landed ASAP, 26km's short of the intended spot.

But... good to know it work in an atmosphere.

[1of6Billion]

But...back on topic...

Has anyone else done a flyby (+orbits!) of all Jool's moons with a single craft?

My nuclear powered ion engine is doing very well. Orbital corrections, to get in to polar orbit, are a pain in the a.. It takes a lot of time, but it gets there.

I'm mapping Tylo as we speak, and I'm seriously considering to get to the other planets as well with the same ship.

Time for a pic