Questions about 'Apollo-Style' lunar expedition

[Sinu]

First, let me thank anyone who has taken the time to read this topic, it means a great-deal; now, onto the problem at hand...

I have been trying for a long time to discover a practical way to perform a 'Apollo-Style' mission, all the way from launch to splashdown. The problem I am experiencing revolves around how KSP treats spacecrafts that are technically controllable, and have unactivated stages, but are not the main ship. The staging system's GUI seems to quite simply break as soon as a piece of the ship is detached and then reactivated. Below are some screenshots with some captions describing what I am seeing.

Figure 1

This screenshot details my setup to demonstrate my problem - a LEM module is supported by a launch brace and is connected via a decoupler to a empty command module with unactivated stages, one being the activation of a SPS engine and the second being the dropping of a Kethane tank. I decouple the empty pod from the original pod, and then switch to the unmanned pod in an attempt to activate it's stages.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz242/Sinu_Daltra/setup.png

Figure 2

This is directly after the empty command pod's decoupler is activated, my focus is still on the LEM.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz242/Sinu_Daltra/screenshot0.png

Figure 3

This is me switching to the empty command pod's focus for the first time; as you can see, the stages are missing completely.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz242/Sinu_Daltra/screenshot1.png

Figure 4

This is me switching back to the LEM mother-ship...as the empty stages that were observed before are now gone.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz242/Sinu_Daltra/screenshot2.png

Figure 5

This is me returning to the empty pod's focus, as you can see, the stages' icons are now returned, but are all shoved into one stage, and none of them can be activated.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz242/Sinu_Daltra/screenshot3.png

[Temstar]

Is Kerbin orbit rendezvous allowed in addition to Munar orbit rendezvous? If so:

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum/showthread.php/23142-3-ship-mun-mission-with-docking

[lucidLemon]

I believe Zooltac's Escapepod mod provides a fix for this. You make your command pod into an escape pod with a simple .cfg edit; simple replace

module = CommandPod

with

module = EscapePod

The mod saves the staging of the craft before detaching it, which seems to be your problem; I haven't had used it recently, so it might not be working for .17

[Rickenbacker]

...Or you can do it in two launches, which is not exactly the way Apollo did it, but without docking it's pretty close. Just launch an orbiter first (where you get rid of a few kerbals before launch), then a lander. After landing the lander comes up to rendezvouz with the orbiter, which takes everyone home.

[Sinu]

Lucid, thank-you for the link to that mod, it worked just as you described and saved all of my stages - it did wreak however wreak habit with mechjeb, I will admit. But now my lunar mission can continue...with some slight modifications to my LEM. I am in your debt.

Also, on a side note, Rickenbakcer, NASA was planning to use two Saturn-IV's to launch the LEM and a 'transfer stage' just as you described...they would meet up in earth orbit and dock, then transfer to the moon to perform the mission.

Thank-you all for your help!

[Martonaut]

ive never used the Escape pod mod, but I did apollo style missions with the docking mods, and remote tech (cuz i dont know other way to control debris even if they have an emptypod)

my question is, Y do you need your stages? if the LEM and the acent stage are the main pod they wont lose stages, and the service module dont have much staging, well maybe detaching the capsule for re-entry