Driving Duna (Circumnavigating the Red Planet by rover) [pic heavy]

[Geschosskopf]

Amazing feat of endurance and persistence over resistance . Glad somebody dug this thread up from before I joined so I could see it.

Do you use FAR? I'm just curious as to how the launch vehicle would fly in that atmosphere...

[Brotoro]

I do not use FAR.

A comment by somebody else about the non-aerodynamic nature of the rocket lead me to develop a folding version of the rover (see this thread)... which I then used in my Long-term Laythe mission. But, in the end, the sloppiness of the hinge connection, and a tendency for the hinges to shift over time (appearing to detach from the rover parts), made the Folding Fido much less safe to drive than the rigid Fido.

[Fyzzi]

You, sir, are a crazy person... but you've earned my respect by that mammoth patience you've shown there... pretty amazing stuff... great job, now change your wallpaper to something blue or less red and you'll be ok

Edited July 31, 2013 by Fyzzi

[fenderzilla]

If you wanted to drive all the way around a celestial body, why didn't you just choose gilly? you'd be done in like 10 minutes.

[Brotoro]

No traction on Gilly

As long as I was going to do it, I figured I go with something large.

[enzo_schmitz]

Incredible design and a marvellous journey! Good report and it inspired me to visit the first polar crater you encountered. This was my rover (photoshopped Ike in the background for scenery purposes)

Keep up the good work!

Ooh and in which version did you do this trip? because your scenery seems different from mine

Edited November 18, 2013 by enzo_schmitz
question

[Brotoro]

I did this trip when rover wheels first came out...version 0.19. But everything about the rover design is still valid (although you wouldn't need the ASAS unit anymore now that the cockpit can provide the SAS stability). The scenery on Duna DID change when they did an art pass in version 0.20 or 0.21... and Duna's surface lost a lot of its quirky cool features. But I suppose the new version looks more "realistic".

[enzo_schmitz]

Yeah too bad, I like the new scenery but I was hoping to see the same ice wall as seen in your picture when you drive into the first ice crater... Would make a great set-up for screenshots. In version 0.22 the crater edges are flattened, so your navigation through the steep craters of 0.19 is even more impressive.

And I also just found out that you are the same crazy dude that messed with the magic boulder! So now I'm going to read all your mission reports to find ideas for my next mission. Thanks for the inspiration and fly safe! =]

[LethalDose]

Thanks for sharing! I really like the rover and lander design.

[TheKosanianMethod]

Amazing job! Mark Watney would be proud!