How to get into low Kerbol orbit with sane design?

[azazel1024]

I want to say they are in Earth-Sun Lagrange points.

[magnemoe]

testing this now, should be doable with an nuclear first and an ion upper stage. Unfortunately I used to large solar panels and not enough xenon gas so I can not reach an circular 100-200km orbit. Using droptanks on both stages.

[SunJumper]

testing this now, should be doable with an nuclear first and an ion upper stage. Unfortunately I used to large solar panels and not enough xenon gas so I can not reach an circular 100-200km orbit. Using droptanks on both stages.

You may want to alter the .cfg such that the electricity demand and fuel consumption go up 100x as with the thrust, with the Isp dropping 15%, so this won't be as painful.

[SteevyT]

What if you aerobrake and use Moho for a gravity assist on the way down? Or does Moho have an atmosphere?

[magnemoe]

You may want to alter the .cfg such that the electricity demand and fuel consumption go up 100x as with the thrust, with the Isp dropping 15%, so this won't be as painful.

Using some stronger ion engines from an mod, together with larger solar panels who I didn't need so I manage an TWR of 0.15.

Even better I will manage low solar orbit. mechjeb messed up the calculations because the xenon drop tanks. Most frustrating thing now is that most of my orbit is so low I has to use physical warp.

[magnemoe]

Did it, is in 14x18 km solar orbit. Orbital still takes 6h 49m. I acutaly ended up with 1000 m/s dV left.

Did this the simple way, burned from LKO, first an 500m/s burn to avoid Mun, this also gave me an longer second burn close to kerbin, Continued to burn until PE around sun was 100KM, did multiple braking burns around sun.

Ship was launched with 1+6 orange+ medium gray tanks and mainsails.

Nuclear stage used one LV-NB 150KN nuclear engine, large gray tank and two simlar drop tanks.

Ion stage used two PB-ION 5Kn engines, and 9 PB-x300 3000 units xenon tanks where 6 could be dropped.

The ion engines might have a bit to high TWR, however I carried two solar panels on struts I did not need.

Edited April 25, 2013 by magnemoe

[magnemoe]

What if you aerobrake and use Moho for a gravity assist on the way down? Or does Moho have an atmosphere?

Moho don't have an atmosphere, you could use Eve, however I doubt its cost effective. Now if you used an mothership as first stage you could mine on Moho to get the fuel, however I doubt you would not save more than 25% of the dV budget on the probe.