Multipart MapsSat Probe Launch: Maximizing Efficiency

[cxg2827]

So I've been able to get a MapSat prob on all bodies in the Kerbin SIO as well as a single probe out to Duna. The transfer window for Eve is 13 days away and I was thinking of using a single launch to get MapSat probes on both Eve and Gilly. My current design which I have partially tested is staged as followed:

S0: Probe1

S1: Probe2 (Probe1 and 2 are vertically coupled with jr docking port)

S2: Gilly Transfer Vehicle

S3: Kerbin->Eve Transfer Vehicle

S4: Kerbin circularizing stage

S5: Takeoff to 80km Ap

here is my thought process on getting the probes on both bodies:

S5: Lifter to obtain 80km Ap

S4: Circularizing stage

S3: Transfer burn/correction/capture

- Capture to have ~45 degree inclination

- S0 (Probe 1) decoupled and corrects inclination and altitude (185km/89deg)

- S3 corrects inclination to match Gilly

- S3 decouples and fires reto to burn in atmosphere

S2: Transfer from Eve to Gilly/ correction/capture

- Capture to try to get 60 degree inclination

- S2 decouples and fires retro to crash into Gilly

S1: Probe 2 does correction to inclination and altitude

Does anyone have any comments/suggestions to my staging and process of getting both probes in polar orbits? The inclination changes are going to be a killer and i don't know how to maximize delta-v usage to keep these as small as possible.

Another idea which i dont know if it will be more efficient:

-put S0 between S2 and S3,

-get into an Eve capture with an orbit greater than that of Gilly (maybe at the edge of Eve SOI)

-decouple S2 to Gilly

-maneuver S3 (with S0 still attached) for Eve MapSat Orbit

[DMagic]

I think your idea of setting up the Gilly probe first is a good one. That way you shouldn't even need a transport vehicle to Gilly, just put one of the tiny fuel tanks (or maybe 2) and the smallest engines on each probe. A small probe with 1 tiny tank and engine should have about 1000 m/s of delta-v. That should be enough for orbital insertion at Gilly, and to set up an inclination change.

A similar sized probe should probably have enough delta-v to get into the right inclination at Eve, too. But you might want to use the transfer vehicle for part of that inclination change, then finish it with just the probe.

You could also consider ion engines. At Eve the solar panels are much more efficient, so just 2 or 3 regular sized panels are enough to power a single engine.

[cxg2827]

Second method worked great.

Here is an album of the Mission along with a probe i sent off to Moho:

http://imgur.com/a/42W0I#0