How to send maned mission to Duna

[Pawelk198604]

I already built several interplanetary probes, i send manned mission to Duna in 0.17 but it was long time ago and one way trip:)

I wondering does is possible to assembly spacecraft in Kerbin orbit and send it to Duna, does anybody tried this?

[zekes]

Try this:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/27741-Duna-Tripper-6-form-Zokesia-Skunkworks%21?p=339450#post339450

Easy to fly, but it is massive.

[Kegereneku]

Of course, many people have done it. From specialized ships sent one by one to mothership carrying the entire mission equipment in one go.

I'm planning to send a few of these ship on Duna. But I keep pushing it back.

(excluding the Quad-Nuclear-Tug, it was just here to refuel the ship)

From left to right you have 4 ship : A nuclear-tug ; a probe-fuel-tank ; a nuclear-engine-tank ; Then a lander capable of landing then launching from Duna (in theory)

Edited June 1, 2013 by Kegereneku

[Anglave]

Check this post. Includes a very simple .craft file and basic instructions for getting to Duna and back.

[Uberick]

It is indeed possible to assemble a ship in orbit and send it to Duna. This is a simple example:

I used this ship to make my Duna tour. I had enough dV to visit Duna, then visit Ike, then transfer back to Duna, and then transfer home.

Good luck!

[rkman]

Quite a bit of fuel can be saved by instead of first establishing orbit around Duna, making a direct descent entering the atmosphere at interplanetary speed and rely mainly on parachutes to slow the craft down. That's what real life Mars rovers do.

Put Pe at about 8~9km and aim to have final descent take place over/in a large crater to get as much lower atmosphere between the point where the parachutes deploy and the landing location. Landing on Duna's highlands like this is very likely to fail.

[zekes]

There are three ways you can do it....

1)

Go screaming into the atmosphere just enough to make a suborbital loop, then position oneself for a pinpoint landing....

2)

Use a refueling Depot to refuel your ships.

3)

Not exactly a proper way to Duna but you can take an SSTo to Duna Orbit. Landing would be much harder, but orbital space planes could be a good way to resupply fuel depots or Space Stations.