Kerb-X Eve Messenger II Probe - [SUCCESS] [Pic Heavy!!]

[Werwolf]

Hey all,

So after the failure of my first mission to Eve..

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/36232-Kerb-X-Eve-Messenger-Probe-Partial-Success-VERY-pic-heavy%21%21

... I decided to completely redesign the probe, and also added a small satellite to be left in orbit before deorbiting the main probe.

Mission Objectives

Land a probe on the surface of Eve via unpowered parachute descent. Probe is equipped with a Poodle engine and enough fuel for about 30 seconds of flight. After sufficient data and pictures have been taken, the probe is to attempt to lift off and fly as high as it can at terminal velocity in order to gain more understanding about what sort of conditions are experienced during Eve ascent attempts. When engine burnout occurs, probe will be destroyed on impact.

Launches

1st launch: Fuel tank assembly.

2nd launch: Probe Payload docked to fuel tank assembly

3rd launch: Nuclear engine module attached to fuel tank/probe assembly, forming the craft to transit to Eve. Empty tanks are jettisoned from the fully configurable fuel tank assembly.

This is the Payload... the large lander probe is easily visible, and the small satellite is encased in a protective cover, attached by a docking node to the end of the lander probe.

After three launches, our ship is complete.... we get rid of the two empty round tanks after refuelling everything, and blast off for a Mun flyby/speed boost to leave Kerbin's SOI.

Flying by the Mun's surface at about 40 kilometers.

Welcome to Eve!!

Time to jettison the EMM2 Satellite Payload...

Satellite Payload before...

And after! Fold the solar panels out and establish comms with the lander...

EMM2 is fully deployed and ready for action!

Now it's the main probe's turn... the extra fuel will stay in orbit with the Nuclear Engine Module, possibly to join with the other fuel tank and engine left in orbit from the failed first mission...

Jettisoning the Payload Transfer Package... don't you love coming up with fancy names for your stuff?

Little bit hot in here!

Chutes are out, and we have passed a critical checkpoint... this is when the first probe failed, after the chutes came out and snapped the body in half..

Ahh.... Suntanning on an Eveian beach...

Our job isn't done yet though... the probe will perform one final, fatal task. It will burn its limited 20 second supply of fuel and transmit altitude information, in order to better understand how difficult Eve's atmosphere really is. It only made it to 5k altitude!

Fuel exhausted, our probe plunges back to Eve's surface to explode in a perfect sendoff to a well performing probe.

Up at 150km, EMM2 records the impact and all transmitted data, and relays it to Kerbin, making this mission a total success!

[Geschosskopf]

Nicely done! Love the designs. Where'd you get those nifty parts?

[Werwolf]

Nicely done! Love the designs. Where'd you get those nifty parts?

A lot of them are from the KW Rocketry and KSPX Parts Expansion... round tanks are the TAL Spherical Tanks

[astropapi1]

So you made it this time!

Next time bring a rover so you can explore the area.

[Greywind]

I've been trying to come up with an eve sample-return myself. You have some cool designs!