How do I rescue a crew on the Mun?

[Weegee]

My last Mun landing was... less than ideal. I ended up crashing into the ground at about 60 m/s and Bill, Jebediah and Bob are stranded. Does anyone have a method or good tutorial for me so I can try to rescue them? I have tried, but as it turns out I'm not too great at building rockets. Any help would be much appreciated.

[bigpapabearxx]

Stick a Habitat Module on your lander.

[NoMrBond]

You can make a probe controlled lander with a hitchhiker can

Back at work now so can't really get into Mün rescue rocket design until a bit later, there are hopefully a few Mün rocket/lander videos on Youtube (maybe either StompThompson or Scott Manley I guess?)

Edited June 24, 2013 by NoMrBond

[Weegee]

Thanks for the help so far.

I already knew how to pick them up specifically, I just need help making a craft that can return them safely. I've managed this once, but only with a one-man spacecraft (and just barely at that).

[redteddy23]

Thanks for the help so far.

I already knew how to pick them up specifically, I just need help making a craft that can return them safely. I've managed this once, but only with a one-man spacecraft (and just barely at that).

Sounds like all you need is some data to plan the rescue. When building a craft for a particular mission this excellent map gives you all the info you need. For a Mun rescue you add up the delta-v required for each stage and build backwards.

Kerbin ascent/orbit 4550

Mun intercept 860

Mun orbit 210

Mun landing 640

Mun ascent/orbit 640

Back to Kerbin 1070

which comes to 7970

From these figures it's best to carry some extra fuel for pilot error and tricky landing sites that you need to change your orbit for. So i usually plan with.

5000 for take off

2000 to get to the Mun and land

2000 to get off and get back to Kerbin orbit

0 for landing with chutes (but hopefully we have enough for a nice deorbit)

So a total of 9000 should safely get there and back but more is always better!

To calculate all this for your ship use mechjeb or Kerbal Engineer Redux

Here's and example craft and the delta-v numbers.

It uses one of the excellent Zenith launchers and some drop tanks to bulk up it's fuel load so it has enough to land and takeoff without the use of a service module staying in orbit to get back home. Did a little test which was almost perfect just needed a few more chutes...

[NoMrBond]

Hopefully this is of some help, or is at least good for some ideas.

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[capi3101]

An RGU with two PB-NUKs, a hitchhiker storage container with eight chutes attached radially, an X200-8 with a Poodle with 4 radially attached FL-T200 tanks with fuel lines running back to the X200-8 and two of the large lander legs apiece should be all you need for a successful Mun rescue. That's somewhere around fifteen tonnes or so. You could probably stick it on a Proton-K rocket and be just fine, though I might suggest replacing the tank in the third stage with an X200-32 and the second stage engine with a Skipper. Use the third stage for your Munar transfer burn.

Haven't crunched the numbers on this, so hopefully I'm not leading you astray here.

As far as the rescue is concerned, I have done that same sort of thing before; it was recommended to me that I do three burns for the landing; the first to get the declination over the target, the second to put the periapsis right over the target, and the third to descend to the target. It took me a couple of tries to get it right. Just be patient. One other thing I'd suggest: go to your stranded Kerbals and note their altimeter; it'll let you know exactly where the deck is, so you know when you really need to be below 10 m/s.

[CaptainKipard]

Mun landing 640

Mun ascent/orbit 640

....

which comes to 7970

....

So a total of 9000 should safely get there and back but more is always better!

That's some serious overkill there don't you think?

Edited June 24, 2013 by Cpt. Kipard

[Kimberly]

That's some serious overkill there don't you think?

When you're saving lives, surely it's best to err on the side of caution? I'd agree if it were a routine mission.

[Weegee]

Wow, thanks for all the advice.

I think that should be more than enough to help me rescue them. Thanks to everyone who posted!

[redteddy23]

That's some serious overkill there don't you think?

Yeah it is but I tend to waste loads during Mun landings. I like to come in very slowly and then hover about getting really close to my target. I'm always impressed by the more extreme and skillful landings I've seen videos of.

[capi3101]

It doesn't hurt to play things conservatively on rescue missions - having a bit extra is useful, particularly if you wind up in a situation where you have to make a major declination change (which happened to me over Eve; that was a situation where I should've done a quickload, in all honesty). I mean, you don't need the equivalent amount of an X200-16 tank to land on the Mun and get back safely - but depending on how things go...

Told you wrong earlier; the second burn was to get the periapsis near the target; the third was to descend onto the target, a maneuver that really takes some nerve. Once again, knowing where the deck is makes things a lot easier.

[mellojoe]

Another thing? You can use any pod you want, and then simply EVA the Kerbalnauts while on the LaunchPad. To me, it simulates having the crew set it all up, and then leave the launch pad and head back into the VAB.

[kevquixote]

Why not just attach a remote guidance module to your existing ship design? It got those Kerbals to the Mun the first time. Sounds like it was just some bad luck that stranded em. If you send an empty ship to the Mun they could just get aboard and go home.

[Scarecrow88]

I don't use MechJeb so I also find you need more fuel when trying to position yourself to land in a specific spot on the Mun as opposed to flying in and landing wherever your trajectory happens to meet the surface.