Minmus Excursion: EVA highlights

[Drunkrobot]

This is a breakdown of the EVA Jeb and Bill Kerman performed the first manned minmus mission on my current save file. This mission was also a test of my new non-atmospheric lander, Hadley. While my older design was sufficient as a basic LMO-to-muner surface shuttle, but if I was going to carry advanced equipment to the surface, such as a rover, or even bring along modules for a future muner base, I needed something heavier, and more capable.

To clarify, Jeb and Bill are the two on EVA. Bob couldn't come along, since there is only space for two, so he is manning CAPCOM in mission control at KSC.

Sea of Hadley, Minmus.

Jeb: Hadley to KSC, Hadley to KSC. We can confirm, contact with the frozen sea!

Bob: Oh dear kod, I dread to think...

Jeb: I should also mention that nothing has broke!

Mission control: YAY!

Jeb: Had you all holding your breath down there, didn't I?

Bob: Just get on with the mission, will you?

Bill: Thanks for letting me have first step on Minmus, Jeb.

Jeb: First in space, first EVA, first on the Mun- I already have my claim to fame. Besides, you having something like this is bound to annoy Bob even more.

Bob: Shut up, Jeb.

Bill: Hey Bob, remember the old stories? How Minmus, the youngest of Kerbols three sons, was always pranked on by his older brothers Kerbin and Mun?

Bob: Can you please begin the EVA?- Jeeze, 47,000 km away and they're still getting on my nerves...

Bill: OK, on the surface. Gravity feels just like in the simulations. The landing dampeners on the legs don't seem to have engaged-

Bob: REALLY?! That's your first words?

Bill:...AWWWWWW! I had a speech and everything, and I forgot!

Jeb: It's ok, go ahead.

Bill: Alright... "As I stand out here in the wonders of the unknown at Hadley, I sort of realize there's a fundamental truth to our nature. Kerbals must explore. And this is exploration at its greatest."

Jeb: Wow! Almost as good as my speech!

Bill: Thanks!

Jeb: Ok, KSC, I'm coming down the ladder now.

Bill: Be sure to not lock the hatch.

Jeb: (Laughs) Yeah, good point.

Bill: Couldn't you fold the flag neatly, like a decent lifeform?

Jeb: What's wrong with it?

Bob: It's crumpled! It looks like it's flapping in the wind!

Jeb: Come on, what sort of idiot would make that leap of logic?

Two hours later, and Bill Kerman climbs back into their celestial chariot, to unleash their noble stead...

Jeb: Don't scratch the paint on that car, it's brand new!

Bill: At .05 m/s^2? I think the rover can handle it...

Bill: There we go, smooth drop-

Jeb: DIBS!

Bill: DI- DARNIT!

Our brave explorers leave behind the site of their drop from the heavens, and navigate this ancient, frozen sea...

Jeb: Alright, KSC, we've finished the last target site, the rovers charged up, we're coming back.

Bill: Can I drive?

Bob: Don't do it, Jeb. You've never had to carpool with him, you don't know the dangers.

Jeb: Bob, what's the worst that can happen? Bill, the keys are in the glovebox.

Bill: Yeah! Everything's coming up Bill!

Jeb: KSC, based on the samples we've collected, we are sure of concentrations of Oxiumated Dipropellium. I know it sounds crazy, given our distance from Kerbol, but we used every spare instrument to check for equipment failure, so we can confirm it-

Bill: Hey, what doe's this button do?

Bill: MUMMY!

Jeb: REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VESSEL!

Bob:

Jeb: Bob, tell the lab rats that I would recommend some sort of attitude control system, for the rover and for you, as well.

Bill: 47 million meters away, on a frozen lake, and I still felt that burn.

Back at the landing site.

Bill: Sure looks pretty...

Bob: Guys, the guys in R and D are going crazy! They're babbling about "resources" and "mining from other worlds". The cafeteria is running out of napkins for them to scribble on!

Jeb: Cool! When will such systems be ready?

Bob: They expected you will ask that, and they said "shut up and wait, this stuff takes time.".

Jeb:

Jeb: Alright KSC, as we leave Minmus at the sea of Hadley, we leave as we came and, Kod willing, as we shall return: with peace and hope for all kerbalkind.

So, what did I learn from this mission?

• The lander is extremely capable, dv-wise, using less than half of it's descent fuel, and the ascent stage alone making it all the way back to Kerbin.

• The rover does what it needs to do, and the system of hanging it directly below the descent stage removes issues with centre of mass.

• Don't let Bill drive.

What modifications should I make?

• The descent stage can handle a much larger payload if needed. If more space is made underneath it, then base modules could be placed underneath, and released when on the surface. Alternatively, a larger ascent stage is possible, and with parachutes and MOAR STRUTS, it could become a planetary lander, at least Duna-capable. New features in future updates (mining equipment, for example) should be accommodated by it's spare dv.

• The rover... needs work. I need to make it much more stable, as a simple turn could send it into the non-air. Also, on the flat Minmus oceans, it would stay put when deployed, but on any sort of hill, it runs off, meaning my guys have to chase it down. A probe core should solve that problem, and I need to swap out that solar panel in the back for an RTG.

If you have any suggestions on what I should do with the lander, or general feedback, tell me!

Edited June 25, 2013 by Drunkrobot

[Geschosskopf]

Neat lander. I think it would need considerably more delta-V to land on, take off from, and return from Duna, though.

To keep your lander from rolling off, set up an action group that turns on the brakes. Hit that key and the brakes stay on until you manually release them again later, either with this action group key or the regular B key. Makes a great parking brake that stays on when you get out of the vehicle, switch to controlling something else, whatever. The rover will sit there forever until you get back in it and release the brakes.

[suzin.felipe]

Your rover looks fine to me. Just don't expect to make a u-turn at 70 km/h in a low gravity environment without flipping. You couldn't do that with a car on Earth. Ok, maybe a race car could.

Your lander could be made lighter with small RCS tanks if you want to bring extra cargo to Minnus.

I think you did an awesome mission there. Keep on the good work.

[Drunkrobot]

Neat lander. I think it would need considerably more delta-V to land on, take off from, and return from Duna, though.

See this?

That is how much fuel the decent stage had after landing. A landing on Duna would be mostly done by parachute. Of course, I will still need rockets for the last stages of landing, such is how thin the atmosphere is, but that would require far less fuel than I used here. I could invest that saved mass into larger tanks and bigger engines on the ascent stage to make the climb to orbit, and an RCS system to rendezvous with the mothership. Thanks for the advice on the rover!

[Tw1]

Nice Job. Maybe there was a reason I didn't let Bill drive my Duna explorer, back in 0.19...

[Geschosskopf]

That is how much fuel the decent stage had after landing. A landing on Duna would be mostly done by parachute. Of course, I will still need rockets for the last stages of landing, such is how thin the atmosphere is, but that would require far less fuel than I used here. I could invest that saved mass into larger tanks and bigger engines on the ascent stage to make the climb to orbit, and an RCS system to rendezvous with the mothership. Thanks for the advice on the rover!

Oh, a mothership changes things a bit .