Munar Reconnaissance Orbiter

[Zool]

Step 1: go to the Mun.

Step 2: Get in a polar orbit around the Mun. We need a low eccentricity, and an altitude below 50km if we want at shot at imaging the kerpallo landing sites.

Step 3: Release a satellite (you did bring a satellite right?)

Step 4: Return safely.

I used stock parts + a satellite from the SIDR pack.

You could map the mun much faster if you had multiple satellites...

Also, you will find that plane changes are a real PITA without a normal and anti-normal indicators.

[Damonjay]

whats the lowest that you could theoretically orbit the Mun?

[trbinsc]

Lowest I\'ve seen is 84 meters.

[Epsilon]

I dropped my periapsis to around 20 meters once, and had there been no mountains, it could have easily done it. I was at 1x speed and there was absolutely no degradation of my orbit. Of course I boosted a bit higher to avoid afterwards, but while I was only ~100m off the ground, it was so cool to fly across it under no power at 600 m/s.

[Key of door]

Safest and lowest orbit is 600-700

[Zool]

You guys are looking for the Munar Orbital Limbo challenge. Lowest circular orbit is around 650m, any lower and you start running into mountains.

[OtherDalfite]

If you circle the moon too close for too long the game will crash. To many heap sections.

[SmiteZero]

If you circle the moon too close for too long the game will crash. To many heap sections.

Ahaha. Mine chugs like a frat boy at anything lower than 1000m as it struggles to load the new terrain at orbital velocities.

[OtherDalfite]

My lowest orbit has been about 700m. You can\'t go much lower than that. After about a full circle the program crashed. And I even had enough fuel to go home. :\'(

[SmiteZero]

Interesting. I\'ve done several orbits at between 700>1500m (with and without warp) and havn\'t experienced any crashes. I usually get down low and go around atleast once to try to pick a general spot to aim for.

[OtherDalfite]

Interesting. I\'ve done several orbits at between 700>1500m (with and without warp) and havn\'t experienced any crashes. I usually get down low and go around atleast once to try to pick a general spot to aim for.

It all depends on how much memory your computer has in it\'s RAM. Mine only has a puny 2 gigs while some of your guys\' computers make mine look like nothing with about 12-16 gigs. Still, too bad I can\'t see the beautiful moonscape.

[SmiteZero]

It all depends on how much memory your computer has in it\'s RAM. Mine only has a puny 2 gigs while some of your guys\' computers make mine look like nothing with about 12-16 gigs. Still, too bad I can\'t see the beautiful moonscape.

Bahaha. Athlon64 + 2gB RAM + winXP. I dont think I even meet minimum reqs.

[OtherDalfite]

Bahaha. Athlon64 + 2gB RAM + winXP. I dont think I even meet minimum reqs.

I\'m running on 2 gigs of RAM, Pentium 4 Processor (Derp). And a NVidia 9500 GT.

[Jarnis]

Safest and lowest orbit is 600-700

I can guarantee that 600m orbit is not 100% safe. See the 'Tallest Peak' challenge, I\'ve landed at 582m and there are two taller peaks next to the one where I landed.

Naturally depending on your inclination, you might be able to make a lap around the Mun at 600m, but I\'d up it to 700m and even that might find a peak high enough...

[OtherDalfite]

I can guarantee that 600m orbit is not 100% safe. See the 'Tallest Peak' challenge, I\'ve landed at 582m and there are two taller peaks next to the one where I landed.

Naturally depending on your inclination, you might be able to make a lap around the Mun at 600m, but I\'d up it to 700m and even that might find a peak high enough...

The highest peak found is about 716 meters high I think.

[Jarnis]

The highest peak found is about 716 meters high I think.

Yep, but found after my previous post - that info was valid at the time of posting.

For recon orbits, I strongly recommend 750m or more if you want to avoid lithobraking events.

[Guest Flixxbeatz]

I don\'t have to release a Satellite, for I\'m the Satellite myself

Anyway, this challenge sounds cool, Imma give it a try

[trbinsc]

I\'m planning a mission to release THREE satellites orbiting the Mün, all on different orbital inclinations. One on the equator, one at a 90 degree polar orbit and one at a 0 degree polar orbit. It\'s actually going pretty well, I just keep on running out of fuel.

[Alchemist]

I\'m planning a mission to release THREE satellites orbiting the Mün, all on different orbital inclinations. One on the equator, one at a 90 degree polar orbit and one at a 0 degree polar orbit. It\'s actually going pretty well, I just keep on running out of fuel.

Changing inclination by 90 degrees means delta v that is at least 1.5 of the orbital speed (1.57 if keeping thrusting in normal direction, 1.41 if changing instantly). If making it bielliptically that can be lowered down to 1 (theoretical minimum 0.83). So, if you don\'t have an extra km/s it\'s not worth trying...

Update:

Made this. Increased fuel reserves of KerbalComm satellite freighter (designed for delivering 3 CommSats to KSO) by 50% and launched it with the same SL-3.5(A) launcher. Deploying altitude 300 km over the Mun.

(After deploying 2 satellites controllability is terrible - almost ran out of RCS fuel)

[Guest Flixxbeatz]

check out my

.

[SteevyT]

The highest peak found is about 716 meters high I think.

Highest I\'ve seen a pic of is 695.

[Guest Flixxbeatz]

Scratch that,

. 8)

[Zool]

You can\'t map the whole munar surface if you don\'t get into a polar orbit.

A free return would be a trajectory that looped around the mun and came back to Kerbin with no burns after the TMI.

[Saaur]

The mun is tide-locked, so a polar orbit won\'t map the whole surface either.

[Tim_Barrett]

The mun is tide-locked, so a polar orbit won\'t map the whole surface either.

Even if it doesn\'t rotate relative to Kerbin, it\'s revolution around Kerbin won\'t affect your orbit.

A better example is if you are in a polar orbit in the same vertical pane as the sun, eventually it will leave that pane.