Kerpollo 11 Mission

[Enigma179]

So a lot of people go to the Mun for some reason. I've done it too. I've done it with the simple landers where the same thing that lands on the Mun is what splashes down on Kerbin. I've done it with the more complex ones, that consist of a lander and a command module, like the Apollo missions.

Something I don't see often (and point me in that direction if I'm wrong), weirdly enough, is a more exact copy of the Apollo missions. Refer to the beloved comic from xkcd, Up Goer Five. If you wouldn't like to read my clumsy explanation of the Apollo 11 mission and just want to get to my build then skip all the red text below.

I might make a mistake, I haven't researched it *that* extensively but as I understand it: from top to bottom, there's the escape tower (Launch Escape System), a set of rockets designed to get the command module (and the crew) off the landing pad, high enough to deploy chutes in case of emergency, the command module, attached to the service module (forming the Command Service Module with the crew and life support systems inside), the lunar module, in two parts, for landing on the moon (separate life support systems, important for apollo 13), and below that three stages to get the whole thing up in the sky.

The lander is the key part I don't see people doing: most of the designs I've seen (and all of the ones I've used) have the lander directly attached to the command module during launch. In the Saturn V, it wasn't docked with the command module during launch, instead resting below the service module, and after the trans lunar burn was performed it would be decoupled, and the CSM would dock with it to carry on to the moon. So that's what I'm going to do.

Escape tower, lunar module and all I'm going to try and build something as close to the Apollo design as possible, only stock parts (aside from kerbal engineer). I *would* use mech jeb but I'm intimidated by all the buttons so I prefer to just give myself a bit more delta v than I actually need. It shouldn't be so tough to build something that looks similar, excluding the fairings covering up the lander, the lander itself and maybe the escape tower. I already have a 2-part lander design from previous missions, so that just leaves the overall rocket, plus the escape tower to design up.

As I understand it, the mission went something like this; stage one and two were used to get the rocket into orbit (maybe stage three helped a bit with that? I don't know), and then stage three ejected the rocket into a lunar trajectory before being decoupled. From here the lunar module was freed, the service module spun around to face it and then docked with it, before everything continued on its merry way to the moon. The lunar module was then boarded by Neil and Buzz, while Mike stayed behind in the CSM. It landed, Neil and Buzz played around on the moon for a bit, then went back inside the module to chill out for a little while as they waited for the CSM to get overhead again. They then took off, leaving the lander legs behind (and knocking over the flag, sadly), docked, rejoined Mike in the CSM, then ditched the other half of the lunar module before launching themselves back home. The command module and the service module separated either just before or while in the atmosphere, and they splashed down in the ocean ready for recovery.

We here at KASA care about the safety of our Kerbonauts, so the first thing we built and tested was the escape tower. First with Rockomax^TMsmall engines, then when that failed, with slightly bigger ones.

Success! Peak height 575 metres from sea level, easily enough to safely deploy chutes in case of emergency.

Now that that's finished, the second stage, design of the CSM begins. The CSM must be capable of parking in a lunar orbit, and then returning to Kerbin. From experience I know that parking takes a maximum of 300 or so delta-v for me (including safety margin and what not), and returning home shouldn't take much more than that. I decide I should aim for 800 delta-v, with the lander (previously designed) attached (the lander has a bit more than 1000 dV for landing and ascent, each. A bit of overkill but I don't like to take chances, even if it might screw me as far as weight goes). Considering that the lander won't be around when we return, this should be just fine.

Next just stuff the lander underneath the service module like so.

The third stage needs to put the whole thing onto a trajectory to the Mun, and I know I need about 840 delta v for that, so I'll aim to have 1000 lying around, in case I need it to help my orbital adjustments or something else, or I mess stuff up on the way. According to Kerbal engineer I'll have 1018 delta-V which is perfect, but my TWR is starting to get dangerously close to 1 (not a big deal out in space but y'know how it is). The rest of the design is standard fare in two stages, although to get it off the ground in so few stages my lifter was bigger than I'm used to. I've 4800 or so delta V in the first two stages, 1018 in the third for lunar orbit, 900 in the service module (when lander is attached), 1000 in the lander for descent, and 1000 for ascent, so barring any complications the launch should go fine! And unbarring any complications, well there's always the escape tower.

I'm gonna go ahead and give it a try and report back in a bit!

[CalculusWarrior]

That looks awesome! I've never thought about making a liquid-fuelled Launch Escape System; mine are generally a bunch of Sepatrons, as they have the highest TWR of all rockets.

I look forward to what design you come up with for the Saturn V itself!

[boa3532]

This was a fun read for me. Can't wait to see what follows...

[stupid_chris]

Interesting. Although I think this should be in the mission reports

[Xeldrak]

Well, that looks awesome - I tried to rebuild something like this a couple of times, but allways had problems with the first stage. However, I think that having the lander tucked away behind the CM is the only cool way to get to the moon. My current Saturn-V "copy" goes to orbit on a single aspargus'd Stage.

[Enigma179]

Crap, there's a mission report section? Welp if a mod wants to they can move it there I guess...

Anyhow, a short test flight with Jeb, Bob and Bill occurred just now, pulling the Saturn V into orbit; worked pretty much as perfectly as I could hope for, getting into a stable 90 km orbit with the first two stages. Being a test flight, I lack documentation (screenshots) unfortunately, but the real one will have it! (The ship was wobbly as hell but I have a lot of struts and after a while realized I was better off piloting by hand instead of using ASAS).

So the real crew enters; Neil, Buzz and Mike Kerman! They lift off, perform a gravity turn, and continue burning until OH NO!

DISASTER STRIKES! Good thing I built in that abort function... (in case the screenshots don't tell, one of the fuel tanks fell off a rocket in the second stage prior to liftoff without me noticing, causing that rocket to run out of fuel before the others, resulting in the whole thing spinning around directly into the floating fuel tank, which barely missed the command module, instead knocking engines off the escape tower. In an uncontrollable spin I decided to abort, and I shut down the engines before throwing out the command module and letting it drift down on parachutes (not pictured; parachutes and safe landing)).

Time for round two!

Pictures speak better than words so here's a photo album of all my screenshots during launch instead. Suffice to say we got into launch without any trouble, and with 250 dV to spare (which I'll be dropping without using before making my lunar transfer).

Next up, lunar transfer and CSM/Lunar Module docking!

[E. F. Kranz]

I've done accurate Apollo missions, stock and with mods. It's probably my favorite thing to do.

But I've found that really, the best option in KSP is one that was rejected by NASA for use in the Apollo program.

Earth Orbit Rendezvous

Typically, I'll put into Kerbin orbit the equivalent of the Apollo capsule, service module, and S-IVB.

Then I'll launch a complete, 2-stage LEM into the same orbit, and rendezvous.

The docked craft is then injected into Munar orbit. The S-IVB stage is jettisoned, and the "Kerpollo" is on its way.

Ends up looking something like this, when playing pure stock:

Edited July 7, 2013 by E. F. Kranz

[Enigma179]

Well, that looks awesome - I tried to rebuild something like this a couple of times, but allways had problems with the first stage. However, I think that having the lander tucked away behind the CM is the only cool way to get to the moon. My current Saturn-V "copy" goes to orbit on a single aspargus'd Stage.

I've done accurate Apollo missions, stock and with mods. It's probably my favorite thing to do.

But I've found that really, the best option in KSP is one that was rejected by NASA for use in the Apollo program.

Earth Orbit Rendezvous

Typically, I'll put into Kerbin orbit the equivalent of the Apollo capsule, service module, and S-IVB.

Then I'll launch a complete, 2-stage LEM into the same orbit, and rendezvous.

The docked craft is then injected into Munar orbit. The S-IVB stage is jettisoned, and the "Kerpollo" is on its way.

Ends up looking something like this, when playing pure stock:

Those two are really cool! I've done earth (well, Kerbin) orbit rendezvous stuff before, but only for really long journeys, and it usually doesn't look pretty...

Anyhow, despite having some fuel left in the tank (after ditching the escape tower I had more delta-V than kerbal engineer originally estimated due to the lost weight) I jettison the last part of the second stage, which you can see here just before I start my lunar burn.. I check the flight path before dropping the third stage, which judging by the current predicted trajectory, will end up in a highly elliptical orbit around Kerbin once all is said and done.

Now comes the fun part; I have to decouple the lunar module, then spin the CSM around to dock with it. To make it a bit easier I orient the ship to face north, so that rotation caused by movement through the orbit will simply spin the ships around instead of rotating them and making docking tougher. Here goes nothing...

Well the lander isn't spinning, but the decoupler and the engine casing are in the way. Mike does some clever maneuvering to nudge the ring to the side, before docking. Clutch work, Mike!

And now we're on the way to the Mun, and the rest is a story everyone's probably heard before, but for the sake of making this complete (it really reads a bit like a very anecdotal shabby guide to getting to the Mun) I'll throw in a photo album or more descriptions or something when I pull it out.

[stupid_chris]

I also did an Apollo style mission, but, if I remember correctly, I used like seven mods in my quest of making it the most look alike possible. It was awesome though.

[inigma]

I present to you my version of the wiki campaign: Mun Race, and my Kerbollo Program:

(Warning, album is 142 images for the entire program, but each one is a treasure)

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Let me know what you think! I just finished Kerbollo 12 tonight. Man that was a tough mission.

[Xeldrak]

Well the lander isn't spinning, but the decoupler and the engine casing are in the way. Mike does some clever maneuvering to nudge the ring to the side, before docking. Clutch work, Mike!

Just a small tip, to avoid having to deal with the floating decoupler and engine casing for your next trip. If you use two decouplers (you can see it on the very left edge of the spacecraft I posted), you can stage once to seprate from the lander, turn around and couple with the LM and then shed the decoupler and engine casing by staging again. I should look like this:

(sorry for littering you Thread with my pictures)

[inigma]

Just a small tip, to avoid having to deal with the floating decoupler and engine casing for your next trip. If you use two decouplers (you can see it on the very left edge of the spacecraft I posted), you can stage once to seprate from the lander, turn around and couple with the LM and then shed the decoupler and engine casing by staging again. I should look like this:

(sorry for littering you Thread with my pictures)

Yup you can see an example of that here where this is being jettisoned while on a suborbital trajectory:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/39313-Inigma-s-KSP-Wiki-Campaign-Kerbollo-Program

[maro]

Something I don't see often (and point me in that direction if I'm wrong), weirdly enough, is a more exact copy of the Apollo missions.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/24841-0-19-Ancient-Launchers?p=436936&viewfull=1#post436936

best regards

[E. F. Kranz]

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/24841-0-19-Ancient-Launchers?p=436936&viewfull=1#post436936

best regards

That's about the only way to do it, stock. I'm impressed that you managed to pack an LRV - nicely done!

[Mulbin]

Something I don't see often (and point me in that direction if I'm wrong), weirdly enough, is a more exact copy of the Apollo missions.

If I might add my two cents?...

100% stock

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/28073-Now-100-more-X-in-its-name!-Munbug-IX-Saturn-V-Apollo-CSM-Lander-Buggy-ALSEP?p=343648#post343648

Edited July 15, 2013 by Mulbin

[vidboi]

If I might add my two cents?...

100% stock

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/28073-Now-100-more-X-in-its-name!-Munbug-IX-Saturn-V-Apollo-CSM-Lander-Buggy-ALSEP?p=343648#post343648

Heck, there's a whole challenge thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/39630-Doing-it-Apollo-style although I don't think anyone can quite match Mulbin's attention to detail with Munbug IX, that thing is a beauty!

[esinohio]

Hmm, I seem to remember a link on the spaceport to a whole mod filled with stock NASA and Soviet launchers. A Stock Apollo 11 and another Apollo launcher with the rover attached (Apollo 17 I think). What those people did with the stock parts is nothing short of artwork! The time they spent putting together all those craft is readily apparent when you peek at what they have done. Some of the crafts also have very well put together launch towers as well. Check it out!

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/0-19-ancient-launchers-stock/

Or course if you want something more realistic another search through the forums/spaceport will bring you to http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/saturn-v-replica/ That is a work in progress mod but it is just very well done.

And a shameless plug of my YouTube Apollo 11 Tribute (part 1) can't hurt either.....