How to get probes/satellites to other planets and moons?

[Zerro]

Greetings,

So far I've sent two satellites into Kerbin orbit. One uses the small fuel engine and the other uses the small ion engine. I noticed when I tried to circularize and/or increase that there was very little to no change in orbit and the maneuver required several minutes to complete. Of course I'm probably doing this all wrong hence the reason why I'm here

So I want to send both orbital and land satellites to the other planets and moons in the star system. Is it possible to get them there on their own power or would I need a vessel to transport them? By the way, any other tips/tricks on flying probes & satellites?

Thanks

[Tex_NL]

With a small engine as you described you might be in for a long burn. It would be like trying to move an 18 wheeler big rig with a moped engine. You CAN move it but it will take an awful long time. Getting them there entirely depends on their total amount of dV. With enough fuel you can get anything anywhere.

[Almond]

Personaly I tend not to use the engine of satelites or probes to get to the desired planet or moon, instead I attached a stage underneath with fuel and a nuclear rocket which gets the probe or satelite to the desired orbit and is then decoupled.

[sardaukar11]

i agree with almond, stick with the nuclear rocket for interplanetary travel, it has a really good performance, the ion engine its even better (fuel efficiency speaking) but it has a really low max power value you should thrust for hours to get anywhere

Edited August 15, 2013 by sardaukar11

[wilt57]

For smaller, lighter craft like probes, the LV-909, LV-1, or 48-7S can give you more D-V at a smaller mass than going with an LV-N setup. The low mass can make up for the less efficient Isp, also requiring a less extensive launch vehicle. The LV-N is just too heavy to lift for the purposes of a tiny probe or satellite, outside of going to some of the more D-V intensive planets. For either moon the smaller engines can be more efficient depending upon your design.

[Thomas Cook]

Even if you try and succeed to bring them to other planets on their own, I wonder if you could kill interplanetary speeds with the ion engine alone and remain in orbit.

[SRV Ron]

Use a simple design and learn how to fly them. Pictured is one of my probe crafts landed on Eve. It is fully capable of landing on Mun, Minmus, or many of the other Kerbal moons on thrusters alone. (Remove the paracutes for those missions.

Here is the rocket design that will take you to Mun or Minmus with fuel to spare. Use the probe design in place of the Kerbal command module.

The design;

Command Module

1. Command Pod MK-1

2. Parachute MK-16

3. Stack coupler TA-18A

4. FL-R25 thruster fuel tank

5. Eight OX-Stat solar panels

6. Set of four quad thrusters mounted on the upper part of the thruster fuel tank.

Second Stage

1. Stack coupler TA-18A

2. T-400 Fuel Tank

3. T-200 Fuel Tank

4. LV-909 engine.

First Stage;

1. Stack coupler TA-18A

2. Two stacked T-800 fuel tanks

3. LV-T45 engine

Booster

1. Four TT-38K radical couplers mounted on the upper T-800 fuel tank

2. Four Rocomax BACC Solid Fuel Boosters

3. A set of four struts to connect each booster together near their base, for stability.

4. Four launch stabilizers

On the command module, replace the Kerbal capsule with a Stayputnik, add an SAS controller in place of the stack coupler, add batteries, communication antennas, landing legs optional, and instruments. keep the RCS package and solar cells. The complete package is about 1.9 tons with dual parachutes.

The rocket design without the boosters will reach Kerbal orbit easily.

Edit; BTY, if you are careful, landing legs are optional.

Edit, without the boosters, this rocket will reach Kerbal orbit in any direction.

Edited August 15, 2013 by SRV Ron

[TheDarkStar]

Even if you try and succeed to bring them to other planets on their own, I wonder if you could kill interplanetary speeds with the ion engine alone and remain in orbit.

I've heard of a mission to Moho where that was done, so you can do that. Also, most planets give you the option of aerobraking to kill your speed.

[SRV Ron]

I've heard of a mission to Moho where that was done, so you can do that. Also, most planets give you the option of aerobraking to kill your speed.

With careful precise maneuvers, not only is it possible, you could even get a retrograde capture with no aerobraking using very little burn time.

[Jackissimus]

With careful precise maneuvers, not only is it possible, you could even get a retrograde capture with no aerobraking using very little burn time.

How do you do this?

[SRV Ron]

How do you do this?

The next time I am able to duplicate this, I will save the screenshot of the maneuver that got the retrograde capture. It took place during a maneuver to reach the inner moons of the Jool system. In fact, before the burn, it was flipping in and out of total no burn capture. Prograde slingshots kick you into higher orbit or even escape velocity. Retrograde slingshots place you in lower orbit. The perfect one, extremely difficult to pull off, will get you a near capture orbit.

Here are some examples of retrograde slingshots.

This one brought me into a Jool encounter using very little fuel.

I will keep experimenting with more of these maneuvers.