Returning from the Mun with a Mark II (Photo Heavy)

[Valley]

Now, I had a small problem. I have two Space Guys on the Mun. First I lost three to shuttle tests (they respawn but I still felt bad about pushing the wrong button). Than I could not return three who had landed, by accident, on Ike (so I terminated them). But I left the flag on Ike to remind me of my failure. Than I somehow lost the Space Trucker, MK I, in orbit around the Mun. Not sure where that went...(that is why I had to test the MK I by launching one from Kerbin and then landing it).

I wanted those two on the Mun back on Kerbin. There was two rovers, a house, a science probe there. No need to have crew there. But the MK II on the Mun was TOO low on fuel. Unlike the MK I which can launch, go to the Mun, land, delivery its cargo, get into Mun orbit and THAN wait for refueling the MK II, because of its design, had too much mass. It had burned up too much fuel to be able to leave the Mun.

So I would have to launch another, refuel it in orbit around Kerbin, refuel it at the Mun before landing, than refuel after it was back in Mun orbit. Now I COULD use a bunch of refueling rockets - but WAIT! I have two unmanned fueling stations in orbit. One around the Kerbin and one around the Mun. Lots of fuel, easy and quick to get to. And it is THIS kind of mission that those stations were created and filled to start with! The only reason I had not used them before this was that I found the unmanned refueling rockets I had designed to top them off easier to use with my spaceships.

SO I launched a MK II, topped off at the H.G. Wells, went to the Mun, and then refueled there, at the R. L. Forward.

The MechJeb 2 seems to handle the Space Trucker, MK II, pretty well.

Bob, one of the original three Space Guys, looks bored.

Landing was easy and you can see the Mun base in the background.

The two Rovers prove useful to the Mun crew. The Space Trucker did not land far away but still, they have the Rovers, why not use them? True, one was badly designed but it still works.

Everybody ready? Bill seems very happy to see Bob. Maybe being trapped with the new guy, Donald, in the Hitchhiker Container was driving him nuts?

After getting into orbit I had to bring in some refueling rockets (standard procedure for the MK I so this was routine to me). I did not fill it to the 'brim' as I hoped less fuel would mean less mass and help in the long run.

Off we go!

OK, nothing fancy. Let us just try to land on...well, land.

Crew looks calm.

Adjusting landing point...looks kind of rough. Mountains?

No wonder they seem so calm. They can't see anything.

View from the back seat kind of sucks...

Starting to hit the atmosphere...

Somebody turn up the AC.

WHEW...that part always scares me. At least the air will slow us down.

I pop out the chutes. They stay on.

And slowly we descend...

Chutes go but we're almost touching. The ground does seem uneven...

Waiting for their ride back to the space port. After so long on the Mun the returning Kerbals, Donald and Bill, are looking forward to salty food snacks, music television, and playing Minecraft.

PS - Does one of the crew seem to be sinking into the ground?