How to get to Eeloo without docking?

[99TheCreator]

After sending a manned return mission from Duna and a one-way trip to Eve (R.I.P. Luke and Phillo Kerman, I didnt mean to not have enough power to lift off) I have decided to take on a major undertaking. I want to go to Eeloo, without docking. I feel like docking is a noobish way to play, I like 1 launch to anywhere. Anyways, how do I go about getting to Eeloo? Preferably returning, although I guess I could just stick some solar panels on the lander and call it a science base, but I want these people returning. Can anyone who has gone to Eeloo or knows how tell me how?

[stupid_chris]

Depends what you want to bring there and then what you want to do. Just a probe? A one man mission? Three man with landing? Depending on what you plan on doing you might not need such a big rocket.

[99TheCreator]

I want to do a three man mission to Eeloo. And yes, landing.

[stupid_chris]

Well one thing is sure, you're gonna want to stick to LV-Ns for that. To go out to Eeloo and come back, assuming you land straight when coming back from Eeloo and don't bother with putting yourself in orbit, is going to take not more than 6500m/s. And you should be able to land and go back to orbit for about 2000m/s. So for one ship, you would need around 8500m/s, and that includes about 400m/s of error margin. Even though you want to do one launch, you could still use docking and sending a lander up at the same time as the crew module, this way you could leave the used lander in orbit and save some weight for the return on that.

[little square dot]

There's no secret to it really... pack lots of fuel and build carefully. Be mindful of efficiency on this one. Casual strolls to Duna allow for a lot of wastage, but Eeloo missions require that you place performance well ahead of aesthetics.

Good luck!

[nimbim]

Eeloo is one of the easier targets. You need roughly 2500-3000m/s delta v including corrections to get there, 1700-2000 for landing and returning to orbit and 1200-1500 to get back to Kerbin. 6,5km/s delta v should be plenty.

[Tokay Gris]

Just a side question, though.

Why ist docking "noobish"?

Just out of interest, since I don't see it that way.

I am currently staging a ship to Eeloo, that consists of four part

This really is just out of interest, not a critique....

[Talonsin]

I have a big space station setup in Minmus orbit that all my interstellar ships dock with before departing out into the deep black. I think having a deep space command center adds a bit more adventure to the game.

[99TheCreator]

I find docking a bit noobish when people just launch tiny bits of spacecraft and mosh them all together into 1 big supercraft that can go anywhere. it sort of removes the challenge of building an awesome efficient spaceship, but thats my opinion. I love docking though when it's used for space stations, I have a massive one myself although I cant really use it because of the lag.

[Synapse]

Lol, I'm pretty sure NASA would consider docking a ship together to visit pluto. I don't know why you think it's noobish. It's noobish to try to fit all that equipment onto one rocket

[Zaeo]

Looking at the scrapped Aires V and Aires I and Orion capsule, they DO dock to just get to the moon..

Rather than pack in more "RCS" fuel, they save money by placing both a main and aux engine in opposite directions. this has two major advantages, The Aforementioned, and it lets you keep aligned easier.

[Hannu]

Look at this. It has a rover, a 3 man landing module, a mapping satellite and an interplanetary transfer stage in one (no so) simple packet. You need just one docking when you ascend from surface and rendezvous with transfer stage at Eeloo's orbit.

It is stupid to say some way of playing a noob one. If you like to build huge launchers, as I do, it is OK, but it is OK also to make smaller launches and assembly your ship on orbit. You can have much larger and more functional ships by docking at Kerbin's orbit. Single launches are limited to just small flag planting trips to one target at a time. But if you have a powerful computer, it is possible to make also one launch one man trip to Eve with using a real pod instead of just seats and without using the asparagus technique.

[sephirotic]

Can anyone who has gone to Eeloo or knows how tell me how?

Well, I've been to EVERY body around Kerbol and back dozens of times, stock and with no MJ in all major versions, including Eve.

What i can tell you particularly about Eve is, the correct phase angle is very important, search for the "kerbal interplanetary phase angles" on google, should be the first result. And you will need a lander with at least 7000d/v. Now, that is not a particularly hard thing to build, but if you are a newbie you will surely encounter several problens that may take a while for you to discorever the best design strategies. I'll just show you one of my very optimized universal (low-part wise) 3-kerbal designs:

Over 17.000 d/v, under 255 parts and 460 tons. 9.500 d/v only at the lander.

It can land and return to kerbin from nearly all bodies,in kerbol system with the exception of Eve and Tylo. Without the need of refueling.

By the way, i don´t use mechjeb that much, i just used it in this SS to show the D/V because Kerbal engineer doesn´t calculate d/v as proper as MJ.

But i also agree there is absolutely no cheating in docking. Asparagus rockets are much more cheaty than docking.

Look at this

Now, that craft has LOTS of design flaws, specially the absurd amount of struts.

Edited September 15, 2013 by sephirotic

[SRV Ron]

Start out with a one way probe design. Then advance to a probe that lands and can return to Kerbal. Next, a one Kerbal mission. Finally, the three kerbal mission which will require a very large rocket if you plan to do it without docking or refueling.

The key to all of the missions is timing to get a window for an Eeloo intercept that is the most efficient and doesn't require having to match its orbital plane. The same for the Kerban return.

[Rage097]

I find docking a bit noobish when people just launch tiny bits of spacecraft and mosh them all together into 1 big supercraft that can go anywhere. it sort of removes the challenge of building an awesome efficient spaceship, but thats my opinion. I love docking though when it's used for space stations, I have a massive one myself although I cant really use it because of the lag.

The reason docking isn't considered Noobish is due to the fact that...It's friggin' difficult, especially when you start you dock together larger assemblies. Docking is probably one of the more difficult aspects of the game amongs players.

[esinohio]

Everyone has given such great advice but thought I would add my two cents. You might also want to take a peek roughly half way down the page here http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Cheat_Sheet . Since you have made it to other celestial bodies I wasn't sure if you were already using that deltaV map that is pictured on the Wiki. It can be a tremendous help planning your missions. Certainly would make it easier for you to design your one shot to Eeloo.

Of course you are gonna post your final design for us right??

[TheSaint]

I did a manned Eeloo return mission last week. I sent a large one-piece ship with a lot of fuel and LV-Ns and a small lander. I started out with about 9,800 m/s of delta-v. At the end I docked at my station in LKO with just over 100 m/s left. And I had to perform a 13,000 m/s aerobrake at Kerbin on my return. (That was amusing, but seriously unrealistic. The G meter was pegged.)

[Dooz]

Heres the Ship I used If you want to return You have to Use docking but it makes it to Eeloo No docking In Orbit Around Kerbin

Heres the Launch stage

Note This is 100% Stock

Edited September 13, 2013 by Dooz

[ElJugador]

I find docking a bit noobish when people just launch tiny bits of spacecraft and mosh them all together into 1 big supercraft that can go anywhere. it sort of removes the challenge of building an awesome efficient spaceship, but thats my opinion. I love docking though when it's used for space stations, I have a massive one myself although I cant really use it because of the lag.

that's a pretty strange mode of thought

Edited January 7, 2014 by ElJugador
edited abrasive phrasing

[Guest]

The reason docking isn't considered Noobish is due to the fact that...It's friggin' difficult, especially when you start you dock together larger assemblies. Docking is probably one of the more difficult aspects of the game amongs players.

It's actually quite easy once you know how to read the navball and use the translation controls, you don't even need one of those fancy docking cams that seem to be all the rage these days. Rather, it is a hard skill to learn.

[maccollo]

You just need to build a large enough rocket to do it, and it doesn't actually have to be that large. For the Mk1-2 pod (4 tons) You can do it with a rocket that weights maybe 400 tons?

Just a side question, though.

Why ist docking "noobish"?

Just out of interest, since I don't see it that way.

I am currently staging a ship to Eeloo, that consists of four part

This really is just out of interest, not a critique....

I don't conciser it "noobish" but for me it's less challenging when it comes to designing the rockets, because you can just haul fuel and parts into orbit without trying to figure out how to do it in one move with a rocket that doesn't look like a flying apartment block. The bigger the rocket I have to build to do something, the bigger the challenge, and this challenge in the design process is what makes KSP fun to me.

Just hauling endless amounts of tiny rockets and fuel into orbit... Well I find it tedious and boring.

[Alchemist]

Single launch to Eeloo? I have a single launch to Moho:

It's flight profile inclues one docking with the external tank after takeoff from Moho, but in case of Eeloo the lander might have enough juice to get back to Kerbin without refueling.

Yeah, the screenshot is from 0.18. But it still works and is able to carry some cience. Also, for Moho mission it's better to take 3 orange tanks, not 2.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Alchemist

[Tank Buddy]

You could just decouple a lander from on top of your ship and then rendezvous and transfer crew, since you would dump the lander anyways. Unless you planned on bringing science back. Anyways, the whole point of "Apollo Style" was to not have to bring your return fuel to the ground and back up again. If you mean "one launch" as in a ship assembled in orbit, Apollo does not require multiple launches.

[Mr.Rocket]

This was a single launch probe to Eeloo, no return though. It's actually not that big,

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[maccollo]

357 tons on the launchpad, 105 parts, serial staged all the way.

I havn't flown it to Eeloo yet, but it should have the deltaV with 1000 m/s of wiggle room.