The Trans-Duna Initiative

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The Trans-Duna Initiative

Overview

In an effort to create a sensible and sustainable Duna program, I've begun the Trans-Duna Initiative, or TDI. The goals of this program are simple: establish a continuous and significant Kerbal presence in the Duna system with a moderate initial investment followed by waves of further development. Fueled by Kethane landers operating from Duna, the infrastructure here will serve as both an experiment for long-term extra-Kerbin habitation and a base for further exploration.

Goals

The goals of this program are simple.

1.) Establish a sufficient Kerbal presence to support further colonization efforts

2.) Develop infrastructure capable of processing Kethane into requisite fuels indefinitely

3.) Explore and map the Duna system

4.) Colonize and have access to the surface of Duna and Ike

5.) Ultimately, make the Duna assets self-sufficient and no longer reliant on shipments from Kerbin

Process

As it is now, the program is a regimented one with little room for failure. The program is designed to be conducted in waves, groups of infrastructure sent from Kerbin to Duna at each transfer window. Each wave usually has one craft intended for return to Kerbin at the next Duna to Kerbin window, as a way of transporting samples and data gained that cannot be sent over the communications networks. Detailed explanations of each wave are offered in lieu of an extensive writeup.

Ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu, I present to you the Trans-Duna Initiative.

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Wave one contains all the infrastructure needed for immediate operation commencement at Duna. Below is an album containing pictures each ship sent, with explanations of their design and purpose. Wave One was intended to be an almost exclusively orbital operation, with only the lander actually touching down on Duna. In later waves, the surface of Duna will be colonized and explored both robotically and by brave kolonists.

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Wave One has a success rate of 84% so far. Out of the six vehicles sent to Duna, only the Duna Tender I failed, and that was only because of some timewarp-derived SOI orbit bugs and Ike shenanigans. The crew, still blissfully unaware of their predicament in cryogenic sleep (the lazy jerks), are now stranded in the southern hemisphere of Duna, far out of the intended operation envelope of the Duna lander. We can only hope that they're able to be rescued before their insufficient survival equipment fails. Here is the album chronicling the almost complete (mis)adventures of Wave One.

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Edited October 14, 2013 by Wait, Was That Important?
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TDI Planning Phase

Overview

The TDI will be conducted in "waves" of vehicles sent to Duna at the latest transfer window. Each wave has a specific purpose, such as planetary colonization or orbital infrastructure development. This post is where I'll detail the contents of following waves, and the state of affairs with each one sent so far.

Wave One Planning

Wave one is a moderately-sized wave with four vehicles intended to establish a preliminary base of operations in Duna orbit with limited Kethane fueling technology. It will preferably map out the surface of Duna with Kethane scanners and therefore allow a base in the future to be constructed.

-Reusable ship to be sent with cargo to Duna, refueled there, and back to Kerbin for reuse

-Reusable tug to be sent with cargo to Duna, refueled there, and back to Kerbin for reuse

-Duna hub control module to be sent to Duna

-Fuel depot and 2.5m docking hub to be sent and connected to the Duna hub

-Reusable lander/ miner to mine Kethane from the surface and conduct limited exploration

-Orbital tender as a means of quick egress from Duna orbit back to Kerbin orbit

Wave Two Planning

Wave two establishes a ground presence on Duna, in the form of two colonization modules and a rover. This package, intended to be one piece, allows exploration of the Red planet. At the same time, another tug will be constructed, and a specialized lander will be sent to the ship from Wave one allowing it to operate in the Joolian system. A small Ike outpost will be sent with a rebuilt orbital tender to get back and forth from Duna orbit. This allows for Kethane and possibly metal mining operations in the future on both Duna and Ike. The tug and ship from wave one will both be sent back to Kerbin.

-Two habitat modules for the surface of Duna and a rover allowing travel between the two

-A second reusable tug module for pushing the aforementioned habitats to Duna

-An Ike outpost to be pushed by one of the Tugs for study of Ike, with a probe for a polar Ike orbit

-An Ike/ Duna orbital tender with Duna to Kerbin capabilities after refueling, sent independently

-A specially made lander for Joolian operations with the Wave One ship

-Refueling of the Tug and Ship after arrival in Kerbin orbit