My greatest creation! Interplanetar MKIII

[Natima]

Hi there,

I'm totally new to KSP (About 3 days in to my first career!) and I've finally built an excellent craft after dozens of failed attempts. It's my first craft that can get me into orbit with loads of fuel left. This craft can perform and transmit 4 science experiments, has tonnes of fuel remaining at 280km orbit of Kerbin, landing lights/gears, landing thrusters, 7 parachutes for entering denser atmospheres, solar arrays and batteries storing up to 2500 electrical charge, excellent torque, and a manned crew of three. I think it looks pretty snazzy too! It weighs a massive (at least to me!) 250 tonnes.

Now, I've sent many craft to Minmus, but NEVER made in back. I've stranded at least 4 there. So that will probably be my first mission in the Interplanetar MKIII, but I'd really like to go to a different planet. Who wants to set me a mission and give me advice on how to complete it?

Pics here including stats of ship (weight, enegery, fuel etc.) and current position:

[Ojimak]

I hate to say this, but, judging from the pictures, unless you have a NERVA hidden somewhere, you probably don't have enough fuel to leave the Kerbin system.

Can somebody else confirm?

-Ojimak

[Awaras]

He can certainly make it to Duna (just a flyby or orbit, not a landing). That does not require much more fuel than for minmus. Return? Maaaaybe...

Edited October 21, 2013 by Awaras

[Natima]

Pfffffffft....

It's got asparagus staging, and I have since discovered that no... still not enough fuel.

A few attempts at landing on mun have showed me that. So this version was dubbed MKI - a failed attempt.... I've spent AGES refining it, and I'm now on MKIII. I'll post some pics in a minute.

P.S. How does one land on the moon anyway? No matter what I seem to impact at high velocity and run out of fuel before reaching the surface. Parachutes don't work, and 3 full TL400 fuel tanks won't get my velocity down to less than 300m/s.

[SandMan13]

If you want to land on Mun first circularize your orbit (20km or less is good) then burn retro till you are grazing the surface on the opposite side of the burn. Then click on the orbit velocity meter so it switches to surface, point retro grade then adjust so it is horizontal in the retro direction. Wait till you are under 15km and burn away all lateral velocity. Start increasing angle of burn so the retro mark is normal to the surface. Burn away rest of vertical velocity to >9m/s and land. To take off and return to Kerbin burn straight up for a few seconds then point to the 270 marker as burning prograde in this direction will collapse your orbit with Kerbin.

[astropapi1]

Just wait until Whackjob comes by.

[NKL]

Return? Maaaaybe...

Haha, I got a similar design (4 symetry FTW) and got stuck on Duna (no nerva at the time). I had to use the debug menu to go back on Kerbin... =/

Without nerva your best shot is the LV-909 or the 'poodle' instead of 4 LV-30 to reduce fuel consumption .