Interplanetary stage design

[spudman2]

In making my first trips to Duna and Eve, I've found that nervas dont sit in a stack very well. Then i thought to radially mount some tiny tanks. Putting the engines under them shortens the wiggly stack, boosts thrust, is very stable, and looks very pretty. Running a few fuel lines fixes the only real problem with the design. This setup will probably pave the way for all the the planets for me.

[Monkeh]

You can stack NERVAs with either docking ports or struts:

You can easily attach them radially as well. Whatever floats your boat

But yeah, once you work out long slow burns are the way to go the little Kerbol solar system is indeed, your oyster.

Enjoy yourself out there.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Monkeh

[PrivateFlip]

Have been using the same principle for my own interplanetary tug. Having the engine to the sides also allows me to attach some additional stuff behind the craft like extra fueltanks or a small satellite.

There's no design like overdesign:

[Beachernaut]

Have been using the same principle for my own interplanetary tug. Having the engine to the sides also allows me to attach some additional stuff behind the craft like extra fueltanks or a small satellite.

There's no design like overdesign:

We think very similarly. When designing my Interplanetary ships, I generally design it for the trip back from whatever planet I'm going, then use docking ports to string on a "train" of fuel tanks behind it to drop as they empty. In the case of a longer trip (Jool or further) I also attach extra tanks radially to avoid my ship being overly long.

[rhoark]

LV-Ns are heavy and TWR relatively unimportant in orbit. Feel free to design for aesthetics, though.

[Beachernaut]

+1

The LV-N is the peasant of the launch, and the king of the orbital maneuver.

[spudman2]

Have been using the same principle for my own interplanetary tug. Having the engine to the sides also allows me to attach some additional stuff behind the craft like extra fueltanks or a small satellite.

Just discovered this functionality myself. Also discovered that I forgot parachutes. >.<

[PrivateFlip]

Just discovered this functionality myself. Also discovered that I forgot parachutes. >.<

parachutes, solar panels, landing legs, a rocket scientist can't think of everything all the time.

Good luck with your powered descent

Edited October 22, 2013 by PrivateFlip