Minmus and how to reach it

[A1catraz]

Can someone help me get to Minmus? I don't plan on returning back to Kerbin once I get there. Docking and rendezvousing isn't really my strong-suit. A rocket desing would be nice. I've heard it is just like going to the Mun, but I haven't really seen how.

Edited October 29, 2013 by A1catraz

[Mihir]

Any rocket capable of getting to Mun should also be able to get to Minmus. You need slightly more fuel on the injection burn, but less on the braking one.

[wasmic]

Scott Manley is always helpful. You should watch some of his videos.

EDIT: This is a return mission, but you don't need to dock nor rendesvouz. The same rocket can also get to Mun (I think)

[capi3101]

Mün and Minmus have different challenges - Mün is easier to get to and harder to land on while Minmus is harder to get to and easier to land on. The trick with Minmus is that it's not in the same orbital plane as Kerbin and Mün, so you will need to do some normal/anti-normal maneuvering to get there. You can treat it like you would an interplanetary flight - first burn to get out to its orbit, followed by a correction burn and the ascending/descending node to adjust your plane and make any final other burns you need.

What specifically are you having issues with? If it's the transfer, watch the video that wasmic was kind enough to link in.

[lajoswinkler]

Can someone help me get to Minmus? I don't plan on returning back to Kerbin once I get there. Docking and rendezvousing isn't really my strong-suit. A rocket desing would be nice. I've heard it is just like going to the Mun, but I haven't really seen how.

What do you want to land there? A probe lander? Kerbal(s)? If you want to land a tiny tiny probe there, you can really do it with a small two stage rocket.

[toomuchbrew]

Check out my Rover landing. I was ill-prepared for the micro-gravity of Minmus. I should have put RCS on it to keep it glued to the surface.

.

[Franklin]

If it makes you feel any better, getting to Minmus is more difficult than landing on it, which is the opposite issue with Mun. You'll probably find yourself packing just enough fuel for a one-way trip and having enough left over to get back to Kerbin.

[Vanamonde]

Here are instructions for getting to the moons, and an easy-to-fly ship you can download for the job: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/25029-A-moon-rocket-and-moon-trip-walkthrough-for-newbies-(21-1)

[Skorpychan]

You can actually get to Minimus without an inclination change, if you're careful and avoid the Mun. Just go for where it intersects Kerbin's orbital plane.

Getting OFF Minimus is something to be done carefully. I put on a bunch of power for it, zoomed out to map view to check my apoapsis, and I'd gotten an escape already. And needed barely any fuel to get back to Kerbin again.

Even managed to land it in a new biome!

[buzzles]

As they've all said, if you get get to the Mun, you can do Minmus with ease.

In fact, I'd probably say Minmus is all round easier than the Mun, mostly because landing is much easier and manouver nodes take away all the pain of the different inclination.

[LtKraftKrackers]

so, does nobody here uses Mun for a gravity assist? when I go to Minmus, I ussually prefer to set my course for Mun, then use maneuver nodes to plan a burn that will get my ship on a good inclination, and a good distance. Minmus, despite its eccentrical orbit, is always 46k Km from Kerbin, so, I just plot a maneuver node when already in route to Mun, and watch the resulting Ap to get it to 46K. Yes, it might be more inefficient because you have to wait for a good rendezvous, but it does seem to save some fuel.

[SRV Ron]

While you can use Mun for an assist, it is not necessary. Better for a direct approach with enough to get an encounter, then circularize and land. Thrusters alone will do the job for the final decent.

You will need to turn SAS in to keep the probe from dancing on the surface.

[Superfluous J]

so, does nobody here uses Mun for a gravity assist? when I go to Minmus, I ussually prefer to set my course for Mun, then use maneuver nodes to plan a burn that will get my ship on a good inclination, and a good distance. Minmus, despite its eccentrical orbit, is always 46k Km from Kerbin, so, I just plot a maneuver node when already in route to Mun, and watch the resulting Ap to get it to 46K. Yes, it might be more inefficient because you have to wait for a good rendezvous, but it does seem to save some fuel.

I have tried it a few times but never found it worth it. I never calculated it but you can't save more than, what, 100 delta-v on that? I mean, 100 delta-v isn't insignificant but it's well within the safety margin I (try to) keep on every ship.