Mission to Duna - Career Mode

[Iren]

This was my first 'Mission to Duna' (with crew return) performed under the Career Mode, meaning that I hadn't Mainsails or Jumbo Tanks for a heavy lifter, nor NERVAS to launch a reasonable interplanetary ship-lander-return vehicle. So I designed a mission architecture that would rely on unmanned automatic ATV-like vehicles, and a medium lifter made with Skippers that would be used to launch both the 'Kerbal Automatic Transfer Vehicles' and the interplanetary ship-lander-return vehicle dubbed "Three Space Sailors".

The first 'KATV' is launched.

Then a second 'KATV' towards orbit.

Both KATVs dock in LKO.

Afterwards, the tandem launches to a Kerbin-Duna transfer orbit. The first KATV will be discarded to crash on Duna while the second one, full with precious fuel, will aerobrake and keep on Duna orbit for about a year and a half.

Then our heroes (Jeb, Bill and Bob) launch on the TSS interplanetary ship and dock in LKO with a third 'special' KATV, which carries a science pack (I preferred to send the science pack with the KATV since the interplanetary ship was rather heavy).

Then the KATV sends the TSS to a gravity slingshot with the Mun. All remaining fuel is transferred to the TSS and the KATV is sent to a Mun crash.

A dramatic farewell to the Kerbin system while flying above the Munar surface.

With Jeb on the controls (Bill and Bob couldn't tie him up outside of the capsule) the TSS goes for an encounter with Duna... and lo! They will be flying close to Ike on their arrival! Lots of science are done while flying close to Ike.

'Jeb, you nuts, you almost slingshot us out of Duna's gravity! Bill, correct course to Duna atmosphere! We're going quite fast!'

The TSS starts to dip on Duna's atmosphere...

...and the engines are started to kill off as much velocity as possible to prevent "spontaneous aerial dissasembly" (SAD).

Parachutes fully open, and the ship is in one piece!

They arrived!!! Jeb is untied from his chair.

Everyone gets to walk around Duna, pick up samples, make some EVA reports, check the science equipment, repack the parachutes, etc.

Our heroes spend some weeks on the Dunar surface, sending EVA reports and science data, until the ship launches back to Duna orbit and rendevouz with the KATV on orbit for 2 years.

The service module is discarded on Duna orbit to lessen weight and the KATV throttles back to Kerbin.

We're back to Kerbin, carrying precious samples and science data!

Oh, right, Jeb was on the controls again, and the ship goes science pack-first through the atmosphere.

'Jeb, I just hope that the science pack doesn't shatters on impact with the sea, or Wehner von Kerman will send you up again by yourself'

The whole mission got me about 1200 science points. Hope you enjoy!

Edited November 4, 2013 by Iren

[Danish_Savage]

Well written, and very humorous. 1 rep from me

Edit, Also a well executed mission, I very much like your designs.

[Iren]

Well written, and very humorous. 1 rep from me

Edit, Also a well executed mission, I very much like your designs.

Thanks! I still should tweak the return vehicle a bit, I only managed to climb to a 50x60km orbit above Duna, and had to lower the automatic transfer vehicle to rendezvouz the fueless capsule. Also, I need to place the parachutes in a way I don't fall nose-first

[Specialist290]

Nicely done! I like the modular approach of using multiple specialized transfer vehicles.

[Danish_Savage]

I can't remember now, did you use the drogues? They are lifesavers. And yes Chutes above CoM is VERY important.

[Mr.Gentlespy]

Would like to use this ship on my Career savedgame "KerbTravellers". Can you post the craft. file of the ship for me?

PS: Is the ship Tier 5 tech?