(OLD) The Ultimate Jool-5 Challenge:land Kerbals on all moons and return in one big mission

[Speeding Mullet]

When I first read this challenge I didn't think that I was capable of doing it, then I thought back to the hours I poured into Sturmstiger's Duna Architecture mission and realised that I am capable and what a great way of getting to see the Joolian system! I'm going for all out third level, which means that I will doing everything but the science (playing in sandbox so I don't think it's possible), but also carting a bunch of useless stuff with me like satellites, probes and the like. I'll also be carrying a huge amount of dead weight in the form of modded parts to make it more ki-fi but the core of everything useable like tanks and engines etc will all be stock.

I guess I'm registering my formal interest with this teaser, the first (nearly 300T) segment of the mothership containing such luxuries as two greenhouses, a fly-bridge, viewing platform, and communications systems:

[SSSPutnik]

My lander works well on all moons, used hyperedit to test.

It has parachutes for Laythe and make it back to orbit OK, Tylo too.

Just have to get it to Jool and around the moons and back now.

Should take 3 launches. One for lander, one for carrier and a single fueling trip to top off tanks before departure.

[SSSPutnik]

What's mods you using Mullet?

[Ziv]

Speeding Mullet: nice, welcome aboard! I'm happy to see somebody who wants to go on the aesthetic/ki-fi side! This way you might need some more fuel but will be fun to watch definitely!

SSSPutnik: sounds good, good luck! I never used hyperedit, only deltaV stats... and before my first mission I have never been and never zoomed to any moons, and this way it was more thrill to get there and see them live for the first time!

[SSSPutnik]

Ziv, only one I hypereditted was Tylo. I sent lander to Laythe solo and landed after aerobraking around Jool. Not visited other moons. So Laythe/Jool was done first and was great fun.

Actually canned that lander now due to clipping issue, the new one looks better and has a bit more DeltaV, will be used for "official" entry.

Happily admit first attempt failed, damn tank clipping ruined it.

[fenderzilla]

for the 3rd level, do all 5 kerbals have to be on the ground at the same time? or can you just fly by all the moons, dropping a lander on each, returning, then going on to the next?

love this challenge, made a simpler one a while back but never tried it myself. so far i've got landers for pol, bop, and tylo. so excited! I love doing big missions like this.

Edited December 16, 2013 by fenderzilla

[Ziv]

for the 3rd level, do all 5 kerbals have to be on the ground at the same time? or can you just fly by all the moons, dropping a lander on each, returning, then going on to the next?

love this challenge, made a simpler one a while back but never tried it myself. so far i've got landers for pol, bop, and tylo. so excited! I love doing big missions like this.

Sure, you do the landings as you want. Only rule is that your mission from Kerbin has to go to Jool as one ship with all the stuff (crew, landers, fuel, etc). Then it's up to you if you have one lander, some lander parts and you put together the ideal lander for each moon, or five different lander. And one advice: optimize (lower) your part count as much as you can because no lag makes it more fun!

[Mesklin]

Jeb's only Jool-5 expedition

Here my second Jool-5 expedition:

Only one Jeb on board

No mods, only stock game

No science

One launch with comparable light ship (400t start mass, 191 parts)

Open style lander like Ziv's lander

No jets, only pure rocket power

Unusual way in Jool system - from outer moons to inner moons

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited December 17, 2013 by Mesklin

[Speeding Mullet]

What's mods you using Mullet?

I'm using LLL, Procedural fairings, KW, and Nova purely for aesthetics. Anything to do with the actual mission will be stock. I'll also be using mechjeb as I am an engineer as opposed to a flyer, and kerbal alarm clock just incase.

Speeding Mullet: nice, welcome aboard! I'm happy to see somebody who wants to go on the aesthetic/ki-fi side! This way you might need some more fuel but will be fun to watch definitely!

Thanks! I'll need bags more fuel, but clever part design means I should come in under some of the other entries here. As usual I'm not going for uber pointage rather just trying to learn and have fun along the way...

[Ziv]

Mesklin: Wow, beautiful minimalistic solution and great mission planning, congratulations! I love these minimalistic ships.

- How many dV does the lander have? (I guess at least ~2400+600 because of ascent and redocking from Tylo).

- And with the Tylo module on?

- I see you used a little RCS Space Tug for docking... when I was on my mission with Jeb only then I was able to dock without RCS because that little ship was agile enough, or I put them in lines and pushed the main ship a littlebit forward (left/right) with RCS and that was enough. Very little RCS fuel is needed this way (if any). Hm, but a Space Tug is a must for the lander reconfiguration, that's true...

-Your Tylo orbit with 8700m was low enough I guess. And I liked your lander solution for Laythe too. What did you do with those two fuel under the parachutes? Deorbiting only?

Congratulation, you are in the Hall of Fame, Again!

Edited December 17, 2013 by Ziv

[Mesklin]

Ziv,

1. Lander have about 3500 m/s of dV, it is enough for returning back to high elliptical orbit to main ship after Tylo ascent. With Tylo drop tanks dV is about 7000 m/s. Also drop tank work like very good brake, I landed on Tylo with speed about 20 m/s and landed without any damages. It is a good way for fuel economy for Tylo landing.

2. For Laythe tanks under parachutes work like first stage, because 3500 m/s is not enough for reach low Laythe orbit (minimal dV for it is 3900-4000 m/s), thees tanks add 1000 m/s. And I was very close to return back to Laythe without parachutes and fuel . After establish minimal Laythe orbit lander had only 1 liter of fuel.

[mcirish3]

Well My save transferred to .23. so lag is all but gone now. Too bad my Tylo lander is so bad. I goofed up the landing legs badly. I will try again tomorrow to get a successful landing I think i got it figured out but I will have to land on what was supposed to be the escape pod. The main lander is just too unstable in tylo's high gravity. It means throwing away about 2-5 hundred DV. NOT GOOD. I am not sure my escape pod can get back to orbit solo. If it can the rest of the mission will be a cinch since I have plenty of fuel and part lag is gone now.

[SSSPutnik]

Mesklin, that's hell impressive, elegant, simple solutions!

Just got my main carrier into orbit, and I mean *just*. (Over 300 tons into orbit, single launch).

Edited December 18, 2013 by SSSPutnik

[Mesklin]

SSSPutnik, It is really big and impressive black and white thing , I hope you did not forget add some electricity to it. And IMHO carrier has to many struts, as per my experience two struts for each side tanks will be enough.

[SSSPutnik]

I have yet to dock service module and lander. If you look carefully, it already has 4 RTGs.

I may have over strutted, but was worried about launch stresses.

Pleased the carrier has such a low part count and the black tanks can be dropped.

[PirateAE]

Im thinking om gonan try this, first is does jool have to be first or can it be say second (thinking going eloo and inwards)

[Ziv]

Im thinking om gonan try this, first is does jool have to be first or can it be say second (thinking going eloo and inwards)

First, please read the challenge again (?)... going to other bodies may be a bonus but not necessary. Second, please re-read what you write and correct it before sending anything to the forum.

[PirateAE]

woops didnt see how messed up i typed that . thanks for the response. im still working towards all the parts i need in career mode, almost done that part then the building part of this will start.

[700NitroXpress]

I'm recording my mission as a video and taking screenshots along the way. I have a few special things that I'll do too during the mission that aren't part of the original mission parameters, just for fun stuff.

Here is the first part of my Jool V mission. I finally launched out to Jool and did an epic landing on Laythe, barely balancing out at the end.

Second video is the rescue of Jeb at Laythe. Not a whole lot happens, but it's good docking and intercept reference.

Edited December 20, 2013 by 700NitroXpress

[700NitroXpress]

So I have a man trapped on the surface of Tylo. Can I send out a lander to save him?

[Ziv]

Hehe, that's not good! Hm, I'm not sure how to decide because only refueling supply missions are allowed but that sucks if I say: no, sorry, you can't, you should start to redesign your mission from zero and start again... if you can manage that with a low-weight and simple, one launch solution from Kerbin then it may be accepted (but I will add this rescue mission to the informations about your mission)...

By the way I checked your videos but they are too long to watch them normally and it was hard to find the crucial points in the long streams. Maybe you should do a "general public's cut".

[PirateAE]

would sending a second craft with kethene scaners along side (same window) be ok? didnt leave space atm for them in my current design. Current progress http://postimg.org/image/k2xhvb77x/ 76 tons already, mostly empty on fuel, (just the small tanks have any fuel, cause i forgot about tweakables)

[Ziv]

Hm, I think using Kethane would make it too easy. I love the Kethane mod but it's for an other style of gameplay. This challenge is about a traditional deep-space expedition-style mission.

But if countless refueling missions are allowed then it's like letting the usage of Kethane... maybe I should open new categories? What do you think guys?

[SSSPutnik]

I think no. Its supposed to be a single trip out. This means lander designs etc have to meet pretty strict criteria. Kethane makes that moot.

I would have disallowed fuel missions too.

I'm in Jool orbit, yippee.

[Speeding Mullet]

I would say no to Kethane too Ziv, it's another style of gameplay as you say.

My entry is taking a lot longer than I thought. I'm going for 4 on each moon, which means obviously my Tylo lander is substantial. I'm a bit worried my mothership (now with even more pointless trimmings) won't have the delta v to push it all out there and return.

Currently debating updating to take advantage of tweakables.