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

[SSSPutnik]

That's debatable. Level 2 you can get away with two Kerbals in command chairs and a two man can on the main ship. Level 3 you need to bring accommodation for 5 Kerbals on main craft, but can use a slightly smaller lander. Mass difference is minor on the lander.

It is pretty well thought out.

[James_Eh]

Well, nuts. My first attempt at this (still using .22, haven't worked up the enthusiasm for .23 or .23.5 yet) was going somewhat well. I hated my ship frankly but it seemed to be getting the job done. I spent the most tortuous 75 minutes I have ever had in this game during the transfer burn what with my (poor structural design) limitation of about 0.08G... I had hoped to use MechJeb for the burn, but it was useless at controlling this thing so I had to do it myself. Then, shortly after my projected orbit crossed the Dres orbit, a significant piece fell off. Back to the drawing board!

Edited April 8, 2014 by James_Eh

[SSSPutnik]

Had a similar issue with a very similar design. Tanks fell off the lander. I think they were clipping slightly.

Suggest upgrade, the new joints in 0.23.5 worth it. Also performance boost.

[James_Eh]

Had a similar issue with a very similar design. Tanks fell off the lander. I think they were clipping slightly.

Suggest upgrade, the new joints in 0.23.5 worth it. Also performance boost.

Yah, one of these days I will do the upgrade... The funny thing is I have only seen this issue crop up en route to Jool. This is the third time (at least) that I have had a tank just plain and simple fall off. It only happens at about the 7/8 mark of the burn. (i.e. around Dres orbit) Although this particular ship was a bit of a personal embarrassment as far as the design went, and I was dumbfounded that it held together as long as it did, the other two ships that suffered spontaneous disassembly were much more reasonable. I'm pretty sure clipping wasn't the issue, but I will absolutely triple-check my next vessel prior to Kerbin escape. (I have hopes that this one will be so well balanced that I can leave MJ to do the big burn!)

[SSSPutnik]

Mine fell off around same point, and clipping was only thing I thought could do it, but maybe something else.

It was like mine just decided to fall off too, there was some flexing of the landers when changing thrust, but the tanks stayed on fine during landing and takeoff tests.

They underwent a LOT more Gs then.

[Alchemist]

Tylo... it's a terrible place to land. Don't underestimate it.

That's actually my first successful Tylo landing and return.

[Alchemist]

Finally edited my Vall video - that was the best part of all the mission

Happy Cosmonautics Day!

[James_Eh]

This is turning into a farce. After my debacle from a couple of days ago I completely redesigned my ship and headed out again. Everything went perfectly well, until once again, around the point where my projected orbit hit 39Gm (Dres orbit), a tank fell off of the lander. This time it SHOULD have crashed into the tank behind it, but instead I watched in fascination as it just slid through unharmed. I really feel that SOMETHING in the code is causing this. Grrr.

Edited April 12, 2014 by James_Eh

[SSSPutnik]

You time warping?

[Alchemist]

I think that's an overkill...

That's including Eeloo and Dres (the ship had exactly enough fuel to visit them) and with mission length of almost 10 kerbal years.

Matt and Landin have landed what remained of the Antares (the command pod and the lab), Bill, Jeb and Bob are refitting the lander in LKO (somebody decided to make a trip to Moho... that will be the eighth landing for this lander) and I have a ton of footage to process...

[Ziv]

I think that's an overkill...

http://s020.radikal.ru/i719/1404/f8/961e93f38e78.png

That's including Eeloo and Dres (the ship had exactly enough fuel to visit them) and with mission length of almost 10 kerbal years.

Matt and Landin have landed what remained of the Antares (the command pod and the lab), Bill, Jeb and Bob are refitting the lander in LKO (somebody decided to make a trip to Moho... that will be the eighth landing for this lander) and I have a ton of footage to process...

Alchemist, those videos were pretty cool, especially with the Vall landings on the top of the "Stonehenge"! And this reusable lander sounds good too! I'm looking forward to your JOOL-5 mission summary!

[Alchemist]

Alchemist, those videos were pretty cool, especially with the Vall landings on the top of the "Stonehenge"! And this reusable lander sounds good too! I'm looking forward to your JOOL-5 mission summary!

The lander is based on Moho lander design, so it's quite good for anything that's not Kerbin-sized (therefore it needed additional equipment for Laythe and Tylo). While its mass is similar to chemical-powered landers of similar capabilities, multiple landings with refueling make that notably more efficient, besides the lander works as the propulsion module for interplanetary transfers.

And here's the fourth landing:

[James_Eh]

You time warping?

No, the thing would instantly blow to bits. Made for long long burns. (Hence MJ.) However I calmed down and disabled a bunch of the ASAS wheels and that seemed to do the trick. Still a mystery to me though - I had the whole ship fail a couple of times where competing ASAS torque literally ripped it in half, and I can understand that. But these failures happened when the pitch, yaw, and roll sliders seemed perfectly steady. Anyway, I got the monster to Jool.

[James_Eh]

I hate the Jool-5 challenge. Just watched my Laythe lander "walk" a few dozen steps and then explode. I continued the mission, acknowledged as a failure, to Tylo for lander testing purposes. Slammed into Tylo at >200 m/s.

Meanwhile, the BPV lander that I had to temporarily leave back at Laythe seems to be clipping the atmosphere and will undoubtedly careen into the moon before I can get back there.

I hate the Jool-5 challenge.

I hate that I am supposed to have an Easter dinner for 12 ready on Sunday afternoon and instead will be playing KSP.

[immelman]

Depending on what you want to cook. The great thing about a big turkey is that you have a lot of KSP time while the bird is roasting...

[James_Eh]

OK, this is it. Here is my entry for this challenge. The KSP can not afford any more testing.

1033 Tonnes as we left KLO. 370 parts. It's a bloody good thing that it's cold outside today because my computer's fan is pumping out more heat than the furnace does. I call it DAISY-B. (Do As I Say You B-)

Am currently doing the usual series of 60 m/s burns at peri to achieve escape velocity.

20 orange tanks. This is by far a personal record. The mission plan:

- direct Laythe aerobrake

- detach Laythe lander, go to beach, swim, rejoin Daisy

- detach BVP lander while still at Laythe (this is a new plan) and fly it to Vall (previous plans involved sending the mother ship back from Tylo to get it)

- pump any remaining fuel from Laythe lander into Daisy

- reconfig - leave Laythe return vessel behind. Tylo lander goes to the center of thrust.

- Daisy heads to Tylo with Tylo lander.

- detach, land, have party, return

- reconfig - all crew into HH capsule, leave Tylo vessel behind

- head back to Vall to meet the VBP lander

- use BVP lander with resources from Daisy to do Vall Bop Pol

2 Kerbals on each landing. Only the Big 3 (2 at each) will land on Laythe and Tylo. At each of the smaller moons, one of the Big 3 will accompany a trainee.

http://i.imgur.com/Mo6CBr2.jpg

Edited April 19, 2014 by James_Eh

[James_Eh]

Depending on what you want to cook. The great thing about a big turkey is that you have a lot of KSP time while the bird is roasting...

Yah you'd think that argument might hold some weight. I sure did. But apparently one has to do some hosting stuff and not just "drive rockets". (Emphatically conveyed to me. I did NOT "drive rockets" yesterday.)

[SSSPutnik]

Tell her a rocket is launched or piloted, not driven.

The only exception is when a rocket is driven into the lithosphere.

[Alymon]

So I'm thinking Jool might be might next target since I've never been there, and I've now sent probes to Moho, Eve & Dres and manned missions to Duna.

I'm also thinking that I should just go for broke and try this challenge on my first attempt instead of my usual send a probe cautious approach.

Just so I'm clear, the ship can be constructed in orbit, correct? I could launch multiple stages and dock them together as long as the final ship leaves Kerbin's SOI as one piece?

[SSSPutnik]

That's correct. See rules on Page 1. There are a few different mission types, but all have just one main craft departing Kerbin. Refueling allowed on some of them.

[Himynameisjake]

Damn Tylo... Even after full tests on Kerbin it's almost impossible to land normally. I just can't pilot a lander against such gravity. Only Jeb is crazy enough for that.

It took 2 reloads to land without breaking and get out with what fuel left...

Good side - at lest now my ship is reduced to sane size

So, I feel really stupid now, I'm still finishing up my challenge, but I got lazy in the design process and basically repurposed my Eve lander without parachutes to land on Tylo, I figured, hey, 10K delta v, what could go wrong...

[Ziv]

Himynameisjake wants to do a Grand Tour without refueling...

[Himynameisjake]

Himynameisjake wants to do a Grand Tour without refueling...

You forgot, Jebidiah level Jool-5 challenge at the same time

Only Eeloo and return left...cutting it close though.

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

I'm thinking I'm going to have a go at this - currently trying to do Eeloo in my current Career mode, which will leave Jool and her moons and Moho... so it's logical to be doing the Jool 5 Challenge next

then on to Moho... might try the challenge for that too, but the Delta-V is even more than Eeloo >.<

[Himynameisjake]

Done, will post more later, but here's a teaser.