[Kethane scenario] Rescue Mission for Jebediah from the Eve Kethane Base

[Ziv]

After the discovery of Kethane, Kerbals had new ideas about building and maintaining bases all over the system. The first bigger outpost was built on Eve and maintained by Jebediah. They knew it's the hardest body to get back from so they wanted to use Kethane as the propellant for the Return Vehicle.

They built the mining base and Jebediah was working hard. In his free time he was wandering around with the rover. At the end of the mission he wanted to get off from the surface with the Kethane Jet driven rocket but it was not enough to get back to orbit. He get stranded on Eve!

The Kerbal Space Program engineers started to plan a rescue mission...

About The Challenge

This challenge is about building a Rescue Ship and bringing back Jebediah from Eve to Kerbin, using the Kethane mod. There is a Rover (brakes on) and a weak Kethane Jet Rocket on the base, and a fully filled fuel station in orbit around Eve, you can use them if you want.

Only one rule: you have to use Kethane Jets in your Rescue Vehicle (beside normal rocket engines).

I was thinking about a point system for one launch, rescue Kerbals from Kerbin, how close you land to Jebediah, not using the fuel station, etc. but I realized that this is already a very hard challenge so everybody is a winner who can achieve it and bring back Jebediah alive.

You may use MechJeb or parts like NovaPunch, KAS or other similar mods if they don't give you too much advantage. The goal is to have fun during planning and doing one of the hardest mission. And rescue Jebediah.

The save file was generated with KSP 0.22 and with the Kethane mod so you need to install that one. But you can load the save file if you have other mods installed too.

DOWNLOAD THE KETHANE MOD HERE

(unzip and copy the Kethane directory into your KSP/GameData)

DOWNLOAD THE SAVE FILE HERE

(unzip into your KSP/saves directory)

How Kethane works:

- when drilling or using with the Kethane Jet engine it's like RCS so you can place the Kethane fuel tank, the Kethane Jet engine and the Drill anywhere on the ship.

- when converting to liquid fuel/oxidizer then it works like a reversed engine: it fills the fuel tanks which would drive an engine in the converter's place.

- if you want to exchange fuel between tanks on other stages which are not connected to the converter then you can exchange fuel between them by ALT+right click on the tanks and then in/out.

Successful Rescue Mission Commanders:

- chlue

-

-

Edited December 17, 2013 by Ziv

[Ziv]

I see there's not too much contender yet.

I have made this mission by one launch, without refueling (not even at Eve), pointed the whole ship at the Mining Base on a very steep curve (so it's easier to land close), and came back without docking back to any kind of ship or engines. I used only the last stage of the Rescue Vehicle for returning to Kerbin. Yes, this is definitely possible!

I used MechJeb (for informations and maneuver planning only), NovaPunch and KAS beside the Kethane mod.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Ziv

[Commissioner Tadpole]

Heh, my computer would fry itself if it tried to run that save, it struggles when it tries to render 3 or more crafts.

[Tyrador]

Hello Ziv,

That's an interesting challenge you've got here! I'm not sure what are the rules though, should I use only the existing ships? Or can i build my own? If this is the case, than challenge is not that hard?

[Ziv]

Heh, my computer would fry itself if it tried to run that save, it struggles when it tries to render 3 or more crafts.

Did you try to load it or you just say? Because I designed the base by trying to keep the parts count down...

My computer doesn't have any problem with the base. And by the way you will "use" the base only when you save out Jebediah...

I checked the part counts for the Base:

- Main Mining Tower: 56 parts

- Main Living Building: 31 parts

- Rover: 19 parts

- Weak Rescue Rocket: 17 parts

- Science Unit: 14 parts

- Small Mining Towers: 3 x 11 parts

---------------------------------

ALL TOGETHER: 170 parts

Maybe that's not so much...!

Edited December 9, 2013 by Ziv

[Ziv]

Hello Ziv,

That's an interesting challenge you've got here! I'm not sure what are the rules though, should I use only the existing ships? Or can i build my own? If this is the case, than challenge is not that hard?

Hi Tyrador,

Thank you for the feedback, I'm going to clarify the challenge more! You have to build your own Rescue Ship. The ship on the base is just a weak Kethane "jet-rocket", maybe for trying the Kethane engine on the spot... or bringing Jebediah to the rescue ship with that. It's up to you.

If it's hard or not that depends on one's experiences. But returning from Eve is never easy!

Edited December 9, 2013 by Ziv

[Ziv]

Still nobody? Too hard mission?

Let me give you some hints:

- One Kethane tank and lot of Kethane Jets... you will be okay up to 35km with that! Most of thickest atmosphere and you will have some initial speed. But I suggest to keep ascending straight up until about 50km...

- Command Seats can be used too

- Automated vehicle is okay too, you don't have to send Kerbals

- Be sure you have a proper ladder from the surface to the can/seat!

Edited December 13, 2013 by Ziv

[chlue]

Ok this turned out to be quiet frustrating given that so far I never had tried to launch from eve, used the kethane engines and tried pin point landings on eve,... but at least I know better now

I had no idea what I really need, so I used an orbital spacedock with the OrbitalConstruction-Re-Redux-r1.1 mod. Turned out this was the correct way, because my first launcher didn't have enough trust to launch on kethane engines and additionally got stuck in the ground. So I was able to recover without the need to start over.

So basic mission concept:

1. bring 22000 rocket parts into low eve orbit (147t craft in kerbal orbit)

2. use the spacedock to build a kethane fuel converter

3. bring the kethane fuel converter down

4. use the spacedock to build a rescue vessel

5. bring the rescue vessel down

6. refuel the rescue vessel

7. optional: swear a lot that the vessel is not up to the task, ditch it and repeat step 4 to 6 (luckily there were enough rocketparts left)

8. finally get Jebediah into eve orbit

9. optional: show him the rescue vessel

10 fly him back to kerbal and present him the mission bill to finally wipe the smile out of his face

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[Ziv]

chlue: Congratulations, you successfully done the hardest thing in KSP: leaving Eve surface! Also congratulation for the pinpoint landing! And I'm impressed with the complex refueling solution at the Base, too! I know this is a very hard mission but I love to give (myself) hard stuff and be happy when I finally can do it!

Thank you for participating and I hope you enjoyed it - at least a little!

(By the way I have to tell you that there are much more easier and more simple solutions too for this mission. )

Oh, and I hope you wiped out Jebediah's smile with the bill for the Rescue Mission!

Edited December 17, 2013 by Ziv