2013/14 Duna Exploration Proposal, “Vulpes M-1�

[sharpspoonful]

2013/14 Duna Exploration Proposal, “Vulpes M-1â€Â

“A posse ad esseâ€Â

Intent- To plan, engineer, and launch a long-term Duna research base and support equipment for an undetermined amount of time. This will include regular crew rotations, resupply missions, and to bring back any valuable raw material and research.

Execution- There will be four phases, with the last two phases being launched simultaneously to take advantage of the transfer window of Duna on day 116;

Phase I

Planning, engineering, and testing the rover/probes, a weather station and storehouse, and reengineering the existing laboratory module schematics for atmospheric entry and the corresponding lift and propulsion packages.

Phase II

Launching a rover with orbit-based mapping probes for scanning and mapping Duna’s surface for feasible landing sites, for kethane. This will also allow our mission planners to land the rover in the vicinity a projected site for geological, atmospheric and radiological measurement.

Phase III/IV

Launching habitation modules and a crew of 12 into LKO and burn into a Duna capture during the transfer window. Optimally, the crew should descend to a BIVOUAC site separate of the habitation module and it’s intended landing site. In the case of crew lander loss, failure and/ or malfunction, it would be acceptable to transfer to the habitation module. It is, however, not recommended.

All primary equipment (I.E. primary and secondary life support systems and primary research systems) will be launched once the habitation modules are in a stable parking orbit around Kerbin, and will utilize the same transfer window.

NOTES: Construction will be accomplished by utilizing several contractors to include: KW Rocketry Industries, FusTek Industries, Lack Luster Labs, AIES Aerospace, B9 Aerospace Ind., KAS Systems, and COTS-based (Commercial Over the Shelf) kethane scanning and storage equipment. KSA (Kerbin Space Agency) will also be using internal engineers, mission planners, and test pilots. Over the course of the next month (real time), KSA will present images (via Imgur) and documentation (.cfg files) for recording purposes, and to be inspected and tested by other agencies at their own discretion.

To save on labor costs and time, KSA will attempt to reuse older Minmus-based designs for the laboratory modules and adapt them to withstand re-entry effects and landing in an atmospheric body. If this becomes unfeasible, or does not pass the testing phases, KSA will have to draft and propose a new design to meet specifications, preferably using the aforementioned contractors.

At this time, KSA has not planned to visit Ike, but it may become the subject of interest at a later date.

I will address any questions at this time regarding this mission proposal.

EDIT @ 2:36am, 17JAN2014:

Stress testing has shown that the LLL modules did not stand up to the tests done in Kerbin's atmosphere and will not be used in the Vuples missions. New modules are being drafted, and will be improvements on the "Clover" module, moving to 4 radial modules rather than three.

(My first save was corrupted and will be restarted on the 20th around 5am PST.)

Edited January 17, 2014 by sharpspoonful
Mission update

[sharpspoonful]

KSA, partnered with representatives from FusTek, unveiled the proposed Duna habitation and landing equipment.

The habitation module, knick-named by the construction team "The Clover", has room for 12 crew members and has both short and long wave transceiver systems. The FusTek system was originally meant for space station modules, where cosmic radiation levels are higher than what is to be expected on Duna's surface. KSA was able to repurpose them, and currently believe that this system will provide ample shielding for its crew on Duna's harsh landscape.

Schematics for this module is here.

Edited December 22, 2013 by sharpspoonful
Grammar and formatting.

[Cashen]

Nice. Looks like I'm not the only one roleplaying the parts mods as contractors.

[sharpspoonful]

Thanks! I figured it would make more sense, and falls in line with what most space agencies are already doing.

[sharpspoonful]

Thanks to help from AIES Aerospace, and von Kerman and his team of engineers and scientist, we here at KSA would like to present the Vuples SCs Mk II.

This dual probe and rover combination will allow for integrated scanning and mapping of Duna's surface, and will provide a valuable lightweight rover to the Vulpes team once they are on Duna.

Here is a photo that was taken prior to launch showing the size of the full lift package.

Here's a cutaway view inside the fairings; The top probe being an altimeter and SAR package. The second probe being a Biome and Kethane scanner, and the rover carrying other various sensors.

[sharpspoonful]

Sorry to anyone that was tuning in, but due to save corruption the original Vulpes mission had to be scrapped, and all vessels were lost. I'll be starting again with the same mission structure and will be attempting to rebuild all craft as close to the originals as possible. There will be semi-daily updates as my often as my schedule will allow, starting on the 20th at 5:00am PST. I will be remaking craft and attempting to get to the same point in the mission until then. Stay tuned and have fun, fellow kerbonauts!

Edited January 17, 2014 by sharpspoonful