The Ultra Science Rover Vehicle (USRV) Mk4 *updated again*

[Assault Bunny]

UPDATE: I've made several improvements to the vehicle overall, such as connecting the middle engine to the fuel supply (oops), improved the parachute landing system so it not only doesn't tear itself apart, but lands without exploding (note, that's what the rear landing struts are for, though they and the front wheels will still need manual repair), and improved overall stability and balance slightly.

MOAR UPDATE! Found the right mod finally (I have terrible google-fu) and now the docking port is the root part! Link below, new pics on page 2

YET MOAR UPDATE! Reworked the rover to require much less science to unlock. New pic and link on page 2.

MUCH UPDATE! SUCH REVISION! Updated to Mk4. See here.

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After discovering there are many more biomes on Minmus than I thought, I started work on a rover that could travel around and collect all the delicious science. At first I thought it would be something that does many return trips to an MPL science module, docking and refreshing the experiments, but then I thought, what if I made the MPL PART of the rover?

And from underneath,

The idea is it would attach to the side (or even the top) of a rocket via the docking port, get shuttled out somewhere, then land and drive around, sucking up all the science available without the need for return trips. Then when it's done, fly up into orbit and redock with whatever brought it there, and fly home to Kerbin. All science gear is attached (times 2!), and can be removed as needed if relevant techs aren't discovered yet. Given the massive rover wheels though it will take some focused research to unlock the base vehicle anyway. The plan was to test it on Minmus, but that involves building a craft to get it there (or hack stuff to teleport it, but I don't know how), and I need sleep. So, feel free to have a fiddle with my latest abomination

The USRV Mk1

The USRV Mk2

The USRV Mk2a (docking port as main part, now works in sub-assembler)

The USRV Mk3 (latest low science variant, docking port as main part)

Edited June 26, 2014 by Assault Bunny

[Ravenchant]

Oh, my. This is...quite the monster. Looks good! Should be stable on Minmus, too

[7499275]

Looks amazing but a few questions, how do you launch that beast? What is its total mass?

[Assault Bunny]

Don't know, and don't know My data mods are out of date, so you'd have to manually add up part mass.

As for launching it, two idea come to mind. Slap it on top of a rocket (not very elegant), or launch two of them at once on either side of a rocket. I'll give it a shot after I've had breakfast, though I was hoping someone would have done some testing to see if it can get itself into orbit from any given moon. If not, I'm going to have to work out some other re-launch system.

[RSwordsman]

That thing looks awesome both in appearance and practicality. As of late I haven't even successfully launched an orange tank equivalent into orbit in my career mode, so you'll have to look outside of me for heavy lifting :S. But be sure to put up pics once you do it!

[Monty_Droppings]

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/hyperedit/

That is how you would "hack it" to the surface.

But testing it is way more fun!

[Assault Bunny]

Okay, new problem. According to KSP at least, I've built it totally wrong. For it to attach to anything (and not the other way around) and work at ALL with the subassembly system, I need to rebuild the ENTIRE thing and have the docking port as the primary part. So frustrating...

[Assault Bunny]

Nope, that doesn't work either, because I can't attach the SIDE of the science pod to anything, only the ends. Therefore the dual rover launch system is dead already, leaving me with the ugly "rover mounted on top of a rocket" design. Sigh.

[Assault Bunny]

Now it's just doing weird SPH/VAB crap on me, like struts going in strange direction and mirroring in stupid nonsensical ways, and the SAS doesn't seem to want to engage properly so it keeps going off in random directions during launch. If only I were Scott Manley...

[Yalin Hawk]

Download the "Select Root" mod. You can use it to set the docking port to the root part, and hence use the subassembly correctly.

[Assault Bunny]

Link please?

[Assault Bunny]

Refined the design into the Mk2, link in first post. Still need the link to that tool to change the docking port into the primary part, or for someone to do it for me and link the altered file back. I could also use an updated version of flight engineer or mechjeb for info purposes.

[Assault Bunny]

So, finally got things sorted out a bit, and now I can show off the Mk2a

Shifted as much weight forward as I could, strutted the wheels to the main body a bit more to prevent wheelbarrowing, and re-arranged the science gear a little.

Also added many more parachutes, and a drogue. Looks a bit ugly sitting there, but it's better than the whole thing tearing itself apart.

Found out the fuel wasn't getting to the middle engine at all, so I set up a little relay system. I think it looks pretty good The thrust profile is pretty much perfect, I think, though it probably won't handle too well in atmo.

The landing struts are actually for landing! They need to be down otherwise the back end still slams into Kerbin hard enough to snap off the entire rear section. During testing the craft landed safely, though the landing struts and front wheels were damaged, but they can both be manually repaired. Also the landing wheel helps keep the back end from sinking too much during normal rover operation, as the craft is still a bit back heavy.

View of underneath from the front Note the short range floodlights for docking purposes.

And finally a good side shot to show the ladder system. It stops a little before the ground, so on Kerbin you have to grab it at the top of a jump, but I feel that's better than it sticking into the ground.

So, action groups!

1: Toggle solar panels

2: Toggle ladders

3: Collect all science from left devices (or right, can't remember which), including a crew report

4: Collect all science from other side, including crew report.

5-9: Unassigned

0: Toggle NERVAs (behaves weird if you have two USRVs strapped to a rocket. Likes to leave one out of the six un-toggled)

Still need to work out a proper launch vehicle. Seems 3 NERVAs on the launch vehicle isn't enough thrust to circularise.

[Assault Bunny]

Anyone able to make a non-mainsail launcher for this?

[Dodgey]

Looks good. What do you mean not enough thrust? If it's a delta V issue perhaps you could add some drop pods just for that little bit extra fuel. If it's a pure thrust to weight issue you could add dropable engines just for that extra kick to orbit.

[Blue]

I myself have also been building and testing a large mobile science lab vehicle, one of which I will be landing on Tylo.

Having a robust frame that can take driving stresses was one of the main design challenges.

Left to right, MILLE Mk. I, II, III, IV.

This is the Mk. IV. It has yet to be sent anywhere in the Kerbol system, but it is almost the same design as the Mk. III, which has been tested on the Mun, Eve, and driven on Kerbin mountain slopes as steep as 33%.

It can also get going pretty fast on munar slopes.

It requires seperate attachments for parachute or powered surface descents, but is much easier to drive than carrying such propulsion systems along, once arrived.

Edited December 29, 2013 by Blue

[Assault Bunny]

Here's the career mode launcher I've been using:

And here's it's final stage. By this point it's Ap is into space.

But, these three nukes don't have enough TWR, even in space, to push two of those rovers and circularise. I suppose I could just launch one sitting on top of the rocket by it's docking port, but it looks kinda silly like that...

Here's the launch vehicle

[Assault Bunny]

So, moar updates. After realising with a heavy heart that my science rover would require almost the entire tech tree researched before it could even be built (side note, I hope it gets expanded in the future), I set about making it as low tech as possible. The science equipment needed to stay, cause science rover, as did the giant wheels, because they look better and the lower tech ones aren't/shouldn't be up to the job. After a lot of re-arranging, I ended up with the USRV Mk3.

From a clean start, you need 4498 science to unlock all the parts needed for this, which again is still a major chunk of the tech tree, though a few thousand less then before. Keep in mind this doesn't include the launch vehicle, but the one I posted above would be build-able with the parts unlocked on the way to the rover.

Here's the link to the USRV Mk3.

[sal_vager]

Very brutal, that science won't know what hit it

[Assault Bunny]

New update!

After a trip to the Mun to soak up some science, I noticed that my design didn't have enough solar panels to sustain operation as just a rover, let alone processing and transmitting science. So I made a few more modifications, and have come up with the USRV Mk4:

I've added several more solar panels, batteries, and moves the rear wheels back further to increase stability. It's now much less inclined to try and back-flip and break off the engines, and is able to process and transmit a full load of science without zeroing out it's power. Caution is still advised on night sides of moons, as it has no RTGs (hadn't unlocked them). I also took out the atmospheric sensors. On any place it's likely to use them, it wouldn't be coming back.

I've included a launcher for convenience.

It's enough to get it into a barely sub-orbital trajectory before the last stage, which can easily get it to Minmus orbit. After that it's mostly spent, but once detached from the rover it should have enough left to either crash into Minmus/the Mun, or possibly even return to Kerbin if you've done it well.

A few notes:

• The included launcher features caps on the USRV's engines, with attached wings. This was a rather silly solution to fix the instability during launch, which happened to work. Be mindful of when you detach them! (staged after the launcher nukes)
  
• Even though it's so heavy, it can still be hard to get traction on the Mun/Minmus, especially going uphill. I recommend either using the RCS thrusters to push you forward, or the engines at very low power.
  
• Turning too hard at speed can make it roll. If you're lucky it will send you flying first, so slam on the SAS and get it level before you land again (happened to me twice!)
  
• I added four more downward facing RCS ports, in the hopes of giving it enough oompf to make it hover enough to get "just above" biome science, but this is untested. May need more.
  

Action groups:

1: Solar panels.

2: Ladders.

3: One set of science, including crew report.

4: The other set of science.

5: Rear center wheel (helps with stability during rover operation)

0: Toggle engines.

USRV Mk4 (with launcher)

USRV Mk4 (without launcher)

[TrooperCooper]

The link you were looking for, in case you need it in the future.

[Assault Bunny]

No need, found it a while ago VERY handy for sub-assemblies