But I thought you packed the drill??!!!!

[Runkrod]

So there I was... Eight days of effort for an Eve return mission. Maiden voyage of the Venture Star class ship. Command Module/Lander section with a propulsion unit that it rendezvous with in orbit for interplanetary travel. Main mission: after two days at designing an appropriate (i.e. something with some umph to it) propulsion unit, the voyage kicks off to Eve. (FYI, no mechjeb. All manual). Upon successful arrival at Eve, we select a nice spot with a good kethane deposit and the landing is beautifully on target. Drills started, and tanks are refilled. HOWEVER, the little lander engines don't have enough power to take back off from Eve. So we've got a stranded ship. Smarter man would just abort the mission and try again, yes? But NOoooo, thats no fun. We've already done a Mun rescue mission, how hard could an Eve rescue be?

So to the drawing board! <insert music>. So three days of designing a new lander with some arse to it. Multiple test flights on Kerbin to validate the engines and tanks. Same plan as before. Precision landing next to the Venture Star, drill for kethane, tank up and take everyone home. So another 3 days futzing with a propulsion unit (the Venture Star unit was too small for this new robust Rescue Star). But finally, we have a go. Beautiful launch, perfect planetary insertion. And down, down, down to Eve we gently come. Landing within 4 km of the Venture Star! Beautiful!!!! Hurrah!! Ok, Bill, break out the Kethane drills and lets tank up! Bill? Bill??!!! What do you mean you forgot to put the Kethane drills on this ship???!!!!! AAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Captain Sierra]

So wait. Are you mining kethane on Eve or Gilly? It makes a huge difference.

[Soda Popinski]

Can you dock, or are you using KAS? You could transfer fuel over.

[MajorThomas]

This is a D'Oh!! moment.

[Runkrod]

This is campaign and I don't have KAS.. No way to put gas in the landers on the surface. My only two solutions are to either sacrifice and abort all or sulk a couple of days and then design/launch another rescue mission. Let the sulking begin.

Can you dock, or are you using KAS? You could transfer fuel over.