Planetary Landing Missions

[bowfonz]

I searched around and couldn't really find a decent answer so excuse me if this has been asked before.

I want to start doing some manned landing missions on other planets and moons besides the ones that can be done in a single mission such as Mun, Minmus, Duna and Ike.

My question is, what method is recommended?

I tried building a refueling station in Kerbin's orbit to place into orbit around another planet but found that it took almost all the fuel to get the thing to the other planet and I would've ended up with a empty refueling station.

That's if I could've even established an orbit seeing as how it took no less than half a dozen burns to escape Kerbin.

I tried different combinations of long orange 3.75 tanks from KW Rocketry. I tried pulling it with 4 LV-N Atomic Rocket Motors, gave up before I could escape Kerbin after about 10 burns. I tried pulling it with 8 Toroidal Aerospike Rockets, ran out of fuel at the point of getting an encounter with Moho.

What am I missing?

Edited February 10, 2014 by bowfonz

[maccollo]

It really only depends on what you want.

If you want to do fuel stations do fuel stations. If you want single launch missions do that.

Here's an example of going to Eeloo and back in a single launch. So as you can see it doesn't take that much. Depening on your skill however you throw an extra stage on there to give yourself some wiggle room.

You can land a full 3 kerbal crew on all planets and moons and return them in a single launch without to much difficulty, with two exceptions: Tylo and Eve. Tylo is still very much doable, but harder than the others. Eve is nearly impossible.

[Taki117]

Might I suggest building in orbit? Depending on your tech level you can use Sr. docking ports for a much more stable connection, and you can carry much more dV with you (And have a separate lander) for getting there. I'm currently working on a Jool Almost Grand Tour. (Won't be landing on Tylo or Laythe) with a ship assembled in orbit.

[maccollo]

BTW, Moho is only a little bit further than Eeloo, but it's less forgiving about the way you get there.

Going to Moho in a transfer trajectory that isn't optimal can result in huge delta V penalties, but you do like this you get the optimal insertion every time:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/61478-Oh-bugger-Injection-burn-at-Moho?p=835667#post835667

[m4rt14n]

Asparagus staging of 6 skipper orange tanks surrounding 1 mainsail orange tanks with 1-2 boosters on each 6 tanks should get a payload of an orange tank with one Nerva into orbit. You need to get your launch vehicle in order before trying to build anything in space.

[bowfonz]

You can land a full 3 kerbal crew on all planets and moons and return them in a single launch without to much difficulty, with two exceptions: Tylo and Eve.

I suppose I just assumed that missions to the other planets were more involved than what I'd already been doing.

I'll take a look at redesigning my lander and lifter to streamline everything a bit and see about trying Eeloo first.

I tend to use a lot of DeltaV in my missions for some reason. I think because I like to match inclinations, circularize orbits, etc.

For example, when I did Ike, I got back to Kerbin on fumes and I started with over 11000 DeltaV. Does that sound right or am I using more DeltaV than I should?

[bowfonz]

Taki117 and m4rt14n:

I don't think you guys completely read my post. I'm already building stations in orbit and have no issues getting off Kerbin with any payload.

[m4rt14n]

Okay sorry about that.. Maybe try slingshotting of Eve?

[Taki117]

Taki117 and m4rt14n:

I don't think you guys completely read my post. I'm already building stations in orbit and have no issues getting off Kerbin with any payload.

Ah, ok. If it's taking more than a couple of burns to escape Kerins SoI what's your TWR? It sounds like you may need to use more Nerva's (KSPX has a 2.5m Nerva I have found useful) Try clustering engines instead of using one engine per tank.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Taki117

[Kasuha]

My question is, what method is recommended?

Probably easiest to implement is "Apollo style", i.e. you come with a "mothership" that brings a lander optimized for that particular place along. You leave the mothership in orbit, land with the lander, do whatever you want to do in the place and return to orbit with what remains of the lander after staging off all descent and ascent stages. Then you transfer the crew and/or science to the mothership, leave the lander remnant in orbit (or deorbit it) and return to Kerbin using fuel reserve left in the mothership.

Apart of that, there's not much that can't be done in single launch if your PC can handle the ship. I did a trip to Eve (surface), back to Kerbin, back to Eve, and back to Kerbin in single launch recently. But I enjoyed flying my modular ship constructed in orbit more.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Kasuha