My Biggest Failure

[deltalambdamu]

So I took a very long break from KSP and decided to start a new mission today. It was simple; send three Kerbals to the Mun and bring them back. I built the largest inefficient rocket and named it FRED (********** Ridiculous Environmental Disaster) after the real life Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.

I made it to the Mun with little to no fuel left on landing. I throttled a bit too much and sent the lander upwards. It ran out of fuel just as I did too, so all I could do was try not to let the thing flip as it skidded across the terrain. I didn't succeed. Upon it landing on it's side, the capsule got ejected from the base. Everything I needed to do well was on the, now labeled, debris.

The capsule has two retractable solar panels and four parachutes. Meanwhile, the 'debris' has all of my RCS fuel, two of two batteries, and two thermal generators. And all of it was kept unexploded on impact.

Now I get to launch a rescue mission. On top of sending an empty three man capsule, I probably will come nowhere close to the crash site. I did not have a choice of where to land my first one. My ineficient rocket was put on course to literally crash into the Mun. I landed crashed on a hill inside a crater. So not only do I not know how far off the site I will land my rescue ship, I don't know if I need to build a rover for the Kerbals to ride to and from.

[Scotius]

Well, now you have motivation to build large, efficient rocket. Figure out how to land reasonably close to crashed craft. And finally either walk/run all the way to the rescue craft (three times ), or fly your Kerbals to safety using their jetpacks. Don't get disheartened though - rescue missions can be more fun than regular flights

[Poryy]

Why u no asparagus?

[deltalambdamu]

Here're images of it.

Pod+Wreckage

Wreckage

The Ship

The rocket's third stage is actually quiet good. I had to start firing it halfway into the ejection burn. And it got me to the Mun. If I made the first two stages more efficient, and hadn't crashed, I could have made a return trip easily. I might've even had a small amount of fuel left.

What I might do is, after making it more efficient, add a remote guidance unit to it. Send it as a probe and transfer the Kerbalnauts. Then it's as simple as making the return trip. But in the end, I can say this didn't turn into a complete failure. I planned on having them spend a night on the Mun. I mean, I technically have no choice but to perform the mission now, right? And, after all, the mission was an overnight stay on the Mun.

[deltalambdamu]

How would you guys send a three man pod to the Mun and back? I added SRB's to FRED, but ran out of fuel before coming close to touchdown. Probably because I actually had to go into an orbit around it this time. I then tried asparagus staging, but ran out of patience and went through all stages shortly after starting the test. It probably would've worked too.

So how would you build a rescue ship? It has to launch unmanned. It must carry enough fuel to perform an inclination change should one be needed. And it needs to have a three man pod so I can rescue everyone on one mission.

[Poryy]

How would you guys send a three man pod to the Mun and back? I added SRB's to FRED, but ran out of fuel before coming close to touchdown. Probably because I actually had to go into an orbit around it this time. I then tried asparagus staging, but ran out of patience and went through all stages shortly after starting the test. It probably would've worked too.

So how would you build a rescue ship? It has to launch unmanned. It must carry enough fuel to perform an inclination change should one be needed. And it needs to have a three man pod so I can rescue everyone on one mission.

Screw 3 man pods. Add 3 command seats, like my Orpheus rescuers.