How to build CSM/LM rocket

[Pawelk198604]

I once do this but this was long time ago:-)

I gathered lot's of tech thanks to probes, i wanted to make my first mun land (well no the first time, i did this many times) with style. I want to do this like Apollo Program using three kerbals capsule and Mun lander, i just unlocked the small lander for one kerbal, i tried to make it like Apollo Progran, lander beneath CSM but my rocket was breaking:(

I think i try mun landing via Direct Ascent of Mk1-2 pod but i think it's little cheating.

that's my tech tree

Edited April 9, 2014 by Pawelk198604

[capi3101]

Well, it's a little outdated at this point, but... http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Tutorial:_Apollo_11

An update of that tutorial might not be totally amiss. The tricky bit of course is the booster; the payload (CSM/LM) oughta be roughly the same as it's been in versions past, maybe with the addition of a solar panel or two.

Now that I've suggested that, lemme go through your tech tree to see if you've unlocked all the parts...

[capi3101]

Looks like you've got everything you'd need to build the Apollo 11 CSM/LM payload except for the Mk2 Lander Can, which you get with Large Control.

Here's what I'll suggest - instead of a Mk2 Lander Can for now, try putting a Rockomax Brand Adapter on the top of your lander, to which you can attach a pair of Modular Girder Adapters, on the ends of which you can add Mk1 Lander Cans. It'll look ugly as hell and you'll need to be sure to strut the girder, but it should work and even be somewhat lighter than the Mk2 Can. In place of the Apollo tutorial's Stack Seperator, you should be able to add a TR-18A; you'll just need to decouple it from the LM docking port when the time comes.

Assuming you throw on a suite of science instruments onto the lander for good measure, you're only looking at a craft with a payload mass of about 35 tonnes. Seven mainsails would get it into orbit single-stage; a stack of six X200-32s per engine should do the trick.

Big problem will be keeping the structure stable, something that can easily be done with sufficient strutting.

Edited April 9, 2014 by capi3101

[EtherDragon]

When you have the CSM and LM it's really hard to pull off a decent Apollo style rocket because the middle ends up being skinny with respect to the full command module on top. One of the hard parts is making separate a Munar descent and ascent stages - and having them be stable in the middle of the stack.

Instead - put the Lander on top, and the CM in the middle - and set up your staging so that your CSM main engine is ready to go after the transfer stage decouples.

[Pawelk198604]

I think i try to look something on SpacePort i'm rather lousy engineer, i only good with interplanetary probes and small rocket, i think i try to make direct ascent 3 kerbal capsule.

[Dkmdlb]

One of the hard parts is making separate a Munar descent and ascent stages - and having them be stable in the middle of the stack.

Just strut the joint.

[EtherDragon]

Just strut the joint.

That works to an extent, but there are limits to how helpful space-tape can be.

Note, I did make quite a nice full Apollo-11-like mission with all the new ARM parts. I'll have to make a video highlighting it.

[Kurtvw]

Here is how I did it.... this used KW, B9, Ferram, deadly re-entry, nova punch... perhaps a couple others... The intent was to function like Apollo without actually trying to duplicate the Saturn V... Hope it gives you some ideas.

[Rakaydos]

This is my saturn 5 using the Stock Rebalance project. Lander is a poodle and landercan with legs, the service has RCS and a skipper, and the command has a Claw to grab the LEM.

[TheD007]

i would first try a three man capsule attached with a single man lander just to see how its holds together. if it is stable attach a second one man lander can to the lander and everything should hold together. i agree with everyone else though, place struts to transfer stress around the lander to the CM above it (i would use 4-fold symmetry).

Edit:

instead of going to the space port for 3-man direct ascent try a one man one first on you own. with some of ksp's differences from reality it is sometimes simpler and smaller to do direct ascent one man than the CSM/LM system.

Edited April 10, 2014 by TheD007

[Pawelk198604]

It would be really cool if dev give us interstage i mean special structural stage when we can store lunar lander, like in in real Apollo Program, so we don have to use struts, managed to put strut lander to first stage but it look very ugly:( and i managed to fly to 1000 i reverted flight because it was going into wrong direction, but i afraid that after i separate first stage the rocket will lose stability.