Duna in 2 launches: Career Mode

[Sillychris]

The challenge is simple. Start a new career mode and do a Duna return trip in as few launches as possible.

For the first launch, I recommend a Minnmus return trip. I was able to knock off 520 science in one launch with no tech unlocked (overheat boosters to detach them).

With my 520 science, I could unlock enough tech to do a return trip to Duna. Aggressive asparagus staging, aggressive gravity maneuvers, and aggressive aerobraking are all critical to the success of my design. I entered Duna's atmospher at 15000 m for control over my landing zone and aimed for the nice flat strip of maria around the equator.

So here's how the scoring works:

Your initial score is how many science points you have from your Duna mission. I didn't pack any instruments so my score is only 300.

Your initial score is then divided by how many launches it takes you to get home from Duna, minus 1, all squared: ie, my score is divided by 1 since it took me 2 launches giving a final score of 300.

Score=(Duna Science)/((Launches-1)^2)

No mods other than mechjeb.

Please indicate whether you used mechjeb.

Please provide some form of photographic evidence of your claims.

Use parts clipping with sensibility. No other debug menu use.

Leader Board:

1)Jasonden 741oo

2) Fragbasic: 75oo

3) SillyChris 300

Edited April 24, 2014 by Sillychris

[Sillychris]

[Jasonden]

Score=(Duna Science)/((Launches-1)^2)

If anyone figures out how to get to Duna and back in the first launch, then you're going to end up with a divide-by-zero error! I'll be shooting for this (but will be super-hard for sure)

[fragbasic]

I have been working on my own challenge trying to complete the tech tree in RSS with as few launches so I already had a Tier 0 launch vehicle capable of reaching earth sized Kerbin orbit (over 9.4 km/s delta-v). I replaced the payload with a pair of detachable ships with the plan to use one for landing on Duna and returning to orbit and the other one for returning to Kerbin. This monstrosity, composed of 985 parts and a mass of 2393.72t, is based on the Minas Anor design used in Tier 0: 5528 science by allmhuran and relies on the joint stiffening included in 0.23.5. No mods were installed and no clipping was used.

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Turns out all i needed from the payload was parachutes.

Score=(75)/((0-1)^2)=NaN

[Sillychris]

Single launch to Duna. I am officially blown away. Your score is infinite! (but 75oo, in case someone brings back a higher science score)

[Jasonden]

Okay, finally did it:

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thermal staging definitely a total pain! My score=641oo

[Sillychris]

Nice work, Jasonden. You definitely get the elegance award!