[Tutorial] How to get 4500 Science points in a single launch to Duna (and Ike)

[Timbo]

GOAL

Earn over 4500 science points in a single launch. Here's how to do it:

PREREQUISITES

Be playing career mode, know the basics of how to get to another planet and to dock (or know how to Google and learn) and whose tech tree includes separators, docking ports, science Jr's, labs, etc. But even veteran players might enjoy earning 4500 science in a single mission....

MISSION PROFILE

This is an Apollo-style mission, sort of. Well, not really. The Command and Service Module is outfitted with 4 nuclear engines, fuel, a Mobile Processing Lab module to clean all the Science-Jr and Goo Canisters we'll be using over and over, and a 3-kerbal command pod. The Landing Module includes 3 Science-Jr's, 3 Goo Canisters, 3 temperature sensors, 3 Gravity sensors, 3 Pressure sensors, a 1-Kerbal command pod, and plenty of fuel for manned Duna & Ike landings.

The plan is to launch to Duna, establish a parking orbit, and collect science. Then separate the LM, land, collect science, launch and re-dock with the CSM. One Kerbal will go to the surface (Jeb, of course), and two will remain in the CSM. Afterwards, the combined vehicle will transfer to Ike orbit, and land there as well, collecting more science. Finally, the LM will be jettisoned (except for the pod, which will be returned to Kerbin for additional science) and the CSM will return to Kerbin. Once in Kerbin orbit the delivery vehicle section of the CSM will be discarded and the CSM and LM command pods will land or splashdown with a ton of science and 3 live but hungry Kerbals.

THE SHIP

Here is the ship, still in the VAB. Note that the Delta-V values are wrong. MechJeb has no way of knowing I plan to de-couple the LM en-route, land, and re-dock later, or that the rover and LM will be discarded which will boost DV for the return trip. To prevent the incorrect DV data, I place a separator which cannot crossfeed fuel between the CSM and the LM. So the entire LM and its fuel are considered dead weight in the DV calculations. That's OK, because I can see that there is more than enough DV for launch, transfer to Duna, and return. I also know that the fuel in the LM is adequate for a Duna landing, and it can be refueled in orbit for the Ike landing which does not take much anyway.

LAUNCH TO DUNA

Launch with Jeb and two buddies

Leaving Kerbin. Use the Interplanetary calculator for planetary alignment and ejection angles: http://ksp.olex.biz/ and see some of the many other tutorials on how to get to other planets

Careful use of the precise node plug-in gives me a great arrival into Duna SOI. I achieved this while still in Kerbin SOI.

Halfway there I fine-tune it for a perfect Duna aerobrake at 12km costing ZERO DeltaV, other than a little to circularize afterwards.

DUNA SCIENCE

There are five "altitude zones" from which you can obtain Science. These are approximate.

Surface - 0km - "on the surface"

Low Altitude Atmosphere - <10km - "flying above Duna"

High Altitude Atmosphere - 10-20km - "flying high above Duna"

Low Altitude Space - 30-140km - "in space near Duna"

High Altitude Space - >140km - "in space high over Duna"

SPACE EXPERIMENTS

During your approach to Duna, obtain your high altitude space science. Perform all possible experiments: Observe Materials Bay with the Science-Jr module, Observe Mystery Goo in the canister, take temperature/gravity/pressure readings, perform a Crew and EVA report (some experiments will not work, such as pressure while in a vacuum)

Note on Crew Reports: You cannot hold more than one crew report in a capsule at one time. But if you don't have time or want to bother transmitting it, there is a trick to allow you to save more than one in the capsule. EVA a Kerbal, right-click the capsule and "collect experiments", then click "store experiments". You effectively take the CR out of the capsule, but when you put it back it is a piece of stored "data", not a CR anymore. Now you can do another CR (from a different altitude or biome)

Lower your Periapsis to something within the Low Altitude Space zone and repeat all experiments. Then send a Kerbal on EVA to collect the Materials Bay and Mystery Goo. Ignore the warning that the module will no longer function. You have to be near them to do it, which is why I place them near a ladder, otherwise it's a real PITA to get near them all while floating around with a jetpack. Return to the command pod and store the experiments there.

Put two Kerbals in the Lab module then use the lab to "Clean Experiments" which will reset the Science-Jr and Mystery Goo modules and make them usable again for the Low Atmosphere, High Atmosphere, and Surface experiments.

UPPER ATMOSPHERE EXPERIMENTS

Put one Kerbal in the LM, one in the CSM, and leave one in the Lab to make some coffee for later. On the dark side of Duna, separate the CSM from the LM. Switch to the LM and burn retrograde to obtain a landing orbit, leaving the CSM in a stable orbit for later rendezvous. Once you enter the upper atmosphere at 10-50km, perform all possible experiments.

SURFACE EXPERIMENTS

Land the LM on Duna. I tend to come in hot, without any retrograde burn, deploy three chutes around 8km, set to open at 2km. Then gentle use of jets at touchdown because the chutes aren't enough in Duna's thin atmo. Minimal DV used.

Perform all experiments, including taking a surface sample of course. (How embarrassing would it be to return to Kerbin without some rocks?). Also EVA and CR. Plant a flag. Jump around. You know the drill.

DOCK WITH CSM

If you are good (and lucky) you can launch the LM and rendezvous with the CSM as it passes overhead without actually establishing a complete orbit. There's probably tutorials on this out there somewhere. What I do is launch the LM just before the CSM passes overhead. I use Smart A.S.S. on Surf mode, set heading to 90 and pitch to 45 and take off with the barest minimum throttle required to lift the lander off the ground

Now that the lander is very slowly lifting off, perform the "Low Altitude" experiments as described above. Be careful with the EVA! If you are moving too fast, poor old Jeb will get swept off the LM! Now increase throttle and meet up with the CSM. If you can't rendezvous immediately, you'll have to establish an orbit then go through the traditional (and sometimes tedious) process of orbital rendezvous and docking. Again, there are plenty of other tutorials for this.

Dock with the CSM

Once re-united, get the Kerbals busy collecting the experiments from the Goo and Sci-Jr modules, and place everything in the main command pod. Move two Kerbals to the Lab module to clean the experiments which makes the Sci-Jr and Goo canisters usable again for Ike. Refuel the LM from the CSM tanks and re-stock the beer fridge.

TRANSFER TO IKE

Time to transfer to Ike. This really easy. Use the precise maneuver planner (you do have this plug-in, right? If not, go get it now!) to set an approximately 200m/s prograde burn. Then, drag the maneuver node around your Duna orbit until you get an Ike encounter (drag the node itself, not the directional handles). Or, just make your apoapsis near Ike's orbit and warp until you get an encounter. But my way is more elegant, and you can plan the transfer with minimal effort and DV wastage.

Fine tune the approach after you leave Duna

Establish a stable orbit around Ike above 120km. If you go below, you can't warp very fast which makes orbital rendezvous and docking really miserable. This cost me around 100 DV making a total DV cost to transfer from low Duna orbit to low Ike orbit a measly 300m/s!

IKE SCIENCE

You can only get 3 sets of science from Ike, because it has no atmosphere. You can only get surface, low orbit, and high orbit. I like to get them in that order, because I don't mind messing around with science activities while launching, but I get nervous trying to do it while landing.

Similarly to Duna, separate the LM on the far side of the moon and burn retrograde on the LM to lower your periapsis to a landing (crashing?) orbit.

Land on Ike, perform all science experiments. Don't forget to see how high you can jump

Dock with the CSM, collect science from the Sci-Jr and Goo modules via EVA. Put it all in the main command pod.

Transfer remaining fuel from LM to CSM, and abandon the LM by activating the separator. Keep the LM command pod because you will get science points for it upon return to Kerbin because it landed on another planet.

RETURN TO KERBIN

From anywhere in Ike orbit, burn prograde until you escape from Ike orbit.

This will give you an elliptical orbit around Duna which will undoubtedly result in an unwanted future Ike encounter.

Bring your Apoapsis down to between 1.2Mm and 800Km. This will prevent Ike encounters and still let you warp at full speed while you wait for planetary alignment.

Use the interplanetary calculator to warp to the correct planetary alignment and ejection angle, then burn prograde until you get a Kerbin encounter.

Aim for a Kerbin encounter with a Periapsis of 30-40Km, and you can aerobrake without using any fuel

You'll get an elliptical orbit something like this

3-4 revolutions later, it looks something like this

Burn retrograde until you get a re-entry path something like this. I despise night landings so I always shoot for a daytime splashdown. How can you see your own awesomeness in the dark?

Aerobrake and splashdown

Go to the Space Center, recover the vessel, and bask in the glory of all that science! Mmmmmmm......

[Evil Ed]

Good job! Will try to do something similar, but only hit Duna in one go. New player so have still a lot to learn, but have done a couple of trips to Duna - still working on the get-back-part...