Project Duna Speed Run - how fast is 'too' fast?

[Potterus]

Some members of the Kerbal Space Program often ask "When building a space craft, how fast is too fast?". Then Jeb laughs for several minutes, gives them a knowing wink and they know "it is never too fast!".

This mission began as a question I was considering on my drive home from work when I had a chance to put my foot down on the open road and cut a few minutes off my commute. Most of my interplanetary transfers were based on the most fuel efficient burns i.e. Hohmann transfers. However, with the popularisation of new advanced technology in mods such as the Interstellar pack it seemed that if the Kerbals had a lot of Dv available on their spacecraft then they would likely explore non-Hohmann transfers. So if they were not worried either about being fuel efficient, what could they achieve?

So I used alexmoon's KSP Launch Window calculator (http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/) to work out how to cut the transfer from Kerbin to Duna from a Hohmann-based 251 day snoozefest into a less than 60 day speed-run mission from launch to landing, using only stock rocket parts and a couple of game play mods.

This is only a proof of concept mission and I am already thinking about follow up missions to other planets and a manned mission to Duna using the same method. Hope you enjoy!

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