I'm scared

[SmashingKirby148]

See, I built this rocket, but it needs to go to Duna. I don't know if it will work..

[Anquietas314]

Well, it looks like it has enough fuel to get there and back . You'd be better off making it a puller rather than a pusher though, but it should be perfectly usable as is. Ditch the big engine at the back though - it'll just waste fuel and make the thing wobble like crazy.

I'm not sure from your screenshot if the lander design is able to launch from duna though; it's a fair bit smaller than one I would build, but it should be adequate for Ike .

[Alshain]

I'd be a bit concerned with the 1.25m to 2.5m connections on a pusher. It may be pretty hard to control. I see a docking port ahead of that Mk 1-2 pod and that makes me a bit nervous.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Alshain

[GluttonyReaper]

Only one way to find out...

[Anquietas314]

I'd be a bit concerned with the 1.25m to 2.5m connections on a pusher. It may be pretty hard to control. I see a docking port ahead of that Mk 1-2 pod and that's concerning.

Yeah, but you can always use the nukes at low throttle. It'll take forever but it won't matter too much for total deltaV cost.

[Alshain]

Yeah, but you can always use the nukes at low throttle. It'll take forever but it won't matter too much for total deltaV cost.

Yeah, just be really careful and take your time, not much to do about it now. But in the future OP, multi-segmented ships should have the engines in the front pulling like a train engine.

Imagine it like a piece of string on a table top, if you push the back of it forward, the string bunches up. If you pull the front, it straightens out.

[Anquietas314]

On closer inspection, the LV-Ns are mounted on IR servos - the placement seems a bit weird, but it might be possible to turn them around. You'll need to undock and rotate the engine section though - it would currently be firing them at the solar panels which causes all sorts of nasty . If that doesn't work you could try undocking the big decoupler and just docking the engine section the other way round. I'm guessing you have the decoupler as an "emergency" measure or something, but it's really not necessary given docking ports serve the same function

Edited January 13, 2015 by armagheddonsgw

[Alshain]

I don't think he would need the panels deployed while burning. That thing has so much power, I don't think he'd need them deployed for the whole trip.

[Anquietas314]

I don't think he would need the panels deployed while burning. That thing has so much power, I don't think he'd need them deployed for the whole trip.

True, but the exhaust might be close enough for it to still be a problem even with them retracted. Gigantors stick out quite a bit

[wibou]

I don't think he would need the panels deployed while burning. That thing has so much power, I don't think he'd need them deployed for the whole trip.

Indeed. Way WAY too much battery. 1000 electric charge would be PLENTY if you keep the SIX gigantic solar array. In fact, it would be quite enough to have only 2 (but it would be less pretty that way, agreed).

I don't think the lander could land on Duna and back though... I don't see the engine on it so I assume there isn't much trust there.

[orangexception]

Turning large things connected by multiple docking ports is fun!

You should definitely use time warp to stop the wobble after you complete a turn. Also, make sure you're on your maneuver marker early.

When you're burning, lower thrust will mean lower wobble. If you've got the craft aligned properly, then you can try to turn off SAS and engine gimbals to prevent wobble. When you get the burn good enough, then do another maneuver to correct for anything.

[Alshain]

Indeed. Way WAY too much battery. 1000 electric charge would be PLENTY if you keep the SIX gigantic solar array. In fact, it would be quite enough to have only 2 (but it would be less pretty that way, agreed).

I don't think the lander could land on Duna and back though... I don't see the engine on it so I assume there isn't much trust there.

That's not what I meant, I meant he could leave them un-deployed while in transit to Duna but if he is processing and transmitting a lot of science in that lab it will eat power fast. He may have overdone it a little but it depends on his plans for the assembly.

[Anquietas314]

I don't see the engine on it so I assume there isn't much trust there.

Look closer. The engines are the tiny little rockomax radial engines. It's not massive amounts of thrust, but those engines are powerful enough to get off Duna no question. I'm concerned about the amount of fuel though.

[wibou]

Look closer. The engines are the tiny little rockomax radial engines. It's not massive amounts of thrust, but those engines are powerful enough to get off Duna no question. I'm concerned about the amount of fuel though.

Aaah you are right... Sorry about that, I really should've spotted those orange thingy. I blame my overly large screen resolution

We don't quite see the lander on the picture though. It looks like there is two (Duna/Ike?)... or maybe it is just two landing can radially placed? It would probably help to see the VAB assembly of that, instead of widely guessing

[Anquietas314]

Aaah you are right... Sorry about that, I really should've spotted those orange thingy. I blame my overly large screen resolution

Psst. Your browser has this thing called zoom. The shortcuts are typically ctrl - to zoom out, ctrl = to zoom in, ctrl+0 to reset.

We don't quite see the lander on the picture though. It looks like there is two (Duna/Ike?)... or maybe it is just two landing can radially placed? It would probably help to see the VAB assembly of that, instead of widely guessing

If you look closely you can see that the two symmetrical things are basically identical landers. They seem to be independent of each other seeing as they're both attached at the back end using docking ports, and there's nothing visible connecting them otherwise. It's not a great camera angle, granted.

[Kryxal]

If the panels are a problem, it looks like this design is a bit docking port-happy. I'm pretty sure it would be possible to turn that portion (or the rest of the ship) 90 degrees and use quicksave/quickload.

[Anquietas314]

I'm pretty sure it would be possible to turn that portion (or the rest of the ship) 90 degrees and use quicksave/quickload.

Turning 90 degrees would be a bad idea - it needs to be about 45 degrees to miss all the panels, assuming they're still an issue while retracted.

[eddiew]

It certainly looks big enough xD

If your lander is specced to have at least 2500 delta-v when it's sitting on red soil, it'll be fine as long as you can wait for an optimal return time

[Aethon]

Do you need that much RCS fuel?

[SmashingKirby148]

Well, it looks like it has enough fuel to get there and back . You'd be better off making it a puller rather than a pusher though, but it should be perfectly usable as is. Ditch the big engine at the back though - it'll just waste fuel and make the thing wobble like crazy.

I'm not sure from your screenshot if the lander design is able to launch from duna though; it's a fair bit smaller than one I would build, but it should be adequate for Ike .

I'm not using the big engine. But you really think so? I am halfway to the mun and nearlty 5/16ths fuel gone. I wasted so much Youtube space making that rocket.

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Do you need that much RCS fuel?

I don't even know. XD

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Aaah you are right... Sorry about that, I really should've spotted those orange thingy. I blame my overly large screen resolution

We don't quite see the lander on the picture though. It looks like there is two (Duna/Ike?)... or maybe it is just two landing can radially placed? It would probably help to see the VAB assembly of that, instead of widely guessing

No, you're right.

- - - Updated - - -

Turning large things connected by multiple docking ports is fun!

You should definitely use time warp to stop the wobble after you complete a turn. Also, make sure you're on your maneuver marker early.

When you're burning, lower thrust will mean lower wobble. If you've got the craft aligned properly, then you can try to turn off SAS and engine gimbals to prevent wobble. When you get the burn good enough, then do another maneuver to correct for anything.

It's not that bad actualy

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Indeed. Way WAY too much battery. 1000 electric charge would be PLENTY if you keep the SIX gigantic solar array. In fact, it would be quite enough to have only 2 (but it would be less pretty that way, agreed).

I don't think the lander could land on Duna and back though... I don't see the engine on it so I assume there isn't much trust there.

Well, I have radial engines, and also, it's not coming back. Thats why I also have rover parts in the containers.