How to get to Eve?

[SmashingKirby148]

What angle does Eve have to be from Kerbin, and what kind of rocket will I need? I need science as well. Also, for those who saw my last post, the Duna mission was a success! Well, sort of. Nedry Kerman has decided to live on the surface of duna for ever.

[cicatrix]

Try this tool. It helps a lot.

For 100 km parking orbit:

Phase angle: 44.36°

Ejection angle: 150.91°

Ejection velocity: 3289.2 m/s

Ejection burn ÃŽâ€v: 1043.06 m/s

Getting to Eve is not a problem. It's getting back what frustrates people a lot.

To navigate around Kerbol system this map can be a lot of help too. Simply add dV costs along your desired path to know how much dV you need.

Edited January 15, 2015 by cicatrix

[klesh]

http://ksp.olex.biz This will show you your transfer positions and how much dV you'll need to get there. Then depending on what you're trying to do (land, orbit, flyby) you'll need more dV for that. You can aerobrake at EVE so that could reduce dV requirements to slow you down and capture you.

Good luck!

Edit: ninjas

[Norpo]

This might also help: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Tutorial:How_to_get_to_Eve The wiki's tutorial might help.

If you land, I doubt you'll be coming back any time soon. Eve's atmosphere is ridiculously thick, and I think it's near to Kerbin gravity, so landing on Eve isn't really the problem, it's getting OFF again...

You'd probably be best just dropping a science probe there, and leaving any crew to orbital science (and possibly going to Gilly), but if you don't care if your kerbals take an *ahem* Extended Vacation, then you could land one there for the extra science from crew reports. Not that I condone stranding kerbals for who-knows-how-long in that purple living Kraken-land.

[cicatrix]

I should probably mention that returning a manned mission from Eve IS quite possible. Personally I had no particular problems designing a lander capable of 12 km/s dV, it was quite more difficult to raise it to LKO, refuel then transport it to Eve, deorbit and land it there in one piece.

[SmashingKirby148]

Ok, thanks guys.

[Wabbit]

Eve swallows ships and never lets them out.

[Bidule]

Why go to Eve now? Nedry Kerman needs help! For me, one of to coolest things to do in KSP, is to send rescue mission. It's challenging to be able to land pinpoint near my poor Kerbal. Seeing the joy in is face when I save is life is a great feeling...

Nerdy's dog would be so happy to see him again!

Edited January 19, 2015 by Bidule

[SmashingKirby148]

This is my fist post...

Why go to Eve now? Nedry Kerman needs help! For me, one of to coolest things to do in KSP, is to send rescue mission. It's challenging to be able to land pinpoint near my poor Kerbal. Seeing the joy in is face when I save is life is a great feeling...

Nerdy's dog would be so happy to see him again!

Yes, but to go back, I will need to make that rocket again. Which is hard. I guess he made a base there.

[wibou]

Going to Eve is easier than going to Duna ATMO.

The orbit inclinaison is bigger but the delta-V is similar... but what's REALLY awesome is that you can insert yourself into orbit around Eve just by using atmospheric drag to break.

Aim around ~60km into the atmosphere during the encounter and it should put you right into orbit. Then keep the PE around 70km for a couple of pass to bring down your AP to the height you want. Be careful not to go TOO low though

[EdFred]

Going to Eve is easier than going to Duna ATMO.

The orbit inclinaison is bigger but the delta-V is similar... but what's REALLY awesome is that you can insert yourself into orbit around Eve just by using atmospheric drag to break.

Aim around ~60km into the atmosphere during the encounter and it should put you right into orbit. Then keep the PE around 70km for a couple of pass to bring down your AP to the height you want. Be careful not to go TOO low though

You can do the same exact thing at Duna, with a PE of around 12km.

[capi3101]

Really, getting to Eve and back isn't all that terribly difficult unless you want to land on it; cicatrix has given you the data you need. The landing isn't all that hard either. Getting back into space from the surface - there's the cast-iron female hound...

[WuphonsReach]

Note: If you are going to park your ship in orbit while waiting on a transfer window to open, I suggest a waiting orbit of 3000-6000km altitude above Kerbin instead of only 100km. It has a few advantages:

#1 - Less DV needed to escape Kerbin's SoI, which means you can park your vessel there and refuel it (using either a docking port or a Klaw on a refueler vessel) before leaving. You'll end up with a fuller tank after you do your ejection burn from Kerbin orbit then if you started at a lower orbit.

#2 - Less precision needed when setting up the ejection burn. At 100km orbit, 10 seconds +/- for the start of your burn causes huge variances in your ejection angle. At 5000km orbit, 10 seconds +/- is a much smaller possible error in your ejection angle.

(4000 km orbit around Kerbin is about 12h while a 100km orbit is only 30-40 minutes long. The higher orbit gives a lot more wiggle room with minimal effects on the ejection trajectory.)

Examples using the Alexmoon tool:

Kerbal -> Eve (Ballistic)

100km to 100km = 2711 m/s (1084 m/s ejection burn)

3000km to 100km = 2276 m/s (708 m/s ejection burn)

6000km to 100km = 2214 m/s (663 m/s ejection burn)

30Mm to 100km = 2199 m/s (677 m/s ejection burn)

50Mm to 100km = 2219 m/s (697 m/s ejection burn)

The big savings are in starting from a 3000km orbit vs a 100km orbit. It shaves 450-500 m/s off of the DV requirements, above that you get minimal returns. Something in the 4000-5000km orbital altitude is probably the sweet spot for a parking orbit around Kerbin.

Edited January 15, 2015 by WuphonsReach

[EdFred]

Note: If you are going to park your ship in orbit while waiting on a transfer window to open, I suggest a waiting orbit of 3000-6000km altitude above Kerbin instead of only 100km. It has a few advantages:

#1 - Less DV needed to escape Kerbin's SoI, which means you can park your vessel there and refuel it (using either a docking port or a Klaw on a refueler vessel) before leaving. You'll end up with a fuller tank after you do your ejection burn from Kerbin orbit then if you started at a lower orbit.

#2 - Less precision needed when setting up the ejection burn. At 100km orbit, 10 seconds +/- for the start of your burn causes huge variances in your ejection angle. At 5000km orbit, 10 seconds +/- is a much smaller possible error in your ejection angle.

(4000 km orbit around Kerbin is about 12h while a 100km orbit is only 30-40 minutes long. The higher orbit gives a lot more wiggle room with minimal effects on the ejection trajectory.)

Examples using the Alexmoon tool:

Kerbal -> Eve (Ballistic)

100km to 100km = 2711 m/s (1084 m/s ejection burn)

3000km to 100km = 2276 m/s (708 m/s ejection burn)

6000km to 100km = 2214 m/s (663 m/s ejection burn)

30Mm to 100km = 2199 m/s (677 m/s ejection burn)

50Mm to 100km = 2219 m/s (697 m/s ejection burn)

The big savings are in starting from a 3000km orbit vs a 100km orbit. It shaves 450-500 m/s off of the DV requirements, above that you get minimal returns. Something in the 4000-5000km orbital altitude is probably the sweet spot for a parking orbit around Kerbin.

But how much extra dV did it take to get to a 8000km vs 800km vs 80km orbit ?

Nothing is free.

[FlyingPete]

You need to send Dodgson Kerman to Duna to meet up with Nedry

If you want to go to Eve, one method of getting science from the surface relatively simply would be to add a probe to the ship. Launch that to the surface from Eve orbit and have it transmit the data. The Kerbal crew can amuse themselves doing science in orbit and on Gilly. You don't even need a ship to get to Gilly as you can jetpack down from orbit.

[SAI Peregrinus]

For any difficult design (getting home from Eve, building a base in the Mohole, etc) I design from the end point backwards, using a sandbox save with Hyper Edit. I don't consider this cheating, since real space programs use far more extensive computer simulation before anything gets built. I don't use hyper edit in my career saves.

For example, an Eve mission.

First, I design a small lander with the science equipment/kerbal living space I want that can land safely on Kerbin from LKO. I Hyper Edit it to LKO and test this to ensure it works (I use Deadly Reentry, etc).

Then, I design a transfer stage that takes that lander and brings it from Eve to LKO. I use Hyper Edit to test that.

Then I design a lifter to get that off of Eve (or, if not all of it, the Eve lander so it can dock in orbit with the transfer stage). Hyper Edit to test it.

Then I design the lander stage that puts it down on Eve. Test.

Then I design the transfer stage that takes all of that from LKO to LEO. Test.

Then I design the lifter to get it off Kerbin. Test.

At each stage I know what my payload is, so it's easy to figure out when I have enough dV. At each stage I test with Hyper Edit, so I know it can work. When it's all ready, I build the craft in career mode, freak out at the budget, realize I'm way over my part/mass limit for this stage of the game, screw up the piloting, flip over, and blow up the launch pad.

[WuphonsReach]

But how much extra dV did it take to get to a 8000km vs 800km vs 80km orbit ?

Nothing is free.

Doesn't matter since the plan is to refuel using a second ship that hangs around that orbit (usually 100-500km below). Get the vessel up there for Moho/Eve, then refuel it before the transfer window opens.

Another option is to park vessels out around Minimus, which is really close to edge of the Kerbin SoI. Refuel and send them on their way.

[EdFred]

Doesn't matter since the plan is to refuel using a second ship that hangs around that orbit (usually 100-500km below). Get the vessel up there for Moho/Eve, then refuel it before the transfer window opens.

Another option is to park vessels out around Minimus, which is really close to edge of the Kerbin SoI. Refuel and send them on their way.

I never refuel. Every mission I do is self sufficient. All fuel needed for the trip is on the launchpad. dV matters.