Mun for novices

[Scarecrow88]

I set out to put together a craft that looks like something that should go to the Mun, but with simple flight characteristics that meant it wouldn't be too difficult to fly. This is what I came up with. To start with, it follows an Apollo style flight plan i.e. 2 stages to establish apoapsis, and a 3rd stage to complete a parking orbit and thereafter to perform the Munar insertion burn. After that, this craft follows a much simpler flight plan, as the Munar vehicle is a single stage designed to go to the Mun surface and then return to Kerbin.

The fuel loads and throttle limits have been tweaked to avoid having to juggle the throttle during flight.

By adopting this approach, it means that this craft can be flown by someone who has not yet mastered docking, or who prefers not to leave debris lying around on the Mun.

Flight Plan:

On the pad, press T for SAS and throttle up to 100%

Stage to launch

When passing through 8000m/200 m/s, start a gentle gravity turn, reaching 45 degrees when somewhere between 10k and 11k

When the first stage runs out of fuel, stage to jettison it and again to fire the 2nd stage motors

Press 9 to jettison the escape tower

Upon reaching 40,000m altitude, flatten the trajectory to 20 degrees above horizontal, and wait for the 2nd stage to run out of fuel

Your apoapsis should be above 80k

While coasting up to apoapsis, stage to jettison the 2nd stage, and again to activate the 3rd stage motor

When approx. 20 seconds away from apoapsis, throttle up to perform the circularisation burn

Once in LKO, set up your manoeuvre node for a Mun insertion burn, and execute when appropriate

The 3rd stage will probably have a small amount of fuel left after the insertion burn, but it is no longer required and you can stage to jettison it

Stage again to activate the Munar Module engine

What you are left with now is capable of attaining orbit around the Mun, performing a landing, returning to Munar orbit and then returning to Kerbin.

Once back at Kerbin and on a sub-orbital trajectory, you can stage to jettison the last fuel tank and engine, and a final time when you are ready to deploy parachutes.

Action group keys:

4 : Toggle lander ladder

9 : Jettison escape tower

0 : Jettison escape tower and deploy chutes after an aborted launch

Ready to go

1st stage separation

2nd stage separation

3rd stage separation

Munar module on the Mun

Re-entry

Almost home

Craft file

Edited January 25, 2015 by Scarecrow88

[H2O.]

Simple and elegant. The fun of a Saturn V minus the complicated flight plan. Good job!

[3quin0x]

Very nice.

[Scarecrow88]

I'd be interested to receive any feedback from someone who has downloaded this craft and flown it.