KSP Anyone?

[The Grand Nudger]

Kerbal and Sol rise from Mun, in the new release aero model.  I finally got a decent career mode lifer put together to take my trusty pod to orbit.  

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-notice I forgot the ladder...so Jeb couldn;t get out and plant a flag for fear that he wouldn;t be able to make it back in the pod...lol, oh well...next time-with more kerbals and a rover perhaps?



An easy way to get to mun, for the newbs-
1: You'll need at least 3 stages. The lifter (for getting into low kerbin orbit)-A. A transfer stage to low munar orbit-B. A lander (the lander can double as a return)-C.

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1a. Stay under 250ms until 10km, at which point roll nose up east and orient 70deg off the horizon. Continue a gentle slide down to 60deg by 20km, and 30deg by 30km - the gravity turn. At 30km, level out 10deg off the horizon and burn until apoapsis is 82km or greater. Coast to the edge of the atmosphere. At apoapsis, burn prograde until circularized. Gratz..you're in orbit and the new aero model didn't destroy your lifer or it;s payload.

1b. Orbit kerbin until you see mun rising over kerbin in front of your transfer stage - as you point prograde. If you burn prograde in this orientation at this window you will -always- get a munar intercept. Since you lifted east you will get an equitorial insertion (making the abort or return much easier).

1c. The lander...alot of people shoot straight at the mun like a bullet and wonder why they end up pancakes....don't do that shit. Your lander is not as striong as your lifter, and so it can;t fight the inertia built up by that much more powerful stage. Even if it could, say..over a very long slow transfer, you would burn all of your return fuel. Establish a low orbit over the mun by burning retrograde periapsis and apoapsis until you are circularized at 20km. This step down at the best possible window will save fuel and make for a safe descent. At 2okm stable, burn retrograde until the orbit indicator hits the ground on the -lit- side of Mun. Now, you gently drift down your descding orbital path while burning retrograde at the last 2km - using the navball to keep your rate of descent manageable (You burn retrograde and up..to decrease rate of descent, retrograde and down to decrease). At about 60ms your lander will start to tilt under the influence of muns gravity (more or less depending on it's weight). Keep your nose pointed retro and reduce throttle to induce a slow descent. Struts down!.

1c-2 The return. Mirror the launch procedure for kerbin., You are aiming for an "easterly" equatorial orbit to put you on the same plane as Kerbin. Once you've achieved orbit..wait until your prograde movement is in direct opposition with Muns movement relative to Kerbin. That is to say..viewing through mun towards kerbin..your orbit is moving "backwards". If you burn prograde at this point you will always yield a return orbit to kerbin. You will need to adjust your orbit again at peri and apo to get an atmospheric insertion below 55km. At that point..even if you "skip" out the other side...your orbit will eventually degrade and drop you -somewhere- on kerbins surface.

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The method above does not rely on patched conics from the upgraded tracking center or manouvering nodes from planning...and so is suitable for a newb just starting his career (or a vet starting over /w the new system). It also doesn't rely on complicated math regarding delta-v or navigation (though both can offer you a more elegant design profile for your craft). To begin...when it doubt, give it moar powa! The lander should be the smallest payload possible for the mission..which is simply to get there, land, take a reading, launch into munar orbit..take a reading..and then splashdown back at kerbin (hopefully..it isn't a requirement..Jebediah..you will be missed). If for some reason..say a staging error or random explosion...you don;t make it back into kerbins atmospehere for aerobraking....don't worry, that's just an opportunity for a rescue mission with a purpose built spacecraft! No kerbals left behind yall.

I'd love to get a campaign going with somebody..still want to do "Minmus Direct". Maybe "Duna Direct" as a bonus. Teamspeak and save files for anyone who wants to give it a go. If you don't own kerbal space yet...get off the fence and buy it before they jack the price up after an expansion..lol.

[quick update...Jebediah is dead..lol. Debris from the separation of the command pod with the engine assembly damaged the chute on a sub-orbital tractory and 10 units of monoprop was not enough to re-establish orbit. A second mission to Mun will plant the flag in his honor and will be commanded by Valentina Kerbin..our brand new 1.0 female pilot. Bob and Kermin, Jebs closest friends and our best enigneer and scientist respectivly, will be aboard that vessel - more screenies to come]