Difference between revisions of "Campaign: Probes and Rovers"

Latest revision as of 23:11, 5 March 2022

Introduction

The tough issues of rendezvous and EVA were worked out in the Kerbinai Program. But wait, there's one more step. As the scientists constantly remind you, they want to study the Mun with probes before planting a flag there. As Gene Kerman decided to announce to program's start to the public, the Kerbiets, always one step ahead, had already shot for the Mun. Literally.

This campaign presents a mission manifest that allows you to take baby steps into Munar orbit and its surface. Missions are based on late 60's unmanned, pre-Apollo missions to the moon, including Soviet Luna 9 (1966), Luna 10 ('66) and American Surveyor 3 ('67).

Specifications

• Length: 3-6 hours
• Difficulty: 5/10 (Adept)
• Skills needed:

1. Intermediate navigation via maneuver node (SOI intercepts within current SOI)
2. Intermediate orbiting
3. Intermediate landing (atmosphere-less bodies)
4. Basic probe design

• For version: Every version (tested on 0.20.2)

Recommended Mods

• Tantares - We've gotten quite a bit of mileage out of this mod alone, haven't we? Anyway, this mod will aid you in constructing the Muna spacecraft.
• Bluedog Design Bureau - BDB doesn't have Surveyor parts, per se, but does have parts to make a lander derived from the Ranger probe.

Missions

Muna 9: Munar Lander

• Land a self-sustaining probe on the Mun.

1. Land on the Kerbin-facing side of the Mun.
2. Descent stage must have a central engine for descent, then 4 for landing.
3. A small probe must detach from the top when landed.

Muna 10: Munar Orbiter

• Send a probe to orbit the Mun.

1. Probe's orbit must be inclined at least 10 degrees.
2. Probe must orbit at a circularized altitude of 80 km.

Minma 9 & 10: Minmus Lander and Orbiter

• Repeat Muna 9 and Muna 10 missions, but this time to Minmus.

1. Attempt until completed.
2. You shouldn't have to change the crafts much. The transfer takes more fuel, but landing takes less. But you could decrease thrust for landing (1/3 the surface gravity of Mun, 0.05G)

Kervayor 3

• Land a probe in or near the big crater on the Mun, preferably near the north rim.

1. Probe must contain at least one retractable solar panel.
2. After landing, pretend there is a glitch that retracts the solar panel, and retract it.

(This probe will be visited by a future Kerbollo mission.)

Final Word

After the Kerbiets performed the first soft landing on Mun, Gene Kerbman and his intrepid team of Kerbican space explorers at the Kerbal Space Center furiously scrambled to start the Kerbollo Program and save face by getting the first Kerbal to orbit the far side of the Mun in what many were calling the last lap of the Mun Race.