Campaign: Probes and Rovers

← Kerbinai Program

Campaigns

Mun Race →

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 and rovers 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 hit the Mun. Literally.

This campaign presents a mission manifest that allows you to take baby steps into Munar orbit, on its surface, and by weeks end, roving around its craters kicking up centuries-old Mun dust. Missions are based on late 60's unmanned missions to the moon, including Soviet Luna 9 (1966), 10 ('66), 16 ('70); 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 rover design

• For version: Every version (tested on 0.20.2)

Recommended Mods

• Historical Rockets, Probes, and Stations series - Back to this mod again:
  • Soviet Probes - This mod includes multiple lunar probes launched by the Soviets during the 1960s in the lead-up to a moonshot that never happened.
  • US Probes - This mod includes many lunar probes launched by the US in the 1960s. Hang on to this mod, because it has many more probes you'll need later on.

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 should decrease thrust for landing (30% 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 returned the first munar samples, Gene Kerbman and his intrepid team of 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.