KerbalX

Details

• Type: VAB
• Class: lander
• Part Count: 140
• Mods: 7

Mods

• DaMichel’s Cargo Bays (DCB)
• Ferram Aerospace Research
• Making History DLC
• Near Future Solar
• Squad (stock)
• TweakScale - Rescale Everything!
• nearfutureexploration

Description

A mod rocket called Moon Lander Launch Kit. Built with 140 of the finest parts, its root part is nfex-bus-rekt-1.

As the name suggests, it can land on the moon surface in RSS(lander+rover). The rocket weighs a lot and nearly a SaturnV but no returns are guaranteed. NO KERBALS!

The lander itself weighs about 6 tons with its fuel for descent from a low lunar orbit(enough DeltaV, but a bit tight^_), and release the rover from an upside-down decoupler and opening cargo bay doors. Both has probe cores, solar panels and science parts, transmitters. I built it in sandbox.

Possible launch sequence:
ORBIT: stage1+booster+stage2+(a-tiny-fraction-of-stage3-if-former-stages-have-inadequate-DeltaV-due-to-inneficient-flight-route-choice-or-just-my-design)=LEO
TRANS-LUNAR: stage3=Trans-Lunar Orbit
CORRECTION: stage3=Better Orbit For Landing
MOON-ORBIT: stage3+lander=LMO(correct name or not?)
LAND: lander
RELEASE: press space and release the rover(open cargo bay doors, again!)

8 launch clamps are attached to the bottom of the rocket. When launching, TWR is a bit low so maybe anticipate the gravity turn after nearly a minute as the MET suggests. The lander, however has a vacuum TWR above 1 even relative to the earth with full fuel, so you can start the touch down burn pretty late. DeltaVs are tight, I know.

Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.8.1.

Deceleration burn at some point higher than lunar surface

Happy landings!

Note the remaining DeltaV

Rover released: Be careful when driving it out.
The rover can get signal relay from the lander upon release, but it’s always a good option to extend its own antennas once it’s out of the cargo bay.

Viewed from the lander
Engines are shut down