KerbalX

Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.9.1- Squad (stock). Root part is mk1-3pod.

Replica of:

LK700 + UR700 (Soviet)

Description

With Kerbodyne S3 and S4 series components starting to become a serious competition in the heavy launch and interplanetary launches, Rockomax and Jeb’s Junkyard & Spacecraft Parts co-developed an alternative launch system that only rely upon their own hardware. The end result is the Butalae launch system, which have the additional benefit of easily transport on rails. The S-series also does not require additional payments outside of the original purchasing contract.

For Munar landing, the Butalae 700S is used to send the KL-700, a 3 person lander with Science Package, in a direct ascent profile around the Munar equator, simplifying the mission profile when compared to the Lunar Rendezvous when using Kerbodyne-based solutions. To assist its mission, the KL-700 carried a satellite that can also be used to bounce signal to KSC.

Action group

[ABORT] - Abort
[3] - Toggle Fuel cell

Flight profile:

• Launch from KSC
• Standard Munar launch profile

Details

• Type: VAB
• Class: lander
• Part Count: 196
• Pure Stock
• Total Delta-V: ~9500 m/s

Real-life Background

The LK-700 and UR-700, headed by Vladimir Chelomei, is an alternative plan the Soviets had in order to send Russians to the Moon, researched in parallel with the Korolev’s N-1/Soyuz project.

As part of the Universal Rockets, the UR700 and LK700 are developed with each other in mind, and would have shared many components with the TKS spacecrafts and the Proton rocket; specifically, the third stage is a scaled down first stage of the Proton, while the LK-700 shared the VA capsule of TKS. The other aspect that may make it more feasible is that each component is rail-transportable, and thus can be tested in Moscow before being shipped to launch sites.

The primary issue with using the UR series as a manrated launch vehicle is that they all use highly toxic UDMH as fuel (which is the main reason Korolev used to oppose the UR700), and UR700 calls for asparagus staging, which is difficult to conduct in real life. In the end, the UR700 remains only in historical archives, while LK700 only exist as mock up – the first round of Soviet Lunar Project was scrapped in 1975, with focus shifted to Energia. However, Chelomei’s story is not over; his Proton is still used to launch many of the heavy payload, including the Space Station Almaz and its derivatives, Salyut. The TKS also survived in the form of Function Cargo Blocks, which is the base form of many Russian modules of Mir and ISS. His choice of UDMH as fuel being safe enough is also proven with the Long March 2F, the man-rated launcher used by PRC.