KerbalX

Album contains 20 pictures featuring all important stages of a Duna mission.

ERV-11 Polecat is a small uncrewed rover. It conducts simple experiments in different biomes, scouts for ideal landing sites for future missions, and provides for permanent surface presence even if no future mission is in sight.

Please check Action Groups tab. It would help avoid some possible frustration.

Key Features

• Compact (1.4 x 1.4 x 2.0m) and lightweight (0.586t) for easy deployment.
• Stable driving characteristics on Kerbin and Duna. Pay attention to turning rate especially on low-gravity celestial bodies, as with most rovers.
• Self-rescue reaction wheel can turn it upright even when it drifts or flips over, see Design Notes.
• Carries basic science instruments: thermometer, barometer, gravioli detector, accelerometer and surface scanner.
• Has decorative camera/laser device, high gain antenna and robotic arm.
• Comes with a Curiosity style delivery system with aerodynamic shell, heat shield, drogue chute and skycrane.
• Transfer stage provides 2400m/s dV @ LKO.
• Skycrane provides 1300m/s vacuum dV (2min burn time with max throttle, far more than enough).

Design Notes

• Note that it only carries short-range antennas. Would require relay network to get control signal and transmit data.
• AG7 toggles a (for this rover) very overpowered reaction wheel that turns it upright even when rolled over. Better Use Q E for self-rescue. Turn it back off after usage, otherwise it would be difficult to drive. It’s possible to switch its mode to SAS only and drive with it turned on, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
• That landing strut is meant for imitating an antenna, has no actual purpose.
• The skycrane certainly works for smaller celestial bodies such as Mun and Minmus, but the aerodynamic shell, drogue chute and heat shield would become unnecessary.
• The system also reaches Eve, the shell would survive a shallow atmospheric entry, but final touchdown speed would be 20-25m/s. Drogue chute/parachute and skycrane engines need upgrade for a safe landing on Eve.

Mission Instructions

Too long; don’t read: simply looking though the screenshots would be enough to get an idea of how it works.

Launch
- Engage SAS, stage once for main engine, stage again to lift off.
- Conduct gravity turn, slowly reach 45 degrees pitch @ 15km, lock prograde. Stage to ditch burned-out SRBs (twice) in the process.
- Push AP to 80-100km, shut down engines, deploy fairing outside of atmosphere, coast till circularization.
- Core stage alone should be able to complete circularization with ~100m/s dV left. Use RCS for better control, there is plenty of monopropellant on board.
- Press AG0 to extend solar panels and antenna on transfer stage, otherwise it will soon lose control.

Duna landing
- Transfer to Duna, fine-tune orbit to flyby at 20km PE for a direct descent after being aerocaptured.
- Or: flyby outside of atmosphere, circularize around Duna, and deorbit later for a more precise landing at a specific location.
- Separate transfer stage shortly before atmospheric entry, lock retrograde, engage RCS.
- Activate drogue chute early on and wait for it to deploy. When it fully deploys @ 5km above ground, stage 3 times until skycrane engines are on. Slow down to a safe speed.
- Staging again ditches drogue chute. Do it with caution, avoid crashing into it during further deceleration (a bit maneuvering to the side will solve this).
- Keep final touchdown speed <0.5m/s.
- Stage as soon as wheel touches ground, watch skycrane fly itself away.
- Press AG1 to switch control point and start driving. Welcome to Duna.

Wish you enjoy and happy roving!

Description

A stock rocket called ERV-11 Polecat Mission. Built with 109 of the finest parts, its root part is probeCoreCube.

Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.9.1.

Details

• Type: VAB
• Class: rover
• Part Count: 109
• Pure Stock