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The spaceplane in a stable orbit above the Mun.
Before this plane could even hope to leave Kerbin’s SOI, it had to prove it can land on and refuel on the Mun. If it can do that, then not only could it also do that on Minmus, but it can leave Kerbin and make a refueling stop on Ike before reaching Laythe.
- One prototype did manage to accomplish that, but due to the inconsistency of test run results, that prototype was abandoned for (in-game) years while the Mun Hopper’s design was getting an overhaul back at the KSC.
DISCLAIMER
I made this spaceplane years ago, only editing it today to clean it up a bit. If this spacecraft doesn’t work for you, please let me know.
Also, I only released it today when I was doing a (half-assed) cleanup of my old files. When I came across it, I decided to do a couple of test flights to see if it was worth preserving on KerbalX; one where it simply flew to the Mun’s orbit and back, and the other a simple LKO flight. Both test runs were successful, but it came close to exploding during aerobraking, the plane tended to overdo turns, and the gear was bouncy. Though it’s worth explaining the Mun Hopper’s true origins, I’m probably never going to use it anymore now that I have upgraded variants with histories of successful flights.
The spaceplane seconds after takeoff.
Description
The original design was based loosely on Matt Lowne’s private spaceplane to Duna. Since my ultimate goal was to make a Laythe-capable spaceplane, I made sure to add:
- ISRU capabilities, including TCS
- An antenna
- A probe core for pilotless flight
- Increased charge capacity (thanks to a Z-1K battery)
- An RTG stashed in a cargo bay, along with the drill
- Science
After I implemented those changes, I adjusted the aerodynamic configuration as necessary. Of course, as the name implies, this design got rejected after several test runs in favor of a more stable prototype.
Although it has achieved orbit and successful re-entry at times, most of the test runs ended up in explosions and/or loss of control. This might complete the mission, but I would suggest using one of the later variants - the more successful ones - if you want a lower risk of failure. But of course, if you are that much of a risk-taker, that’s fine with me.
By putting this prototype on display, we can remember where the Mun Hoppers came from.
A stock aircraft called First Mun Hopper - REJECT. Built with 52 of the finest parts, its root part is Mark1Cockpit.
Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.12.4.
Details
- Type: SPH
- Class: spaceplane
- Part Count: 52
- Pure Stock
- KSP: 1.12.4
2,880 m/s of dV at a stable 140 km orbit above Kerbin’s surface.
1,770 m/s at 100 km above the Mun; 1.86 TWR on a NERV alone.
- More than enough for a Mun landing.
Landing 575 km from KSC after a few aerobraking attempts from the Mun. I didn’t want to get too close at first in order to lower the risk of overheating.
- But the plane was still quite sensitive during turns.
The parachutes are deployed right after touchdown during a more recent test run. The plane’s landing gear was bouncy and was moving side-to-side a bit, and it did not have airbrakes, so the chutes were necessary this time.
