KerbalX

X-84 Akkadian

SSTA to really everywhere
Tylo/ Moho/ Tekto / Slate / Eve

Stock and Outer Planets (MH Expansion)

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: spaceplane
• Part Count: 273
• Pure Stock

One ship to rule them all. One ship to find them,
One ship to bring all back and on Kerbin land them.

The X-84 Akkadian Explorer is built to conquer everything. Bring a crew of three Kerbals to collect science everywhere.
Alone, it is a formidable SSTO with enough range to visit Moho and enough thrust to land on Tylo.
The Ishtar Eve Lander is capable of landing on Eve and returning from Sea Level.
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The Traveler Probe is stowed away in the Ishtar Eve Lander. After returning from Eve, the Traveler can be docked with the Akkadian to continue its journey.
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Combined, they allow you to fulfill the Ultimate Challenge contract by visiting every planet and moon in the stock Kerbin system as well as with the Outer Planets mod.
Fear not Tylo, Eve, Moho, Tekto or Slate.
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The whole package has a take-off weight of barely 150t and it costs less than 300.000 Kerbucks.
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Brought to you by Mephisto Metalworks and Aviation.

Specifications

X-84 Akkadian SSTO
Maximum mass: 109t
Max Liquid Fuel: 10180
Max Oxidiser: 4620
Crew capacity: 3 Krew

Range and Fuel Profiles:

Max Range (10180 LF / 0 Ox): 7023 m/s dV
Low Ox (10180 LF / 1000 Ox): 6400 m/s dV
Max High Thrust, Chemical Rockets only (3892 LF / 4620 Ox): 2592 m/s dV
Use Max Range, if target has low gravity suitable for Nerv only landing (Gilly, Ike, Bop, Pol, etc.)
Use Low Ox Range, if target has medium gravity and Nervs require assist from Aerospikes / Rapiers (Moho, Duna, etc.)
Use Max High Thrust for landing and take-off from Tylo. Remember to pack additional LF (800-1000 LF) for take-off from Tylo and transfer to Pol.

Engines

3x Rapiers (Action Group 1 to toggle, AG 2 to switch mode
2x Nerv (AG3) for interplanetary travel
2x Aerospike to provide additional thrust for high-G landings (Tylo) or more efficient Oxidizer use. Aerospikes have 340 sec vacuum ISP vs. 305 sec from Rapiers in rocket mode.
(4x detachable Whiplash for added propulsion to bring Ishtar Eve Lander with Akkadian to LKO)

ISRU Complement

in SM-25 Service Module and stern service bay:
- Large Mining Drill
- Convert-o-Tron 125
- 2x Fuel Cell Array
- Radial holding tank
- Radiator panels ( fixed radiator panels are enough to cool drill and converter without the extendable radiators in the aft service bay)

Science Complement:

full science complement, easily accessible from the Mk1 Command Pod in the aft service bay.
Communications:
- 2G Relay Antenna in Service Module
- 100G Communotron 88-88 on top

X-84a Ishtar Eve Lander

The Ishtar Eve Lander is built to be lifted in front of the Akkadian into Orbit.
For this, it has a detachable set of wings and control surfaces. To provide the necessary thrust for ascent, the Akkadian has four detachable Whiplash ram jets.
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The Ishtar has a first stage with one Vector engine and six asparagus-staging drop tanks, the first two with additional Aerospikes.
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The second stage is powered by one Terrier and two drop tanks with Sparks.
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The whole ascent vehicle has enough delta V to reach orbit from sea level with moderate skills. (You’ll have to know the atmospheric properties and general Eve ascent profiles, though. When in doubt, search the KSP forums or watch Eve ascent videos on Youtube.)
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Maximum mass: 56t with wings, 49t lander only
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Science Complement: 4x basic experiments (Thermometer, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gravioli Detector)
Electricity: 2x solar panels in the Traveler Probe, 2x fuel cells on landing legs.

Eve Descent

Board the command seat in low Eve orbit (91x91km), detach wings and nose cone on the heatshield and decouple from the Akkadian.
Check your staging and the fuel flow of the decouplers.
(Radial Decouplers should allow fuel flow. The one below Terrier should not allow fuel flow.)
Drop your periapsis below 80km with a short burst of the Aerospikes. Turn on fuel cells for power during descent and inflate the heat shield. Stay retrograde during the hot part of descent, until you are slowed down sufficiently (below 200 m/s).
Deploy Parachutes and detach heat shield after parachutes have been fully deployed.
If possible, land in the right orientation for liftoff, (towards 90 degrees).
Conduct Science, plant a flag, grab some dirt and prepare for lift-off.

Eve Ascent

Eve’s atmosphere is your enemy: you can lose lots of delta v due to drag in the lower part (sea level until 7-12 km is especially dense).
On the other hand, Eve’s gravity is 1.7 times as high as Kerbin’s. If you go to slow, gravity has longer time to affect your ascent.
This means you’ll have to balance your ascent profile for these two factors:
start with full throttle, but do not go too fast in the dense soup (around 200 m/s until 7km). Use F12 to show the drag values.
Your goal is to reach a relatively good height and speed with the vector engines (30-40 km at 800-900 m/s). Reach orbit and circularize with the Terrier and the Spark Boosters.
Rendezvous with the Akkadian in Orbit. Transfer Krew and Traveller Probe to the Akkadian.

X-84b Traveler Probe

As fairings are really buggy in KSP 1.4.2, the probe is built to fit into a 1,25m Service Bay.
A Probodobodyne Okto2 core is supported by two batteries, solar panels, a reaction wheel and RCS.
Docking with the Akkadian is done with the small docking port in the back. If the Probe turns to fast, reduce torque strength of the reaction wheel, if it moves to fast with RCS, reduce RCS strength.
Mass: 371 kg with 60 kg Monopropellant fuel (15 Units) included.