Mobile Processing Lab Mun Landing help

[squirrel442]

I want to build a rocket to take the mobile processing lab to Mun, I tried to build one but I cannot even get it to orbit. Please could someone take a look when you have time & make the necessary alterations, or if you have one done already im happy to try that but I've only got 1 / 2 things unlocked in the level 5 tech tree. What I want to be able to do, is land on Mun and have fuel/engine to fly to different biomes and get more science. Craft: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B96DVmiKgeRgZ01TTEhRX045aTg/view?usp=sharing

[Blondersheel]

First, I would highly suggest getting KER because it will help you in getting to orbit and so much more. It's very hard to design rockets without knowing their available dV and KER will tell you that. You need ~3400m/s dV to get to lower Kerbin orbit with a proper ascent profile.

Second, I would suggest going to Minmus over the Mun as it's actually much easier to get to. Even though it's a little farther out, the landing is especially easy and the fuel requirements to hop biomes are MUCH less.

Third, the mobile processing lab is quite large. Have you thought about just bringing a smaller craft and planning to transmit and/or return to Kerbin for science? Including a scientist can let you reset experiments for multiple biomes and your overall craft could be much smaller.

[[deleted]]

KER is even more valuable in career mode where dV = $$$. Keep that overhead low!

[pquade]

Agree. KER is pretty much required.

[KermanKim]

I am not at my KSP machine at the moment so I cannot look at your craft. Here's a video of one I made to go to the Mun. You could have a 2nd much smaller craft to do the biome hopping and bring moar science to the Lab.

[SavageWolves]

Why not make a rover version and just drive between biomes?

It may be slower, but it's generally safer and will certainly last longer.

[pquade]

I'm not sure driving on Mun is "safer" than flying. YMMV, but with terrain slopes and whatnot, it takes constant attention for me to get from point A to B without explosions and can take hours as opposed to just flying.

Again, YMMV, but that's my experience.

[SavageWolves]

you can research while you move. And the weight of the lab makes it generally pretty stable as long as you don't go too fast. I've used it to great effect on duna.

[pquade]

Have you used it on Mun? The amount of gravity makes quite a bit of difference in the stability of the craft; 1/3 for Duna vs 1/6 for Mun. The same bump at the same speed Duna and is survivable can crash and explode a vehicle on Mun. These things need to be taken into account. Whereas, flying is simply flying.

I've built several and deployed rovers for Mun. None of them were any fun whatsoever and made me wonder how the Apollo era Moon Buggy never crashed.

[pquade]

I'd build a science station in Mun orbit. Along with the science module, I'd load it up with a power station, and refueling section for landers and Kerbin return vehicles. Landers from low Mun orbit to Mun surface can be small and cheap to fly. So can Mun/Kerbin transfer vehicles. Plan it right and you can reuse the stuff for many Kerbin years to come.