Flight Question Return Vehicle to Martian Orbit? MFL Addon

[richfororbit]

Hi,

Using the Mars for Less addon. Just how would that small craft return to Martian oribt? The fuel was 2.00:hmm:

As for a Hab landing just created a slot in landing for the hab craft, where pathfinder landed was full of rocks on the actual location, even though the pathfinder craft landed using a ballon parachute. Yogi rock was only short distance away. Ofcourse the terrain is uneven, so the landing is essentially the Pathfinder vicinity. But a ERV can fit there too.

Naturally a personnel mission would never take place there for landing that is.:rofl:

 

[Pipcard]

I haven't really played with the Mars for Less add-on, but check the scenario '5.0 Return to Earth Stages/1.0 ERV launch from Vallis Dao'.

The ERV's (Earth Return Vehicle) propellant display shows 70.2k (meaning 70.2 metric tons or 70200 kilograms of propellant). After all of that propellant has been used up, you press J, and there's a second stage that shows 25.0k (25 metric tons). There is supposed to be enough fuel to return to low Mars orbit, and then to Earth. There is also a launch autopilot which can be activated by pressing P.

Like Robert Zubrin's Mars Direct plan, Mars for Less has the unmanned ERV sent to Mars a couple of years before humans land there. When the ERV travels to Mars, its tanks are mostly empty; it only has some hydrogen which can't be used as fuel (yet), as well as some fuel to land, but it can't return to Earth (yet). Once it lands on Mars, however, it starts to chemically react the hydrogen that was brought along with carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere, converting them into liquid methane and liquid oxygen rocket propellant (this isn't actually simulated, unless you go to the scenario editor to fill it up with propellant). When the astronauts arrive in their Hab module, they already have their return vehicle fueled up.

 

[richfororbit]

I'm slightly aware of how the ERV would obtain fuel, the film explained that.

Right, so the existing ERV in that landing scenario doesn't have enough. I did try and did get into orbit a few days back. But I lost alitude quickly. I had to keep refueling all the way to orbit. LOL X 3

I also realised if leaving aside the MFL or even that MDR files. Only actual orbital probes have been to Mars. So they are the only real way to orbit Mars or land.

Another location for landing is Gale Crator. But ofcourse, these missions packs only work for their own setup, not paste them into this file and then another, as I obviously found out.

It's pretty much a no go unless one isn't bothered about specifics of reality with these files.

 

[statickid]

I'm slightly aware of how the ERV would obtain fuel, the film explained that.

Right, so the existing ERV in that landing scenario doesn't have enough. I did try and did get into orbit a few days back. But I lost alitude quickly. I had to keep refueling all the way to orbit. LOL X 3

I also realised if leaving aside the MFL or even that MDR files. Only actual orbital probes have been to Mars. So they are the only real way to orbit Mars or land.

Another location for landing is Gale Crator. But ofcourse, these missions packs only work for their own setup, not paste them into this file and then another, as I obviously found out.

It's pretty much a no go unless one isn't bothered about specifics of reality with these files.

You can combine add-ons into the same scenario and it should work just fine.

The only place where it might REALLY matter is when you want to do interplanetary flights with limited and realistic fuel. The appropriate flight window may be months or years away in a different scenario.

However, a Mars probe with launch and return capabilities will ALWAYS (proper flight profile of course) at least get into orbit no matter what time or date, getting home may not be possible if you paste it into a different scenario.

 

[richfororbit]

Perhaps the scenario with the hab I used, the ERV didn't have enough, unless it is a scripted change to add more fuel for a launch date. Land, and then take off a few days later in the scenario isn't how the file works.

The the return vehicle needs time to process to make fuel.

The actual pieces don't work in the pathfinder file. As well it also needs an autopilot use to begin with.