First Interplanetary Trip

[RangerPL]

I completed my first interplanetary trip today.

I used IMFD and the XR5 add-on (very excellent craft, handles nicely). I also placed a Universal Cargo Deck and an URMS arm on the XR5. To learn IMFD, I used Bruce Irving's very excellent "Go play in space" guide.


I took off from Kennedy Space Center and flew to Mars, all in a nice trip that lasted from April-October 2033.

I snapped some pictures (mainly from my descent):

...my surface activities were limited, but I plan to return and do some more mars-walks later.

First sight of Mars:
http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/9423/orbiter2008062721000745jm0.png

Another View of Mars:
http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/4698/orbiter2008062721164843ie0.png

Coming up on correction burn:
http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/2730/orbiter2008062721201989is9.png

After MOI burn:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/2313/orbiter2008062813141900jk9.png

PDI burn:
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/7199/orbiter2008062812492940ca0.png

Just before touchdown (dont know whats with the green dust):
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3907/orbiter2008062812591370xh8.png

The XR5 has landed!
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/2639/orbiter2008062812592973ea8.png

"One small step for man..."
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/5332/orbiter2008062813015065eo2.png

Doing a little exploring:
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6886/orbiter2008062813021978lu7.png

View of the XR5 from a UMMU (sometimes when looking at it in space, you lose the perspective of how massive it is):
http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/5741/orbiter2008062813035118ux2.png

It's time to leave (oops, I left radiator open):
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3108/orbiter2008062813070331op6.png

SCRAM engines work on Mars too!
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/1958/orbiter2008062813083582pz9.png

So, that concludes my pictures. My XR5 is currently in orbit around Mars, and I'm thinking of what I'm going to do next. My choices include: coming back down for some more exploring, a flight back to Earth, or going out to explore the outer planets.

I might go and try some slingshots around Jupiter

My high fuel settings are for several reasons:
1. I did not know how much I would need for mid-course corrections
2. I considered exploring other planets, without refueling
3. I don't know how to Aero-brake

The following were used:
-XR5 Vanguard by Doug Beachy
-IMFD 4.2.1
-"Go play in space" by Bruce Irving
-Attitude MFD by Chris Knestrick
-UMmu by DanSteph
-OrbiterSound 3.5 by DanSteph

 

[Master of Blades]

Grats on your first interplanetary voyage

 

[Pilot7893]

My first interplanetry trip was to Venus. Unfortunately I mafe the mistake of wanting to reenter

 

[Master of Blades]

It's interesting to land on Venus, I went there with the deltaglider, didn't have to use any kind of breaking method 'cept the atmosphere... now of course, I couldn't get out of there afterwards

 

[RangerPL]

Thanks, here is another picture of the crew on Mars, posing with the US flag.

You may wonder why there are only 6 people in this picture. Though the XR5's usual crew complement to LEO/Moon is 8+10 passengers, the crew was reduced to 6 in this flight, to allow more room for consumables, and a more comfortable crew cabin (how would you like to be crammed in a seat for 6 months)

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/3354/orbiter2008062815323689kv8.png

And by "first interplanetary trip", I mean first trip to another planet. I've already made several XR5, DGIV and Apollo flights to the moon.

Edit:
I've also found my next trip idea. I'm going to go to Phobos and Deimos and try to land there. I wonder what the XR5 will look like on the surface of those

 

[Chaosecre]

dude....how did you get them to pose for a picture with the flag? '

 

[Woo482]

^
are you being serious ?

 

[Chaosecre]

unfortunatly yess.
because i have never actually made trips to any other planets or moons.:sorry:

 

[Woo482]

have you used the delta glider IV ? if you have they are just the astranaughts from that

 

[Master of Blades]

unfortunatly yess.
because i have never actually made trips to any other planets or moons.:sorry:

There is an sdk-tool called Ummu made by DanSteph (who also made OrbiterSound and the DGIV), which allows for that kind of EVAs, and also supplies you with a living, breathing crew for your vessel. The flag is probably done with the Orbiter-flag kit, that can be found on Orbithangar.

If you download the Delta Glider IV, you will notice that it comes with Ummu, which allows for that kind of EVA that is shown on the picture (they can be done anywhere really, don't have to be on Mars)

 

[Woo482]

and this is the link to the flag addon [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3410"]Orbiter Flag[/ame]

 

[RangerPL]

dude....how did you get them to pose for a picture with the flag? '

Well it took a bit of persuasion and a 10% pay raise for each crew member

That, and, uh a kick in the

 

[pilotpercy]

well done mate, my first interplanetary trip was to mars. have to recomend ORULEX though, makes landing in the middle of nowhere a realy fun and a good challange!!

 

[RangerPL]

well done mate, my first interplanetary trip was to mars. have to recomend ORULEX though, makes landing in the middle of nowhere a realy fun and a good challange!!

Yeah, I have orulex, but I didn't install it yet, as this is a brand new installation of orbiter.

 

[Chaosecre]

xD
nice.

thanks for the help.:lol:

 

[henrik]

If I had a dedicater Orbiter machine, I might go for a trip to Mars as well. But six months is a bit too long when I can't run it 24/7.

And yes, I know there is time acceleration, but I don't use it out of principle.

 

[Piper]

Congratulations! You seem to have done better on your first trip then I did on my first trip to Mars (I didn't do any midcourse corrections and ended up millions of km off.).

 

[RangerPL]

I completed another goal on my list yesterday... successful docking to the ISS with the XR5!

The toughest part for me was actually getting near the damned thing, but it worked out OK.

Somehow, my Docking MFD didn't show the path for docking, so I had to improvise and go for a different docking port intended. TBH, I totally ignored my docking MFD anyway :lol:. I hate instrumentation.

As usual, I'm including pictures:

Using linear thrusters to get aligned:
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/2139/orbiter2008062918213182ym7.png

Before ROT thruster alingment:
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/4977/orbiter2008062918271134sc5.png

Captured!
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9015/orbiter2008062918272045xa3.png

And now I can build my space station with the XR5, DGIV and the Tx.

 

[Woo482]

Sounds like you are doing good in orbiter I tried to build a space station with the XR5 yesterday I nearly lost the components for the space station when I Used to much thrust to dock to them.

 

[RangerPL]

Ahh, I don't want the page to load too long on slower PCs.