KSC - BB - KSC

[agentgonzo]

Well, as it turns out, you can fly from KSC to Brighton Beach and Back in the XR2 without refuelling. I managed to do it over the weekend (just!) and dead-sticked it into the GTF at Canaveral with 30%RCS fuel left and both SCRAM and main tanks empty.

 

[Tommy]

Did you enter Earth orbit before reentry or did you use aerobraking and a direct reentry?

Just tried this myself, but made a couple expensive mistakes on the way out - quit in moon orbit (before landing) and about 20% main fuel remaining. Don't think I was going to make the return trip!
Got to get my scram ascent better, had just over 70% main fuel when I circularized at 200k in leo. That might have been good enough, but silly me made a MCC that screwed my PeA on the moon, and wasted more fuel correcting it. Had a third of a tank after TLI, might have made it. I know I don't need main fuel after TEI, but there's over 3k dV involved in the lunar landing and ascent. Guess I'll have to practice.

 

[agentgonzo]

Did you enter Earth orbit before reentry or did you use aerobraking and a direct reentry?

Just tried this myself, but made a couple expensive mistakes on the way out - quit in moon orbit (before landing) and about 20% main fuel remaining. Don't think I was going to make the return trip!
Got to get my scram ascent better, had just over 70% main fuel when I circularized at 200k in leo. That might have been good enough, but silly me made a MCC that screwed my PeA on the moon, and wasted more fuel correcting it. Had a third of a tank after TLI, might have made it. I know I don't need main fuel after TEI, but there's over 3k dV involved in the lunar landing and ascent. Guess I'll have to practice.

I used aerobraking and a direct reentry (about a quarter of an earth's orbit from initial aerobraking at about 100km altitude until landing at KSC)