Launch 4-24: Kerbin+Mun Rescue/Landing

Year 4, Day 304.
Mission Objectives:

1. Test Mainsail Heavy launcher.
2. Recover Deblin (Engineer) from LKO.
3. Recover Dalotte (Scientist) from Mun orbit.
4. Land on Mun once or twice.
5. Leave lander docked to Mun station.
6. Return Deblin and Dalotte safely to Kerbin.

​Crew: Burlan (Scientist⭐️)

Payload: Mk1-2 Pod

Insertion/return stage: Terrier II

Payload: Mun Lander

Upper stage: Poodle II

First stage and boosters: Mainsail Heavy

Waiting for our rendezvous window with Deblin.

Great shot of the launch.

Altitude 15km. This rocket flew like a dream.

Ditching the LES.

First stage sep.

Welcome aboard, Deblin!

Planning a free-return trajectory to Mun.

Burn complete, target in sight.

Fairing sep exposing the lander.

Docking to the lander was as easy as flipping the pod. No monoprop was needed.

Separating from the transfer stage.

Transfer stage on an impact trajectory to keep space clean.

And some rendezvous planning.

The lander separates while we're still in an eccentric orbit. The capsule will rendezvous with Dalotte while Burlan lands on the surface.

The lander performing its deorbit burn.

Waiting for suicide burn.

Finishing up suicide burn.

Time for flags and science!

Planning a hop over to the east crater.

The lander made two hops. Turns out that was one too many: while it made it into orbit, it doesn't have enough fuel to dock with the station.

Back to the capsule, which picked up Delotte.

Ready to dock!

Pucker up.

Docking confirmed.

Then we towed the lander up to our station so it could be refueled and reused. No science module yet, so we can't do research.

And then EVAd back to the orbiter.

48m/s of fuel left so we should probably head home!

Mun is still back there somewhere.

Ready to splash down.

Umm, someone was going to pick us up, right?

Mission Summary:

1. Test Mainsail Heavy launcher: success!
2. Recover Deblin (Engineer) from LKO: success!
3. Recover Dalotte (Scientist) from Mun orbit: success!
4. Land on Mun once or twice: success!
5. Leave lander docked to Mun station: success!
6. Return Deblin and Dalotte safely to Kerbin: success!

Science Earned: 764.2
​Promotions: Burlan (Scientist⭐️⭐️), Dalotte (Scientist⭐️), Deblin (Engineer⭐️)