Now that some Mun missions are under out belt, we head to Minmus.  Fortunately the quirk of the Kerbin system is that it doesn't require a whole lot more to get to Minmus so some of our equipment designs will just be re-useable. To start that, we have the Minmus Scanning mission.  Almost identical to the Mun Scanning mission, we can use the same craft. Launch date: 1y 315d Minmus Scanner 2 (Mun Scanner 2 craft 6156 dV) Lunached with MechJeb matching so I only needed a few dV to match planes.  2384 dV left with matched planes in orbit! Good mission. Now it will collect the additional scanner data for a while. <Minmus Scanner 2> It looks like we have some advanced training for Deblotte now.  Her craft will be the Raptor series.  This is the launch and incline change return mission.  Should be straightforward. Raptor 1 (Deblotte Pilot) Mercury Orbital Platform craft (6017 dV) Launch date: 1y 324d Go for 125km equatorial orbit (<5deg).  Than an incline change (>45deg). Safe Return. Good mission with a bit of science as well. <Deblotte Training> Did a little cleanup work for better performance. <Tracking Cleanup> Next on tap appears to be our first Minmus landing (unkerballed) as that will get us a bit of science.    I should be able to use the Mun Landing Craft and the next in the series (Erriksen 2). Looking at the log, there was some odd aspects to launch, so I will watch this one more carefully.  It is a stubby craft, so that is probably where the problem is.  I don't think I will use it a lot though, so okay for now.  I will limit accel to 25 just to be safe. Added on extendable solar array since the log indicates it needs the power. Columbus 1 Mun Lander craft (6759 dV) Launch date: 1y 324d Good launch into plane.  Less pulsing, it is just plain top-heavy I think. Small dV to match incline. Good landing in Lowlands. Good Science. Mot enough juice for the seismic data.  Need to allow partial.  Need more juice... The antenna got stuck.  Crap.  I won't get the 100 value seismic data.  I tried turning it off and on.  I tried sending a different instrument.  It is stuck open.  I may change view and check if that works. That seems to be working a bit. <Columbus 1> I have two contracts to take care of.  The first is the survey contract for Kerbin itself.  Very straightforward so I think I will do that first.  Also, I have a Jeb training mission to do.  It is a simple mission but I am hoping to test my new trajectory mod to see if I can pinpoint his landing a bit.  I want to use it for aerobraking planning in the future. Kerbin Scanner 2 Munar Scanner 2 craft (6156 dV) - doesn't save much money to reduce this. Launch date: 1y 333d Do a polar launch.  Go to 260 km orbit.  Do fuzzy resource scan and then do the longer term multi-spectral scan (biome stuff). Flawless launch.  90.2 deg incline.  260 km circular orbit.  Perfect! <Kerbin Scanner 2> I did a basic trajectory test on that previous mission.  Let's see if I can pinpoint a Jeb landing. I can land on anything but water to get a surface sample (or EVA or Crew Report.  Don't do water).  A crew report for anything but grassland.  Let's see what I can do! Eagle-3 (Jebediah pilot training) Mercury Orbital Platform (6017 dV, overkill due to now required inclination shift although I may do one for trajectory). Launch date: 1y 333d Basic orbital mission.  Looking to get some science on return. Something odd happened. I may have hit execute on accident.  Either way, my targeting got screwed.  Just trying to land at this point. Got a crew report flying low over grasslands.  Can get EVA and surface sample.  Need to test trajectory better. <Jeb Training 3> I did some impact contract testing (with intent to reset).  I was not able to get to the 15 Mjoules.  It appears that I was only able to get to about 12 if I did  the math right (800kj = 1 ton @ 40m/s).  I did 1 ton at just over 600 m/s which puts you around 12Mj.  I need to test some more but the science looks good from this. I tried some more and it should be getting me well above 15, but it is not going green.  No idea.  I am not finding it online and I don't know how you tell what impact you did have! Resetting... to Jeb save. Time to do a little Valentina training now.  She needs to do the inclination transfer.  I can experiment with trajectories again, hopefully better this time!  I can then do a rescue mission with a science upgrade and get a new crew member. Skyhawk 3 (Valentina training) Mercury Orbital Platform (6017dV) Launch date: 1y 335d Standard training. Apparently, Trajectory does take into account rotation.  This is awesome.  However, it unfortunately showed I ad almost no chance of landing on land to get a surface sample.  I'm going to call the test a success though.  I will be able to plan much better now. <Valentina Training 3> Okay, I fully upgraded my research so I could get the next level of MechJeb and also the Octosat probes (which I love).  I want to explore some other worlds.  And do some local system return samples.  So upgrade and spend 550 of science to do just that.  My first test will be rescuing and getting a new crew member. Rescue 1 (unkerballed to start) Korabl Base craft (4342 dV) Launch date: 1y 336d Hopefully I have enough dV to pull this off.  It is an orbital craft I am connecting to and fairly low orbit.  Her name is Mibie.  I don't know her specialty yet. Forgot to take Jeb out.  Fixing. Since I am going into a higher orbit (100km vs 85km)  I am launching before the target reaches me. It would take 17 orbits.  Not a good call.  I am letting the rendezvous play itself out. I think my dV will be okay, it is all small moves it looks like so I should have about 300dV when I get there. Cool.  Mibie is a pilot! (I wouldn't have minded some actual experts though...) Heading back. I may even get some surface science out of this. <Mibie Rescue>