Surveyor 5 is a Minmus landing (for variety).  This will represent the first landing of any type on Minmus.  Part of this mission is to experiment with the MechJeb "Launch into Plane" aspect.  It did have a bug in it that required it to be tweaked, I wonder if that is fixed... It says it is 1 day away from launch.  I am not sure how launch control works with this.  We'll see. Leaving everything at default, it was definitely NOT in the plane (worse than normal).  There was an MJ bug that required putting 0 value into the plane angle down below, I will try that next time. 228.5 dV plane shift required to match Minmus. Got to Minmus well.  The landing with MJ took forever and got into one of those odd cycles where it was adjusting constantly so I took over manual control with about 300m left and landed it.  Minmus is pretty easy if you take it slow so that was no problem. Lots of science being collected.  This should start setting me up for the Apollo program. <Surveyor 5> The Surveyor 6 contract is now active and is Minmus again.  Plus, I have a separate contract for getting science from the Minmus surface so that should work out well. Surveyor 6 Launch Into Plane of Target was set to 0 this time.  Let's see if that works. It does.  Apparently the bug is still in MJ.  Just set the Plane launch to zero (the incline sets itself) and it works good. On to Minmus! Needed to do the last part of landing manual again.  Also, ended up in a pretty polar orbit.  Not sure why, planes appeared to be correct.  Need to maybe adjust anyway when they are close. Collecting science. Two contracts fulfilled as well. <Surveyor 6> Venera 1 is just 16 days from going into the SOI for Eve so I think I will jump to that and complete that mission.  I've made great progress as I have multiple landers and am on the verge of Apollo yet still in the first year of my program! ;> Is it possible to complete Venera 3/4 at the same time?  (Enter atomsphere?)  We'll find out! Set periapsis to 50 km successfully.  If I can send science below 90 km than I think it will work, I just need to crash and not explode! Came in too hot.  Looking for a shallower repeat. Well, I was able to get the science, but no go on the crash landing because, simply, I either burn up and explode or I bounce out.  Simple wasn't built to enter the atmosphere. <Venera 1 Complete> Cleaned up the debris and old missions to improve performance. <Cleanup> I have a very well paying interesting science mission to Mun (plant growth).  I think I may try that only because it pays really well and it is a bit different.  I will need some more science to build Apollo, a lot more! Apollo 4 Apollo Saturn 1B Base craft This is a test mission for the Apollo program.  It is not really a valid test because I don't have all the parts yet, but if I do this I can move forward  a bit.  I need to launch, make low orbit, hang out (testing) and then have a high apoasis orbit and return.  It does burn up the ablator pretty bad.  It doesn't appear to blow up though.  I guess that's why its a test! Ascent:  Full throttle, 5deg, 50% turn to 200km orbit. Very twisty ascent which did not happen in the sim? Ready to go to 18,250 km apoasis.  Need 802 dV (like Mun transit). MJ came up short on the apoasis (like in the sim) very odd.  No problem, I just point prograde and added some more.  Plenty of fuel.  Ready to do return (in 2 days!) Power looks fine (I put 4K in the craft).  Ready to do burn for atmosphere entry. I will try and test the fairings while I am at it. It seems that you are still connected even when you release the fairings, so you can't really turn around and dock.  I am not sure how this all works, but I think you have to wing the docking with the LEM a bit. More ablator left this time, I came in a bit steeper (18km) and also appeared to have less speed due to the shallower apoasis.  It was significant! <Apollo 4> I have the three MultiSpectral (MS) Scanning missions to do to get the system's biomes.  Sending those up now. <Kerbin MS Scanner> <Mun MS Scanner> <Minmus MS Scanner> Let those missions get their data and cash. Surveyor 7 This is the last Surveyor contract (I can run other missions for science) and it goes to Minmus.  I will do this because it pays and then focus my science buildup on Mun. Launch into plane worked well.  A minor adjustment is probably all was needed last time as well.  It just gets bigger as you go further out. Odd challenge to orbit.  Going for Lesser Flats. Doing the slow descent at Minmus with MJ game. Probably will need to do a manual landing again.  I am not sure why MJ is struggling so much with Minmus? Maybe coming in from higher orbits will help.  I had that issue in the past (changing touchdown spot due to high areas). <Surveyor 7> Now that is is on the surface, I have a fair amount of dV left (almost 3000).  I think I may do some hopping to get some repeatable science. Also able to get Slopes!!! Got the Flats too! <Surveyor 7 Plus> There is a telescope mission that will help me get some more science and I only need a bit more to have my full Apollo set unlocked so I can do a full Mun orbital test. I will be using the CactEye scope (2nd gen).  It requires a specific orbit and then it should get more science than the first being a better core. About 181 dV left after reaching orbital params. <Scope 2> Contracts were good but science was not impressive since it appears to be fixed at 7 for each planet and I could not even get Plock. Need to do another Surveyor mission to get more science. Surveyor 8 (starting my own) Landing at Midland Crater Apparently I already did this...sigh.  I will take off an land elsewhere. Going for Midlands. I got that. <Surveyor 8> That gave me enough science to discover that I needed some earlier science to get what my goal was!  Dummy.  Fortunately, KEI saved me because it gave me enough to get all of it.  I am now ready to test the Apollo program to the Mun. Yes! <Apollo Ready>