My Jovian Tour Challenge (300 + 300T Jovian Tour)

Rigel

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#1
Read about this challenge, you know, a trip to all Jovian moons and back with just 2 launches, limited to 300T each. Many people said that it's doable using ion engines. Thing is, I wanted to prove it. Or, more precisely, I wanted to see what could be achieved with ion engines and a 300+300 Tons limit.

To be fair, ion engines should have some kind of electric generator that, at the moment, the game lacks. So, in order to compensate it, I designed my spaceship to be as realistic as possible. So here it is:

Captura de pantalla 2022-07-22 a las 20.42.29.png

As you can see, my propulsion system consists of 11 ion engines, and I've included a nuclear reactor, a radiation shield and a truss with radiators. Those components add 26,5T to my ship, for only 16,5T of thrust. Then I included some fuel tanks, a hab module, a command module (with I'll use for the reentry on earth) and a lander. I used some clipping to make the ship cooler, but no BP editing and no cheats at all.

Ok, I had to launch the ship first, with the fuel tanks almost empty to fit the 300T limit. Once in orbit, I transfer whatever fuel is left in the launcher into the ship:
Screenshot_20220708-180112_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-105504_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-111114_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-111155_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-111232_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

Then, the lander and the fuel. When it docks the ship, I fill it's tanks and detach the third stage of my secod rocket:
Screenshot_20220709-154259_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-154351_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-154418_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-154459_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-155232_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

I hadn't fuel enough to fill all my tanks, but I almost did it. Now it's time for a long burn to get me to Jupiter:
Screenshot_20220709-155915_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

In jupiter, I used some gravity assists with its moons, combined with some burns, until I find myself in an eliptical Jupiter's orbit with my periapse is just inside Io's orbit. Then, during an encounter with Io, I brake enough to be caught in a Io's orbit. In doing so, my two expendable fuel tanks are dry, so I jettison them. Then it's time for the lander to detach, and land on Io:
Screenshot_20220709-230036_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-233510_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

Now, the lander goes back to orbit and rendevouz again with my mothership. Then we raise our orbit for an encounter with Europa:
Screenshot_20220709-234821_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220709-234822_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220710-000520_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

Same for Ganymede:
Screenshot_20220710-001506_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220711-115925_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220711-120707_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

(continues)
 
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Rigel

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#2
And Callixto:
Screenshot_20220711-121630_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220711-122122_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220711-154448_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

After I went back to Callixto orbit and dock with my mothership, I found myself with a lot of fuel still left. I read in the Lonely Planet guide of Mars that the planet is lovely this part of the year, so I decided to stop there to take some pictures. Sadly, my lander lacked heat shields, so I only could visit its two moons:
Screenshot_20220711-155316_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220711-185554_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220712-000731_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220712-001652_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220712-002251_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220712-004825_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

Once again, I found myself with more than enough fuel to get back home, so... why not to stop in the Moon first, to buy some duty frees?
Screenshot_20220712-092101_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220712-092610_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220712-093032_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

Done. Now it's really time to get back home. I went back to orbit and make one last docking with my mothership, then my lander is left behind, and I make one last burn to get back home:
Screenshot_20220712-093416_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220712-093417_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

Before reentry, the command module detaches and lands safely:
Screenshot_20220714-000230_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220714-000322_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg
Here are my achievements. A large list, indeed:
Screenshot_20220714-000557_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220714-000608_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220714-000620_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg Screenshot_20220714-000646_Spaceflight Simulator.jpg

And this was the story of what can be done with a futuristic spaceship with ion engines. More than enough to fulfill the challenge, as you can see. In fact, I think it is possible to complete the Grand Tour with a single launch and ion engines without the need for gravity assists thah would last millennia. Maybe I'll try it some day, as it's totally impossible right now to achieve with chemical engines: the 1:5 scale Solar System and the need for heat shields to land on Venus, Mars and Earth make it much harder than before.
 
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Altaïr

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#3
Wow...

I also remember what I said if somebody accomplished this challenge. This is impressive, very good performance. Of course ion engines help, but they are used fairly here.

For the Grand Tour it should be possible with ions, but of course the need to survive reentry on Venus and Mars adds a good engineering challenge...
 

Mooncrasher

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#4
Great job with your spaceship, getting it to look good and balancing the ions via high dry mass and only small amount of fuel. :)