If I recall correctly from this hard-mode career save, I have only done sub-orbital flights to various parts of Kerbin in order to collect surface samples.  Along with minor experiments with Mystery Goo pods.  I have 370k in the bank and four outstanding orbit contracts to fulfill.  Two are equatorial orbits out around the Mun (but orbiting Kerbin) and already have a Callisto III assigned.  Then I have two new ones which are polar orbits around Kerbin and I am just waiting on a launch window.

The Callisto III design is proving to be pretty reliable other then the initial two launch failures.  It is low-tech, over engineered, and not pretty.  It's about 22,500 per launch, better tech could possibly drive the cost down.

The main problem with the Callisto III design that I am using is that it needs to get up to 35km altitude before I even think about starting my gravity turn. That huge payload fairing on the front of the rocket introduces all sorts of fun aerodynamic effects with FAR installed.

During the initial boost phase, while the SRBs are running, I start the LV-T45 engine at 100% and gradually dial it back to 0% in order to keep my TWR in the 1.3-1.5 range all the way until the SRBs burn out (at around 25km altitude).  After SRB burnout and ejection, my target TWR is 1.1-1.3 until 35km altitude then a gradual turn to point 30 degrees above the horizon.  Throttles go back to 100% once I get above 55-60k.  At 65k I stop throttles, point the nose back up to 60 degrees and eject the payload fairing.  Then I nose back down to 10 degrees above the horizon and maneuver clear of the fairing before resuming 100% throttle.

For science missions I am going to switch back to a manned capsule design.  Initial payload will be (2) mystery goo containers mounted on the white stripes on the capsule plus a SC-9001 Science Jr strapped to the bottom of the capsule with a 1.25m heatshield below it.  I'm not sure if that will work and survive re-entry and landing.  Also a pair of OX-STAT PV panels.  I don't need extra food / water / life support because this will be a short-duration mission and the Command Pod Mk1 can support a single pilot for 3 days (TAC Life Support mod).

Booster stage is a LV-T45 engine with FL-T1200 fuel and three BACC SRBs along with radial mount parachutes and radial mount fins on the BACC SRBs.  The SRBs are throttled to keep booster stage TWR at 1.18.

Second stage is a LV-T45 engine with the equivalent of a FL-T1000 fuel tank and a pair of radial chutes for stage recovery.  TWR is about 1.86 and total DV of booster + 2nd stage is 4585 m/s.

Orbit stage is a LV-909 and a small FL-T100 fuel tank.  Mostly used for the re-entry burn.

Action groups are:

[Backspace] - Launch abort system which fires the Seperatron rockets on the capsule to pull it away from everything.  It also fires off a lot of the decouplers for rapid disassembly of the rocket.

[0] - Parachute on top of the capsule.

I picked a brand new recruit for the mission, Thompbart Kerman.  Launch cost is 20.8k -- which is not too bad for a starter rocket designed for short orbital flights.  I need a bigger heat shield (bigger then 1.25m) in order to protect larger payloads from reentry, so this will have to do for now.

Launch was in the morning of Y1 D18 (around 4h30m).  Booster and second stage climb out was moderately successful but the craft definitely needs some 1.25m reaction wheels inserted at the top of the booster stage fuel tanks.

Using the Science Jr at 100km altitude results in about 15pts of science.  No science points from the EVA or crew report or Mystery Goo containers because they have already been done in low Kerbin orbit.

Reentry speed is going to be about 2500-3000 m/s at a guess.  Orbit speed is about 2200 m/s and reentry is about 6 minutes away.  I do have 450 m/s of DV left on the payload tank to slow down the reentry and target a specific biome on the surface.  The Flight Engineer mod has trouble forecasting where my surface landing point will be due to having the FAR mod installed.  So there will be a bit of guesswork as I approach 70km of altitude.

Burn complete, FER says "Grasslands" (meh) and orbit speed is just 1860 m/s.  Passing 70km and craft is in 10 degrees of angle.  Passing 50k altitude at 1950 m/s.  Reentry aerobraking should kick in soon.  33k altitude and heat shield is above 500 degrees Celcius, speed of 1800 m/s.  13km and nothing burned off the craft, speed is down to 950 m/s.  Will deploy chute at 350 m/s and disable SAS.

Note: I'm still not sure if heat shields need seperators.  I'm starting to think not because when they get triggered, they end up slamming against the bottom of the payload, stuck there by air friction.

500m AGL - parachute switches from drogue to fully deployed.  Descent speed is 9.4 m/s (a little high) and will hopefully drop below 6-7 m/s before touchdown.

Failure...

Science Jr was destroyed on touchdown, being too fragile for impact at 9 m/s.  I need landing legs or a last minute burst of jets / RCS / rockets.  Or something else below the Science Jr...

On the upside, the pilot and the Mystery Goo container survived the crash landing.

Stage Recovery results:
  • Orbital - destroyed, but that had no parachutes
  • 2nd - destroyed, burned up in atmosphere (2355 m/s), loss of about 4400
  • Booster - recovered 9km from KSC for a refund of 6951, terminal velocity of 8.2 (max 12)
  • Payload - 517 cost.
Due to the destruction of the Science Jr, I only earned 2.7 science. 

Planned changes:
  • Need to leave at least some DV in the 2nd stage fuel tank so that it has enough for a reentry burn by the Stage Recovery mod. At a guess, I need to leave about 400 m/s in the tank to get it below 2000 m/s for reentry.
  • Add another T400 fuel tank to the booster stage.
  • Add another T200 fuel tank to the second stage.
  • Turn off decoupling of the heat shield from the bottom of the Science Jr.  It is rated at 9 m/s and should cushion the Science Jr from landing stresses.
  • Research 1.25m reaction wheels for more control on ascent
  • Reduce 1.25m heat shield strength by 40%
Ganymede II flight was a partial success. The second stage was recovered, but the Science Jr was still destroyed on impact with the ocean.  Total science for the mission was only 5.1.

Ganymede III will add (2) radial parachutes to the payload to try and drop the impact below 6 m/s.  It will also be a no-EVA mission as the door to the capsule will be blocked.

First attempt at reentry for Ganymede III was a near miss, 52k altitude was closest but orbit speed was still around 2400 m/s, so this mission will need multiple aerobraking passes in order to drop into the lower atmosphere.  Power may become critical if it takes more then two passes to burn off speed as there is only 80 minutes of power remaining in the capsule (I launched without any PV panels).

Pass number two has an estimated Pe of 50km and Ap of 90km.  Might capture on this pass.

Margin on Ganymede's 1.25m heat shield was only 7 out of the original 150 (max of 250). Next launch with this payload mass should use 200/250 for the heat shield.

Impact velocity of about 4.8 m/s.  Success!  24.2 science returned.