Testing an Eve launcher on Kerbin

kerbal-space-program

I'd like to launch a rocket from the surface of Eve. From what I've read, Eve is significantly harder to launch from than Kerbin.

How can I test my Eve launcher design on Kerbin to see that it has sufficient delta-v for the job?

  • I'm looking for an un-modded solution, something that works in KSP right out of the box.
  • I'm only looking at a craft to get from Eve's surface to low Eve orbit. Don't worry about how to get that craft to Eve in the first place.

Best Answer

If you want to do this un-modded, you're going to need your thinking cap and a calculator. Because you'll need to work out your delta-v manually.

You're going to need around 11.5 Km of ΔV from sea level, less if you can get a higher LZ. Here's the delta-v calculation cheat sheet, you'll need to apply this to your ship prelaunch, don't forget to calculate for staging and fuel lines.

Delta-V calculation

Then you'll need to make sure your ship will get off the ground, Eve has nearly double the ASL gravity of Kerbin. You'll need a Thrust To Weight (TWR) of at least 2. You can check this by running a test launch from Kerbin at 50% thrust and if can make orbit, you should be good.

I recommend using a mod like MechJeb or Engineer to calculate your TWR and Delta-V.