Building Jupiter Rockets

Not to be confused with Jupiter I-C or Jupiter rocket family.

Planets Expansion Required
Some or all of the features on this page requires the Planets Expansion in-app purchase.

A Jupiter rocket is a rocket capable of travelling to Jupiter. Without using the planet editor, this is only possible with the Planets Expansion, which Jupiter requires.

Structure

A Jupiter rocket needs at least 3 stages.

1st stage

The first stage should be relatively large (tank and engine-wise) so that it can propel the heavier upper stages upwards. The Titan or Hawk engine can be used. Boosters may be necessary.

2nd stage

The second stage can be used to get to a parking orbit and execute the Jupiter transfer burn. It must be propelled by a Frontier/Valiant engine and must have enough fuel in its tanks. The second stage can also get to an eccentric Jupiter orbit (if it has extra fuel).

3rd stage

The third stage can be used to get the rocket into Jupiter orbit and execute a transfer burn to Jupiter's moons. It must have the same specifications as the second stage, but with less fuel and with landing legs. The third stage can be also used to land on one of the Galilean moons if it has extra fuel.

Optionally:

4th & 5th stages

The fourth and fifth stages will be used to lift-off from the surface of one of Jupiter's moons and get back to Earth. The fourth stage will need the same specifications as the third stage, but with a Valiant engine, no landing legs and a little less fuel. The fifth/final stage will do the trans-terrestrial injection. There will be a capsule that will safely return to Earth that'll complete the mission.

So we can have 5 stages max. (more stages can be added if one decides to visit all of the moons)

Note that bringing a lander to Jupiter is virtually useless as Jupiter is a gas giant and has no solid surface. You can only land on the Galilean moons since they have solid surfaces.

Examples

Jupiter I

A rocket capable to go to one of Jupiter's Galilean Moons

Jupiter I is a rocket capable of reaching into low earth orbit and going into Jupiter orbit. It contains a satellite and a lander to land on one of Jupiter's moons.

Real-life Jupiter rockets

• Atlas V (Launched the Juno and New Horizons probes)
• Atlas-Centaur (Launched Pioneer 10 and 11)
• Titan IIIE (Launched Voyager 1 and 2)
• Titan IV (Launched Cassini and Huygens)
• Space Shuttle/IUS (Launched Galileo and Ulysses) (Ulysses only flew by Jupiter for a gravity assist)
• Ariane 5 (Launched JUICE)

How to get to Jupiter

A tutorial for how to get to Jupiter can be found here: Getting to Jupiter

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