Liftoff! Mission Types

First published 5th April 2017 (Last Modified 12th January 2023)

Liftoff! Mission types

There are several missions that can be made - note that any of the manned missions made by sent as unmanned if desired - this allows for systems testing without the risk of a catastrophic failure. The lists below shown the standard mission types and the safety checks that will be made for the mission. If you wish to do a mission that is not listed, please discuss it with me to determine the mission steps and the bonus and/or penalties that will be applied when the mission is complete.

 Orbital Satellite

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Orbital Satellite)
  • Orbital Activities (Orbital Satellite)

Manned Sub-Orbital

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Re-enter (Capsule)
  • Recovery (Capsule)

Manned Orbital

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Orbital Activities (Capsule)
  • Earth De-Orbit Burn (Capsule)
  • Re-entry (Capsule)
  • Recovery (Capsule)

Manned Orbital and Spacewalk

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Orbital Activities (Capsule)
  • Spacewalk (EVA)
  • Earth De-Orbit Burn (Capsule)
  • Re-entry (Capsule)
  • Recovery (Capsule)

Manned Orbital and Docking

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Orbital Activities (Capsule)
  • Docking Module Power-On (Orbital Satellite)
  • Docking (Docking)
  • Earth De-Orbit Burn (Capsule)
  • Re-entry (Capsule)
  • Recovery (Capsule)

Manned Orbital, Docking and Spacewalk

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Orbital Activities (Capsule)
  • Docking Module Power-On (Orbital Satellite)
  • Docking (Docking)
  • Spacewalk (EVA)
  • Earth De-Orbit Burn (Capsule)
  • Re-entry (Capsule)
  • Recovery (Capsule)

Lunar Satellite Fly-by

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Earth Mission Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Lunar Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Lunar Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)

Lunar Probe Landing

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Lunar Probe)
  • Earth Mission Burn (Lunar Probe)
  • Lunar Orbital Burn (Lunar Probe)
  • Lunar De-Orbit Burn (Lunar Probe)
  • Photo Reconnaissance (Photo Reconnaissance)
  • Lunar Landing (Lunar Probe)

Mars Satellite Fly-by

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Earth Mission Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)

The following two steps are checked in the following year

  • Mars Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Mars Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)

Venus Satellite Fly-by

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Earth Mission Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)

The following two steps are checked in the following year

  • Venus Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Venus Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)

Lunar and Mars Fly-by

Note: This mission type has a compulsory 1d10 month rush applied to it.

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Earth Mission Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Lunar Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Lunar Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Lunar/Mars Transfer Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)

The following two steps are checked in the following year

  • Mars Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Mars Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)

Lunar and Venus Fly-by

Note: This mission type has a compulsory 1d10 month rush applied to it.

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Earth Mission Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Lunar Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Lunar Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Lunar/Venus Transfer Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)

The following two steps are checked in the following year

  • Venus Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Venus Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)

Mars and Venus Satellite Fly-by

Note: This mission type has a compulsory 1d10 month rush applied to it.

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Earth Mission Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)

The following three steps are checked in the following year

  • Mars Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Mars Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Mars/Venus Transfer Orbital Burn

The following two steps are checked in the following year (i.e., two years after launch)

  • Venus Orbital Burn (Interplanetary Satellite)
  • Venus Orbital Activities (Interplanetary Satellite)

Manned Lunar Pass

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Mission Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • En route Activities (Capsule)
  • Lunar Mission Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • En route Activities (Capsule)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Orbital Activities (Capsule)
  • Earth De-Orbit Burn (Capsule)
  • Re-entry (Capsule)
  • Recovery (Capsule)

Manned Lunar Orbital

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Mission Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • En route Activities (Capsule)
  • Lunar Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Lunar Orbital Activities (Capsule)
  • Lunar Mission Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • En route Activities (Capsule)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Orbital Activities (Capsule)
  • Earth De-Orbit Burn (Capsule)
  • Re-entry (Capsule)
  • Recovery (Capsule)

Manned Lunar Landing

  • Liftoff (Rocket)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Mission Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • En route Activities (Capsule)
  • Docking (Docking) - may be skipped if using the four person capsule/module
  • Lunar Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Lunar De-Orbit Burn (Lunar Module)
  • Photo Reconnaissance (Photo Reconnaissance)
  • Lunar Landing (Lunar Module) - only crew members in the module count as crew for this mission step
  • Moonwalk (EVA) - only crew members in the module count as crew for this mission step
  • Lunar Launch (Lunar Module)
  • Lunar Orbital Activities (Capsule) - may be skipped if using the four person capsule/module - if not using the four person capsule/module at least one astronaut must be left in the capsule who will be the only crew for this mission step
  • Docking (Docking) - may be skipped if using the four person capsule/module
  • Lunar Mission Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • En route Activities (Capsule)
  • Earth Orbital Burn (Capsule (or Kicker if used))
  • Earth Orbital Activities (Capsule)
  • Earth De-Orbit Burn (Capsule)
  • Re-entry (Capsule)
  • Recovery (Capsule)

Mission Pre-requisites

Mission pre-requisites

The mission types shown above should be completed in order. It is permitted to skip these missions but the agency doing so takes additional risks. For each skipped mission there is a cumulative 3% penalty to each mission step. Once a mission has been completed successfully it counts as having completely both that mission and the earlier ones in the sequence for the purposes of this rule. For example, if your first ever mission is a Manned Lunar Pass, that mission will be subject to a 9% penalty on all its safety checks. If successful that penalty is removed and the agency can attempt that mission and any of its pre-requisite missions without penalty.

Notes

Manned capsules must be fully crewed unless performing a rescue mission or sent as an unmanned mission (in which case the capsule and/or lander must be sent completely empty).

Last updated: January 12, 2023 at 11:31 am
16th May 2017
Clarify that manned missions must be sent with full crews in almost all cases.
1st Nov 2017
Remove spurious dash symbol