The circumnavigation of planet Eol Prou FB-I b25-50 1, a funny looking rock

[Nick Sticks]

I've been casually looking for a small planet to circumnavigate and I've now got my candidate.
It's Eol Prou FB-I b25-50 1, a stones throw from Colonia and I discovered it when coming back from a trip to one of those nebulas out there.

I did start one of these a long time a ago but gave up after a while, I think I chose a particularly large planet before so it was going to take up too much time. Anyway, I recently accompanied Alec Turner for a few parts of his recent circumnavigation and it's got me excited to have another shot at this.

It's a funny looking rock and I liked it straight away:

It has a radius of 353km so it's bigger than I was looking for having a circumference of about 2217km.

This will be a leisurely wheels on the ground trip as I like to take in the scenery so I'm normally going at 10 - 15 km/h but on the relatively smooth surfaces I have seen 30+ km/h.

This is my start point crater, and there's a mound in the middle to aim for.

I'm all set to go, my T7 has been dismissed and I'm feeling excited. My heading will be 90 degrees, which at this point is the direction where the star is.

Final check of systems and we're off.

It look longer than I thought it would to get out of that crater, it's bigger than it looks. That's the start mound in the distance.

The first session went well but I've only had time to clear the crater, here's the planet view of the position.

 

[Deluvian]

Nice potato

 

[acg515]

Potato planets are my favorite. Or at least, that's what I call them.

 

[varonica]

It has a radius of 353km so it's bigger than I was looking for having a circumference of about 2217km.

Have fun, as for the size, you can't get funny looking rocks with a radius smaller than around 200km. There's something with the planetary mesh that prevents bumps and depressions at less than that radius. In fact the bumpiest bodies tend to be in the 300km to 500km radius, larger than that and they smooth out due to gravitational attraction, smaller than 200km radius they smooth out due to technical issues with the planet mesh, so it appears you have selected an ideal potato.

 

[AkenBosch]

I like the definition of "ideal potato".

For instance, Enceladus happens to be almost exactly 100 km shorter in average radius (101 to be exact), but it's also a lot more round. A very less than ideal potato then.

Spoiler

Judging by the elevations I see in your screenshots you have quite the interesting challenge ahead, have a safe journey cmdr Sticks! o7

 

[varonica]

I like the definition of "ideal potato".

For instance, Enceladus happens to be almost exactly 100 km shorter in average radius (101 to be exact), but it's also a lot more round. A very less than ideal potato then.

Yes under 300km radius they get less bumpy and smoother, but tend to be more lopsided or squashed.

Squashed in on each side like this;

or lopsided like this;

But not ideal potato's, no.

I suspect a limitation to the flexibility of the planet mesh so they can't deform properly at small radii.

 

[Nick Sticks]

Update 2

I'm out of the starting crater and looking forward to the second leg of my journey.

Still heading towards that bright thing in the sky.

The landscape's getting a bit tricky but I'm going to stick to my 90 degree heading!

Came across this lone sentry guarding a satellite like it was an egg.

Looking back at my tracks.

Hmm, more sentries guarding a pile of loot. No crash debris so someone must have left them here for later.

That's it for this session, time to recall the T7.
Total distance travelled so far is 62km.

 

[Nick Sticks]

Update 3

Just a quick run this session.
I've been running with shields off to save power and fuel. I also turn off weapons and the cargo scoop, only turning them on to gather materials. I did a lot of material gathering when I first started thinking they would be rare but there's actually loads of them on this planet.

Looking back at my tracks going to the left of that small mountain in the distance.
The surface can be reasonably smooth but then just when you think you get some real speed up it turns bumpy just like behind the SRV.

It looks smooth ahead here.

And that's it for this run. Total distance travelled from the start is 101km.

Position on the planet.

 

[Nick Sticks]

Update 4

Off we go again.

The view ahead looks like it should be easy.

Still smooth but what's that in the distance?

Now that more interesting.

What? Someone mining on my planet!

It looks like a nice set up but there's no one home, I'll have to carry on.

I can't believe it, what's going on here that warrants a System Defence Force Python?

Ah, that's why, some discarded cargo.

That's it for this session, and back in my warm T7.
Total distance travelled from the start is 154km.

Position on planet.

 

[Nick Sticks]

Update 5

So, what will I see on this trip?

There looks like a valley ahead.

I've reached the edge of the shallow valley with nothing to report.

This is strange. I've entered what appears to be a dark zone of a regular shape. What could possible cause such a phenomenon?

The dark zone has disturbed me so much that I've had to recall my trusty T7 for a fresh cup of really hot tea.
Total distance travelled so far is 185km.

 

[Nick Sticks]

Update 6

Well, back in the SRV and the dark zone has gone, a mystery for another day.

The journey ahead looks like more of the same.

Some welcome crinkly bits to break up the journey.

Some more sentries guarding cargo canisters, I wonder if it's the same person doing this?

And that's it for this trip, stopping on what looks like the edge of a crater or valley.
Total distance travelled so far is 225km.

Position on planet:

 

[Nick Sticks]

Update 7

Ready, get set, go!

Looking back at the crater I've just been through.

Oh, what has happened here? Could this be the person that's been dropping all these canisters or was he caught trying to steal them?

Either way it doesn't look good for the Cmdr.

Further on I've come across this collection and an escape pod. Was this the SRV Cmdr that got away only to end up here? No sign of a ship wreck. Maybe it was stolen and he was dumped here.

I'm just about to finish for this trip and take a look back at my tracks. What's that in the distance to the right, a ship?

It's a System Defence Force Vulture guarding a downed satellite.

I tried to contact the pilot to see if he knew anything about the abandoned escape pod or burnt out SRV. There was no reply even though I could see him moving though the canopy.

I moved on a bit and decided to finally call it a day with yet another mystery unsolved.
Total distance travelled from the start is 285km.

 

[Nick Sticks]

Update 8

Another day, another trip.

Oops, haven't done a planet position recently.

The journey ahead.

First satellite of the day.

Some bumpy bits and then it looks like it's all smooth.

My tracks behind into the distance.

Another satellite, what keeps bringing these down?

More tracks behind.

Is that smoke ahead?

It's a crashed ship, no survivors.

The terrain is getting more interesting.

That's it for this trip.
Total distance travelled from the start is 325km.

Position on planet.

 

[Knot2clever]

Followed last time will follow your journey. I hope to circumnavigate the planet of death at some point. Any takers?

 

[Nick Sticks]

Followed last time will follow your journey. I hope to circumnavigate the planet of death at some point. Any takers?

Which planet of death is that?
Is it one with an elliptical orbit that cuts into it's star?

 

[Alec Turner]

Hey Nick, apologies for the lack of encouragement, for some reason I'd failed to subscribe to this thread and missed all the January updates. Following more closely now ... nice going! I must say I'm impressed at your determination ... without fliving this is one hell of an undertaking!

 

[Nick Sticks]

Hey Nick, apologies for the lack of encouragement, for some reason I'd failed to subscribe to this thread and missed all the January uodates. Following more closely now ... nice going! I must say I'm impressed at your determination ... without fliving this is one hell of an undertaking!

Well yes, it can be a bit samey sometimes but I like it - and with some good music in the background it's fun.

 

[Knot2clever]

Which planet of death is that?
Is it one with an elliptical orbit that cuts into it's star?

That's the one. I have visited, landed and survived. The views are quite something.
I don't know how practical it would be, at the moment it's just a dream. Have a bit of research to do at some point but game time/RL is a bit hectic at the moment. I will do my best to get out before you finish but unlikely. Best of luck.

 

[Nick Sticks]

That's the one. I have visited, landed and survived. The views are quite something.
I don't know how practical it would be, at the moment it's just a dream. Have a bit of research to do at some point but game time/RL is a bit hectic at the moment. I will do my best to get out before you finish but unlikely. Best of luck.

This must be it.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/357172-Challenge-to-land-on-the-world-of-death

It's only about 650ly from where I am now so I'll have a look at it after this little jaunt.

 

[AkenBosch]

Looking back at my tracks going to the left of that small mountain in the distance.
The surface can be reasonably smooth but then just when you think you get some real speed up it turns bumpy just like behind the SRV.

https://i.imgur.com/66BnTyH.jpg

I love this image, that's an angle I never thought of capturing! Those track really go back a distance.

This must be it.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/357172-Challenge-to-land-on-the-world-of-death

It's only about 650ly from where I am now so I'll have a look at it after this little jaunt.

You never stop discovering wacky stuff in this universe .

Looking a bit further though, the idea of a full trip around that rock is not advisable, unless you have what it takes to endure 22.650 kilometers of SRV droning noises. What it takes is probably Space Dementia at a terminal stage, so there may well be someone around up for the task.

In case someone should try anything at that place let me know, I'll have to ask him/her THE question:

[video=youtube;6GhoLAto8Vo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GhoLAto8Vo[/video]