Val will pilot Resolute to its next mission – delivery of the Habitat Module for the Harmony Space Station!  The launch goes well, and Val circularizes…

then moves in to rendezvous with the waiting Harmony Space Station core!

“I need to be careful with my maneuvers… Harmony is being assembled near the upper limit of Resolute’s operating parameters.. just a bit over 90k!… I see the station out the window.  Moving in!”

-Val

Should Resolute run out of fuel, the shuttle does have enough solid maneuvering propellant to de-orbit and return to Kerbin… however everyone hopes that won’t be necessary!

Resolute‘s payload detaches… then docks with Harmony!  Success!

“Ok – job done!  Heading home!”

-Val

Val sits in orbit, waiting for the sun to rise above the Space Center.  Night landings are generally not preferred ! Thankfully, Resolute has enough fuel to de-orbit!

Resolute’s moving pretty fast… deploying airbrakes!

-Val

Resolute swoops down for a landing!

Almost there…

“Got it!  There was a loud “crushing noise when the gear set down, and the Master Alarm sounded!  Looks like I lost one of the ventral Air Brakes!”

-Val

Thankfully, there was no damage to the rest of the craft.  The Air Brakes aren’t designed to be deployed during a landing, just during the approach to the air strip.  This should be an avoidable mistake for the future!

“Maybe we can set the Authority Limiter on those Air Brakes to a lower extension… how about 60 percent of their regular extension?”

-Bob

Everyone agrees that’s a good idea, and the changes are made at once!

Resolute is recovered, and refurbishments start immediately!  The Harmony Science Module will go up in the next Heavy Cargo Shuttle launch… and then Harmony Station will be ready to go!

There is already talk of constructing an additional Cargo Shuttle – it would have been useful for Harmony Station to launch both modules right away to get things rolling faster!  If the Harmony Station design looks viable, future stations may use similar layouts… so an additional Cargo Shuttle will probably be in the works!