Kerbol 2 is just 4 days from its closest point with the sun, so the massive heat shield deploys!

The crafts radiators also fully deploy, and Mission Control waits as the probe speeds closer and closer to the sun!

Even with the massive heat shield and the radiators onboard the probe, things get very, very hot.  KSEA isn’t sure if the craft will survive its first pass – perhaps the initial flyby was too close?

At 207k above the sun’s surface the first heat alarm goes off – nothing critical, but Kerbol Two is rapidly approaching its redline!

Kerbol 2 finally dips below 200k, and so far heat readings are within tolerances… barely!

Kerbol 2 makes it below 140k!  The heat shield begins glowling an unsettling shade of red!

Kerbol 2 drops below 130km… The onboard thermostat reads at 440.71k – very hot!

Kerbol 2 drops below 120k!  Temperature reads… 445.3k!

That’s it… it just dropped below 100k….

At 95km new heat alarms go off – the craft might be approaching its limits!  Even dipping below 90km, the craft seems to be holding together!

At 80.4km communications are suddenly lost, and the craft shrieks out its last scientific data…. Kerbol 2 is gone!

While it was highly expected that Kerbol 2 would not survive it was nonetheless disappointing that the mission ended in a giant explosion.  Already though plans are being drawn up for Kerbol 3, which will have even more heat shielding!