There is a lot of excitement around Mission Control – today is the day one of the most distant and difficult missions departs Kerbin!

Built using the core structure of a Horizon Class DSV, including the Discovery-Class nuclear reactor and LF-9 Engine assembly, Far Horizons’s most obvious features are the truly massive reflector arrays that allow for extremely long distance communication with the most distant planet in the Kerbol system.

“Reflector arrays show full deployment and are locked in place. Communication signal is strong and verified.  Good work people!”
-Gene, at Mission Control

The mission profile is fairly simple – travel to Plock, enter orbit, deploy landers, and then return to a higher orbit to allow ongoing communication with the deployed probes. Far Horizons is also equipped with mapping equipment to perform a complete study of Plock’s surface!

Engineers are already discussing a Far Horizons 2 mission which will deploy rovers to do more varied scientific studies.

Scientists believe that Far Horizons is now the fastest artificial object in the Kerbol system – traveling so fast it will reach Plock in just 5 years!  At ‘normal’ travel speeds a mission to Plock would take almost 20 years.