The Explorer 7 crew heads over to the Cryo Section and gets ready for their chilly nap!
“Mission Control – this is Malcolm – we’re all ready for cryostasis… Explorer 7, signing out!”
-Malcolm
In just 280 days, Explorer 7 will arrive at Duna!
Malcolm, Dunwin, and Shepley all board Explorer 7! Outside the rocket, the loudspeakers count down to launch!
“10… 9…8…7…6…ignition sequence start….5…4…3…2…1…IGNITION!”
-Gene
“We have liftoff!”
-Gene
The powerful Sarnus Va rocket lifts Explorer 7 higher and higher!
Until orbit is reached! Then, with just 3 minutes to spare until the transfer window, Malcolm fires the engines!
“Engines firing…. We’re on course!”
-Malcolm
Explorer 7 soars past Mun on its way out of Kerbin’s SOI!
Hours later, the Advanced Duna Lander departs for Duna! The two spacecraft will arrive at Duna in 208 days!
“Ok, we’re on our way! Mission Control, we’re handing over vehicle control to KSC! “
-Malcolm
“That means it’s time to head over to the Cryo Section… And take a little nap!”
-Shepely
The 3 Kerbals prepare to head over to the Cryo Module to enter Cryo-Stasis! The mission schedule has them starting suspension tomorrow!
KSEA announces that Malcolm, Dunwin, and Shepely have been selected as the crew for Explorer 7! Explorer 7 itself is rolled out to the launchpad, and the crew will board tomorrow! In the meantime, everyone’s talking about how colorful the new patches are!
Malcolm and Shepely have never been to Duna, however Dunwin, the mission engineer, is a veteran!
The Advanced Duna Lander is already in orbit, and will leave a day after Explorer 7!
The Explorer 7 Duna Mission will make use of the Advanced Duna Lander’s capabilities to target landing sites that were out of range of previous missions. Additionally, many of the new surface experiments deployed and tested on Mun by the Aurora 18, 19, 20, and 21 crews will be deployed on Duna!
The (probably overpowered) engines on the Jool Va second stage ignite, carrying the relay probe out of Kerbin Orbit!
KSEA has had nothing but problems with calculating Moho Transfers for some reason… planners are hopeful this launch will go better!
KSEA launches a Relay/Scan satellite to Moho atop a mighty Jool Va Rocket! The probe will stay in Kerbin orbit for another 40 days until the window to Moho opens!
The probe is part of the ongoing expansion of the Deep Space Relay Network – and is intended to facilitate easier missions to the hot little world of Moho!
Construction is complete on the Advanced Duna Lander! The spacecraft is rolled out… and launches!
Launched on the Sarnus Va, the rover will sit in orbit for 41 days until the ideal transfer window to Duna!
In orbit, the lander ejects it’s fairing… and waits! The probe will be entirely un-crewed during it’s flight, including (hopefully) docking with the Spaceport!
The Advanced Duna Lander also includes a cargo segment on the rear that will attach to Duna Spaceport, carrying enough surface science equipment for 4 seperate landings!
Asteroid IIF-441, a class C Asteroid, enters Kerbin’s gravitational sphere of influence… and Retriever 1 burns to match planes!
Then, Retriever expands its orbit past that of the asteroid’s!
Then, with the Asteroid nearing it’s closest point with Kerbin, Retriever 1 burns it’s engine to intercept!
The maneuvers all require extreme precision! Once Retriever is close enough though, it’s fairly similar to docking with a ship in orbit!
Remarkably, Retriever 1 moves in closer to the Asteroid, having matched course!
Using RCS thrusters only, Retriever 1 moves in closer and closer…
…until it docks with the Asteroid!
“… it worked! It worked!”
-Orlas, onboard Kerbin Spaceport
Next, Retriever 1 uses what is left of it’s fuel to capture the asteroid into a circular orbit of Kerbin!
There isn’t enough fuel for a perfect orbit, but a highly elliptical orbit IS achieved, and the asteroid orbits Kerbin! Plans are immediately drawn to launch Retriever 2, to bring the Asteroid in to a closer location… and allow Kerbals to explore it!
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Retriever 1 launches on a Sarnus Va!
The probe enters orbit, and will attempt to intercept asteroid IIF-441, a class C Asteroid. This medium class of asteroid should be a good test of Operation: RETRIEVE!.
KSEA is excited to release plans for the next Duna Lander, the Advanced Duna Lander! Succeeding the Super Duna Lander, this new craft has greater deltaV, and additional life support and crew space – able to carry FOUR Kerbals!
The re-usable lander will launch on a Sarnus Va rocket, and travel a few days behind the Explorer 7 mission to Duna!
KSEA is excited to announce Operation:RETRIEVE! – a new project to intercept, and redirect an asteroid near Kerbin!
No one is really sure if this vehicle is capable of getting the job done, but there’s only one way to find out – Retriever 1 will launch soon!
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 