Author: sayburstuff

Year 17, Day 158 (Laythe Spaceplane ‘Endurance’ Lands on Laythe!)

sayburstuff Year 17 , , , , , , , ,

After years of designing, preparation, and waiting, the day is finally here… the Discovery crew will leave the Spaceport and take their Spaceplane ‘Endurance‘ to land on Laythe!

Even the mission profile has been carefully planned, as no spaceplane has ever landed on another planet!

“OK – ‘Endurance’ is undocked from the Spaceport… using maneuvering thrusters to reach safe distance to activate engines!”
-Jeb

Endurance’s solar panels deploy to soak up as much energy as possible, while the orbital maneuvering engine fires to drop the craft out of orbit!

“So far so good!”
-Bill

Airbrakes deploy to create more drag, slowing the re-entry of the spaceplane! From inside the cramped science bay, Bob is growing concerned:

“What’s going on!? It’s getting hot! I can’t see anything from this seat!!”
-Bob

“Everything’s fine! We’re through the worst of the heat now – on course for a chain of islands near the equator!”
-Jeb

“Switching RAPIER engines to ‘air-breathing‘ – looks like a lot of flat desert down there, setting down shouldn’t be so bad!”
-Jeb

“Slowing our speed, deploying Air Brakes… starting landing procedures. Hold on everyone!”
-Jeb

Endurance needs to be going as slow as possible before it deploys it’s landing parachute. On Kerbin this parachute wouldn’t do a very good job of slowing an X-10, however on Laythe (combined with the VTOL engines) it should do the job just fine!

The Air Brakes retract, and the parachute deploys! The aircraft pulls up until it starts to even out…

“Ahhhhhh!”
-Bob

“Hang on back there! We’re almost down!”
-Bill

The VTOL bays open, and the aerospike rockets fire to slow the spacecraft! The housing of the chambers is thermally lined to protect the rest of the spacecraft, nonetheless, the rockets aren’t meant to be fired for anything but short bursts!

“Just about there! VTOL is slowing us down to about 5 m/s…. we’re in the pipe, five by five!”
-Jeb

“Why do all the pilots say that before they land!?!”
-Bill

Endurance sets down on Laythe!

“Finally! What a rough ride! Opening science bays… deploying ladders… antennas and solar panels deploying!”
-Bob

The crew will do tests for a short time before heading out to the surface!

Year 17, Day 154 (Aurora 20 Lands on Minmus!)

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The Aurora 20 lander heads down to the surface of Minmus!

Val and Luly detach from the Aurora 20 command module, and head down to Minmus!

The lander touches down, right at sunrise!

“Oooo! Pretty! “
-Luly

“Ejecting rover!”
-Val

The RCS system lifts the rover off the lander…

… and sets down perfectly near the lander!

The Rover-Deployer ejects, and the two Kerbals start exploring!

“As I suspected, this rover doesn’t handle very well – one sharp turn and the rover might get destroyed! As long as we keep it slow we’ll be OK though!”
-Luly

The pair find a variety of green Minmus Sandstones, and take various samples of the Lesser Flats.

“Time to set up the science equipment!”
-Luly

Luly and Val head back to the lander!

“There we go, all set up! This should start transmitting science back to Kerbin anytime now – and we remembered to bring all the parts this time!”
-Luly

The Aurora 20 crew will remain on Minmus for a few more days to make sure all the scientific equipment is functioning properly!

Year 17, Day (Desert Facility Upgrades!)

sayburstuff Year 17

Certain facilities are missing from the Desert Launch site – notably towers to supervise the site! To correct this KSEA and KOAA have teamed up to build a combination tower that increases radio coverage in the area, provides command and control functions over the facility, and even has a flag pole!

Robart, a science specialist, is picked to command the new facility – which will need to be driven to it’s final destination!

“Wow! This thing does NOT drive well!”
-Robart

There are a few close calls, but eventually the tower is driven to it’s final position, overseeing the rocket launch site!

“Ok… I’m climbing to the top! This sure is a tall tower!”
-Robart

“What a view though! I have a good angle on the launch site and the facility down below! Let’s launch some rockets!”
-Robart

Work begins on a similar tower to oversee aircraft at the nearby landing strip!

Year 17, Day 138 (Laythe Spaceplane Rendezvouses With Laythe Spaceport!)

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With Discovery now docked at Laythe Spaceport, the X-10 is remotely piloted to Rendezvous! With it’s transfer stage still attached the spacecraft is very unwieldy – but it’s important to use every bit of fuel – refills are hard to come by in the Jool system!

Endeavor arrives at the Spaceport!

“This is going to be a tricky docking… I better EVA over and do it manually!”
-Jeb

“OK – I have stepped outside the hatch… rocket packs on… heading toward the X-10!”
-Jeb

“Oh wow guys! Are you seeing this!?”
-Jeb

“…roger that Jeb – we see you!”
-Bill

“This thing is a lot bigger in person!“
-Jeb

Jeb detaches the X-10 from it’s transfer stage, and pilots it to the station! The inline docking port makes the procedure a little more challenging than normal!

“We read a solid connection – good job!”
-Bob

With that, all the components of the Laythe Mission are in place! The crew will start checking systems, and prepare for their first landing!

Year 17, Day 140 (Laythe Spaceplane, Laythe Spaceport Arrive at Laythe, Discovery Docks with Spaceport!

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The next spacecraft in the convoy heading to Laythe is the X-Laythe Spaceplane Endurance! It’s engines fire and the spacecraft is captured into a circular orbit of Laythe!

Later in the day, the Laythe Spaceport also finishes circularzing Laythe! The final orbit of the Spaceport is intended to be 60k, so the engines fire again to change the orbit!

Success! The Spaceport is put in a 60k orbit. The transfer stage (and the only engine on the station) will remain in place until it’s fuel is spent by the X-10!)

“Discovery – our boards show Laythe Spaceport is in it’s required orbit – you are clear to rendezvous!”
-Gene, at KSC

“Affirmative!”
-Jeb

Discovery performs multiple maunevers as it moves to rendevous with Laythe Spaceport!

After a few orbits, Jeb pilots Discovery to within 100m of Laythe Spaceport!

“It was a good idea putting those great-big RCS thrusters on these DSV’s… it feels just like I’m manuevering an Aurora Crew Vehicle!“
-Jeb

“Almost… almost… got it! Docking complete! Discovery is now docked with Laythe Spaceport!!
-Jeb

“Alright – we need to start getting ready for the X-10’s arrival! Power down nuclear reactor… switching power supply lines to Station Power…. tape put over all throttle controls, engines disabled!”
-Bill

Year 17, Day 137 (DSV-2 Discovery Arrives at Laythe!)

sayburstuff Year 17 , , , , , , ,

After a very long journey, Discovery finally arrives at Laythe! With a loud “ding!” the cryogenic systems finish thawing all three Kerbals: Jeb, Bill, and Bob! Mission Control has started the insertion sequence to capture into Jool’s orbit – and now the engines fire to transfer into a Laythe orbit!

“Wake up guys! The computer says we’re here!!”
-Jeb


“I’m awake… I’m awake!!”
-Bill

“Me too!”
-Bob

“Mission Control – Discovery Crew here – we’re doing good! Assuming control of DSV – firing thrusters to enter Laythe orbit! “
-Jeb

Success! Discovery has circularized it’s orbit around Laythe, a pleasant 60k altitude above the moon!

“It almost looks like Kerbin!”
-Bob

In mere days the Spaceport, and the X-10 Laythe Spaceplane will perform similar maneuvers to enter Laythe orbit!