Year 11, Day 112 (Explorer 6 Crew Announced!)

May 11, 2019May 14, 2019 sayburstuff Year 11 Explorer 5, Explorer 6, Explorer Program, Glenica, Jool, Mitster, Sean

With construction already underway on Explorer 6, KSEA announces the crew roster for what will be the most distant and ambitious crew mission yet – the first trip to Jool!

Mitster was the commander of the Explorer 2 mission to Duna and has a reputation as an acomplished pilot and mission commander. Glenica was the lead scientist on the Explorer 3 mission to Duna as well as several Aurora missions to Mun and Minmus. Sean was also on Explorer 3, as the chief engineer. He was also the mission lead on MunBase One!

Many robotic probes have made the journey to Jool, laying the groundwork for the communication systems there – the mission itself is straight forward, reach Jool and return to Kerbin using the DSCCV (Deep Space Cryo-Stasis Crew Vehicle), almost identical in design to Explorer 5!

Year 11, Day 72 (KerbStar Deep Space Relay Reaches Final Orbit)

May 10, 2019 sayburstuff Year 11 Deep Space Relay Network, KerbStar Satellites

In the empty space between Jool and Sarnus, the KerbStar Deep Space Relay 3 circularizes its orbit. Relay 4 will do the same in about 40 days. Hopefully the two relays combined will provide consistent long range communication for future deep space missions!

Year 10, Day 345 (Explorer 6 Development Begins)

May 10, 2019May 10, 2019 sayburstuff Year 6

Planning for the first crewed mission to Jool has begun – tenatively to be named Explorer 6! The spacecraft itself will be nearly identical to Explorer 5, utilizing cryo-stasis chambers to keep the crew alive for such a long journey!

A new variant of the Jool Rocket will be utilized to provide the maximum amount of deltaV to the craft. KSEA promises blueprints and interesting mission patches will be coming soon!

Explorer 5 Cryo Crew Vehicle.png

Design blueprints for Explorer 5, which Explorer 6 will be heavily based upon!

Year 10, Day (Mirphe Flies Endeavor to Rescue Jeb from KSS)

May 10, 2019May 10, 2019 sayburstuff Year 10 CTS-2 Endeavor, Jeb, Kerbin Space Station, Mirphe

The Endavor launches, piloted by Mirphe!

It’s time to (finally) rescue Jeb from the KSS, and bring an end to that station’s remarkable run!

“Orbit achieved! Setting course for the KSS! ”

-Mirphe

screenshot451

“Endeavor is at the KSS! Moving in to dock… ”

-Mirphe

“Is that you Mirphe? Come on in the atmosphere is fine!!”

-Jeb

High above Kerbin’s deserts, Endeavor spins around (always a good trick!) and docks with the station! Jeb helps Mirphe gather all the important Science that needs to return to Kerbin, and the two return to the Crew Shuttle and undock!

Endeavor is clear of the station – preparing to return to KSC!

-Mirphe

The two watch out the cabin windows as the KSS gets further and further away…

“I’m going to miss that place – it was our home away from home. Now it looks so … small. ”

-Jeb

Endeavor performs its de-orbit burn, and starts to descend!

“Here we goooooooo!”

-Jeb

Endeavor falls from the sky like a comet, glowing red and moving fast!

“I see the Space Center – I’m in the pipe, five by five!”

-Mirphe

A successful landing! The Crew Shuttle didn’t even lose any of the aero-brakes!

“Good landing Mirphe, couldn’t have done better myself!”

-Jeb

“Is it good to be home Jeb?”

-Mirphe

“It’s good to get off that station.. I think I was getting a little stir crazy in there! But I can’t wait for the next mission!”

-Jeb

Jeb and Mirpe return to the Astronaut Center, and recovery crews begin work to ready Endeavor for its next launch!

Year 10, Day 337 (Pathfinder 6 Course Adjustment to Plock)

May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 sayburstuff Year 10 Pathfinder 6, Pathfinder Missions, Plock

pathfinder6 Pathfinder 6 performs an adjustment to it’s approach to Plock – so far so good!

November 11, 2018 sayburstuff Year 10 Kerbin Spaceport

The science crew on Kerbin Spaceport announce the Kuarq experiment is ready to return to Kerbin! The Aurora Payload Vehicle detaches…

… and heads to the surface!

The spacecraft lands just 30k from the Spaceport ! Science staff at KSEA are pleased to report a great deal of science was recovered from the experiment! Engineers note that the Payload Vehicle could use another design pass, as it handled very poorly during docking maneuvers.

Year 10, Day 228 (Explorer 5 Lander Departs Duna!)

November 11, 2018 sayburstuff Year 10 Bill, Bob, Duna, Duna Spaceport, Explorer 5, Explorer Program, Val

After spending a few days on the surface at the Eastern Canyon Val, Bill, and Bob blast off, heading back to Duna Spaceport!

Orbit is achieved…

… and Val pilots the crew back to Duna Spaceport!

Year 10, Day 227 (Science Payload Launches for Kerbin Spaceport)

November 11, 2018 sayburstuff Year 10 Kerbin Spaceport

Another Science Payload launches for Kerbin Spaceport! It is unknown what kind of repeated results can be gained from the Cyclotron, this mission will find out!

The payload vehicle has been slightly redesigned, with an updated docking adapter to allow closer docking to the cyclotron itself.

The vehicle docks with the station and the crew starts studying the results on the study canisters!

Year 10, Day 226 (Explorer 5 Crew Lands on Duna!)

November 11, 2018November 11, 2018 sayburstuff Year 10 Bill, Bob, Duna, Duna Spaceport, Explorer 5, Explorer Program, Val

KSEA announces that Explorer 5 will be setting down in the Eastern Canyon – a site that is thought to be a similar to the Western Canyon, only a great deal more easterly.

Bill, Bob, and Val board the Super Duna Lander and head down to the surface!

“OK, starting our descent. Hang on everyone!”

-Val

The Super Duna Lander speeds down to the surface! Right before landing the airbrakes are stowed and the gear is deployed, as the rockets fire one last burn to slow down before landing!