The KSEA and KSGS satellite, Kerbin Surveyor, launches and reaches a slightly inclined polar orbit of 331k!
With any luck this satellite should last long enough to fully map Kerbin’s surface.
The KSEA and KSGS satellite, Kerbin Surveyor, launches and reaches a slightly inclined polar orbit of 331k!
With any luck this satellite should last long enough to fully map Kerbin’s surface.

Edan, Robart, and Kimmy take off in the Adventure to rotate the crew on board the KSS!

After docking, Jeb, Bob, and Samner head down in the Intrepid! 
“Almost there… almost there….”
-Jeb
Success! Another great landing at the VAB Airstrip!
The crew takes some time to relax, celebrating the success of the probe landing on Eve! Everyone takes a quick spin outside the craft! 
After the successful landing of the Atmospheric Probe on Eve, Explorer moves on to the next phase of its mission the exploration of Eve’s small moon, Gilly. 
Explorer changes it’s inclination to match that of Gilly!
“Won’t be too long now … we’ll see how well the new lander works!”
-Orlas

Morning comes, and with it, the sun! The Explorer Atmospheric Probe is recharged, and starts relaying information about the surface!
The images relayed back show an eery, purple surface, with a strange sea, glowing green from the Eve sunrise!
Instruments show Eve is as beautiful as it is dangerous… Atmospheric pressure is extreme, as is the gravity.
“Landing, once we get past the heat of reentry, should be easy. Taking off from the surface is going to be very difficult… A fully assembled Aurora Rocket launched from the surface of Eve would have trouble making orbit!”
-Orlas
Explorer circularizes its orbit above Eve, achieving an orbit of 122k! As Explorer finishes its orbital burn, Mitster checks out the fuel gauges.
“Getting Explorer back into Kerbin orbit is going to be a real trick. I’m starting to think that we’ll have to use the LARC as a lifeboat when we get back!”
-Mitster
Everyone is a little disappointment that Explorer may not be able to be re-used… However the concern about fuel is exactly why the LARC was developed!
It’s time to send the first atmospheric probe down to the surface! The probe disconnects…

Then the small solid rockets drop it out of orbit… and toward Eve! Sensors indicate that the parachutes deployed, and the craft touched down… just as battery power runs out! Thankfully, there was time to order the solar panels deployed. The crew onboard Explorer (and everyone back on Kerbin) wait anxiously to see if the little probe survives the night on Eve!

Construction begins on Kerbin Surveyor 2 – an advanced planetary scanner. This mission is a joint venture between the KSGS (the Kerbal States Geological Survey) and KSEA!
Launched into an inclined polar orbit, the sattelite should allow a good look at Kerbin’s surface.
Mitster and Chrisnic transfer to the command module, while Orlas looks out the windows excitedly – it’s Eve Day – the day Kerbals arrive at Eve for the first time… ever!!!
“It’s so… purple!”
-Orlas
The NERV Nuclear Engines fire… and fire… and fire.. the long but very efficient burn lasts nearly 4 minutes, as Explorer’s orbit is slowly circularized around Eve.
“Hang in there everybody… this will be a long burn, but it’s going exactly as simulations said it would!”
-Mitster
Indeed – DSV-1 Explorer eventually does circularize it’s orbit… and becomes the first vessel carrying Kerbals to orbit Eve! The orbit has an apoapsis of 14,831 km, and periapsis of 122 km. The burn took so long that Explorer will need to swing around Eve once more before arriving at the Periapsis again… and that’s when the atmospheric probe will be launched!
Jeb, Bob, and Samner head up in the Intrepid to rotate the KSS crew!

Jeb pilots the Intrepid to a nice, stable orbit – entirely in the dark!

Success! Intrepid docks and joins the Adventure at the KSS!
Kimmy, Robart, and Val board the Adventure… and head back to Kerbin!
Once the shuttle is at a safe distance, Val fires the rentry rockets!
“We’re coming in a little hot! I’m going to have to burn off some heat! Hopefully it won’t be a water landing!”
-Val
Thamkfully, despite overshooting the runway Val is able to set down on the Auxillary runway on the small island across from the Space Center!
Aurora 16 is rolled out to the launch pad, carrying Edan, Sean and Glenica… and blasts off!
After orbit is achieved, the docking and transposition maneuver completed, course is set for Mun where orbit is easily achieved!
“We’re all getting pretty good at this!”
-Edan

The lander goes down… this is the first test of the automated landing systems!

Success! Sean and Glenica hop out and say hi to Bill on MunBase One! Meanwhile in orbit, Edan prepares to head back to Kerbin!

“It really is weird heading back to Kerbin by myself! ”
-Edan

MunBase One’s first Expansion, Module A, is launched! The automated Sarnus V launch takes the expansion into Kerbin orbit, then transfers to Mun!

Mission Control remotely pilots the craft down …

The transfer stage ejects, and the module’s onboard rockets glide down to the surface.

Small wheels on the outside of the module steer closer and closer to MunBase One!
LOOK OUT FOR THE FLAG!”
-Bill Kerman
Thankfully even with the time delay from Mun to Kerbin, Mission Control avoids smashing the module into the flag pole outside the Base!

Success! The module connects… after quite a bit of tricky steering.

Looking good! It’ll be nice to have some proper rooms! And check out this great surface cupola! What a neat view!
-Bill

Indeed – what a view! Back on Kerbin, Aurora 16 gets ready to launch, for delivering the next crew to MunBase One!