Year 3, Day 409 (Aurora 16 Crew Announced, MunBase Expansion Construction)

May 2, 2017May 2, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3

MunBaseOneModuleA Sean and Glenica are chosen as the first crew for MunBase One! They’ll launch on Aurora 16, with Edan piloting and returning the craft. Once Aurora 16 arrives at Mun Sean and Glenica will join Bill on the Mun!

Aurora 16 will carry a modified version of the standard Aurora Mun Lander capable of remote flight – this will be its first test! Construction begins at once!

Before Aurora 16 launches however, the MunBase Expansion will head to Mun! Fully automated, no one’s quite sure how the landing will go… but construction should be done soon!

Year 3, Day 380 (Explorer Update)

March 29, 2017March 29, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Chrisnic, Eve, Explorer, Explorer Missions, Mitster, Orlas

Explorer, still on its long journey to Eve, is 120 days into its mission! Chrisnic, Mitster, and Orlas have gotten to know each other’s annoying habits really well – but have also grown to be very close friends. Good thing too – their mission still has a long way to go! They’re all very eager to be the first Kerbals to see Eve … close up!

Year 3, Day 380 (Aurora 15 Returns From Mun)

March 29, 2017March 29, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Aurora 15, Aurora Program, Bill, Bob, Edan, MunBase One

Edan takes off from Mun in the Aurora 15 lander – leaving Bill on the surface to tend for MunBase One!

Almost docked… Success!

After moving back over to the Spacecraft, Edan detaches the lander, and plots a course back to Kerbin!

“This is the first time I haven’t brought a whole crew back… feels strange! I hope Bill is OK back there on Mun!”
-Jeb

“The radio’s still on Jeb! I’m fine! Get home safe!”
-Bill

The CRV detaches from the Aurora Spacecraft… and begins to heat up

Finally, the crew returns home!

Year 3, Day 379 (KSS Crew Rotation)

March 29, 2017March 29, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Aurora 16, Aurora Porgram, CTS-1 Adventure, CTS-3 Intrepid, Kerbin Space Station, Kimmy, Robart, Val

While work starts on Aurora 16, which will deliver the crew to MunBase One, CTS-1 Adventure blasts off from Cape Kerman, to rotate crew on the KSS! Val, Robart, and Kimmy are eager to get more training time on the KSS! Equally eager to get back to Kerbin are Val, Samner, and Sean!

Adventure docks with the KSS! Everyone says their ‘hi’s’ and ‘bye’s’, then Jeb detaches Intrepid, and heads back to Kerbin!

Jeb misses the Space Center… by a LOT! Thankfully, the leftover fuel in Intrepid is enough to get back to the landing strip!

“In the pipe… five by five!”
-Jeb

Intrepid makes a good night landing, even if it was a bit bumpy!

Year 3, Day 373 (MunBase One Expansion Announced!)

March 28, 2017March 28, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Bill, MunBase One, MunBaseOne Upgrades

While Bill gets comfy on Mun, and Aurora 15 gets ready to return to Kerbin, the first expansion to MunBase One is announced: Module A! This module will add a surface Cupola, as well as the new Mk1 Crew Habitat, providing much needed beds and personal space for the MunBase!

Construction will begin soon on the first of several such modules. Initial plans for additional mofules include a science a lab, and some kind a of vehicle for exploring the surface!! Several astronauts have suggested development of an improved EVA jetpack to let explorers have more fuel during EVAs!

A Sarnus V rocket will take this module to Mun!

Year 3, Day 372 (MunBase One Launches! )

March 26, 2017March 28, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Aurora 15, Aurora Program, Bill, Bob, Edan, Mun, MunBase One

Shortly before launch, the final plans for the next MunBase are released: MunBase One!

With funds running low, another MunBase launch is attempted. The new base is designated as “MunBase One.”

Because of the negative associations with “Alpha” from the MunBase Alpha disaster, KSEA felt a new name might be best. Also, it uses less room on those patches.

The launch is successful… and MunBase One’s fairings eject. This time, large solar arrays like those on Explorer and the KSS deploy to help keep the base powered on its journey to Mun! Additionally, the capacitors have been removed, and a new battery, combined with a longer range relay antenna, are located at the center of the base!

Finally, MunBase One arrives at Mun! Mission Control orders the flight computer to begin its decent.. .

Success! MunBase One sets down! Just under 100 meters from the initial planned site… close enough!

Up in orbit, the crew gets ready to head down and check things out! Edan and Bill climb into the lander, and head down! (Historians note this is the first time that a Mun Lander has been used more than once!)

The lander sets down at MunBase One!

“Everything looks like it set down OK! I’m going to head inside and see if everything’s OK!
-Bill

Huh. Looks like the base set down about 50m from where it was supposed to! No matter… we’ll just move the flag!

-Bill

Bill and Edan pose for a nice landing portrait, then Bill heads inside the Base. Edan scurries back to the lander for shelter!

“Things look fine in here! I think we’re “Go” for you heading back up Edan… I’ll keep an eye on the base until the next crew rotation arrives!”
-Bill

The plan is for Edan to return to the Aurora 15 Spacecraft and head back to Kerbin with Bob! Bill will remain until the MunBase One crew is assigned!

Year 3, Day 360 (MunBase Alpha Disaster!)

March 26, 2017March 27, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Disaster!, Mun, MunBase Alpha, Problems

screenshot371 MunBase Alpha launches! The Sarnus V Heavy rocket easily carries the base into orbit! The night launch goes perfectly, and before long, the base is on its way to Mun… where Aurora 15 is waiting!

screenshot372

The fairings eject… and the base sails off to Mun! A slight modification was made after some pre-launch simulations… a RA-2 Relay antenna was installed to replace the secondary Communotron antenna. (Engineers promise it won’t unbalance the craft…. too much…)

Uh oh! As the base heads down for landing communications are lost.

“Um, I think I saw some explosions on the surface! Might be time to make a new base! While we’re at it, a depot in orbit of Mun might be nice too! This pod gets pretty stuffy… even with the extra space the lander has!”
-Edan

Engineers think that a power loss led to communications failure… work on a revised MunBase beins at once! The crew of Aurora 15 graciously agrees to stay in orbit of Mun until the replacement is complete.

Year 3, Day 350 (Aurora 15 Launches, MunBase Alpha Construction)

March 26, 2017March 26, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Aurora 15, Aurora Program, Bill, Bob, Edan, Mun, MunBase Alpha

Edan, Bill, and Bob blast off from the Space Center on Aurora 15! Their mission is to find a suitable, and ideally scenic, spot for MunBase Alpha!

After docking and transposition, the orbital stage is ejected… and Aurora 15 sails to Mun!

After just a few hours, Aurora 15 arrives … and the crew starts looking for a good site!

Landing confirmed! Now to find a nice flat spot with a good view!

Edan stays at the lander… while Bob heads out in his EVA jetpack to find a good spot!

“I think this is it! I’ll put a flag here so we know where to find it when we come back!”
-Bob

The site for MunBase Alpha will be in the center of one of the large Midland craters, in a flat area between 3 others:

This location should be easy enough to set a base at, flat with few large rocks or other obstacles nearby!

Ok then – that’s a go! Let’s start construction on MunBase Alpha at once! Meanwhile, Edan and Bill take off, back to the orbiting Aurora Spacecraft!

Edan and Bill say hi to Bob, and share the good news! Meanwhile, back on Kerbin, mission planners work on last minute adjustments to MunBase Alpha! The plan is to have Aurora 15 stay in orbit, while the MunBase launches!

Year 3, Day 320 (Aurora 15 Construction, MunBase Alpha Announced)

March 26, 2017March 26, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Aurora 15, Aurora Program, MunBase Alpha

Construction starts on Aurora 15, which will scout for a location for KSEA’s next big adventure… MunBase Alpha! This Munar Outpost will be the first attempt at long term habitation of another world! This is the first of hopefully many Deep Space Colonies!

KSEA hopes that lessons learned from MunBase Alpha will help develop new technologies to make future colonization possible. This also provides a great excuse for some great new Mission Patches!