Aurora 9 returns home! 
After climbing out of the Aurora Command Pod, the crew celebrates the most successful mission yet!
Aurora 9 returns home! 
After climbing out of the Aurora Command Pod, the crew celebrates the most successful mission yet!
After a long, long day, Mitster and Bob return to the Aurora Spacecraft! Aurora 9 sets history as conducting the most scientific research of any launch – making 5 seperate landings on Minmus. 
After rendezvousing, a return trip is plotted back to Kerbin.
“We should be there in no time!”
-Mitster
Aurora 9 orbits Minmus, and the lander detaches to head down! 
Mitster lands the Aurora Lander, and Bob hops out!

“Minmus is great! You can hop everywhere you go! ”
-Bob

The guys pose for their landing portrait, then head back to the lander, to set down at the various locations scientists back on Kerbin want to investigate!
The X5 takes off, heading west to the mountains to investigate the anomaly that satellites detected… the previous attempt to explore this region ended in disaster, when the X4 crashed!
Val pilots the X-5 past the X-4 crash site, attempting to approach from a different direction!

Success! Val sets the X-5 down in a relatively flat area, about 1000m from the Anomaly!

“The air sure is thin up here… better put on my helmet! ”
-Robart

Wow! It’s pretty up here!
-Robart

“I found it! Wow! What could these things be? What could they mean? ”
-Robart
The two explorers head back to the KSC to share their findings!
Aurora 9 takes off!
Chrisnic, Bob, and Mitster wait patiently for their encounter with Minmus!
Construction of Aurora 9 begins – the tentative plan is another launch to Minmus to scout out several interesting sites. Aurora 9 will be the first test of the upgraded Mun lander, which should provide more fuel efficiency and a more compact design.
Meanwhile, a few standard communication satellite launches keep the crew at KSC entertained!

Mitster and Robart take off in the X-5, heading west!

The X-5 seems to perform best at an altitude of about 6,000-15,000 – so Mitster keeps it in that range on the flight west. Tje X-5 maintains speeds of around 850 m/s, and even reaches a new aircraft speed record of 920 m/s!

“Ok – coming up on the coordinates… wow! Look at that, you can see the structures from up here!”
-Robart

“Let’s do a pass, then circle around for a landing!”
-Mitster
Robart hops out, as Mitster watches from the cockpit.

Eventually the two scout the pyramid site – how strange! No doubt pre-ogre Kerbal Civilization built these ages ago! Robart is able to translate some of the strange writing, and ancient form of Kerbalese:
“My name is Tut-Un Jeb-Ahn, king of kings: Look on my works, ye MIghty, and despair!”
-Ancient Pyramid Inscription
Confused, the two take several pictures and some samples, before heading back.
“What an odd place – further study is certainly needed!”
-Robart
The X-5 returns to the Space Center, having performed it’s mission perfectly! Once back, the existing X-5 is refurbished, and construction starts on a second!
Aurora 8 returns home! 
The first Kerbals to set foot on Minmus (and Robart, who watched from orbit – sorry Robart) are quickly rescued.
Mitster volunteers to be the first pilot to fly the X-5! 
“Ok – taking off! WOW! This thing has quite a kick!”
-Mitster

Mitster takes off the runway, and banks toward the island airstrip.
“Weeeeeee!”
-Mitster

“I’ve spotted the runway. I’m gonna fly past it, and circle around for a landing! ”
-Mitster

As he flies by the island, Mitster opens the science bay and runs the automated studies.

“Ok… setting up for a landing! ”
-Mitster

Mitster lines up for the landing… looking good!

Success! The X-5 sets down.

Mitster hops out, and poses for the cameras!
Val pilots Aurora 7 closer to Minmus, then transfers over to the lander with Bob!
The lander detaches, and Val pilots the lander to a good landing site. 
“I think I found a good spot! Adjusting course…”
-Val

The Aurora 7 Lander touches down! The crew waits a short time for Kerbin to be in radio range before heading out! 
Bob is the first out!
“Wow! It’s like the ground is made out of ‘bounce’!”
-Bob

Val hops out next.
“Weeeeee!”
-Val

Val and Bob are the first Kerbals on Minmus – what a day! The two spend some time gathering space rocks and other scientific data. (Truthfully, Bob does most of the science, Val spends her time jumping around…) 
Before long, the power is running out, and the two have to head back to the Aurora Spacecraft. The ship burns back to Kerbin, and should arrive in just under a week!
“That was a lot of fun! We’ll have to come back again!”
-Val