Author: sayburstuff

Year 2, Day 101 (Spacelab 2 Revealed)

sayburstuff Year 2 ,

The next Kerbal Space Station is revealed… Spacelab 2 will be launched shortly!  The mission will be part of the Discovery 3 launch (crew not yet decided.)

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The mission outline is to launch Spacelab 2 into orbit, as well as a re-designed Discovery Crew Vehicle.  The combined craft will rendezvous with the original Spacelab, rescue Bill (who has been sitting by himself on Spacelab 1 for some time), then proceed to a new orbit, separate from the station and return to Kerbin!

The launch will render Spacelab 1 obsolete.  However the addition of docking ports means that Spacelab 2 will be upgrade-able!  Scientists and engineers are already busily dreaming what new modules they can attach! Construction begins right away!

Year 2, Day 98

sayburstuff Year 2 , ,

screenshot309.pngScout 3 heads down to the dark side of Mun! The communications array constructed around Mun provides data to the probe.

Unfortunately, no one thought that the dark side of Mun would mean things would be quite dark… and the craft is powered by solar panels…screenshot311.png

In a landing that had every Kerbal int he Space Center of the edge of their seats, Scout 3 sets down, as the power got closer, and closer to zero… finally showing 1% power remaining as the sensors indicated the craft had fully set down!   Success!  Scientists wait until signal can be restored!

Year 2, Day 76

sayburstuff Year 2 , , , ,

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As upgrades are started on several Space Center facilities, funds are running very tight until the next funding period.  To stay busy, Mission Control decides to send Jeb on a short mission to investigate an anomaly detected by the Radar Scanner on board SpaceLab!

“Hey – before I take off I’m going to go check out that strange thing near the Space Center!”

-Jeb

Jeb hops out of the X-4 Jetplane, and runs over to the strange object…..screenshot281.png

Whew!  This is quite the jog!

screenshot282.pngLook at the size of this thing!   KSEA scientists are dispatched to investigate.  Jeb returns to his plane!screenshot289.png
Jeb flies west, to the mountains near KSC… screenshot296.png

This looks like it might be a rough landing.   Uh oh!  Uh Oh!

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Boom!  The X-4 flips and flies apart in an explosion of parts!

“That was a close one!  I made it though! ”

-Jeb

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“Looks like another Monolith!  Strange… dirt around it would indicate it may have recently been dug up.  Very odd!”
-Jeb

Jeb is rescued, and the flight data from the X-4 is examined.  Any future X-4 flights have been grounded until the cause of the crash can be determined!

Year 2, Day 71 (Scout 2 Arrival at Minmus)

sayburstuff Year 2 ,

screenshot271.pngScout 2 arrives at Minmus!  Thankfully all the probe’s systems appear to be working normally. screenshot274.png

Scout 2 slowly decends…. it’s important the craft land exactly where KSEA scientists have planned, as the communications systems on board requires a direct line of sight with Kerbin.  As Minmus rotates, it will take Scout 2 out of range!   Scout 2 sets down… JUST IN TIME!  Communications go dark as Minmus’s rotation carries Scout 2 out of range!

 

sayburstuff Year 2 ,

screenshot247.pngLiftoff!screenshot249.png

Orbit achieved! It’s just a short 5 hour trip to Mun!screenshot250.png

Orbit is achieved! KSEA scientists think that the center of the big round Northwest Crater is a good place to set down.screenshot256.png

As the craft is guided down, controls are very difficult.

“That’s ’cause it’s so heavy at the top!” -Jeb

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Almost there…. screenshot260.png

Success!  Scout 1 touches down on Mun!  Cheers are heard all around Kerbin.  Thankfully the vessel didn’t sink into the surface, or explode, or get eaten!  Instruments seem to indicate that a Kerbal would be safe enough to conduct a landing!   Additionally, after the landing Scout still has just under 790 d/v of fuel – it might be possible to take off, and set down at a different location at a later date!

Construction starts on another Scout probe, this time headed to Minmus!

Year 2, Day 39

sayburstuff Year 2 , , ,

scoutlander.png

KSEA releases plans for the new Scout Probe – a robotic lander designed to actually set down on Mun itself!   Launched on top of a Discovery Rocket, getting to Mun should be no problem.  Actually setting down (and remaining in communications with the Space Center) will be another thing entirely!  This will be a good test of the new communications systems deployed to Mun.

Additionally, construction begins on 2 X-4 Jetplanes to assist in exploration of Kerbin!