Author: sayburstuff

Year 21, Day 96 (DSV-2 Discovery Arrives at Duna Spaceport!)

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After a remarkably fast voyage, DSV-2 Discovery arrives at Duna, using the planet’s moon, Ike, to assist in slowing down the approach! The Crew is automatically revived from Cryo-Sleep!

“Rise and shine everybody! We have some exploring to do!”
-Mirphe

“Reactor is powered up – we’re good for firing main engines!”
-Seely

The three mighty nuclear engines on Discovery fire, slowing the spacecraft down and entering orbit, slowly, of Duna!

“By my calculations, we’ll have 5200 d/v remaining after we reach the Spaceport… not bad!”
-Tamre

Discovery achieves high orbit! Mirphe begins to rendevous with Duna Spaceport!

“Just a few more maneuvers and we’ll be docked! I can see the Spaceport out the front window!”
-Mirphe

Discovery slows down, matching speeds with Duna Spaceport…

…then slowly reorients for the final docking maneuver!

“Alright – we’re in the pipe, five by five… approaching the docking port at 1 m/s…. nice and slow….”
-Mirphe

With a ‘thunk’ and the whir of motors, Discovery docks with Duna Spaceport! The mighty spacecraft is nearly twice as long as the station!

“Life support looks good on the station… it’ll take a little time to equalize between Discovery and the Spaceport… but I think we have a good connection!“
-Tamre

The crew prepares to transfer over to the habitat sections of the station, and get ready for the next Duna Landing!

Year 21, Day 91 (Summer Leaves Spacedock to Return Mun Spaceport Crew!)

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With Mun Spaceport (mostly) functional, Bill, Gilian, and Edan need to return to Kerbin! Summer departs in Crew Vehicle 5 to rescue them!

“If we’re going to be using these Crew Vehicles for trips back and forth to Mun, they’re going to need a better second stage – this will be a tight mission for DeltaV!“
-Summer

Crew Vehicle 5 departs Kerbin…

… Eventually arriving at Mun, and docking with Mun Spaceport!

Bill, Gilian, and Edan all board and buckle in for a quick return trip to Kerbin!

“There’s not enough fuel to do a full orbital return, so we’re going to try for touchdown near White Mesa… hold on everyone!”
-Summer

Crew Vehicle 5 misses the mark, landing 40km or so from White Mesa!

“Close enough! Rescue crews are on the way!”
-Gene, at Mission Control

Year 21, Day 67 (DSV-4 Endeavor Leaves Kerbin, Heading to Laythe!)

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Endeavor’s nuclear engine fires, and the spacecraft begins moving out of Kerbin orbit!

“All systems nominal. Power levels holding ..”

-Kerlorf

“The cryo tanks are ready once we’re away!”

-Robart

“Endeavor is on course! Preparing ship for automatic mode!”

-Val

As Endeavor heads to Laythe, KSEA prepares to launch another Spaceplane to follow the crew!

Year 21, Day 64 (Aqua-1 Mun Probe Launches from White Mesa!)

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The Aqua-1 Probe bound for Mun is ready at the White Mesa Facility…

…and launches!

While the re-usable first stage returns to Kerbin, the probe itself continues into orbit around Kerbin!

“Roger that, we’re showing orbit achieved – you are go for the burn to Mun!”
-Gene

After the burn, Aqua-1 continues it’s voyage to Mun…

Until it arrives, and prepares to burn into a polar orbit!

“Telemetry says Aqua-1 is in position – Glenica, you’re good to start the experiment!”
-Gene, at Mission Control

“OK – deploy arm… extend antenna … activate sensors!”
-Glenica

The antenna arm extends, and folds over 90 degrees, allowing the water sensors to start scanning unobstructed!

“200k altitude looks to be ideal. We should hopefully have some data back soon!”
-Samner, at Mission Control

Year 21, Day 61 (DSV-4 Endeavor Crew Launches from White Mesa Facility!)

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Crew Vehicle 2 blasts off from White Mesa, carrying Jeb, Robart, and Kerlorf! Robart and Kerlorf will be joining Val as the crew for DSV-4 Discovery’s journey to Laythe! Jeb will be taking over as station commander at Spacedock!

The Crew Vehicle reaches it’s 200k apogee, and separates from the Nebula Rocket! The Nebula Rocket turns itself around and performs it’s burn toward KSC to be recovered!

Eventually, CV2 performs it’s final rendevous with Spacedock!

“There’s Endeavor – it’s huge!”
-Robart

The crew board Endeavor… and undock!

“Turning Endeavor to match direction of travel…. transit to Jool will be in 4 days!”
-Val

The Endeavor crew get ready for their journey!

Year 21, Day 35 (Crew Selected for Endeavor Mission to Laythe!)

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Val, Robart, and Kerlorf have been selected for DSV-4 Endeavor’s upcoming mission to Laythe Spaceport!

The crew will pilot the Laythe Spaceplane Endurance to the surface and continue scouting the planet for future colonies. KSEA is also hoping to launch an additional Laythe Spaceplane in time for the mission!

“Oh wow! I can’t wait!”
-Kerlorf

Robart, already at White Mesa, starts packing his bags for the trip!

“I can’t wait to blast off! This desert assignment has been pretty dull!”
-Robart

Year 21, Day 32 (KSEA & KOAA Develop Munar Water Scanner!)

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A key to any long term colony site is finding an ideal location that has ample supplies of water. To this end, KSEA and KOAA (the Kerbin Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) have worked together to develop the Aqua Scanner Mk1.

Launched on a Nebula Rocket, the spacecraft will travel to Mun orbit and start scanning for ideal landing sites! Once sites have been selected, Kerbals will scout them out, and then the development of an actual colony can commence!

Year 21, Day 30 (‘Operation Moving Day’ Gets a Green Light…to move Kerbin Spaceport to Mun!)

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Mission Control gives the plan to relocate the old Kerbin Spaceport to Mun a name: Operation Moving Day!  The audacious plan will move the old Kerbin Spaceport… to Mun orbit!

One of the already built “Asteroid Movers” is modified with a docking port that should connect to the Spaceport, and launches on a Sarnus Va rocket!

The Station-Mover rendezvouses with Kerbin Spaceport…

…and docks!

“Remote sensors indicate a good lock! Nice work!“

-Gene

Bill, KSEA’s senior engineer will fly up in a Crew Vehicle to oversee the entire process! Edan will be the mission commander, and Gilian will be going up for her engineering expertise!

Crew Vehicle 6 carrying Edan, Bill, and Gilian blasts off from White Mesa!

“There it is – Old Kerbin Spaceport!”

-Edan

“Soon to be Mun Spaceport!”

-Gilian

“Hey – that’s catchy!”

-Bill

Crew Vehicle 6 docks!

Bill, Gilian, and Edan board the station and check things out!

Very slow control

Year 21, Day 35 (Mirphe, Seely and Tamre Rush to DSV-2 Discovery… and Leave for Duna!)

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With no time to waste, Mirphe and Tamre fly to White Mesa and board Crew Vehicle 4, already waiting at the launch pad!

“Seely is already getting Discovery ready to go, as soon as we’re up there we’re taking off!”
-Mirphe

Crew Vehicle 4 blasts off on it’s Nebula Rocket!

Once the spacecraft reaches it’s 200k apogee, the Crew Vehicle detaches and uses it’s RCS thrusters to move clear of the first stage Nebula Rocket!

The Nebula Rocket uses it’s own RCS thrusters to invert itself, and fire it’s main engine, to perform a propulsive landing at KSC!

“We’re clear to rendevous to Spacedock!”
-Mirphe

The Crew Vehicle arrives at Spacedock!

“Welcome to Spacedock CV4! Discovery is fueled up and ready to go!”
-Val

The Crew Vehicle docks! Mirphe and Tamre rush to help Seely get the lander out!

“Hey – why are all the doors open on CV1!?”
-Tamre

“They got stuck open! It shouldn’t have any impact on the return, just annoying!”
-Val

Mirphe, Seely, and Tamre board Discovery… and undock!

“RCS thrusters firing in reverse… moving clear of Spacedock! Let’s get the reactor powered up to maximum!”
-Mirphe

Discovery turns from Spacedock as the entire spacecraft shudders from the engines and reactor powering up!

“Reactor showing 100%! We’re good to power up engines!”
-Seely

“Good luck Discovery!”
-Val

Discovery’s three nuclear engines fire, and it slowly builds up speed!

4 minutes into the burn, alarms sound!

“What’s that!?”
-Mirphe

“Looks like the rear engine housing is giving us trouble again! It’s heating up from the engines and not transferring enough heat to the Radiators!”
-Tamre

“If we reduce thrust to 50 percent we should be fine… the burn will just take longer!”
-Seely

With the overheating problem out of the way, Discovery completes it’s burn for Duna, and soars out of the system!

“Wow – we are moving fast! We should reach Duna in less than 70 days! Once we enter orbit and dock we’re not going to have much fuel left!”
-Tamre

“That’s the idea! The return to Kerbin from Duna using the correct launch window is much less demanding – we’ll be fine! Let’s get ready to enter Cryo-sleep!”
-Mirphe

Year 21 Day 30 (Discovery Crew Mission to Duna Announced!)

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With the disappointing missed time window of Explorer 8, the Astronauts sat around Mission Control scratching their heads trying to figure out a way to get a crew back to the red planet without waiting a whole year for the next launch window!

“What if we… you know… just go REALLY fast!”
-Jeb

“That’d never work – the Explorer spacecraft doesn’t have that kind of fuel supply!”
-Mirphe

“No… but one of the DSVs should! Can we take one!?”
-Tamre

After some debate (and a mission simulation or three) Gene gives the green light! Tamre will be the scientist, Seely the mission Engineer, and Mirphe will command the mission!

“We barely had time to get these Mission Patches sewn! Get on a Crew Vehicle asap and get up to Spacedock!”
-Gene