Year 16

Year 16, Day 379 (Aurora 18 Blasts Off For Mun!)

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The powerful Sarnus Va rocket blasts off, carrying Aurora 18!

The rocket goes higher.. and higher…

.. until the solid rockets eject, and the rocket soars higher and higher!

Until the first stage exhausts it’s fuel.. and the Orbital/TMI (Trans-Munar-Injection) stage fires!

“Aahhhhh! This is really bumpy!”
-Sean

“Don’t worry – we’re in a stable orbit! Now it’s time for the burn to the Mun!!!”
-Mitster

The Orbital/TMI stage fires, taking Aurora 18 on it’s journey!

“Oh right! I can’t wait!”
-Sean

The journy to Mun is just a few hours with the latest Aurora rockets…

… and Aurora 18 arrives there in no time!

“All right – we made it! “
-Mitster

“Then that means it’s time for a systems check – let’s make sure all the equipment is ready for the landing!”
-Glenica

Year 16, Day 378 (Mitster & Orlas Explore Desert Facility!)

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Orlas and Mitster are tasked with checking out the new airfield! It’s a good opprotunity to try out the new Munar Rover as well!

“Let’s see what those towers in the distance are!”
-Orlas

“They look like water… or fuel towers. Oh hey! Is that a launch pad?”
-Mitster

“It sure is! This place is in good condition. With power and some other utilities KSEA will be able to use this for launches!”
-Orlas

Orlas and Mitster drive over to several hangars near the launch pad.

“Hey – this rover doesn’t handle too bad! This sand is a decent analog for the Munar regolith! Just have to slow down before turns!”
-Mitster

“Whew! It’s stuffy here! I’m taking off my space suit!“
-Mitster

Orlas inspects the hangars for clues as to their origin…

“Nobody’s using all this infrastructure! There’s tons of equipment inside!”
-Mitster

“Before we go any further we better deploy the solar panel – this electric engine is getting drained pretty fast by all this driving!”
-Orlas

“OK… there’s a launchpad and facilities… let’s see what’s over by the runway! When I landed here the other day I noticed a lot of buildings!”
-Mitster

“”A big tower! And a bent ‘ol flagpole!“
-Mitster

“This looks like an old office building. Nothing in here!”
-Mitster

“Looks like there’s air conditioning though… that’s nice!”
-Mitster

“It’s no VAB… but there’s a lot of lifters and equipment out here. Small rockets and planes should have no problem being built and launched out here!”
-Orlas

“And there’s our power! Fully functioning windmills! Let’s report back to Gene!”
-Mitster

Year 16, Day 366 (X-5 Exploration Mission!)

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Mission Control has been detecting some strange radio transmissions west of the Space Center – in the desert! Mitster and Kimmy jump at the opprotunity to do something besides watching rockets get built!

“Let’s fire up the X-5 and check it out!”
-Mitster

“Let’s go!”
-Kimmy

“OK… maximum thrust – afterburners… burning!”
-Mitster

“This is the fastest aircraft KSEA has – if anything can find out what’s causing that signal.. it’s the X-5!”
-Glenica

Indeed – in the early days of the Kerbal States, the X-5 was regularly used to explore every meter of Kerbin! Once there were several facilities all across Kerbin… but no one seems to talk with them much!

The X-5 accelerates to nearly 1000 m/s easily reaching the west coast….

And reaching the desert coast!

“There sure is a lot of sand out here! Oh wait! There’s something down there! We flew past it we were going so fast!”
-Glenica

“I’ll do a barrel roll!”
-Mitster

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
-Glenica

“That’s what I saw! It looks like an airstrip! Let’s check it out!”
-Glenica

“I’m not sure this will be a smooth landing… hold on!”
-Mitster

The X-5 sets down! Not only is there an airstrip, but there appears to be a rocket launching pad as well!

“Nice work! We’ll get a team out there ASAP… maybe we can start using the facility!” It’ll need a good name though….
-Gene

Year 16, Day 334 (Aurora 18 Mun Mission Announced!)

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Mission Planners are excited to announce that Kerbals will be returning to Mun for the first time in years! The early Aurora missions to explore Mun and Minmus were done before some of KSEA’s more advanced scientific equipment was developed. This return to Mun is intended to test new surface science equipment and a new rover that will allow exploration of terrestrial worlds!

Year 16, Day 240 (KSEA Updates and Upgrades!)

sayburstuff Year 16

The Kerbin Space Exploration Administration is very pleased to announce a complete upgrade for all of KSEA’s cameras!

Going forward all historical records should appear higher resolution with greater levels of detail and clarity! in fact, the upgrades are so extensive that they will even allow previously launched space assets to deliver higher quality images!

“How’s that even possible!?”

-Orlas

Year 16, Day 233 (Pathfinder 6 Plock Fly-By!)

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KSEA had initially been hoped that Pathfinder 6 would have enough deltaV to orbit Plock – however the craft was simply going too fast for the nuclear engine to slow it down! Additionally, the Kerbin Deep Space Network is barely able to communicate with Pathfinder 6… upgrades to the network are clearly needed!

Pathfinder 6 still transmits some amazing images of Plock and its moon Karen! Gravitational, pressure, and temperature readings are all taken and the science is beamed back to KSC!

Engineers are already at work on the next generation of probe that will be able to reach Plock and Karen!

Year 16, Day 165 (Explorer 6 Rescue Mission!)

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The Aurora Crew Vehicle docked at the Kerbin Spaceport undocks – this fully fueled vehicle has been at the station for quite a while, and was intended as an emergency lifeboat for the station crew in a crisis. Mission Control has decided the spacecraft will be remotely piloted and docked to the stranded Explorer 6 crew – marooned in an eccentric orbit around Kerbin!

The ACV activates it’s engine and blasts away from the station – changing it’s inclination to match Explorer 6!

After the rendezvous maneuver is complete, the ACV is within sight of Explorer 6!

“I see it! We’re saved!”
-Sean

The Aurora Crew Vehicle docks with Explorer 6!

“Looks like a solid connection! Let’s get that hatch open and transfer over! Don’t forget all the science!”
-Mitster

Glenica does a thorough search to make sure they haven’t left anything behind – then is the last one to head over to the Crew Vehicle!

The Crew Vehicle detaches from Explorer 6, and heads back to Kerbin!

“Explorer 6 was a good ship! Maybe someday we can refuel it for another adventure!”
-Mitster

“I’m just eager to get back to train for the next Deep Space mission!”
-Glenica

The Aurora Command Module heats up as it burns through Kerbin’s atmosphere!

Until it finally splashes down in the ocean – just east of the Space Center!

“Rescue boats are on the way! Just sit tight and we’ll get you home in no time!”
-Gene

Explorer 6’s crew finally returns home! Not quite like they expected, but they proved KSEA’s equipment and crew were ready for the very long duration missions to Jool – and beyond!

Year 16, Day 164 (Explorer 6 Returns to Kerbin from Jool!)

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Explorer 6 enters Kerbin’s gravitational sphere of influence, and fires it’s engines to circularize its orbit!

“This is the first time a crewed vessel.. or really any vessel, has returned ot Kerbin orbit from Jool! Fuel will be a little tight, but I’m sure we’ll make it to orbit!”
-Mitster

“Hmmm. that fuel guage is getting pretty low Mitster!”
-Glenica

“E stands for ’emergency supply’… right?”
-Sean

Suddenly, Explorer 6’s fuel shuts off!

“Well… good news and bad news! We made orbit! The bad news is we don’t have enough fuel to dock with the Spaceport, and the orbit is fairly eccentric!”
-Mitster

My calculations show we’re still in range of a rescue from one of the Aurora Crew Vehicles! What do you think Mission Control?”
-Glenica

We need to do a little mission planning, but we agree that’s the best rescue plan we have! We’ll be in touch!
–Gene, at Mission Control