The Mk2 Planetary Surveyor arrives at Minmus and is put in an 80 degrees orbit around Minmus, at an altitude of 210km! Once the high-resolution scan is done, KSEA will review good landing sites, and the Aurora 20 lander will go down!
Certain facilities are missing from the Desert Launch site – notably towers to supervise the site! To correct this KSEA and KOAA have teamed up to build a combination tower that increases radio coverage in the area, provides command and control functions over the facility, and even has a flag pole!
Robart, a science specialist, is picked to command the new facility – which will need to be driven to it’s final destination!
“Wow! This thing does NOT drive well!”
-Robart
There are a few close calls, but eventually the tower is driven to it’s final position, overseeing the rocket launch site!
“Ok… I’m climbing to the top! This sure is a tall tower!”
-Robart
“What a view though! I have a good angle on the launch site and the facility down below! Let’s launch some rockets!”
-Robart
Work begins on a similar tower to oversee aircraft at the nearby landing strip!
Aurora 20 arrives at Minmus!
Val circularizes the orbit, while Seely and Luly prepare for the next stage of the mission – landing!
Aurora 20 blasts off, carriyng Val, Luly, and Seely to Minmus!
The Sarnus Va rocket goes higher and higher…
.. until it eventually circularizes it’s orbit, then transfers for Minmus!
The spacecraft will arrive in just under 8 days!
With Discovery now docked at Laythe Spaceport, the X-10 is remotely piloted to Rendezvous! With it’s transfer stage still attached the spacecraft is very unwieldy – but it’s important to use every bit of fuel – refills are hard to come by in the Jool system!
Endeavor arrives at the Spaceport!
“This is going to be a tricky docking… I better EVA over and do it manually!”
-Jeb
“OK – I have stepped outside the hatch… rocket packs on… heading toward the X-10!”
-Jeb
“Oh wow guys! Are you seeing this!?”
-Jeb
“…roger that Jeb – we see you!”
-Bill
“This thing is a lot bigger in person!“
-Jeb
Jeb detaches the X-10 from it’s transfer stage, and pilots it to the station! The inline docking port makes the procedure a little more challenging than normal!
“We read a solid connection – good job!”
-Bob
With that, all the components of the Laythe Mission are in place! The crew will start checking systems, and prepare for their first landing!
The next spacecraft in the convoy heading to Laythe is the X-Laythe Spaceplane Endurance! It’s engines fire and the spacecraft is captured into a circular orbit of Laythe!
Later in the day, the Laythe Spaceport also finishes circularzing Laythe! The final orbit of the Spaceport is intended to be 60k, so the engines fire again to change the orbit!
Success! The Spaceport is put in a 60k orbit. The transfer stage (and the only engine on the station) will remain in place until it’s fuel is spent by the X-10!)
“Discovery – our boards show Laythe Spaceport is in it’s required orbit – you are clear to rendezvous!”
-Gene, at KSC
“Affirmative!”
-Jeb
Discovery performs multiple maunevers as it moves to rendevous with Laythe Spaceport!
After a few orbits, Jeb pilots Discovery to within 100m of Laythe Spaceport!
“It was a good idea putting those great-big RCS thrusters on these DSV’s… it feels just like I’m manuevering an Aurora Crew Vehicle!“
-Jeb
“Almost… almost… got it! Docking complete! Discovery is now docked with Laythe Spaceport!!
-Jeb
“Alright – we need to start getting ready for the X-10’s arrival! Power down nuclear reactor… switching power supply lines to Station Power…. tape put over all throttle controls, engines disabled!”
-Bill
A Mk2 Planetary Surveyor is launched from the Desert Facility!
It’s set on course for Minmus, where it will survey the planet for the upcoming Aurora 20 mission!
“Minmus is really pushing the Aurora Rocket to it’s limits! We’re going to need to design a better surveyor if we want to get a good scan of other planets!”
-Orlas
After a very long journey, Discovery finally arrives at Laythe! With a loud “ding!” the cryogenic systems finish thawing all three Kerbals: Jeb, Bill, and Bob! Mission Control has started the insertion sequence to capture into Jool’s orbit – and now the engines fire to transfer into a Laythe orbit!
“Wake up guys! The computer says we’re here!!”
-Jeb
“I’m awake… I’m awake!!”
-Bill
“Me too!”
-Bob
“Mission Control – Discovery Crew here – we’re doing good! Assuming control of DSV – firing thrusters to enter Laythe orbit! “
-Jeb
Success! Discovery has circularized it’s orbit around Laythe, a pleasant 60k altitude above the moon!
“It almost looks like Kerbin!”
-Bob
In mere days the Spaceport, and the X-10 Laythe Spaceplane will perform similar maneuvers to enter Laythe orbit!
The crew for Aurora 20 is chosen! Val, Luly, and Seely prepare for a launch… this time, to Minmus!
“It’ll be interesting to see how that Rover performs on Minmus!”
-Val
“My calculations say… not well!”
-Luly
Concurrently, a Mk2 Planetary Scanner is being prepared at the Desert Launch Site!
The Deep Space Vehicle Discovery is finally nearing Jool – and it’s watery moon, Laythe!
Along with it are two other components of the Laythe Mission, the X-10 Laythe Spaceplane, Endurance, and the hub of the entire mission, the Laythe Spaceport!
Jeb, Bill, and Bob remain in Cryo-Stasis – remote systems show they’re doing fine! The convoy of spacecraft arrive at Jool’ SOI tomorrow, and will perform circularize it’s orbit in 11 days!
Once there, the crew will thaw out, and prepare for the landing segment of the mission – a dangerous endeavor, as they’re the only Kerbals in the area!
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 