Year 21, Day 194 (Aurora Base Launches to Mun!)

June 18, 2021June 18, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20, Year 21 Aurora 27, Aurora 28, Aurora Base, Aurora Crater, Bob, Colonies, Gene, Jool X Rocket, Mun

Aurora Base is finally ready to launch! This complicated mission will involve one very large payload launched to Mun Orbit, then 3 separate landings delivering all the components of the station. The first landing will carry the Habitat and Science Modules. The second will carry the Greenhouse and Life Support systems. The third module will carry the Command Module!

In the evening of Day 194, the Jool X rocket blasts off from the Space Center carrying Aurora Base!

The second stage carries the Aurora Base modules to orbit…

… then to Mun’s Orbit!

Once in Mun orbit the three landings commence.

“Let’s keep our fingers crossed everyone! These landings have to be timed precisely for the modules to arrive undamaged!”
-Gene

The Habitat and Science modules descend to Aurora Crater!

Then land just next to the Aurora Rover from the Aurora 27 mission from Mun Spaceport!

Then, the complicated part! One module breaks off, and is piloted away using RCS!

Eventually the next detaches, and rolls to nearby safety!

“That wasn’t so bad! Just two more to go!”
-Bob, at the Space Center

The Green House and Life Support modules land next…

.. landing just next to the other modules!

Aurora Crater is starting to fill up with some very expensive Kerbal hardware!

Next, the Command Module heads down!

“Telemetry is good. Speed is good. Command Module should be good to set down – fuel’s looking pretty tight though! “
-Bob, at the Space Center

At the last second, the Command Module detaches from the descent vehicle, and the upper mounted RCS system (the same that’s used to deploy rovers in Aurora Missions) takes the Command Module to the surface of Mun!

“Looks like a good set of landings people! Let’s get some crew out there to get started!”
-Gene

A crew will be launching soon from Kerbin to construct the station on the next Aurora mission – Aurora 28!

Year 20, Day 422 (Aurora 26 Crew Returns from Kerbitat One!)

April 5, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Edan, Gilian, Kerbitat One, Samner

After the success at growing plants on the orbital Kerbitat One station, the Aurora 26 crew board the Command Module and detach from the station !

“We learned a lot from that mission – even though it didn’t go like we planned! We just need to figure out how to keep a supply of water and fertilizer somehow sustainable!”
-Samner

Aurora 26 burns through the atmosphere toward White Mesa!

“Chute has deployed! We’re touching down about 50k south of the White Mesa facility!”
-Edan

“We made it! Good job team!”
-Gilian

Year 20, Day 416 (Nebula Rocket Carrying Fertilizer Launches for Kerbitat One!)

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Edan, Gilian, Kerbitat One, Samner, Spacedock

A Nebula Rocket that had been prepared for a Crew Vehicle launch is quickly retrofitted with an experimental new payload: the DSV Supply Craft! Designed to carry a versatile payload to the bay of Horizon Class DSVs, delivering fertilizer to Kerbitat One should be a good first test!

The Nebula Rocket blasts off!

The payload detaches, and the first stage turns around and heads back to KSC! The DSV Supply Craft continues it’s launch to orbit!

The spacecraft approaches Kerbitat One…

… and docks!

Back at Spacedock, Aurora 26 departs for Kerbitat One!

“Hopefully that fertilizer does the trick!”
-Edan

Edan brings Aurora 26 into alignment with Kerbitat One, and docks!

“Looks like a good connection! Let’s get that fertilizer transferred over too!”
-Gilian

The Kerbals begin unloading the payload from the service vehicle, and Samner studies the plants. The crew waits patiently… until after many hours have passed….

“It’s working! It’s working! The plants are growing! I had to use water from our crew vehicle to start the processes, but it looks like it’s going! That means we’ll need to leave before long, but there should be enough water to run the greenhouse for a while!”
-Samner

After the successful mission, the crew begins preparations for heading home!

Year 20, Day 400 (Kerbitat One Evacuated!)

March 30, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Edan, Gilian, Kerbin Spacedock, Kerbitat One, Problems, Samner

After weeks trying to grow food, the Aurora 26 crew are ordered to evacuate the station before life support runs out!

“Dang! I thought for sure all these plants would need is some light! Maybe if we added some fertilizer?”
-Samner

“Maybe… but you’d think they’d need water too!”
-Gilian

“Well, I think we’d all think better with some snacks in our bellies! Let’s head back to Spacedock until KSEA can send up some supplies!”
-Edan

Thankfully, Kerbitat One’s orbit is very close to Spacedock – Edan pilots Aurora 26 to the station…

…and docks!

“Now we wait!”
-Edan

Year 20, Day 365 (Aurora 26 Launches Carrying Kerbitat Greenhouse Experiment!)

March 28, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Edan, Gilian, Kerbin Spacedock, Kerbitat One, Samner

Aurora 26 blasts off from the Space Center, carrying Edan, Samner, and Gilian to orbit!

This Aurora mission will launch Kerbitat One into orbit, testing the feasibility of a greenhouse in space for long term habitation of other worlds!

The Sarnus V carries the Kerbitat Module and the Aurora Crew Vehicle higher and higher….

Until the fairing separates, and circularizes it’s orbit!

“Good launch everyone! Let’s get our Spacedock Rendezvous underway!”
–

Aurora 26 and Kerbitat One arrive at Spacedock and reach station keeping 500 meters away!

“Ok -starting docking and transposition maneuver….”
–

“Looks like a good connection! Nice!”
–

Kerbitat One deploys it’s solar panel arrays, and the crew starts getting comfortable!

Year 20, Day 339 (Crew Vehicle 5 Launches, Crew Vehicle 2 Returns Crew from Spacedock!)

March 28, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Crew Vehicle 2, Crew Vehicle 5, Edan, Kerbin Spacedock, Kerlorf, Mirphe, White Mesa

Crew Vehicle 5 blasts off from White Mesa! The spacecraft has a new second stage that should increase fuel supply and allow more mission options – however the primary goal has been more precise landings at the White Mesa facility.

CV5 reaches orbit, and begins docking procedures with Spacedock!

“That new second stage looks good!”
–Edan

CV5 docks! Meanwhile, Mirphe, Edan, and Kerlorf all transfer over to CV2 and get ready to return to Kerbin!

“Spacedock this is CV2… we are clear and preparing for reentry burn once clear of the station…”
-Mirphe

The crew vehicle performs the reentry burn…

… and streaks through the atmosphere, heading towards the desert White Mesa facility!

The parachutes deploy, and CV2 heads for a landing!

“Looks like we were a little short from White Mesa – hopefully the new second stage will let us land right on target next time!”
-Mirphe

Everyone hops out of CV2 to get some fresh air, waiting for the rescue teams!

Year 20, Day 290 (Construction Starts on Kerbitat Orbital Greenhouse!)

March 27, 2021March 27, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Kerbitat One

KSEA releases designs for it’s next orbital science experiment… Kerbitat One! station will be part of the next Aurora launch, Aurora 26 and will see if the new greenhouse module is capable of supporting Kerbals as a long term self-sustaining life support option.

Year 20, Day 285 (KSEA Update)

March 26, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20

Jeb, Bill, and Bob safely fly back to KSC to rest up for their next missions!

The next Deep Space Vehicle, DSV-5 Intrepid is under construction! The name was chosen to honor the Crew Shuttle Intrepid, which was recently retired. DSV-5 Intrepid will be a Horizon Class DSV and is virtually identical to the Horizon itself.

Construction is also underway on Explorer 8, the next crew rocket to Duna!

Construction on Nebula Crew Rockets has also been ongoing, with a target total of 6 rockets with at least 2 on standby at any time for a launch from White Mesa!

With crew traveling to and from White Mesa designers have been tinkering with faster planes to transport crews. The reliable X-5 has been the go-to, but engineers insist they can build something faster!

Another Modular Refuelling Vehicle carrying lithium is nearly ready, one more after this will fill all four fuel bays at Kerbin Spacedock!

The next Aurora Mission is also being prepared! This one will test the development of a long-term food and life support system for stations and, someday, colonies! A large greenhouse and power system will be the payload, and be launched into orbit near Kerbin Spacedock!

Finally, and most audaciously, KSEA is working on relocating the old Kerbin Spaceport… To Mun! Engineers will be inspecting the abandoned station soon, and if it checks out, a vehicle will be launched to move the stations orbit!