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!
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
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
The next Lithium Refueling mission launches for Kerbin Spacedock on a Jool Heavy rocket!
After an automatic Rendevous maneuver, Mission Control hands over remote control to Val!
“This is Commander Spacedock… we have the Lithium Vehicle, bringing it in to dock…” -Val
Val slowly navigates the spacecraft into docking position! This will be the final (for now) fuel launch to Spacedock, bringing the station to a “max” fuel level for the DSV fleet!
“Docking complete! Spacedock is now fully fueled – good work team!” -Val
Meanwhile, crews at Spacedock work on fueling up Discovery and Endeavor for their next mission!
KSEA is disappointed to announce that the upcoming Explorer 8 launch to Duna has been delayed! The next window to Duna won’t be for another year, which has many astronauts upset!
The delay is due to construction time for the spacecraft, which took longer than planned!
“I know it’s disappointing everyone, but we’ve got to keep our eyes on the prize! We’re investigating other options for Duna Missions in the meantime!”
At the Space Center the next Lithium Refueling Vehicle is ready to launch, and blasts off on top of a Jool Heavy rocket!
The Jool Heavy’s powerful 21 S3 KS-25 “Vector” engines lift the rocket to it’s 200km apogee!
While this isn’t the first Spacedock refueling mission, this is the first launch of the newly redesigned Jool Heavy Rocket!
As it nears it’s 200km apogee, the attached side rockets deplete their fuel…
… and disconnect! The central stage continues it’s burn to 200k… then detaches from the upper stage!
The upper stage’s 3 KR-2L+ “Rhino” engines fire…
… and circularize the massive craft in a stable orbit of Kerbin! The refueling vehicle then performs maneuvers to rendevous with Spacedock!
“Mission Control – Spacedock has the Refueling Vehicle on our scope… you’re cleared to start the automated docking maneuver!” -Val, on board Spacedock
With the sun creating impressive lens flares, the Refueling Vehicle docks!
“Looks like a good connection with the third refueling Vehicle! We just need one more and Spacedock will be fully stocked with Lithium!” -Edan, on Spacedock
The first day of Year 21 is going to be a big day at White Mesa! It’s a first for two new vehicles: The third revision of the Modular Payload Vehicle, or MPV, will be launching with a LFO (Liquid Fuel/Oxygen) payload! Even bigger news is the first launch of a new Launch Vehicle, the Nebula Heavy Rocket!
The launch goes well, and the Nebula Heavy rockets into the sky above the desert!
The Nebula Heavy is basically three Nebula Rockets bolted together with a larger second stage. While all 3 Nebula rockets return to Kerbin, the second stage is discarded.
The Nebula Heavy reaches it’s 200k apogee, and detaches!
Turning around using RCS thrusters (once clear of the MPV), the Nebula Heavy fires it’s engines to target a landing at KSC! Soon, the three rockets will disconnect and independently land on the surface!
Meanwhile, the MPV fires it’s engine until it’s in a safe 200k orbit of Kerbin!
Mission Control continues piloting the craft closer and closer to the rendevous with Spacedock!
“Mission Control – this is Station Commander … I’ve got a clear view of the MPV out of the Upper Cupola windows! Looks like it’s on course for docking with Endeavor! We’re clear to take over remote control from up here!” -Val
With Val now piloting remotely, the MPV drifts past the station, and once behind Endeavor Val starts it’s docking maneuver!
“Alright… MPV is lined up…. moving in for final docking maneuvers…” -Val
The MPV slowly moves in to Endeavor‘s docking bay…
… and connects!
“We’re showing a solid connection up here!” -Val
“Hey – just what do we need a LFO fuel delivery to a DSV for anyway!?” -Edan
“I thought you’d never ask! We’re sending another team to Laythe to survey sites for the colony! Congrats Val – you’re the Mission Commander for Endeavor’s Crew Mission 2!” -Gene, at Mission Control
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 