Year 4, Day 325 (Next Harmony Space Station Mission Planned!)

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The next landing site for the Harmony Science team is announced!  This mission will primarally focus on site A, the Poles, and site B, the Highlands.  If fuel is available, and the team deems it safe, a third landing will be performed at site C, the Flats.

Planners are optomistic, but a landing at the poles has never been tried before, so they want to play it safe! Kimmy and Gilian will head down to Minmus very soon!

Year 4, Day 322 (Explorer Returns Home)

screenshot1171.pngIt’s time for Explorer’s brave crew to return home!  Onboard Explorer, Orlas, Mitster, and Chrisnic gather up all their things (including the invaluable science data gathered from Eve and Gilly) and head to the LARC!

screenshot1181.pngThe LARC detaches… and everyone watches silently as the ship that had been their home for almost a year drifts away… Explorer will ride Kerbin’s gravity and slingshot into deep space (taking its radioactive engines far away from Kerbin…)  while the LARC should touch down somewhere on Kerbin!

screenshot1184.pngThings are getting hot as the LARC capsule reenter’s Kerbin’s orbit! screenshot1192.png

The capsule reenters the atmosphere safely!  Everyone at the space center breathes a sigh of relief… this is the first interplaneteary return, and Explorer was going very fast!

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Mitster, Orlas, and Chrisnic all land safely!  Teams are sent out to rescue them at once.   Welcome home guys!

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Year 4, Day 296 (Harmony Space Station Upgraded, Harmony Crew Rotation)

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The RCS Refuelling Mission to Harmony Station above Minmus arrives!

screenshot1162.png…and docking goes surprisingly uneventfully!

Looks like a good seal!   This will give Harmony plenty of monopropellant fuel for future missions – good work everybody!

-Gilian

screenshot1163.pngSamner and Robart prepare to head home… (Robart takes the long way, enjoying an EVA before heading home) while Gilian and Kimmy prepare for the next Harmony Space Station landing!  Scientists are still figuring out the best location for HSSLS02!

screenshot1164.pngSamner, Val, and Robart head home!

Year 4, Day 288 (Unity Space Station Heads to Mun!)

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Seely and rookie scientist Luly are chosen for the first crew aboard Unity Space Station!  Edan pilots them up in the refitted Adventure! The new Cargo Module performs well!

screenshot1123.pngUnity Space Station is sitting in a 100k orbit.  The shuttle is capable of reaching orbits up to 120k, however tolerances for errors and safety start getting pushed above 100k.

screenshot1130.pngAdventure docks at Unity Space Station!

screenshot1133.pngLuly and Seely head over… but Seely takes the scenic route and installs the new Gravity Sensors on the station! Edan takes a second to correct the orientation of one of the Station’s Habitat Modules…

“There we go… now the other side matches!”

-Edan

Then disconnects.

screenshot1135.pngUnity Station begins its transfer to Mun!

screenshot1136.pngThis time the launch goes much better than Harmony Station’s… keeping the insertion stage’s engine’s gimbals set lower appears to solve the problem (that and the station has been designed to be symmetrical!) Adventure will remain in orbit until KSEA signals that the Station is safely away!

screenshot1141.pngUnity Station arrives at Mun!It’s just a short 5 hours trip to Mun!

screenshot1145.pngWith just a little work, the station is put into a 31k orbit,.  Now all the crew needs is a lander, and science can begin!  (The Transfer stage still has a little precious fuel in it, so it will remain until the lander arrives!)screenshot1149.png

Adventure heads down (and ejects its cargo module!)

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Another great landing by Edan!

 

 

 

 

 

Year 4, Day 286 (RCS Refueling Mission for Harmony Space Station)

screenshot1113.pngEnterprise blasts off from Cape Kerman, carrying the RCS Refuelling Vehicle for Harmony Space Station!  screenshot1116.png

Edan releases the Refueling Vehicle – and Mission Control pilots it to Minmus! It should arrive there in a few days, then the crew rotation at Harmony Station can be complete!

screenshot1119.pngEdan takes Enterprise back to Kerbin. The last few shuttle landings have been a bit dicey, so this time everything will be done to slow the craft down before re-entering!

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It’s a successful landing!

“That went a lot better!  Pulsing the air brakes on descent appears to be the best way to use them to slow the spacecraft down!  It prevents overhearing and allows more control!”

-Edan

Edan’s advice is carefully noted by the other pilots in the KSC!

Year 4, Day 285 (Harmony Crew Rotation, Lander Upgrades)

screenshot1100.pngVal, Kimmy, and Gilian arrive at Minmus!

“That sure is a long trip!  I bet the Explorer Crew would think it’s nothing though!”

-Gilian

Indeed – Explorer, the first mission to Eve and Gilly, is due back in 35 days!  Everyone is very excited about all the scientific discoveries they’ve made!

From here it’s just a short rendezvous to Harmony Space Station…

screenshot1105.pngThe Crew Vehicle docks!

screenshot1106.pngGilian gets out and gets to work!

“Wow!  It’s beautiful out here!  I can’t wait to head down to the surface!”

-Gilian

screenshot1111.pngGilian installs the new Gravity Sensor on the Station Lander, then heads back to the station!

Unfortunately, before another landing can be done, Harmony needs a refueling of RCS fuel… which is being launched from the Space Center shortly!

Year 4, Day 274 (Harmony Station Crew Rotation, Upgrades)

screenshot1094.pngIt’s time to rotate the crew of the Harmony Space Station!  This will also provide a good opportunity to do some resupply, and to equip the Station Lander with a new Gravioli Scientific Scanner!  Valentina will pilot Kimmy and Gilian to the new station, and return Samner and Robart!

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The Crew Vehicle barely has the fuel to reach Minmus, and return.  KSEA engineers agree it’s probably time to do a more complete upgrade of the Aurora Crew Vehicle!

Year 4, Day 271 (Resolute Launches Second Unity Space Station Module)

screenshot1077.pngThe upgraded Resolute takes off!   Val pilots rookie engineer Seely and Gillian up to orbit! This will be Resolute’s first flight using the upgraded Launcher, and with the new Cargo Bay arrangement!screenshot1079.png

The launch goes well – with the OAV carrying the shuttle to its desired orbit, leaving over 1000 d/v in fuel for orbital maneuvering.

“That’s sure was a bumpy ride!”

-Seely

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Val pilots Resolte to a close rendezvous with Unity Station!

Ok – we’re there.. but we better wait until we’re on the ‘day’ side of Kerbin before doing the install!

-Gilian

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Seeley heads out, and practices some basic space maneuvers!  screenshot1088.pngThe module goes into place, and Unity Space Station is ready to go!

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“Resolute’s coming in pretty hot!  I’m going to need to circle around before I can land!”

-Val

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Val sets down, but takes out one of the landing lights at the end of the runway!  Endeavor takes some minor damage, losing a few of its air brakes! Everyone agrees this was the most dangerous landing the Heavy Cargo Shuttles have ever done.  High speed, and performing the maneuver node too early is the general consensus.

“Maybe we can find a way to slow the shuttle more on reentry – that was scary!”

-Seeley