Year 4

Year 4, Day 178 (Harmony Station Arrives at Minmus)

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screenshot892.pngHarmony Space Station finally reaches Minmus, and after another very long and akward burn, circularizes.

Relieved cheers and sighs can be heard all throughout Mission Control.  The mission was not a complete success however.  The amount of fuel required to get the Station into Minmus orbit has left it with less than half of the anticipated fuel reserves for it’s lander.

“I suppose we can send a fuel craft to refill the station. But a redesign for the next Space Station is clearly called for.”

-Robart

Meanwhile, Edan returns from Kerbin orbit – as engineers try to figure out the best way to deal with the situation on Minmus!

Year 4, Day 169 (Harmony Station Update!)

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Edan, Robart, and Samner launch in an Aurora Crew Vehicle to take command of the Harmony Space Station, and transport it to Minmus orbit!

screenshot868.pngEdan pilots the craft to a high altitude, then circularizes the orbit!

“Starting rendezvous maneuvers!”

-Edan

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Almost there…

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Edan docks the CRV with Harmony!

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Samner and Robart transfer over to the station… and wait for Mission Control to activate the onboard systems!screenshot884.png

Harmony maneuvers to match planes with Minmus… this will be the first attempt to see if this method of transporting Stations is efficient, or even practical!

OOooookay…  this thing is spinning like crazy!

-Robart

screenshot887.pngUnfortunately, Robart is correct… the center of mass on the space station was not properly calculated, clearly… as the engines fire, the craft starts to spin wildly.  Thankfully, Mission Control is able to get the vehicle under control… but it means firing the main maneuvering engine at only 20 percent… the entire process will be a bit of a chore.

“Looks like we’re going to have to fine tune these parts if we want this to be how we send Space Stations out in the future!”

-Samner

The transfer burn is complete… in just a few days the station will (hopefully) enter the Minmus sphere of influence, and circularize its orbit!

Year 4, Day 166

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Resolute is outfitted with the next (and last) Harmony Space Station module, the modified Science Module.  Edan is chosen as the pilot for this launch!

“Wow, this cockpit is so roomy compared to the Crew Shuttles!”

-Edan

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Resolute finishes its launch, piloted to just under 100k by Edan!

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“OK… approaching Harmony!”

-Edan

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“Opening cargo bay door… and releasing the Harmony Module!”

-Edan

screenshot860.pngThe module detaches… and after some tricky night-side maneuvering, attaches to Harmony.   Now it’s time for Resolute to head home!screenshot862.png

Resolute swoops in for a landing!

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Success!screenshot865.png

Edan is very pleased with himself, and insists on a photo – welcome home Edan… and good work!  Work begins at once on refurbishing Resolute.   Additionally, work begins on a NEW, as yet un-named Heavy Cargo Shuttle, to hopefully increase the capabilities of the Space Program!

 

 

 

 

 

Frontier 1 & 2 Update (Journey to Sarnus)

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Frontier 1 is just days from its encounter with Sarnus – Frontier 1 was launched merely to test the capabilities of the Frontier design, and was considered a bit of a long shot. However, this probe will still be the first to reach any of the outer planets. Sadly, it will only have enough fuel to do a high speed fly-by, before continuing on an escape trajectory out of the Kerbol star system!

screenshot849.pngThankfully, the Frontier 2 Probe will soon perform a minor course correction in just 36 days.  If calculations are correct, this will let the probe fly extremely close to Sarnus itself, and then have an encounter with Sarnus’s moon, Tekto. With any luck there will be enough fuel to allow the spacecraft to circularize around this mysterious Moon!

 

Year 4, Day 162 (Frontier 6 Arrives at Duna)

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screenshot847.pngThe Frontier 6 probe, launched nearly a year ago, enters Duna’s sphere of gravitational influence! The probe is not as sophisticated as a spacecraft launched today would be – but it should still provide a great deal of information to scientists on Kerbin! The onboard computer is given its instructions to circularize the craft’s orbit!

Thankfully, the Frontier probes were all launched with a lot of fuel reserves, to deal with any unforeseen needs, or try to at least.

A new generation of Surveyor Probes are being planned for exploring the other worlds of the Kerbol Star System!

In the meantime, researches back on Kerbin will need to wait a few more weeks as Frontier 6 travels to the periapsis of its orbit of Duna, where the craft will circularize its orbit!

 

Year 4, Day 152 (Harmony Design Changes)

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After some consideration, engineers have decided to remove the cupola from the Harmony Space Station planned for Minmus.   A fairly unpopular decision for certain, but sadly necessary.

With the original design, an lander would have to undock and remain nearby the station anytime another spacecraft arrived, such as an Aurora Crew Vehicle.

By removing the cupola, and replacing it with a docking port the station will be able to have both craft docked at the same time.

Perhaps the next Space Station will improve on the design – but for now, with Harmony almost entirely ready to go in orbit, this will be the best solution.  The science lab will still have large windows… hopefully the Kerbals will be happy with that!

Additionally, construction begins on two new rockets – Aurora 16, bound for Minmus, and an Aurora Crew Vehicle – to be used as a backup / emergency rescue vehicle!

Year 4, Day 151 (Resolute Delivers Harmony Habitat Module)

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Val will pilot Resolute to its next mission – delivery of the Habitat Module for the Harmony Space Station!  screenshot823.pngThe launch goes well, and Val circularizes… screenshot834.png

then moves in to rendezvous with the waiting Harmony Space Station core!

“I need to be careful with my maneuvers… Harmony is being assembled near the upper limit of Resolute’s operating parameters.. just a bit over 90k!… I see the station out the window.  Moving in!”

-Val

Should Resolute run out of fuel, the shuttle does have enough solid maneuvering propellant to de-orbit and return to Kerbin… however everyone hopes that won’t be necessary!screenshot839.png

Resolute‘s payload detaches… screenshot841.pngthen docks with Harmony!  Success!

“Ok – job done!  Heading home!”

-Val

Val sits in orbit, waiting for the sun to rise above the Space Center.  Night landings are generally not preferred ! Thankfully, Resolute has enough fuel to de-orbit!

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Resolute’s moving pretty fast… deploying airbrakes!

-Val

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Resolute swoops down for a landing!screenshot845.png

Almost there…

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“Got it!  There was a loud “crushing noise when the gear set down, and the Master Alarm sounded!  Looks like I lost one of the ventral Air Brakes!”

-Val

Thankfully, there was no damage to the rest of the craft.  The Air Brakes aren’t designed to be deployed during a landing, just during the approach to the air strip.  This should be an avoidable mistake for the future!

“Maybe we can set the Authority Limiter on those Air Brakes to a lower extension… how about 60 percent of their regular extension?”

-Bob

Everyone agrees that’s a good idea, and the changes are made at once!

Resolute is recovered, and refurbishments start immediately!  The Harmony Science Module will go up in the next Heavy Cargo Shuttle launch… and then Harmony Station will be ready to go!

There is already talk of constructing an additional Cargo Shuttle – it would have been useful for Harmony Station to launch both modules right away to get things rolling faster!  If the Harmony Station design looks viable, future stations may use similar layouts… so an additional Cargo Shuttle will probably be in the works!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year 4, Day 148 (Harmony Core Launches!)

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screenshot813.pngThe core of the Harmony Space Station launches on top of a Sarnus V Heavy Launcher early in the morning of Day 148!  As soon as the launch is complted, work starts refurbishing the launchpad for Resolute’s launch!screenshot815.png

Automated guidance systems carry the station up to a 100k orbit… Much as simulations predicted, the station sits in orbit, with plenty of fuel to carry it (and its future modules) to Minmus!

Year 4, Day 147 (Frontier 6 Update – Journey to Duna!)

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The Frontier 6 probe to Duna is a mere 2 weeks away from encountering the distant red world of Duna!  No one’s ever seen what it looks like up close… the sensors on Frontier are relatively old, but the science gained from the mission should be invaluable!

Scientists hope to get atmospheric, temperature, and pressure readings from both Duna and it’s small moon, Ike!

 

Year 4, Day 133 (Harmony Update)

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It’s a busy day at the Space Center!

  • Construction starts on Harmony Space Station, and the Sarnus V Heavy launcher that will take it to orbit… and beyond!
  • Likewise, work begins on the payload for the Heavy Cargo Shuttle Resolute, the Habitat Module for Harmony Station!
  • The Crew Shuttle Adventure is refurbished, and undergoes a minor retrofit – improved solar panels are added to the craft.

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  • Finally, the Minmus Surveyor arrives at Minmus! Scouting Minmus ahead of time will make the Harmony Station team’s difficult job that much easier!