After several years of development and many setbacks KSEA excitedly announces that design testing of the Heavy Cargo Shuttle is complete! Now it’s time for ‘real-world’ testing of the prototype vehicle, HCS-1 Resolute.
Construction begins on the Resolute and its launcher!
With multiple rockets under assembly at KSC, most Kerbals are having trouble remembering exactly which project is coming up next!
Multiple Surveyor vehicles are almost complete, as is a new expansion to the KSS – a new Habitat and Docking module. The new module will replace the current docking module on the KSS, to make room for an upgraded habitat/cupola module that engineers promise will be ‘super cool.”
In the meantime, the next Surveyor rocket launches! This new satellite should provide unparalleled looks at the surface of Kerbin… in really great details!
One of the new Cargo Supply Vehicles launches. The launch is fraught with problems, as the vehicle continually runs out of power.
“Probably doesn’t have enough onboard batteries. There’s plenty of room in the cargo bay… we’ll just stuff some batteries in there! We’ll have to get that upgraded before we send up another one!”
-Bill
Engineers start working on the next Cargo Supply Vehicle at once! In the meantime however… the CSV continues its difficult journey to the KSS.
The vehicle proves to be fairly difficult to control, prone to random spins and other anomalies… however the vessel eventually is remotely docked to the KSS, where scientists begin working on the Plant Science module at once!
While the new CSV will likely be able to be converted to a supply vehicle for moving food materials, an upgraded vehicle is clearly preferred!
Orlas, Mitster, and Chrisnic finish their research on Gilly, and head back up to dock with Explorer!
They were able to visit every biome on Gilly, and gathered a phenomenal amount of data on the seismic properties, atmospheric properties, and temperature of this small moon. After all the excitement, the heads back to Kerbin. The burn trip home will take roughly 200 days, and require just under 1700 d/v of fuel… sadly Mitster’s conclusion was correct, the Explorer will not have enough fuel to be saved. The LARC will eject from Explorer and head home, while Explorer goes into a solar orbit!
Meanwhile on Kerbin, three more Kerbin Surveyor vehicles are built.
The Explorer spacecraft finishes its journey from Eve to Gilly, circularizing an orbit around the small planetoid.
“Fuel keeps getting lower and lower guys… let’s try to be careful!”
-Mitster
For the first time all three crew of a spacecraft will abandon their vessel and head down in a lander. It’s a bit risky… but no one wants to be left behind on such a momentous occasion!Chrisnic, Mitster, and Orlas climb into the LARC… and detach!
The LARC slowly moves away from Explorer.. and heads down to Gilly!
“”I’m so excited! ”
-Orlas
The LARC sets down, and Chrisnic climbs out…
Once he lets go of the ladder, the slightest step sends him flying across the surface
“Whoa! The low gravity here is… very low! Be careful!”
-Chrisnic
Mitster is next… expertly piloting his rocket pack over to Chrisnic!
“You weren’t kidding! It’s almost like we’re in space, and not even on a moon!
-Mitster
Orlas jumps out next!
“Wheeeeee!”
-Orlas
After having a good deal of fun playing on Gilly, the crew of Explorer gathers to take a landing portrait…. when Orlas notices something…
“Wow! What a sight to behold!”
-Orlas
The crew pose for their portrait… the first Kerbals to land on Gilly! What a day! The crew will spend about 4 days on the surface of Gilly collecting important data before returning to the Explorer, high above the small moon… empty… waiting for its crew!
Kerbin Surveyor alters it’s course slightly to gain a better angle at Kerbin! Similar designs based on the Surveyor are being developed by KSC scientists to better explore and map the other worlds of the Kerbin system!
KSEA may launch more Surveyor sattelites in the future, most likely dual-purpose communication / mapping designs to increase coverage of Kerbin.
Construction begins on two new rockets… a KSS Science Mission to test the effects of loiw gravity on plants, and a life support resupply mission to the KSS.
Both payloads will launch on Discovery Rockets!
Edan, Robart, and Kimmy take off in the Adventure to rotate the crew on board the KSS!
After docking, Jeb, Bob, and Samner head down in the Intrepid! 
“Almost there… almost there….”
-Jeb
Success! Another great landing at the VAB Airstrip!
Morning comes, and with it, the sun! The Explorer Atmospheric Probe is recharged, and starts relaying information about the surface! 
The images relayed back show an eery, purple surface, with a strange sea, glowing green from the Eve sunrise!
Instruments show Eve is as beautiful as it is dangerous… Atmospheric pressure is extreme, as is the gravity.
“Landing, once we get past the heat of reentry, should be easy. Taking off from the surface is going to be very difficult… A fully assembled Aurora Rocket launched from the surface of Eve would have trouble making orbit!”
-Orlas
Explorer circularizes its orbit above Eve, achieving an orbit of 122k! As Explorer finishes its orbital burn, Mitster checks out the fuel gauges.
“Getting Explorer back into Kerbin orbit is going to be a real trick. I’m starting to think that we’ll have to use the LARC as a lifeboat when we get back!”
-Mitster
Everyone is a little disappointment that Explorer may not be able to be re-used… However the concern about fuel is exactly why the LARC was developed!
It’s time to send the first atmospheric probe down to the surface! The probe disconnects…
Then the small solid rockets drop it out of orbit… and toward Eve! Sensors indicate that the parachutes deployed, and the craft touched down… just as battery power runs out! Thankfully, there was time to order the solar panels deployed. The crew onboard Explorer (and everyone back on Kerbin) wait anxiously to see if the little probe survives the night on Eve!
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 