Year 9

Year 9, Day 422 (Mirphe and Tamre Land on Minmus!)

sayburstuff Year 9 , , ,

screenshot310.pngWhile trying to find a good spot to land the Harmony Station Lander, Tamre makes an interesting discovery… there is not only a Great Flats on Minmus, but there is also an unexplored region known as the Greater Flats – unexplored mostly due to Mission Control not noticing the extra two letters in the name!

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“Huh.  Guess that’s our spot then!”

-Mirphe

Indeed!  Mission Control gives the go-ahead, and the crew heads down!

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The Harmony Station lander heads toward its landing site – HSSL05, the Greater Flats!

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“That looks like the landing site!  Lives up to its name too!”

-Tamre

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Mirphe sets the lander down on the surface!

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Tamre jumps out first and has a few hops around the surface!

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Mirphe hops out next, and the crew poses for their landing portrait!

We need to do a few quick hops around Minmus before heading back!  I’ve been reviewing the science reports from the previous missions and a few things were missed!

-Tamre

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The Minmus lander jumps to the highlands, then the Great Flats, as Tamre and Mirphe carefully gather science data that was missed in previous missions (and occasionally stopping for moments of poignant self reflection).

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Until it’s time to return to Harmony Space Station!

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We spent so much time hopping around Minmus I’m afraid we ate up most of the snacks… and the water… and the oxygen!

-Tamre

Uh oh.  We’re going to try a very, very fast return to Kerbin. It’s our only chance!

-Mirphe

The ACV expends all of its fuel, and the return to Minmus takes only 2 days!

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Re-entry heat on the ACV is intense… thankfully these are the same vehicles that are made to survive interplanetary journeys, which approach even faster!

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The Aurora Command Module gently glides down…

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… and sets down in the Highlands of Kerbin!

“We made it!”

-Mirphe

“So this is what gravity feels like…. exhausting!”

-Tamre

Year 9, Day 290 (Explorer 3 Leaves Duna Spaceport!)

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Edan, Glenica, and Sean gather their scientific findings and transfer to Explorer 3 – it’s time to head home!

We have a little extra fuel so we’re going to try a quicker return home!

-Edan

The next spacecraft scheduled to visit Duna is the automated Refueling Vehicle, which will provide the vital fuel needed for Explorer 5, the next crewed mission to Duna!

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The return to Kerbin should take exactly one year!

Year 9, Day 279 (ACV Carrying Science Crew to Kerbin Spaceport & Minmus Rescue Launches!)

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Piloted by Mirphe, an ACV launches from KSC carrying Orlas and Kimmy to Kerbin Spaceport to lead the team working on the Cyclotron!

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The Mk7 ACV is proving to be a very reliable and capable space vehicle!

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Mirphe rendevouses the ACV with Kerbin Spaceport…

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…and docks!  Orlas and Kimmy transfer over, and then Kimmy undocks the ACV!

Time for the second part of the ACV mission… a quick trip to Minmus!

-Mirphe

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KSEA is sending Mirphe to Harmony Space Station at Minmus to recover Tamre, who has been taking part in one of KSEA’s long term space habitation studies. (KSEA again stressed that this did not mean anyone forgot about Harmony Space Station or Tamre onboard!)

Year 9, Day 277 (Science Mission for Kerbin Spaceport Launches!)

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The Cargo Payload Vehicle (CPV) launches!

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The CPV was designed as a re-usable unmanned cargo pod that can deliver science payloads to Kerbin Spaceport and then return them to Kerbin for study.

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The CPV rendezvouses with Kerbin Spaceport!

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Docking is a success!

Looks like a good connection!  Once the rest of the science crew gets here we should be able to see what this Cyclotron can do!

-Shepely (on board Kerbin Spaceport)

Indeed, the science crew has already been selected!  Orlas, recently back from Duna will be the lead scientist, with Shepely and Kimmy joining the team!

Year 9, Day 276 (Frontier 3 Neidon Probe Lost)

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KSEA LogoThe Frontier 3 probe launched to Neidon 6 years ago has stopped transmitting.  KSEA engineers and scientists think that the crafts solar arrays just weren’t sufficient for transmitting that far out.  Just a few weeks ago Frontier 3 was still transmitting at near full strength thanks to the Deep Space Network KSEA has been building, however.

A probe is already on its way to Neidon, Pathfinder 2!