Year 18, Day 366 (KSEA Releases Blueprints for Deep Space Vehicle ‘Horizon’!)

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KSEA is excited to announce the final design for Horizon! Building upon the successes of DSV-2 Discovery, the Horizon is the largest, most advanced spacecraft ever – and will be launched on a new rocket designed just for it, the Nova Rocket… The largest rocket ever launched!

The most striking new feature of Horizon is the massive cargo bay allowing a variety of payloads to travel with the spacecraft!

Construction will be completed soon, and even more exciting, should be done in time for the launch window to Sarnus!

The crew will be announced soon, as will the mission specifics!

Year 18, Day 300 (DSV-3 Horizon Construction Update!)

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Construction of the next Deep Space Vehicle, Horizon, is nearly 90% complete! Progress has been slower than expected however, as new features and upgrades continue to be devised and then incorporated into the design.

These features keep creeping in, and slowing down development of the spacecraft!

“We’ve gotta stop adding stuff and get this thing built!

–Gene

While Horizon shares the same basic construction of Discovery, the most notable new feature is a massive cargo bay, designed to allow Horizon to carry a Lander or other payloads to its destination!

KSEA promises that blueprints will be available soon!

There is no word yet on the destination of Horizon… With the window for Sarnus closing soon, many Kerbals speculate Moho will be the likely target!

Year 18, Day 299 (Retriever 2 Launches!)

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Retriever 2 launches to a 400k orbit! It’s mission is to bring the asteroid Retriever 1 captured into an orbit close enough that an Aurora Crew Vehicle can intercept, and Kerbals can investigate it!

“We should really redesign that second stage! There’s way too much power there!”
-Gene

After many attempted plots, an intercept with the asteroid is finally resolved!

Finally, Retriever 2 arrives at the Asteroid and docks!

It’s decided to let Retriever 1 go, so as not imbalance the asteroid for movement!

The asteroid mover pushes and pushes until it runs out of fuel! The asteroid’s orbit is still inclined, but not as severely! Another Retriever will be built, and hopefully finish the job!

Year 18, Day 274 (Explorer 7 Launches, Heading to Duna!)

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Malcolm, Dunwin, and Shepley all board Explorer 7! Outside the rocket, the loudspeakers count down to launch!

“10… 9…8…7…6…ignition sequence start….5…4…3…2…1…IGNITION!”
-Gene

“We have liftoff!”
-Gene

The powerful Sarnus Va rocket lifts Explorer 7 higher and higher!

Until orbit is reached! Then, with just 3 minutes to spare until the transfer window, Malcolm fires the engines!

“Engines firing…. We’re on course!”

-Malcolm

Explorer 7 soars past Mun on its way out of Kerbin’s SOI!

Hours later, the Advanced Duna Lander departs for Duna! The two spacecraft will arrive at Duna in 208 days!

“Ok, we’re on our way! Mission Control, we’re handing over vehicle control to KSC! “

-Malcolm

“That means it’s time to head over to the Cryo Section… And take a little nap!”

-Shepely

The 3 Kerbals prepare to head over to the Cryo Module to enter Cryo-Stasis! The mission schedule has them starting suspension tomorrow!

Year 18, Day 272 (Malcolm, Dunwin, and Shepely Selected for Explorer 7 Duna Mission!)

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KSEA announces that Malcolm, Dunwin, and Shepely have been selected as the crew for Explorer 7! Explorer 7 itself is rolled out to the launchpad, and the crew will board tomorrow! In the meantime, everyone’s talking about how colorful the new patches are!

Malcolm and Shepely have never been to Duna, however Dunwin, the mission engineer, is a veteran!

The Advanced Duna Lander is already in orbit, and will leave a day after Explorer 7!

The Explorer 7 Duna Mission will make use of the Advanced Duna Lander’s capabilities to target landing sites that were out of range of previous missions. Additionally, many of the new surface experiments deployed and tested on Mun by the Aurora 18, 19, 20, and 21 crews will be deployed on Duna!

Year 18, Day 233 (Advanced Duna Lander Launches!)

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Construction is complete on the Advanced Duna Lander! The spacecraft is rolled out… and launches!

Launched on the Sarnus Va, the rover will sit in orbit for 41 days until the ideal transfer window to Duna!

In orbit, the lander ejects it’s fairing… and waits! The probe will be entirely un-crewed during it’s flight, including (hopefully) docking with the Spaceport!

The Advanced Duna Lander also includes a cargo segment on the rear that will attach to Duna Spaceport, carrying enough surface science equipment for 4 seperate landings!

Year 18, Day 222 (Asteroid IIF-441 Enters Kerbin’s SOI – Retriever 1 Maneuvers to Intercept!)

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Asteroid IIF-441, a class C Asteroid, enters Kerbin’s gravitational sphere of influence… and Retriever 1 burns to match planes!

Then, Retriever expands its orbit past that of the asteroid’s!

Then, with the Asteroid nearing it’s closest point with Kerbin, Retriever 1 burns it’s engine to intercept!

The maneuvers all require extreme precision! Once Retriever is close enough though, it’s fairly similar to docking with a ship in orbit!

Remarkably, Retriever 1 moves in closer to the Asteroid, having matched course!

Using RCS thrusters only, Retriever 1 moves in closer and closer…

…until it docks with the Asteroid!

“… it worked! It worked!”
-Orlas, onboard Kerbin Spaceport

Next, Retriever 1 uses what is left of it’s fuel to capture the asteroid into a circular orbit of Kerbin!

There isn’t enough fuel for a perfect orbit, but a highly elliptical orbit IS achieved, and the asteroid orbits Kerbin! Plans are immediately drawn to launch Retriever 2, to bring the Asteroid in to a closer location… and allow Kerbals to explore it!

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