A Mk4 Surface Scanner/Relay Probe leaves Kerbin, heading to Sarnus! The best case scenario is that KSEA will finally get to scan the surface of Slate! The less optimal scenario will be Sarnus will gain a high power communications relay, which wouldn’t be all that bad either!
“I’m going to check out that water!”
-Bob
Bob takes off in a run, heading toward Laythe’s Sagen Sea!
“Oh hey! A Laythe Stone! They’re looking for one of these back at the Science Center! I better get a big sample!”
-Bob
Bob keeps running, until he finally gets to the shore…
“I never thought I’d see an ocean on another world! Only one thing to do…”
-Bob
“Go for a swim!!”
-Bob
Bob jumps in the water, and tries to swim out a little bit…
“Oh boy! This is cold water! Salty too! Just like the shore… “
-Bob
“…brrrr! I’m heading back to Endurance to warm up!”
-Bob
Before going inside, a very chilly Bob plants a flag!
“These samples just aren’t enough.. to really get a good sample of the Sagen Sea I’m afraid we’re going to need to land in it!”
-Bob
“LAND in the SEA?”
-Bill
“This isn’t a boat… but it might be possible! Let’s see what KSEA says!”
-Jeb
Jeb, Bill, and Bob board LCV-1 Endurance and head down for another landing! The discovery that Laythe has a breathable atmosphere has caused a bit of a commotion back on Kerbin – talk of a permanent colony on Laythe has begun!
“Ok – hold on! We’re setting down right by the coast so if we overshoot the landing site, we’ll need to be ready to blast off back into orbit… this plane isn’t rated for a water landing!”
-Jeb
It looks like the approach was spot on! Endurance activates it’s landing parachute, and the VTOL Aerospike bays open!
Endurance slowly sets down, aided by the VTOL system and the parachute!
“Endurance has landed! Let’s get out and see what’s out there!”
-Jeb
Jeb and Bill climb out and take in the sights, with Bob right behind them!
“Hey guys! What’re you standing there looking at!?”
-Bob
“Oh! The Sagen sea is so pretty! You’d almost think it’s Kerbin!”
-Bob
After being launched to orbit by a Jool Va rocket, the latest expansion of the Spaceport has arrived! The docking port expansion was needed due to the congestion at the spaceport – mostly caused by the new centrifugal ring taking up so much space!
The docking port is brought in closer and closer…
…unit it connects! The station’s engineers head over to make sure everything is safe!
“Looks good! I think we’re ready to start using this for docking procedures!”
-Dunwin, on board Kerbin Spaceport
KSEA launches a new SENTINEL satellite to look for asteroids near Kerbin! Built on the Mk4 probe design, it’s hoped that eventually an asteroid can be captured and returned to Kerbin Orbit for study! A Sarnus Va rocket carries the probe into a high orbit!
Construction begins on the next Aurora Mun mission, Aurora 21!
Construction also begins on an expansion to the Kerbin Spaceport – to be located opposite the new Habitat Ring, the expansion will provide a safe docking area for arriving and departing spacecraft!
KSEA launches a Mk4 Scan/Relay Satellite to orbit! This probe is intended to travel to the Sarnus system, to hopefully investigate the Sarnusian moon of Slate.
The transfer window to Sarnus won’t be available for a few months however!
Malcolm blasts off in the new Mk10 Crew Vehicle!
The crew vehicle quickly reaches orbit, then Malcolm sets course for the Spaceport!
“This cabin is so roomy! Much more breathing room in here!”
-Malcolm
After rendezvousing with the Spaceport, Malcolm docks the spacecraft!
“Yikes! This centrifugal wheel is sure close to the docking ports! We should add something to make docking safer!”
-Malcolm
After some system tests, Malcolm undocks, and heads back to the surface!
The Mk10 decouples, and the command module heads back to the surface!
“Heading down… a little bumpy… but I’m on course to land just west of the Space Center!“
-Malcolm
The landing engines fire to slow down the Mk10…
… then the parachute deploys!
Malcolm climbs out, and the Mk10 is given approval for future production!
KSEA releases blueprints and announces construction of the next generation of Aurora Crew Vehicles, the Mk10!
This new design solves (hopefully) a problem the space program has had for sometime – resupply missions to Kerbin Spaceport have often required specialized equipment or utilizing expensive and overpowered launch vehicles for taking snacks and other essentials to Kerbin Orbit.
The streamlined design also forgoes the traditional escape tower for integrated landing rockets that double as an escape system and to slow the spacecraft down on return to Kerbin! Not shown is the integrated parachute that blueprint designers forgot to make note of.
Owing to the difficulties in communicating with the Discovery’s mission at Laythe, KSEA authorizes construction of two new relay satellites for the Jool system! Based on the recent Planetary Survey probes, these expansions to the Deep Space Relay Network Relays should allow for more uninterrupted communication with Laythe Spaceport, and all the explorations planned!
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 