While exploring the surface time got away from them, and Luly and Malcolm’s rover ran out of power! Thankfully, they were both able to get back to the lander in time.
“That was a close one!”
-Malcolm
With a new lander and science equipment on the way, the crew waits patiently on Mun’s surface!
Malcolm, Seely, and Luly are chosen to be the crew for the next Mun mission! For the first time, they’ll attempt a landing at the Mun’s north pole! The lander has been specially outfitted with a fuel cell to provide power in the uneven polar regions.
Aurora 19 blasts off!
The Sarnus Va carries the spacecraft higher and higher…
Until the Orbital/TMI stage fires, circularizing the craft!
“Everything checks out – let’s head to Mun!”
-Malcolm
Aurora 19 will be the first polar landing at Mun – a somewhat more difficult task given the inclination, and the availability of solar power at the poles.
Aurora 19 arrives at Mun! Malcolm and Luly EVA to the lander, and head down!
“Looks pretty hilly up here, but I think we have a good landing site selection…”
-Malcolm
The Aurora 19 lander touches down!
“Time to test the new and improved Rover Deployment System!”
-Malcolm
The Rover Assembly system powers up, detaches from the lander, and gently lifts up, then off to the side of the lander!
The Rover deploys successfully!
After deployment, the drone flies off until it runs out of fuel!
“Shame that things has to go crashing down! Hey! We should use the crash from the next one of those drones to test our seismic equipment!”
-Luly
Malcolm watches as Luly plants a flag at the North Pole crater!
Then, Luly gets to business planting all the science equipment, before heading off in the rover with Malcolm!
“One little problem Mission Control! We didn’t bring a communication system! We need to start double checking our science payloads before these launches!! “
-Luly
Engineers at KSEA begin work to see if they can throw together a replacement system quickly!
“We launched one lander for Aurora 18, we should probably be able to send another one just like it! We’ll get to work asap!”
-Gene
While Mission Control explores solutions to the science equipment at Aurora 19’s polar landing, Malcolm and Luly take off in the Mun Rover!
Construction starts on the next Deep Space Vehicle – Horizon! Building on the design of Discovery, Horizon will have a more powerful engine, and refined radiator systems. The massive project will take quite a while to finish. Once the spacecraft itself is complete, the rocket to launch it will be paired with it, and sent to orbit!
Like it’s predecessor, Horizon gets it’s name from KSEA’s historic programs, the Horizon Program in the early days of KSEA’s exploration of space!
Seely, Val, and Samner board Intrepid and undock from the Spaceport! For the first time, a Crew Shuttle will attempt a landing at the new Desert facility!
Ever since the facility was discovered, crews have been establishing equipment and supplies to start using the launch site and runways!
“KSC – I think we have a problem! There was a loud explosion – I think the nose cone exploded!!”
-Val
Indeed – Intrepid’s entry angle may have been off, and the nosecone has violently exploded!
“I think we’re lucky – I should be able to slow down enough to avoid anything else exploding from the re-entry heat! Landing site coming up…”
-Val
“Ok – we’re in the pipe… five by five! Hold on!”
-Val
Intrepid touches down, but skids off the runway! Not an auspicious start for the Desert Facility! KSEA decides that pending a review, ALL Crew Shuttles missions are suspended, and the Crew Shuttle program is halted until further notice!
The Sarnus Va Rocket carrying the experimental Habitat Expansion blasts off, heading to the Spaceport!
The vehicle eventually rendezvouses with the Spaceport…
… and Dunwin EVA’s to check things out!
“Looks like it made the trip up OK! Let’s get it installed!”
-Dunwin
The vehicle is remotely piloted closer and closer, until it docks!
The engineers work and before long, the centrifugal ring inflates, and starts spinning!
“We did it! This new habitat is comfy looking too! So far the Spaceport hasn’t spun out of control wildly, so far so good!”
-Dunwin
The Habitat Expansion will remain on the station while the crew tests it for future deep-space applications! They also watch some fun movies.
KSEA announces that construction has begun on 3 more Sarnus V Mun rockets! Aurora 19, 20, and 21! They are almost identical to Aurora 18, with the exception of the Rover Deployment system – Aurora 19 will test the latest iteration of this system.
“Hopefully it deploys better than the last one – what a mess!”
-Mitster
“It should! The new top-mounted lifter should be much more stable!”
-Glenica
To prepare for the upcoming installation of the Habitat Expansion to the Spaceport, Val will pilot Engineering specialists Kerlorf and Dunwin to the Spaceport!
“I heard Gene saying that if the Expansion goes alright, the Spaceport is going to start having a much larger crew – we can expect even more Aurora Crew launches soon!”
-Val
“Oh wow! I always forget how big the station is! “
-Kerlorf
“Before we dock we need to give the station a once-over… make sure the expansion plans are on track!
-Dunwin
“Everything looks good so far! It’s a shame the fuel tanks up here don’t get used much, except for rescue operations! We could really use fuel depots like this in orbit of Mun!”
-Dunwin
“Heading to the midpoint connection point….”
-Dunwin
“Looks solid. It’s a good idea to check this connection from time to time, it’s the connection point that holds the two halves of the station together!
-Dunwin
Dunwin heads inside the station, and leads the rest of the engineering crew for their preparations for the Habitat expansion!
Glenica and Mitster decide to use their time waiting on Mun productively, and take the Mun Rover out for a spin! But first – Glenica plants a Kerbal Stages flag on the surface!
“I’ve never planted a flag before – that was fun!”
-Glenica
“It never gets old! Now let’s see what’s out there!”
-Mitster
Before long, the intrepid Kerbals find a strange rock – a Mun Rock!
“I’ll deploy the scanning arm! I bet the scientist back on Kerbin can’t wait to see this data!”
-Glenica
Around 2km from the landing site, Glenica spots something in the distance – a large rock formation!
“Let’s check that out!”
-Glenica
“It’s a crater! I’m going to use the EVA jets to explore it!”
-Glenica
“Wow! For a little crater, this is HUGE!”
-Glenica
Mitster and Glenica set a new record, driving nearly 5km from their landing site – eventually exploring the East Farside Crater! After scanning multiple rocks and craters, Mitster drives the two back to the landing site!
“We better check in with Mission Control and see what the plan is! Look, there’s the landing site!”
-Mitster
Before they leave, Mitster and Glenica pose for their landing portrait!
“That’s a great shot! Good news – we think you can leave the science equipment on Mun! We can communicate remotely and view the results since the communitron unit appears functional! Let’s get you back here for the next mission!
-Gene
The Aurora 18 Lander (the second one!) blasts off from Mun…
…and docks with the Aurora Crew Vehicle in orbit!
“Welcome back! Wow – that’s a lot of rocks!”
-Sean
“Time to head home and let the researchers check out all these Mun Rocks!”
Glenica
“Thrusters… FIRING!”
-Mitster
Aurora 18 heads back home!
Just before entering the atmosphere, the command module detaches…
… and hurtles through the atmosphere, protected by it’s heat shield!
The parachute deploys, and the spacecraft is rescued!
KSEA releases plans for a new expansion to Kerbin Spaceport! This new module will allow lots more living space and more importantly a new Centrifugal ring that will provide artificial gravity for Kerbals on the station! The addition should prove quite the sight!
After the complicated docking/refueling with the new lander, Mitster and Glenica head back down to the surface!
“Let’s see if we can complete this mission!”
-Mitster
“I just hope all this equipment is compatible!”
-Glenica
Mitster slowly brings the lander down, within sight of the old landing site! The Mun Rover and other scientific equipment are still there!
Glenica climbs out, and begins deploying the solar arrays needed to power all the scientific experiments!
“That should do it! Let’s wait for some results and contact Mission Control!”
-Glenica
Mitster and Glenica wait in the lander for updates!
“Hang in there everyone… we don’t know how long it will take to get science from this new equipment!”
-Gene
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 