Year 12, Day 290 (Explorer Program Summary, Discovery Spacecraft Announced!)

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With the resounding success of the Explorer 5 mission KSEA (and all of Kerbin!) has acomplished something that has never been done before – the recovery of an interplanetary crew vehicle!  This was the dream of the Explorer Program as it was first concieved with the construction of DSV-1 Explorer:

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However, Explorer lacked the fuel and deltaV to return to Kerbin orbit. The Explorer 1 crew was able to eject from the spacecraft and return safely using the Landing and Return Craft (LARC) but Explorer itself drifted into deep space.

 

 

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The Explorer Program changed dramatically at this point, with new expendable spacecraft being constructed, eventually leading to Explorer 5! Explorer 2, 3, and 4 all experimented with different designs, Explorer 5 was the first to experiment with cryogenic technology, allowing for much further range missions requiring less life support supplies.

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KSEA is excited to announce it’s time for the next phase of Kerbin’s space exploration: Discovery!  Named after the early launches of the Space Program, Discovery will be the first truly re-usable interplanetary space craft, with a range nearly 5 times further than even Explorer 5!

 

 

Year 12, Day 286 (Adventure Returns Explorer 5 Crew to Kerbin From Kerbin Spaceport!)

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Val, Bill, and Bob board Adventure!  Edan will pilot them back to the Space Center, since Val is still recovering from the long cryo-sleep!

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Adventure streaks through the atmosphere!

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“Trajectory seems good so far – hold on everyone!”

-Edan

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Edan performs a few manuevers to adjust the heading – Adventure‘s air brakes had to be used in pulses to slow the craft down – a few timed bursts of the engines accelerate the craft so it won’t land short of the Space Center!

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“Ok. Adventure is in the pipe – five by five!”

-Edan

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Adventure lands, returning the Explorer 5 crew to Kerbin!  KSEA scientists begin collecing the data brought back, and Val, Bill, and Bob head to the Astronaut Complex to recover!  Meanwhile, the crew shuttle is recovered and begins repairs and refits for it’s next launch!

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Year 12, Day 285 (Explorer 5 Returns from Duna, Orbits Kerbin, and Docks with Kerbin Spaceport!

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Explorer 5 enters Kerbin’s sphere of gravitational influence, and automatic systems revive the crew!

“Mission Control, this is Val – Bob and Bill are in good shape, and so am I!  Explorer 5 is approaching Kerbin, and looking at our sensors I think we’re good for entering orbit!”

-Val

“Explorer 5 – this is Gene – that’s great!  Are you sure about skipping the splashdown/flyby procedure?”

-Gene

“Roger that! Explorer 5 has enough fuel to enter orbit and even dock with Kerbin Spaceport!”

-Val

“Permission granted Explorer 5 – good luck!”

-Gene

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Explorer 5 fires it’s engine and enters Kerbin’s orbit!

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Mission Control, Explorer 5 has achieved Kerbin Orbit! Proceeding to Kerbin Spaceport!

-Val

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Cheers fill Mission Control over Val’s broadcast!  This is a big day for KSEA – NO interplanetary spacecraft has ever returned to Kerbin orbit before!

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“Explorer 5, this is Edan on Kerbin Spaceport.  You are tracking good and cleared for approach!”

-Edan

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Val manuevers Explorer 5 closer and closer to the Spaceport…

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“Almost there….”

-Val

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Ka-Chunk! Whirrrrrrrr….Explorer 5 connects with Kerbin Spaceport!

“Welcome home!  Sorry about the mess, we weren’t expecting guests!”

-Edan

Explorer 5’s crew will rest for a day, then return to Kerbin onboard the Crew Shuttle Adventure!

 

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Year 12, Day 103 (Pathfinder 1 Lands Last Probe on Laythe at De Grasse Sea!)

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Pathfinder 1 launches it’s last probe!

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The probe fires it’s retro rockets and starts to decend!

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Hopefully the heat shield is sufficient to protect the fragile electronics and other components!

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The probe survives the atmospheric heating and deploys it’s parachutes!

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The solar panels deploy, and the probe transmits as much data as it can before the power runs out!  Sadly, the probe is only able to partially transmit it’s gravity data!

“Some data is better than none!  We’ll equip the next probe with more robust power systems! ”

-Robart, at Mission Control, Kerbin

Several important facts have been learned, such as power demands on Outer Planet missions and the importance of integrating the planetary scan with the mothership!

There were some concerns after the failure of Pathfinder 4 and Pathfinder 5 that the entire Pathfinder program might need to be scrapped, however this success guarantees a bright future for the Pathfinder Program!

As the probe transmits it’s last bit of data, it’s systems power down and the connection is lost.  This concludes the Pathfinder 1 mission, which despite a few bumps is considered a success by KSEA!

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Year 12, Day 100 (First Pathfinder 1 Probe Deploys and Lands on Laythe!)

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The first landing site on Laythe has been chosen!  An island that KSEA is calling “Island 1” has been chosen as the first landing site as topography suggests it is the largest and flattest surface. The mostly liquid surface of Laythe may make landing… tricky.

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Simulations show that the best orbit for releasing the landing probes is 200k, so Pathfinder 1 adjusts it’s orbit accordingly  – and the probe is away!

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The probe fires its orbital manuevering rockets and before long begins to rocket to the surface! screenshot573.png

“Calculations look like they were near perfect!  It’s going to set down right where we thought, on the shores of Island One – the one that looks a bit like a bunny!”

-Gene

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The probe’s parachute deploys, and it slowly drifts to the surface!

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Onboard cameras transmit stunning video back to Kerbin!

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Pathfinder 1’s first probe is a complete success! Once on the surface the suite of sensors record and transmit vital information about Laythe back to Kerbin!

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“Remarkable! I can’t wait to look at this data we’re getting back!”

-Robart, at Mission Control

Year 12, Day 92 (Pathfinder 1 Orbits Laythe!)

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screenshot545.pngPathfinder 1 manuevers to enter a polar orbit of Laythe at an altitude of 242k.  This will be an ideal orbit to release the orbital scanner probe!

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The orbital scanner ejects from the Tri-Probe mount…

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… extends it’s solar array and begins mapping the surface!

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Once a sufficient scan is complete, KSEA will determine the ideal landing coordinates for the two probes onboard Pathfinder 1!

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In the meantime, Pathfinder 1 is instructed to reduce its orbit to 60k… an orbit KSEA engineers and scientists predict will be the best to deploy the surface probes from!

 

Year 11, Day 411 (Explorer 5 Departs Duna!)

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The Explorer 5 crew packs up their scientific findings (and various uneaten snacks) from around Duna Spaceport, and heads over to the DSCRV, the Val undocks the spacecraft!

“I can’t wait to get back with all these new findings!”

-Bob

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“I sure hope those return calculations are correct!”

-Bill

“They’re correct – don’t worry!  We’ll be home before you know it!  Now let’s get in those cryopods before we get hungry!”

-Val

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Explorer 5 finishes it’s burn back to Kerbin, and the crew heads to Cryo-Sleep!  They’re expected back at Kerbin in just 271 days!

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