Explorer 4 fires its engines and starts the journey home! Much like the journey to Dres, it will be a year long journey back!
Year 7, Day 394 (Explorer 4 Crew Jumps to Midlands!)
Val and Orlas take the Explorer 4 Lander and do a short jump across the surface of Dres!
The lander travels in an arc across the surface….
Touching down at the Midlands, where Orlas and Val hop out!
That’s probably it for landings, we don’t want to stretch the fuel reserve out too much!
-Val
That’s a shame, it may look a lot like Mun but scientifically it’s quite distinct!
-Orlas
If you say so Orlas… the crew readies themselves to return to orbit in a matter of days!
Year 7, Day 393 (Endeavor Launches To Check on CryoLab!)
Endeavor blasts off!
Mirphe and Gilian are heading up to the new CryoLab to make sure the crew is doing ok! 
Mirphe pilots Endeavor in slow and carefully toward CryoLab!
“Almost there!”
-Mirphe
Mirphe docks Endaevor successfully, and Gillian hops out for an EVA to inspect the station from the outside.
“Things look out from the outside… we’ll have to get inside and make sure everything’s fine there too!
-Gilian
“CryoLab checks out! All systems are fully functional and life signs for Bob, Shepely, and Lluly are faint but within desired specifications!”
-Gilian
“OK then – let’s head back to Kerbin and let these guys chill until their 100 days is up!”
-Mirphe
Endeavor rockets throught Kerbin’s atmosphere!
“Whew! That was a fast landing! Endeavor took a little damage! We’ll need a little repairs before she flies again!”
-Mirphe
KSEA agrees that it might be time to look at improving the Crew Shuttle’s rentry control systems and upgrade a few other systems while there at it! A Crew Shuttle refit might be on the way!
Super Duna Lander Arrives At Duna!
As the Super Duna Lander passes Ike it performs a short burn to assist in reaching Duna Orbit!
Onboard systems fire, circularizing the orbit of the lander! Next, rockets fire to rendevous with Duna Spaceport!
The lander arrives at Duna Spaceport! The lander will simply remain nearby until the Explorer 3 crew arrives!
Year 7, Day 390 (Kerbol Two Heads to Kebol!)
The last stage of the Jool II rocket fires, starting the probe on its course to the sun!
The Atomic Rocket Motor on Kerbol Two engages finalizing the probe’s path the Kerbol! Kerbol Two will reach the sun in just 77 days!
Let’s see how close we can get this time!
-Jeb
Year 7, Day 389 (Resolute Launches, Carrying CryoLab To Orbit!)
Bob, Shepely, and Luly have all been selected from the volunteers to try long term cryogenic suspension in space! The Crew Cryogenic Research Lab, more commonly known as the CryoLab. CryoLab will hopefully pave the way toward much longer range missions for Kerbals, as the only life support and food stuffs needed by the crew will be that needed at the endpoint, not for the entire voyage!
Mirphe blasts off in the Resolute, and the crew holds on tight!
“Don’t worry back there… I’ve done this lots of times!”
-Mirphe
Mirphe pilots Resolute to the planned orbit of 140km.
The Cargo Bay Doors open, and Luly, Shepely, and Bob climb into the Cronic Freezing Chamber!
“CryoLab is away!”
-Mirphe
“Well… here it goes! See you all in a few minutes!”
-Bob
Minutes to the science team perhaps, but 100 days to everyone back on Kerbin! The solar arrays extend, and Bob, Shepely, and Luly are frozen!
“Switching Resolute to Landing Configuration!”
-Mirphe
Resolute rockets through the clouds toward the space center!
“Ok… I’m in the pipe – five by five!”
-Mirphe
Mirphe sets Resolute down for a perfect landing! Crews start working on refurbishing the Shuttle for its next launch!
Year 7, Day 386 (Explorer 4 Lander Sets Down on Dres!)
Val and Orlas detach from Explorer 4, and head down!
“Feel just like landing on Mun – easy!”
-Val
The lander sets down at the Lowlands, and begins initial scientific surveys before the crew heads out!
Orlas climbs out…
The leaps away in the low gravity!
“This is great… I can’t wait to get more readings from Dres!”
-Orlas
Val hops out next…
And then the two put up the Kerbal States flag!
“That’s one for the record books! Let’s see if we can skip to a few new areas before heading up Orlas!”
-Val
Year 7, Day 370 (CryoLab / Crew Cryogenic Research Lab Announced!)
KSEA scientists announce they have developed a potential new way to keep Kerbals alive (and fed, and watered, and oxygenated) on very, very deep space missions… freezing them!
On paper it seems to work fine, but before sending Kerbals into deep space and hoping they come out OK it is decided an experimental lab will be launched on the next Heavy Cargo Shuttle launch!
Resolute will carry up the new Cryogenic Study Lab… not surprisingly, several Kerbals have already volunteered for the very dangerous and highly experimental research lab!
Year 7, Day 368 (Enterprise Refit Begins)
The refit of the Heavy Cargo Shuttle Enterprise begin, matching the upgrades Resolute received!
Year 7, Day 367 (Explorer 4 Moves To Lower Orbit of Dres)
The initial orbit selected by KSEA has proven too high (147km) and Val adjusts the orbit with some well timed burns!
The new orbit, 30km should allow us to conserve fuel for landings… sure feels close too!
-Val
Orlas EVA’s over to the lander without waiting another second!
Wow! Dres looks like a darker Mun… the Sun being so small doesn’t look right!
-Val
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 