Year 5, Day 367 (Explorer 2 and Duna Spaceport Leave Kerbin!)

sayburstuff Year 5 , ,

Explorer2PatchIt’s a busy day – the Explorer 2 Crew Vehicle and Duna Spaceport will begin their journey to Duna!   The first mission to Duna will likely be the most complicated, as there are two seperate missions running concurrently – the first, delivering a spaceport and a reusable lander to Duna orbit.  The second, the crew themselves on Explorer 2!   screenshot1727.png

Explorer 2 departs as well – and performs the docking and transposition manuever to let the crew gain access to the much more comfortable Habitat Module that will be their home on the journey to Duna!

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The new Antenna installed by Chrisnic is a tight fit, but appears to be performing well!

Meanwhile, the Duna Surveyor will soon be approaching Duna, to start mapping the surface for a future landing!

Year 5, Day 360 (Explorer 2 Launches!)

sayburstuff Year 5 , , ,

Explorer2Patch

 

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The Explorer 2 Crew Vehicle launches, carrying Mitster, Dunwin, and Kimmy into orbit!

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Once in orbit, the crew have a terrible realiziation.  The antenna to allow communication with Kerbin during the mission wasn’t installed!  Thankfully, this is just what KSEA has Crew Shuttles for!

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Endeavor launches, piloted by Val – Chrisnic is the expert engineer that was available, and will install the new antenna on Explorer 2!

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Launching from Shadow Valley is really different – not used to so many mountains surrounding us while we launch!

-Val

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The crew shuttles will be pushing their upward orbital limit on this mission, but planners are certain that its possible! screenshot1716.png

Val rendevouses Endeavor with Explorer 2…

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While Chrisnic installs the Antenna bracket, and the antenna itself.

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Then – back to Kerbin!   Endeavor heads down into Shadow Valley….

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And makes a perfect landing!  In just a few days, Explorer 2 will head to Duna!

 

Year 5, Day 285 (Frontier 2 Orbits Sarnus!)

sayburstuff Year 5 , , , ,

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Frontier 2 approaches Sarnus…

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Closer…

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and closer!

screenshot1657.pngFinally, the craft fires its engines to circularize its orbit – extremely close to the rings of the distant, mysterious world!

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Onboard systems relay amazing new findings about Sarnus that scientists on Kerbin will be pouring over for years!

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Slowly, the probe’s long and eliptical orbit takes it away from Sarnus!

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but the adventure isn’t over quite yet, the craft’s trajectory will take it into the gravitational sphere of Eeloo, one of Sarnus’s (many)moons!screenshot1682.png

Sarnus’s magnificent vista doesn’t fail to impress!

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Frontier 2 silently passed by Eeloo – while the probe is not equipped with the modern scanning hardware of the Surveyor probes, Frontier 2 dutifully scans what it can. screenshot1692.png

The moon Slate can be seen in the distance. screenshot1693.png

What an incredible day for science!  The most recent accomplishments of the space program have inspired all of Kerbin!

Year 5, Day 261 (Resolute Carries Deep Space Relay Into Orbit)

sayburstuff Year 5 ,

screenshot1630.pngTransmissions from Sarnus aren’t as strong as they could be, so KSEA decides to launch a deep space relay in orbit of Kerbin – the quickest method to get it into orbit is to load it into one of the waiting Heavy Cargo Shuttles!  The Relay is loaded into Resolute’s cargo bay, and Val and Gilian blast off with it into orbit! screenshot1632.png

The Relay leaves Resolute’s cargo bay…screenshot1633.png

Then alters its orbit to a high polar orbit, to better communicate with distant spacecraft.

Val to Mission Control… KerbStar DeepSpace Relay 1 is ready!

-Val

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Radio signals are still weak, sadly… it looks like the problem is Frontier 2’s transmitter!  Larger more powerful transmitters will be required for deeper space missions.  It’s hoped that the other deep space craft launched will still be able to communicate when they arrive at their destinations!

screenshot1635.pngMeanwhile, Resolute heads back to Kerbin – but overshoots the runway somewhat!

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I think a few well timed bursts of what’s left of the fuel should be enough to glide us back on track!

-Val

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Thankfully Val is right, and the Resolute touches down !