Aurora Crater

Year 21, Day 309 (Orlas and Luly Head to Aurora Base!)

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The Mun Lander takes off from Aurora Base…

… and enters Mun orbit!

“I see the lander! Computers say it’s on track for remote docking. Technology has sure come a long way since the first days of Munar Exploration!”
-Summer

The lander docks! Luly and Orlas board, and prepare to head down to the surface!

The lander undocks, and starts it’s descent!

“This is gonna be a lot of fun!!”
-Orlas

The lander sets down near Aurora Base!

Luly hops out, and heads to the airlock!

“Wow! These modular bases snap together fast!”
-Luly

Orlas hops out, and joins Luly!

“The great thing is that we can keep expanding as time goes on! Since Mun doesn’t have any water though, we’ll always need a lifeline from Kerbin! But we can use this base to test out future colonies – like on Minmus, or Laythe!”
-Orlas

“I found the door! Let’s get inside and start up the Base’s science systems!”
-Luly

“These pre-planted seedlings are already growing – amazing!”
-Orlas

“Mission Control – Aurora Base is fully functional! All systems online!”

-Dunwin

Year 21, Day 194 (Aurora Base Launches to Mun!)

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Aurora Base is finally ready to launch! This complicated mission will involve one very large payload launched to Mun Orbit, then 3 separate landings delivering all the components of the station. The first landing will carry the Habitat and Science Modules. The second will carry the Greenhouse and Life Support systems. The third module will carry the Command Module!

In the evening of Day 194, the Jool X rocket blasts off from the Space Center carrying Aurora Base!

The second stage carries the Aurora Base modules to orbit…

… then to Mun’s Orbit!

Once in Mun orbit the three landings commence.

“Let’s keep our fingers crossed everyone! These landings have to be timed precisely for the modules to arrive undamaged!”
-Gene

The Habitat and Science modules descend to Aurora Crater!

Then land just next to the Aurora Rover from the Aurora 27 mission from Mun Spaceport!

Then, the complicated part! One module breaks off, and is piloted away using RCS!

Eventually the next detaches, and rolls to nearby safety!

“That wasn’t so bad! Just two more to go!”
-Bob, at the Space Center

The Green House and Life Support modules land next…

.. landing just next to the other modules!

Aurora Crater is starting to fill up with some very expensive Kerbal hardware!

Next, the Command Module heads down!

“Telemetry is good. Speed is good. Command Module should be good to set down – fuel’s looking pretty tight though! “
-Bob, at the Space Center

At the last second, the Command Module detaches from the descent vehicle, and the upper mounted RCS system (the same that’s used to deploy rovers in Aurora Missions) takes the Command Module to the surface of Mun!

“Looks like a good set of landings people! Let’s get some crew out there to get started!”
-Gene

A crew will be launching soon from Kerbin to construct the station on the next Aurora mission – Aurora 28!

Year 21, Day 115 (KSEA Announces Aurora Base Munar Research Facility!)

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While scientists are still grumbling that the lack of water means the outpost will likely never be self-sustaining, KSEA is nonetheless excited to release plans for Aurora Base – the next Munar Outpost! The name was chosen to honor the Aurora Program, which paved the way for every crewed KSEA mission!

The site chosen by Orlas and Summer has been named Aurora Crater.

Unlike previous Munar Outposts, this one will have a greenhouse and supplies to make habitability long term, if not permanent (with minor support from Kerbin.)

Construction has already begun, and the Outpost will be launched on a Jool-X rocket soon!