Year 17, Day 138 (Laythe Spaceplane Rendezvouses With Laythe Spaceport!)

August 2, 2020August 2, 2020 sayburstuff Year 17 Bill, Bob, DSV-2 Discovery, Jeb, Jool, Laythe, Laythe Spaceport, X-10 Laythe Spaceplane

With Discovery now docked at Laythe Spaceport, the X-10 is remotely piloted to Rendezvous! With it’s transfer stage still attached the spacecraft is very unwieldy – but it’s important to use every bit of fuel – refills are hard to come by in the Jool system!

Endeavor arrives at the Spaceport!

“This is going to be a tricky docking… I better EVA over and do it manually!”
-Jeb

“OK – I have stepped outside the hatch… rocket packs on… heading toward the X-10!”
-Jeb

“Oh wow guys! Are you seeing this!?”
-Jeb

“…roger that Jeb – we see you!”
-Bill

“This thing is a lot bigger in person!“
-Jeb

Jeb detaches the X-10 from it’s transfer stage, and pilots it to the station! The inline docking port makes the procedure a little more challenging than normal!

“We read a solid connection – good job!”
-Bob

With that, all the components of the Laythe Mission are in place! The crew will start checking systems, and prepare for their first landing!

Year 17, Day 140 (Laythe Spaceplane, Laythe Spaceport Arrive at Laythe, Discovery Docks with Spaceport!

August 2, 2020 sayburstuff Year 17 Bill, DSV-2 Discovery, Jeb, Jool, Laythe, Laythe Spaceport, X-10 Laythe Spaceplane

The next spacecraft in the convoy heading to Laythe is the X-Laythe Spaceplane Endurance! It’s engines fire and the spacecraft is captured into a circular orbit of Laythe!

Later in the day, the Laythe Spaceport also finishes circularzing Laythe! The final orbit of the Spaceport is intended to be 60k, so the engines fire again to change the orbit!

Success! The Spaceport is put in a 60k orbit. The transfer stage (and the only engine on the station) will remain in place until it’s fuel is spent by the X-10!)

“Discovery – our boards show Laythe Spaceport is in it’s required orbit – you are clear to rendezvous!”
-Gene, at KSC

“Affirmative!”
-Jeb

Discovery performs multiple maunevers as it moves to rendevous with Laythe Spaceport!

After a few orbits, Jeb pilots Discovery to within 100m of Laythe Spaceport!

“It was a good idea putting those great-big RCS thrusters on these DSV’s… it feels just like I’m manuevering an Aurora Crew Vehicle!“
-Jeb

“Almost… almost… got it! Docking complete! Discovery is now docked with Laythe Spaceport!!
-Jeb

“Alright – we need to start getting ready for the X-10’s arrival! Power down nuclear reactor… switching power supply lines to Station Power…. tape put over all throttle controls, engines disabled!”
-Bill

Year 17, Day 137 (DSV-2 Discovery Arrives at Laythe!)

August 1, 2020 sayburstuff Year 17 Bill, Bob, DSV-2 Discovery, Jeb, Jool, Laythe, Laythe Spaceport, X-10 Laythe Spaceplane

After a very long journey, Discovery finally arrives at Laythe! With a loud “ding!” the cryogenic systems finish thawing all three Kerbals: Jeb, Bill, and Bob! Mission Control has started the insertion sequence to capture into Jool’s orbit – and now the engines fire to transfer into a Laythe orbit!

“Wake up guys! The computer says we’re here!!”
-Jeb

“I’m awake… I’m awake!!”
-Bill

“Me too!”
-Bob

“Mission Control – Discovery Crew here – we’re doing good! Assuming control of DSV – firing thrusters to enter Laythe orbit! “
-Jeb

Success! Discovery has circularized it’s orbit around Laythe, a pleasant 60k altitude above the moon!

“It almost looks like Kerbin!”
-Bob

In mere days the Spaceport, and the X-10 Laythe Spaceplane will perform similar maneuvers to enter Laythe orbit!

Year 17, Day 124 (DSV-2 Discovery Nearing Jool!)

July 31, 2020August 4, 2020 sayburstuff Year 17 Bill, Blueprints, Bob, DSV-2 Discovery, Jeb, Jool, Laythe, Laythe Spaceport, X-10 Laythe Spaceplane

The Deep Space Vehicle Discovery is finally nearing Jool – and it’s watery moon, Laythe!

Along with it are two other components of the Laythe Mission, the X-10 Laythe Spaceplane, Endurance, and the hub of the entire mission, the Laythe Spaceport!

Jeb, Bill, and Bob remain in Cryo-Stasis – remote systems show they’re doing fine! The convoy of spacecraft arrive at Jool’ SOI tomorrow, and will perform circularize it’s orbit in 11 days!

Once there, the crew will thaw out, and prepare for the landing segment of the mission – a dangerous endeavor, as they’re the only Kerbals in the area!

Year 14, Day 279 (Discovery Leaves Kerbin for Laythe!)

May 13, 2020June 29, 2020 sayburstuff Year 14 Bill, Bob, Discovery Missions, DSV-2 Discovery, Jeb, Jool, Kerbin Spaceport, Laythe

Discovery undocks from Kerbin Spaceport!

“OK – I’m backing Discovery away from the Spaceport… nice and slow!”
-Jeb

“Reactors are powering up – looks like full power should be available!”
-Bill

Jeb activates the three Magneto-Plasma-Dynamic thrusters and Discovery takes off!

“Everything looks good! We should be ready for the Cryo-Chambers!“
-Bill

Jeb hops in…

Then Bill and Bob!

“Freezing in 3….2…1…. “
-Bill

With a “ding!” the Discovery crew is frozen in stasis…when they wake up, they should arrive at Jool!

Discovery sails away from Kerbin – radio systems will allow for remote piloting, and monitoring of the crew!

“See you guys in a few years!”
-Gene

The three components of Discovery’s mission should all be in place by Year 17!

Year 14, Day 278 (Intrepid Launches Discovery Crew to Orbit!)

May 13, 2020May 13, 2020 sayburstuff Year 14 Bill, CTS-3 Intrepid, Discovery 2, Discovery Missions, Jeb, Kerbin Spaceport

Intrepid blasts off from the Space Center, carrying Jeb, Bill, and Bob! Veteran KSEA pilot Edan is piloting!

The launch stage ejects, and Intrepid enters orbit!

“Almost there! Just a few more more manuevers and we’ll be at the Spaceport!”
-Edan

“We’re there! Switching to rear view… taking us in!”
-Edan

Edan pilots the Crew Shuttle closer and closer to the station! This isn’t the easiest task, as the craft actually pilots in reverse, as the docking bay is at the aft of the ship!

“Almost there… almost….”
-Edan

The connection is made! Intrepid arrives at Kerbin Spaceport! Jeb, Bill, and Bob gather their equipment and head out to the Spaceport! As they head to the Discovery docking hatch, Bill catches a look at the ship from the Crew Habitat Cupola!

“Wow! That’s one big ship!”
-Bill

Year 14, Day 275 (Discovery Crew for Mission to Laythe Announced!)

May 13, 2020 sayburstuff Year 14 Bill, Bob, DSV-2 Discovery, Jeb, Jool, Laythe

The crew for Discovery’s mission to Laythe is announced: Jeb, Bill, and Bob!

The original three applicants to KSEA will be together again for the biggest mission in Kerbal history!

The crew shuttle Intrepid is rolled out to the launchpad, while Jeb, Bill, and Bob get outfitted to leave!

Year 13, Day 158 (Intrepid Returns Crews to Kerbin from Kerbin Spaceport!)

February 22, 2020February 22, 2020 sayburstuff Year 13 Bill, CTS-3 Intrepid, DSV-2 Discovery, Edan, Gilian, Glenica, Kerbin Spaceport, Orlas, Sean, Seely, Shepely

With the return of Explorer 5 and the test flight of Discovery the Kerbin Spaceport has gotten very crowded! Edan, Bill, Orlas, Glenica, and Sean all board CTS-3 Intrepid!

“Have a good flight – you soon!”
-Gene

Edan undocks from the Spaceport, and uses RCS thrusters to reach a safe distance from the station! Gilian, Shepely, and Seely remain on the station, conducting the vitally important scientific research that must certainly occur there.

“Come back soon! Bring more snacks! “
-Shepely

Intrepid fires its engines to de-orbit… then detaches the service pod that holds cargo (and provides for solar power!)

“Hold on everyone! Things are about to get pretty hot!”
-Edan

Intrepid soars through the atmosphere, occasionally usings its airbrake system to slow its decent.

Once past the mountains west of the Space Center, Edan makes the final manuevers to line up for a landing!

“Edan to Mission Control… Intrepid is in the pipe, five by five!”
-Edan

Intrepid touches down on the runway!

A perfect landing! The tired Kerbals exit the Crew Shuttle to rest up for their next mission – Intrepid is recovered and undergoes minor repairs and the standard recovery process to get it ready for its next flight!

Year 13, Day 110 (X-10 Laythe Spaceplane Announced!)

December 23, 2019October 27, 2022 sayburstuff Year 13 Bill, Blueprints, Jeb, Jool, Laythe, Spaceplane, X-10 Laythe Spaceplane, X-10 Program

KSEA announces the final draft of the X-10 Laythe Spaceplane! In development for longer than the engineers would like to admit, the X-10 is the most sophisticated (and complicated) spaceplane the space program has designed.

The mission that the spaceplane has been designed for is so unique that the KSEA Blueprint Division spent an inordinate amount of time detailing it so that everyone would remember what to do once the spacecraft finally arrived!

“Dibs! I can’t wait to land a spaceplane on a moon!”
-Jeb

The pilot program has seen an increase in applicants since the plans were released!

“We finally have a design for a spacecraft that can land on Laythe – we have a way to get crew to Jool and back… now we just need to design a spaceport for the crew to rest and refuel!”
-Bill