Jeb, Bill, and Bob transfer over to Crew Vehicle 1 and prepare to head back to Kerbin!
“I’ve loaded up all the science we collected from Laythe – everyone’s going to be so excited to see it!”
-Bob
“We are clear of Spacedock… firing engine for return burn!”
-Jeb
Crew Vehicle 1 heats up as it rockets through Kerbin’s atmosphere, heading toward White Mesa!
Success! The Crew Vehicle is collected and scientists begin pouring over the absolute treasure trove of data collected from Laythe!
Discovery enters Kerbin’s sphere of gravitational influence!
“Discovery we’re tracking you as on course – what’s your situation?”
-Gene, at Mission Control
“Roger Mission Control… Situation nominal, Discovery reactor is at full, engines show green and ready to fire!”
-Jeb
As Discovery reaches a distance of 700km from Kerbin, the 3 nuclear engines fire!
It’s a nearly minute long burn to slow down!
Suddenly, alarm bells ring in the cockpit!
“Temperature on main engines reaching critical! They’re starting to heat up the tri-adapter engine housing!”
-Bob
“We’ve already been captured into orbit, so we can cut thrust safely… Let’s monitor it and cut thrust once it’s just about critical!”
-Jeb
Thankfully the engines don’t explode, and Discovery settles into a clean 700k circular orbit!
“I can’t wait to see Spacedock! It’s supposed to be huge!”
-Bill
Discovery does several manuevers to rendezvous with Spacedock, and finally approaches the station!
“Discovery here! We’re going to coast past Spacedock, then start docking manuevers!”
-Jeb
“Roger that DSV-2… We show you at 150 meters and clear for RCS manuevers!”
-Sean, onboard Spacedock
Discovery slowly drifts past the station until it’s visible out the cockpit!
“Wow! Look at that! And look, Endeavor is docked at the top!”
-Bill
“Yep! We’ll be parking opposite Endeavor!”
-Jeb
Jeb uses RCS orbital thrusters only and slowly matches speed with Spacedock….
…then slowly accelerates toward the station, lining up with the docking port!
“Slowing down… We’re lined up and looking good!”
-Jeb
Discovery moves almost imperceptibly slow until…
With a dull “clunk” and the whir of motors, Discovery makes s connection to Spacedock!
“Welcome home Discovery!”
-Val
Jeb, Bill, and Bob head over to Spacedock to rest before returning to Kerbin with the mountains of data gathered from Jool’s moon Laythe! There is already talk of building a colony there!
Engineers are also finalizing plans for refits and repairs to Discovery!
Jeb, Bill, and Bob wake from their Cryo-Sleep on Discovery!
“Wake up everybody! Just 8 days and we’ll be entering Kerbin orbit!”
-Jeb
“I can’t wait to see this new Space Station they built while we were gone!”
-Bill
“It feels like we just left Laythe yesterday!”
-Bob
In Kerbin Orbit, the massive new Spacedock facility is ready for the returning DSV!
“Refueling Discovery should be about the same procedure as Endeavor! They’re different classes of ships technically… but they both run on the same fuel!”
Sean, on Spacedock
Jeb and Bill transfer over to Discovery… while Bob makes sure that every bit of science is taken on board!
“That should be the last of it! Let’s head out!”
-Bob
“Moorings are clear… Discovery is clear of the Spaceport!“
-Jeb
Discovery fires it’s three atomic engines, and the massive spacecraft rockets away from Jool!
The journey back to Kerbin will take a little over 2 years – longer than Discovery’s life support reserves will last – so Jeb, Bill, and Bob transfer over to the Cryonic chamber to survive the long trip!
“See you soon Discovery!”
-Gene, at Mission Control
With the transfer window back to Kerbin rapidly approaching, Jeb decides it’s time to take Endurance back to orbit!
“Pack up all the science and snacks! It’s time to take off!”
-Jeb
Endurance lifts higher and higher…
… eventually reaching orbit!
“That loud pop noise was Endurance running out of primary fuel! Just in time too, we should have enough monopropellant to slow down the final leg of the rendezvous with Laythe Spaceport!”
-Jeb
Thankfully, there’s enough monoprop for both slowing down, and maneuvering!
Jeb docks with Laythe Spaceport!
“You know… these missions have all been really close, let’s call it good and not try a water landing this time?”
-Bill
“I dunno, I’m down for it! What’s the worst that could happen!?”
-Jeb
“Hmmm… maybe Bill’s right – let’s get ready to head back to Kerbin… we can try a water landing next time!”
-Bob
“I’m going to check out that water!”
-Bob
Bob takes off in a run, heading toward Laythe’s Sagen Sea!
“Oh hey! A Laythe Stone! They’re looking for one of these back at the Science Center! I better get a big sample!”
-Bob
Bob keeps running, until he finally gets to the shore…
“I never thought I’d see an ocean on another world! Only one thing to do…”
-Bob
“Go for a swim!!”
-Bob
Bob jumps in the water, and tries to swim out a little bit…
“Oh boy! This is cold water! Salty too! Just like the shore… “
-Bob
“…brrrr! I’m heading back to Endurance to warm up!”
-Bob
Before going inside, a very chilly Bob plants a flag!
“These samples just aren’t enough.. to really get a good sample of the Sagen Sea I’m afraid we’re going to need to land in it!”
-Bob
“LAND in the SEA?”
-Bill
“This isn’t a boat… but it might be possible! Let’s see what KSEA says!”
-Jeb
Jeb, Bill, and Bob board LCV-1 Endurance and head down for another landing! The discovery that Laythe has a breathable atmosphere has caused a bit of a commotion back on Kerbin – talk of a permanent colony on Laythe has begun!
“Ok – hold on! We’re setting down right by the coast so if we overshoot the landing site, we’ll need to be ready to blast off back into orbit… this plane isn’t rated for a water landing!”
-Jeb
It looks like the approach was spot on! Endurance activates it’s landing parachute, and the VTOL Aerospike bays open!
Endurance slowly sets down, aided by the VTOL system and the parachute!
“Endurance has landed! Let’s get out and see what’s out there!”
-Jeb
Jeb and Bill climb out and take in the sights, with Bob right behind them!
“Hey guys! What’re you standing there looking at!?”
-Bob
“Oh! The Sagen sea is so pretty! You’d almost think it’s Kerbin!”
-Bob
Bob plants a flag and places the plaque for the second landing site! Bob insisted that they ‘suit up’ as the temperature was getting cold enough it might be dangerous!
Then, all three Kerbals climb back into Endurance. Bob is so captivated by all the new science data he doesn’t even complain about the tight science bay! Next, Jeb opens the VTOL bays, and fires Endurance’s aerospike VTOLs!
“Fuel flow is steady… we have good lift… brakes off, gear up… here we go!”
-Jeb
Endurance blasts off, it’s air-fueled engines taking it higher and higher!
Once high enough, the RAPIER engines switch over to full rocket mode!
“We’re almost to orbit!”
-Jeb
Endurance reaches the Spaceport and docks!
“We’re getting so much interesting data here! We have to go back down as soon as possible!”
-Bob
“We need to be more careful next time though, these missions keep using up almost all of Endurance’s fuel! We barely had enough to get back!”
-Jeb
KSEA engineers start running simulations to see if there’s an ideal flight profile to take to save fuel! Meanwhile, Bill oversees the refueling of Endurance!
Mission Control OK’s the next landing, at Laythe’s peaks, along the equator! As the Laythe missions progress, a few things are already clear: solar panels do NOT work well this far out, and the Deep Space Relay Network needs significant improvements around Laythe! In fact, once the Endurance lands, all communications is lost with Kerbin! A new X-10 is under construction, that will launch to Jool at the next window to supplement operations and provide a backup!
Jeb, Bill, and Bob fly through the alien atmosphere, until they spot the landing site!
“That’s the spot! “
-Jeb
The X-10’s dual mode RAPIER engines allow very specific landing selection, something that can be tricky on atmospheric planets! Jeb pilots Endurance until it’s right on top of the target!
“Chute deployed – airbreakes deployed… VTOL bays open, firing vertical aerospikes!”
-Jeb
Endurance slowly decends to the surface!
“Hey, I see Vall back there!”
-Bob
“Huh? Val’s back on Kerbin!”
-Bill
“No silly! Vall with two ‘L’s’! The moon!”
-Bob
Endurance lands safely, and after getting all that sorted out, Jeb leaves to inspect the landing site!
“Hey! I just noticed, the indicator on the suit says the air here is close to Kerbin! I’m gonna take my helmet off!”
-Jeb
“You don’t know if it’s safe!”
-Bob
Jeb takes his helmet off and takes a few breaths…
“Seems fine!”
-Jeb
Bill and Bob climb out! Bill repacks the parachute, and checks on the X-10, while Bob starts taking samples!
“Remarkable! The air here seems very close to Kerbin! We might even be able to set up a sustainable colony here!”
-Bob
Jeb, Bill, and Bob excitedly discuss the possibilities opened up by the discovery that Laythe has a breathable atmosphere!
Jeb climbs out of Endurance to set foot on Laythe!
“Looks just like the deserts back on Kerbin – except for the big Jool in the sky!”
-Jeb
Next, Bill squeezes his way out from the Science Bay into the cockpit, so he can get outside!
“That science bay has a seat, but that’s about it! It’s good to stretch my legs! Time to get this parachute repacked… easier here than up in orbit!”
-Bill
Bob decides to walk around the landing site to see what’s nearby!
“There seems to be a lot of … stuff!… on the surface…”
-Bob
“Oh hey – it’s a rock!”
-Bob
Bob does a thorough examination of the strange Laythe rock… but mostly plays ‘king of the hill’ and tries to plant a flag on top!
“Bah! The stone is too strong! I can probably chip away some sample bits though!”
-Bob
“Hey – speaking of flags, we need to plant one here!
Jeb plants the flag of the Kerbal States on Laythe, and everyone poses for their landing portrait!
“Once we get communications back with Kerbin, they’re gonna flip!”
-Jeb
Indeed – communication from the surface appears impossible, at least with the equipment Endurance brought along!
After a full survey of the landing site, the crew heads back up!
“Ok – future missions will be longer, but the mission plan is a quick down and back! Opening VTOL bays… activating Verticle Lift Aerospikes!”
-Jeb
“Fuel flow looks good!”
-Bill
Endurance slices through the sky, until the friction heats up the spaceplane!
Once the atmosphere is thin enough, Endurance’s RAPIER engines switch to orbital mode, and power the rest of the flight, to circularize the orbit around Laythe!
“OK… RAPIER engines switched to off… orbital maneuvering for Laythe Spaceport!”
-Jeb
Endurance reaches the spaceport, with just enough fuel to do so!
“That was a close call! We only had about 30 d/v left! We’re going to need to be careful and not stray too far from equatorial targets!”
-Bob
Jeb docks Endurance at the spaceport, and the crew warms up some snacks!
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 