CTS-1 Adventure

Year 4, Day 129 (KSS Crew Rotation)

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screenshot796.pngJeb, Bob, and Shepley head up in the Intrepid!

“Those new Cargo Shuttles are impressive, but I missed the the handling on these crew shuttles – good little ships!”

-Jeb

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Intrepid arrives at the KSS!  screenshot800.pngOnce docked, Edan, Robary, and Kimmy hop onto Adventure, and leave the station!  Meanwhile, space novice Shepeley with veterans Jeb and Bob, take command of the Station! screenshot805.pngAdventure heads down to the surface… fast!

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“Ok – I see the runway!  Lining up for landing!”

-Edan

screenshot808.pngThankfully, Edan sets the craft down (right before they run out of safe runway!)  Another successful crew rotation of the KSS

 

Year 3, Day 379 (KSS Crew Rotation)

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While work starts on Aurora 16, which will deliver the crew to MunBase One, CTS-1 Adventure blasts off from Cape Kerman, to rotate crew on the KSS! Val, Robart, and Kimmy are eager to get more training time on the KSS!  Equally eager to get back to Kerbin are Val, Samner, and Sean! screenshot406.png

Adventure docks with the KSS!  Everyone says their ‘hi’s’ and ‘bye’s’, then Jeb detaches Intrepid, and heads back to Kerbin! screenshot411.png

Jeb misses the Space Center… by a LOT!  Thankfully, the leftover fuel in Intrepid is enough to get back to the landing strip!

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“In the pipe… five by five!”
-Jeb

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Intrepid makes a good night landing, even if it was a bit bumpy!

Year 3, Day 307 (Explorer Crew Announced… and launched!)

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The crew for Explorer 1 is announced… the brave crew of Aurora 13 are chosen for the first interplanetary journey!  Mitster, Orlas, and Chrisnic excitedly put on their new Mission Patches, and head out to the waiting Crew Shuttle Adventure! screenshot283.png

Mitster pilots Adventure into orbit… the plan is to dock with Explorer, then the crew will be on their way!

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Edan lines up with Explorer, in a 80k orbit of Kerbin…

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Once in position, Endeavor undocks from its mission cargo (the atmospheric probe and LARC), and spins around, very slowly, until its lined up with the Crew Shuttle.

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Edan then uses the RCS thrusters to dock with the huge space craft!

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Mitster, Chrisnic, and Orlas all rush over to Endeavor.  Orlas gets serious, and starts going over all the mission parameters and scientific systems.  Mitster runs through the piloting systems, while Chrisnic does a survey of the ship (and checks out the great new Habitat section, that will make the journey to Eve much more comfortable!

“Good luck guys!
-Edan

The crew get comfortable and begin getting Explorer’s systems running!  It’s a long mission to Eve… so its important to make sure that everything on the new ship is in good working order before departure!

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Meanwhile, Edan takes Adventure back to the surface!

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Mitster dives Adventure, toward the Space Center, after cooling off from reentry!

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Uh oh!  A little too much speed… Adventure flies by the Space Center….

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Thankfully all Crew Shuttles have enough fuel for manuevering in just this kind of situtation… Edan pilots the Shuttle around, and heads back for a good approach!

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Ok… I’m in the pipe, five by five…

-Mitster

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Perfect landing!  Good job Edan!

 

 

Year 3, Day 56 – Kerbin Exploration

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screenshot29.pngThe newly launched Kerbin Surveyor begins scans of Kerbin – right away several anomalies are detected!  The X-5 is sent to investigate! Mitster and Bill fly there…. quite fast!screenshot63.png

Sadly… they can’t find anything at the site indicated!

“We’re gonna need some more precise readings if we hope to find anything here!  It might help to put a sensor package on the X-5 itself! ”
-Bill

Mitster returns the X-5 to base for refurbishment and the crew for refreshments!

Meanwhile, construction begins on two new crew shuttles – the Endeavor and the Intrepid! Along with Adventure this will raise the number of crew shuttles to three!

Year 3, Day 44 (CTS Adventure Testing & Upgrades)

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screenshot13.pngAfter some slight adjustments to Adventure’s wing alignment to correct the rollimg/control issues the craft was having, the craft takes off again!

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This time, Jeb, Bill, and Bob head up – the mission is solely to test Adventure’s systems before construction of additional Crew Shuttles to service the KSS!  This will be the first flight with the craft’s new solar panels – so far, they don’t seem to be affecting aerodynamics. screenshot14.png

“OK – the Station is right where it should be! Heading in to dock!” -Jeb

Jeb pilots the Adventure closer, and closer to the Space Station!

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Almost there…

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Success!  Adventure makes a good seal with Docking Port 1. Everyone heads over to the station to check things out!

“Wow!  This place sure looks different than last time!”
-Jeb

Does it?  Must be a slight case of space madness…

Year 3, Day 15

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The Crew Shuttle Adventure blasts off from the Space Center!   Mitster and Jeb both pilot the craft.  This will be a mission of many “firsts”:the first orbital mission of the Crew Shuttle, the first docking with the Space Station, and the first crewed re-entry of the shuttle!screenshot815.png

Because the Crew Shuttle doesn’t have any solar or other power generation methods, it can’t remain in orbit for too long before docking. Future upgrades will likely include better onboard power.screenshot818.png

Adventure achieves orbit, and manuevers to the KSS! Meanwhile on Kerbin, sea vessels recover the orbital launch vehicle.  As before, the craft is recovered for almost all of its construction costs!screenshot820.png

Adventure docks with the KSS!  The two crews say hello, then the shuttle detaches.  Everyone is a bit nervous.. this is the first time a crewed shuttle will re-enter Kerbin’s atmosphere!screenshot826.png

Rentry goes very well… But as the craft gets close to landing, it starts rotating strangely – tests will need to be done to determine why the craft partially lost control!    Thankfully Mitster is able to correct for the rotation.

Adventure sets down at the space center! While the mission wasn’t perfect, it was a success!