CTS-2 Pioneer

Year 22, Day 347 (CTS-2 Pioneer Test Rendezvous, Return to Kerbin)

sayburstuff Year 22 , , , ,

Mission Control decides to test Pioneer by having it dock and inspect the recently launched DSV-1A Explorer! This is also a training run for KSEA’s newest pilot, Edbert!

“I can’t wait to see the new Explorer! “

-Edbert

Pioneer maneuvers into a close rendevous with Explorer ….

“Lining up to the docking bay… alignment looks good…”

-Jeb

As soon as the connection is confirmed, Edbert volunteers for his first EVA – to investigate the new DSV and confirm safe detachment of the boost stage!

“Wow – this ship is big!

-Edbert

“The reactor looks good… sensors indicate no dangerous radiation levels.. I think we’re good to eject the boost stage Jeb!”

-Edbert

“OK – boost stage is ejected!”

-Jeb

The boost stage drifts away – and Edbert gets back into Pioneer!

“OK Edbert – this is your landing… take us home!”

-Jeb

Edbert fires the engines and Pioneer starts a rapid descent!

“Oh wow – that was a steep descent angle – this is gonna be a close one!!”

-Jeb

Pioneer survives the reentry – and Edbert angles the craft right at the base of the landing strip!

“Approach needs to be pretty steep or we’ll overshoot… if we don’t pull up at the last second…”

-Edbert

“If we don’t pull up at the last second it’ll be someone else’s problem – just focus on the landing!”

-Jeb

“Woooooohoooo!”

-Jeb

Edbert pilots right at the strip.. then pulls up at the last second…

…skittering off the runway, but landing Pioneer in one piece!

“Oh wow – what a landing!”

-Edbert

Teams head out to recover the shuttle and crew!

“That landing had a lotta moxie in it – nice work Edbert!”

-Gene

Year 22, Day 340 (CTS-2 Pioneer Launches!)

sayburstuff Year 22 , , ,

The new Pioneer 2 Crew Shuttle is ready to launch! Jeb and rookie pilot Edbert will take the new shuttle up for it’s maiden flight! While Pioneer is a new spacecraft it has been designed to be as identical as possible to the refit Adventure crew shuttle!

“Launch looks good – all systems nominal – what a ride!”

-Jeb

“Not too bumpy either! “

-Edbert, piloting in the front seat

As the spacecraft reaches it’s maximum dynamic pressure, or Max-Q, all systems continue as planned!

“The engineers must have screwed all the bolts in pretty well, this is where the parts would start falling off if they hadn’t!”

-Jeb

As Pioneer’s trajectory reaches a 200k periapsis, the aerodynamic-escape-system launches, and the shuttle detaches from the Nebula Rocket!

Turning around using its RCS, the Nebula Rocket fires it’s engines to perform a landing at KSC! Once recovered the rocket will be transported to White Mesa, where it will be refueled and refit to be launched again!

“We have achieved orbit! As exciting as this is, I can’t wait to land!“

-Edbert

Year 22, Day 183(New Spaceplane Transported to White Mesa Facility!)

sayburstuff Year 22 , , , ,

The new crew shuttle Pioneer is complete, and ready to transport west to White Mesa!

“I’m glad we finished revamping the Crew Shuttles when we did… with the disaster at Spacedock we’re going to need extra vehicles on hand!”

-Gene

The crew shuttle is un-fueled, and protective covers have been put over the front heat shield as well as the rear engines! Carson will be flying the mission solo to White Mesa, where the crew program is based!

“The X-5 is airborne! That Crew Shuttle really makes this plane perform sluggish!”

-Carson

Carson slowly brings the X-5 around and heads west, flying past the space center!

“Pretty view from up here!”

-Carson

“X-5 checking in – aircraft performance…. nominal… crew shuttle seems to be holding up well!”

-Carson

The X-5 reaches its maximum altitude, and begins the descent toward White Mesa!

“I’ve passed the terminator into night… switching on internal lighting!”

-Carson

Carson brings the aircraft around and lines up with the White Mesa runway… about 11km from the facility!

“I’m in the pipe, five by five! Setting her down!”

-Carson

The X-5 touches down and comes to a full stop! Soon the aircraft will taxi to a hangar, where the Crew Shuttle Pioneer will be separated, inspected and prepared to launch on a Nebula Rocket! Pioneer‘s twin, the original Adventure, is already stacked on a Nebula Rocket, and is being prepared for a launch!

Year 22, Day 155 (KSEA Construction and Research Update)

sayburstuff Year 22 , , , , ,

After the successful test of the Adventure crew shuttle, KSEA has begun construction of a brand new, duplicate Crew Shuttle… named CTS-2 Pioneer!

A larger variant of the crew shuttle is also under development, however no plans are ready to be released yet! The craft is tentatively called the Heavy Crew Shuttle!

Research and development is nearing completion for a new Duna lander as well. If KSEA is to have a permanent habitation on the surface of the red planet, a reusable lander is needed… The existing Advanced Duna Lander has not performed as well as hoped, providing barely enough DeltaV, and a landing process that has been described as “consistently unreliable” by pilots!

Finally, mission planners are almost ready to announce DSV-5 Intrepid’s first mission! Intrepid was launched in mid Year 21, and cleared orbital tests later that year. Mission planners keep insisting they didn’t just forget about it!