DSV-6 Odyssey

Year 24, Day 1 (Odyssey Leaves Kerbin, Heading to Sarnus and Tekto!)

sayburstuff Year 24 , , , , , ,

In orbit of Kerbin, Jeb, Shepley, and Gillian prepare the newly commissioned Deep Space Vehicle Odyssey to leave orbit!

“What a great way to kick off the start of a New Year! Jeb, you are clear to depart… Odyssey good luck Odyssey!“

-Gene, supervising at Mission Control

“Just about finished checking all the scientific instrumentation! We’re good!”
-Shepley

DSV-5 Crew Mission 1 – Tekto Exploration

  • Crew: Mission Commander Jeb, Mission Scientist Shepely, Mission Engineer, Gillian .
  • Mission: Explore and if possible land on Tekto!
  • Result: Mission in Progress

“OK – science good! Gillian, reactors ready? We’re going to need every bit of those reactors energy to power two of these LF-9 engines!“
-Jeb

“Radiators are on, showing cooling has started!   Starting reactors 1 and 2… port reactor climbing to 100 percent power. Starboard reactor same…. both reactors are showing full power!  -Gillian

With pre-flight checks complete, Jeb undocks from Crew Vehicle 4! With a loud clunk and some whirs, the two craft detach, and start to drift away from each other. With a brief reverse thrust of Odyssey’s RCS system, Jeb gives the ship a good distance for maneuvering!

“We are clear! Preparing course for burn to Sarnus!“
-Jeb

“I show full power to the engines! Temperatures nominal.. I show good for burn!
-Gillian

“Just about finished checking all the scientific instrumentation!”
-Shepley

“OK – Pedal to the metal! Thrust at 100 percent!“
-Jeb

The two colossal LF-9 engines fire! Powered by two Discovery class reactor assemblies together generating 6,000 e/c per second this is the first time TWO have been run simultaneously on a spacecraft!

“Things are heating up… but we are still within mission parameters!“
-Gillian

After quite a long burn, Jeb throttles down! Odyssey is now rocketing away – heading right toward an intercept with Sarnus!

“Trajectory looks good everybody! Just a little under three years and we’ll be at Sarnus!“
-Jeb

“I checked the cryo-systems during the burn! Glykerol levels are good, and the freezing systems are ready to go! “
-Shepley

Everyone locks their stations, and heads to the aft of the crew compartment!

“Brr! It’s always so cold in the cryo-chambers! Let’s get this space-nap going! “
-Gillian

“Oh – the deep space relays have been deployed too! See you guys in orbit of Sarnus!“
-Shepley

“Communications are good Odyssey – we’ll see you soon!“
-Gene, supervising at Mission Control

After triple checking the ‘wake up’ timer is correct, the crew enters cryo-sleep for the trip to Sarnus!

Kerbin Space Exploration Administration | Space Program Funding

Funding / IncomeCosts
Next Funding Period: – 8 daysSpace Center Costs: -136,000
Current Reputation: 453Assigned Kerbal Wages: – 65,000
Unassigned Kerbal Wages: -5000
Estimated Gross Funding: + 905,459Vessel Maintenance: -108,204
Project Reserve: +175,747 (savings)Launch Costs: -222,426
Estimated Net Funding:+368,829 (available)

Gillian

Year 23, Day 424 (Crew and Lander for DSV-6 Odyssey Tekto Mission Launches To DSV-6 Odyssey!)

sayburstuff Year 23 , , , , , , ,

“Alright people.. we are going to Tekto! Get up there to Odyssey and let’s make some history!”
-Gene

While the mission specifics are not quite done beyond a misson to Tekto (one of the more interesting moons of Sarnus), a crew has been chosen for DSV-6 Odyssey’s first mission!

A team of veteran Kerbonauts has been chosen to fly Odyssey’s maiden journey: Mission Commander Jeb, Mission Scientist Shepely, and Mission Engineer, Gillian!

DSV-5 Crew Mission 1 – Tekto Exploration

  • Crew: Mission Commander Jeb, Mission Scientist Shepely, Mission Engineer, Gillian .
  • Mission: Explore and if possible land on Tekto!
  • Result: Mission in Progress

Blast off! The Neidon III booster blasts off, carrying the crew, and a variant of the VINCENT lander, to orbit!

“We are go! Hold on everyone, approaching maximum dynamic pressure!“
-Jeb

The solid rocket boosters detach! Ground crews scramble to their recovery vehicles to start refurbishing the boosters!

The rocket continues its journey to orbit, finally reaching an altitude of 200k meter, where it circularizes!

Crew Vehicle 4 detaches from the booster!

The Crew Vehicle detaches from the lander, and begins the docking and transposition manuever!

Jeb starts manuevers to dock with Odyssey!

“Let’s go check out Odyssey! Starting rendezvouses!”
-Jeb

Only the running lights of Odyssey are visible as the Crew Vehicle approaches Odyssey!

Suddenly, the rising sun illuminates the Deep Space Vehicle!

“I caught a glimpse of Odyssey out the window! She’s big!”
–Shepley

“We are at zero relative motion… Mission Control we are going to start docking procedures! Issuing remote commands to Odyssey to open the docking shield!”
-Jeb

The signal is received by Odyssey….

… and the protective cover on the docking port opens!

“Detaching from lander… moving to relative port… RCS systems nominal…”
-Jeb

As the lander stays at a safe distance, the Crew Vehicle begins docking maneuvers!

“OK… we are the pipe, five by five! Connection in 5…4…3…2….”
-Jeb

“…1! I show a good connection!”
-Jeb

“Confirmed! Seals are good – vehicle integrity good!“
-Gillian

“OK switching controls over to the lander! I have a good connection! Starting docking maneuver!“
-Jeb

Jeb remotely pilots the lander so that it’s directly above the landing bay! Then, slowly, uses RCS to “land” in the bay!

“Just about… almost… OK!“
-Jeb

“Another good docking! I show we have the lander firmly docked in the cargo bay! Time to inspect the ship and make sure we are good for departure!
-Gillian

“We better hurry! The transfer window to Sarnus won’t last forever!“
–Shepley

Kerbin Space Exploration Administration | Space Program Funding

Current Funds: 147,128Assigned Kerbal Wages: 65,000
Next Funding Period: -14dUnassigned Kerbal Wages: 5,000
Current Reputation: 453Vessel Maintenance: 107,185
Estimated Gross Funding:905,459Launch Costs: 170,866
Space Center Costs: 136,000Estimated Net Funding: 421,408

Year 23, Day 408 (DSV-6 Odyssey Launches to Orbit!)

sayburstuff Year 23 , , , , , , ,

After a very long wait, construction and stack integration of DSV-6 Odyssey is complete and the truly massive rocket is rolled out to the launch pad! Nova launches are rare, and large crowds turned up at the space center to watch!

“All right people… this might be the biggest and most expensive rocket ever launched but you’re professionals and you know what to do!”
-Gene supervising the launch at Mission Control

“I can’t wait to fly Odyssey.. I hope the launch goes OK!”
-Malcolm

As the countdown approaches launch the space center gets silent in anticipation. Finally, the count reaches zero and…

The Space Center shakes as the massive Nova Rocket takes off!

“Go Odyssey!  Woohoo!“
-Glenica, watching with the rest of the Spacedock crew in orbit!

As the Nova Rocket carrying Odyssey rises into the sky ground crews carefully track the launch!

In orbit, the fairing ejects and the spacecraft fires its orbital stage engines to circularize the orbit!

“Communications good, telemetry good… Odyssey is right where she is supposed to be! Nice work team!”
-Gene supervising the launch at Mission Control

The enormous cost, complexity, and danger of launching these mega-spacecraft from the space center has been quite a strain!

Besides the fantastic costs, the space center itself was tied up for almost a year building Odyssey.  

“The Nova Rocket itself costs almost a million to launch!  With the cost of each DSV approaching 2 million!”
-Gillian, watching from Spacedock

Serious consideration is now being given to constructing an orbital assembly yard! 

KSEA projects a need for the construction of at least one new DSV every year, which includes possibly retiring some ships in the current fleet! 

“Not sure how to do it, but we need to find a way to get more Kerbals into deep space – the Space Center can’t handle this many super-duper-heavy launches!”
-Gene

DSV-6 Odyssey

  • Vessel Mass: 177.916 t
  • DSV Cost: 1,968,922
  • Nova Rocket Cost: 751,858
  • Total Cost: 2,720,780

Year 23 Day 400 (Construction Update on Odyssey!)

sayburstuff Year 23 ,

DSV-6 Odyssey’s hull has been fully assembled, and its nuclear reactors have been integrated!

“Looking good everyone! The Nova Rocket is nearly complete too! This is gonna be one big rocket when it launches!”
-Gene, visiting the VAB floor where Odyssey is under construction

Despite its massive size Odyssey’s construction consists of several well tested components: The engines, reactors, and radiator assemblies are the same design as the Discovery and Horizon class DSVs.

The central fuel hull is the same octo-hull components that are used in the Refueling barges, and the cargo bay is an extended version of the existing Cargo Bays used in the Horizon DSVs! The only completely new component is the crew and command section!

Full system integration and testing should be done by the end of the year!  

Year 23, Day 331 (Next Generation “Odyssey” class Deep Space Vehicle Revealed!)

sayburstuff Year 23 ,

The Kerbal Space Exploration Administration is excited to announce construction is well underway on largest spacecraft ever made: DSV-6 Odyssey! Work on core components began at the end of Year 22 and has slowly been making progress!

Odyssey is powered by two Discovery-class nuclear reactors (the same design that has powered both Discovery and Horizon class Deep Space Vehicles) and has twice the number of engines as previous Deep Space Vehicles!

With extra fuel capacity, a larger cargo bay, more robust science and communication systems, Odyssey will be the most capable, powerful, and expensive craft ever made. Once construction is complete a Nova Rocket will deliver Odyssey to orbit!  Mission planners are excited to figure out Odyssey’s first destination!

The ship’s name was taken from a fragment of a story found on the OGER probe – something about going on a great adventure to a faraway place – it seemed appropriate!