Year 5, Day 13 (Enterprise Launched to Upgrade KSS Power and Solar Systems!)

June 25, 2017June 25, 2017 sayburstuff Year 4 Chrisnic, CTS-3 Intrepid, Dunwin, Edan, HCS-2 Enterprise, KSS Upgrades, Problems

Enterprise launches! Edan will pilot the Heavy Cargo Shuttle to orbit and rendezvous with the Kerbin Space Station, and Dunwin will supervise the initial installation of the solar power unit, and then perform EVAs to complete installation from Enterprise’s cargo bay!

“Orbital Assist Vehicle is away… heading to the station!”

-Edan

Dunwin reviews the mission parameters as Enterprise rockets towards the KSS!

Enterprise arrives at the KSS and the module detaches!

Installation proves very difficult, with Chrisnic leaving the station to assist Dunwin!

“This is just impossible! There’s no way to get a grip on anything!”

-Chrisnic

Chrisnic and Dunwin return to the KSS, taking the extra parts from Enterprise, while Edan tries a “first”… docking Enterprise itself to the Kerbin Space Station!

“Almos there… almost there…”

-Edan

Wow – everyone is very suprised that the docking actually worked. The KSS was never designed to dock such a large craft, but Edan showed that it was possible!

“Now let’s all hang tight and wait for Intrepid!”

-Edan

KSEA decides to send up Intrepid to deliver some parts to allow the installation of footholds and other gripping surfaces for the station!

Year 4, Day 392 (Aurora 16 Returns!)

June 18, 2017 sayburstuff Year 4 Aurora 16, Aurora Program, Dunwin, Edan, Harmony Space Station, Kimmy, Minmus, Mun, Unity Space Station

Aurora 16 splashes down, in the sea west of the Space Center! Kimmy, Edan, and Dunwin are all rescued – and the vast trove of data gathered on both Harmony and Unity Space Stations is collected!

Year 4, Day 381 (Aurora 16 Arrives at Minmus to Unite Explorer 2’s Crew!)

June 18, 2017June 18, 2017 sayburstuff Year 4 Aurora 16, Dunwin, Edan, Harmony Space Station, Kimmy, Minmus

Aurora 16 arrives at Minmus – just in time too! Food was starting to get a bit low… Edan and Dunwin were getting hungry!

Aurora 16 arrives at Harmony Space Station! Kimmy transfers over, and gets comfy for the ride back to Kerbin!

“You know… I’ve actually never been down to Minmus before! ”

-Dunwin

Indeed! Mission Planners quickly assemble a mission, HSSLS03.. an odd formation shaped like an arc, with lowland, slope, and midland biomes all within reach. Should be a good first landing for Dunwin!

“OK – here we GOooooo!”

-Kimmy

Kimmy and Dunwin head down to HSSLS03-A!

A great landing!

Dunwin is very excited, and immedeatly jumps out… then jumps UP!

Oh wow! I think I can see Harmony Space Station from up here!

-Dunwin

Kimmy leaves the lander, and starts taking some readings.

After a little time, everyone is back in the lander, heading up to the Station!

The Research Lander arrives back at Harmony Space Station. Dunwin heads over to Aurora 16, and Kimmy gathers up all the scientific data on Harmony Space Station, and takes it over to Aurora 16.

I don’t think I could pack any more research materials and surface samples into this Command Pod! There’s over 44 individual pieces of science on this vessel!”

-Kimmy

This crew transfer will leave the crew of Harmony Space Station without a scientist (or a way home, in fact) so Aurora 17 will likely be in utilized to rotate crews on Unity Space Station! Unfortunately, Gilian will be alone on the station for about a week.

“It’s OK guys… I brought lots of schematics to read! Good luck on Duna! Take lots of pictures!!”

-Gilian

It’s just a short 8 Day trip back to Kerbin!

Year 4, Day 339 (Unity Station Arrives at Mun!)

June 9, 2017June 9, 2017 sayburstuff Year 4 Aurora 16, Dunwin, Edan, Kerlorf, Luly, Mun, Seely, Unity Space Station

Aurora 16 blasts off, taking Edan, Dunwin, and Kerlorf on their way to Mun (and with them, the new Lander that Unity Space Station will need!)

Aurora 16 will also be a test of the new second stage for the Sarnus V Heavy – a mono-propellant based engine called the LV-601-4.

Success! Aurora 16 arrives at Mun. First, the lander heads over…

Then the Command Module docks with the station.

“Wow! Quite the crowd up here!”

-Luly

Luly is correct – along with her, Seely, Edan, Dunwin, and Kerlorf are staying on the station for a decent amount of time. The crew is mostly rookies, at least in regards to landing on other worlds! Each of the crew will get a chance to head down and investigate a different region of Mun. It should be quite teh adventure!

Year 4, Day 294 (Aurora 16 Mission Announced!)

June 8, 2017June 9, 2017 sayburstuff Year 4 Aurora 16, Dunwin, Edan, Kerlorf, Mun, Unity Space Station

Work begins on the next Aurora Mission – this time, Aurora 16 will deliver the lander to Mun for Unity Station! It will be Edan’s first trip beyond Kerbin! Rookie engineers Dunwin and Kerlorf will be joining him for training!

Year 4, Day 288 (Unity Space Station Heads to Mun!)

June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 sayburstuff Year 4 CTS-1 Adventure, Edan, Luly, Mun, Seely, Unity Space Station

Seely and rookie scientist Luly are chosen for the first crew aboard Unity Space Station! Edan pilots them up in the refitted Adventure! The new Cargo Module performs well!

Unity Space Station is sitting in a 100k orbit. The shuttle is capable of reaching orbits up to 120k, however tolerances for errors and safety start getting pushed above 100k.

Adventure docks at Unity Space Station!

Luly and Seely head over… but Seely takes the scenic route and installs the new Gravity Sensors on the station! Edan takes a second to correct the orientation of one of the Station’s Habitat Modules…

“There we go… now the other side matches!”

-Edan

Then disconnects.

Unity Station begins its transfer to Mun!

This time the launch goes much better than Harmony Station’s… keeping the insertion stage’s engine’s gimbals set lower appears to solve the problem (that and the station has been designed to be symmetrical!) Adventure will remain in orbit until KSEA signals that the Station is safely away!

Unity Station arrives at Mun!It’s just a short 5 hours trip to Mun!

With just a little work, the station is put into a 31k orbit,. Now all the crew needs is a lander, and science can begin! (The Transfer stage still has a little precious fuel in it, so it will remain until the lander arrives!)

Adventure heads down (and ejects its cargo module!)

Another great landing by Edan!

Year 4, Day 166

May 25, 2017 sayburstuff Year 4 Edan, Harmony Space Station, HCS-1 Resolute, Heavy Cargo Shuttle, Minmus

Resolute is outfitted with the next (and last) Harmony Space Station module, the modified Science Module. Edan is chosen as the pilot for this launch!

“Wow, this cockpit is so roomy compared to the Crew Shuttles!”

-Edan

Resolute finishes its launch, piloted to just under 100k by Edan!

“OK… approaching Harmony!”

-Edan

“Opening cargo bay door… and releasing the Harmony Module!”

-Edan

The module detaches… and after some tricky night-side maneuvering, attaches to Harmony. Now it’s time for Resolute to head home!

Resolute swoops in for a landing!

Success!

Edan is very pleased with himself, and insists on a photo – welcome home Edan… and good work! Work begins at once on refurbishing Resolute. Additionally, work begins on a NEW, as yet un-named Heavy Cargo Shuttle, to hopefully increase the capabilities of the Space Program!