Frontier Probes

Year 6, Day 283 (Frontier 5 Laythe, Tylo Encounter!)

sayburstuff Year 6 , , , ,

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The Frontier 5 craft in orbit of Jool is instructed to maneuver so it encounters Laythe! screenshot4.png

If all goes to plan, the probe will soon do a flyby of Laythe… the maneuver should also allow for the closest ever flyby of Jool.  Sadly, the scientific equipment on Frontier 5 is quite primitive compared to the gravitational scanners and other equipment on more recent probes, however an analysis of the atmosphere, temperature, and pressure should all be possible. screenshot5.png

Frontier 5 moves closer…

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Finally Frontier 5 arrives at its closest point to Jool!screenshot13.png

The first photographs of Laythe are transmitted back to Kerbin! The planet looks remarkably similair to Kerbin!

“Oh my – that looks just like Kerbin!  Astonishing!  In the distance you can see Tylo.   Just amazing… I can’t wait to visit!”

-Orlas

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Frontier 5 moves in close and closer….

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Until finally, the probe drops below 50km… but just barely!  The science transmitted on Laythe’s atmosphere is of incredible scientific importance, and has made Laythe one of the most intriguing desitnations for Kerbals in the future!

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Finally, Frontier 5 moves on, leaving Jool and it’s amazing moon Laythe for future probes to investigate!screenshot50.png

Frontier 5 soars past Tylo, its sensors only able to record some basic temperature and pressure readings in the space near the moon – researching Tylo is a job for a future explorer!

Year 5, Day 285 (Frontier 2 Orbits Sarnus!)

sayburstuff Year 5 , , , ,

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Frontier 2 approaches Sarnus…

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Closer…

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and closer!

screenshot1657.pngFinally, the craft fires its engines to circularize its orbit – extremely close to the rings of the distant, mysterious world!

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Onboard systems relay amazing new findings about Sarnus that scientists on Kerbin will be pouring over for years!

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Slowly, the probe’s long and eliptical orbit takes it away from Sarnus!

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but the adventure isn’t over quite yet, the craft’s trajectory will take it into the gravitational sphere of Eeloo, one of Sarnus’s (many)moons!screenshot1682.png

Sarnus’s magnificent vista doesn’t fail to impress!

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Frontier 2 silently passed by Eeloo – while the probe is not equipped with the modern scanning hardware of the Surveyor probes, Frontier 2 dutifully scans what it can. screenshot1692.png

The moon Slate can be seen in the distance. screenshot1693.png

What an incredible day for science!  The most recent accomplishments of the space program have inspired all of Kerbin!

Year 5, Day 18 (Frontier 8 Moho Flyby!)

sayburstuff Year 4 , ,

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Frontier 8 flys by Moho!  Sensors record temperature readings, as well as trace atmospheric levels near the world (it appears to be a near vacuum, although trace levels are picked up.)

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The flyby is a short one, as soon as it began, it seemed, it was ending. Frontier 8 will drift without fuel in a solar orbit forever, but it made history as the first spacecraft to reach Moho!

Year 4, Day 223

sayburstuff Year 4 , , , , , , , , ,

256x256-4Things are busy at the VAB!  Resolute and Enterprise are both being refurbished for their next missions, and the Crew Shuttles Endeavor and Adventure are both being outfitted with the second generation launchers!  (Intrepid is currently docked at the Kerbin Space Station – it will be outfitted with a new launcher once it returns!)

Meanwhile, construction has begun on the Duna Surveyor… based off the Mun and Minmus Surveyors, this advanced probe will scan the surface of Duna for future missions!

screenshot1058.pngIt’s now just days until Frontier 1 reaches the influence of Sarnus – Kerbin’s longest range probe has worked well so far… although scientists note that the signal strength  is only at 70 percent. Hopefully this won’t result in any lost scientific data!

Frontier 1 & 2 Update (Journey to Sarnus)

sayburstuff Year 4 , , , ,

Frontier 1 is just days from its encounter with Sarnus – Frontier 1 was launched merely to test the capabilities of the Frontier design, and was considered a bit of a long shot. However, this probe will still be the first to reach any of the outer planets. Sadly, it will only have enough fuel to do a high speed fly-by, before continuing on an escape trajectory out of the Kerbol star system!

screenshot849.pngThankfully, the Frontier 2 Probe will soon perform a minor course correction in just 36 days.  If calculations are correct, this will let the probe fly extremely close to Sarnus itself, and then have an encounter with Sarnus’s moon, Tekto. With any luck there will be enough fuel to allow the spacecraft to circularize around this mysterious Moon!

 

Year 4, Day 147 (Frontier 6 Update – Journey to Duna!)

sayburstuff Year 4 , ,

The Frontier 6 probe to Duna is a mere 2 weeks away from encountering the distant red world of Duna!  No one’s ever seen what it looks like up close… the sensors on Frontier are relatively old, but the science gained from the mission should be invaluable!

Scientists hope to get atmospheric, temperature, and pressure readings from both Duna and it’s small moon, Ike!