Year 21, Day 105 (Aurora 27 Blasts Off – Heading to Mun Spaceport!)

April 28, 2021 sayburstuff Year 21 Aurora 27, Aurora Program, Colonies, Gilian, Mun, Orlas, Sarnus Va Rocket

Summer, Gillian, and Orlas blast off in Aurora 27 – launched on top of a Sarnus Va Rocket!

This will be Summer’s first command, and the first mission to Mun specifically to find water!

So far, orbital scans have indicated that there is NO water… but that can’t be right! Aurora 27’s mission is specifically to find water along the Mun’s equator!

“Here we go! The Sarnus has a real kick to it compared to the Crew Rockets… Wow!”

-Summer

The solid rockets detach, then the second stage breaks free, and the fairing explodes outward!

“Mission Control confirms orbit – you’re up Summer!”

-Gilian

Summer detaches from the lander, spins the Crew Module around….

“Roger that! Transposition maneuver… complete!”

-Summer

…and docks again!

Aurora 27 fires it’s engines, entering Mun Orbit!

Until it eventually arrives at Mun Spaceport!

The Lander / Rover detaches, and is flown remotely, docking to the station….

… while Summer docks the Crew Module by hand!

“Alright everyone – no time to lose! Let’s get down to the surface and find some water!”
-Summer

“Certainly there’s SOME water down there… the orbital sensors have read nothing but zero percent!”
-Orlas

The lander undocks, then sets down on Mun, along the Equator just west of the Northwest Crater!

“Mission Control – this is Summer… Aurora 27 has touched down on the Mun!”
-Summer

The rover is lifted off the lander, and touches down!

“Rover is clear of the lander… “
-Orlas

After the Rover deployment is done, Summer climbs out of the spacecraft!

“Oh wow! Oh wow!”
-Summer

“It’s beautiful out here!”
-Summer

Orlas leaves the Crew Lander and climbs down to join Summer…

“It sure is!”
-Orlas

The two share a moment admiring the stark, austere beauty of Mun…

… and then head out looking for Water!

The rover has enough supplies to last several days on the surface. Hopefully by then the crew will find some of Mun’s precious water!

Year 21, Day 91 (Summer Leaves Spacedock to Return Mun Spaceport Crew!)

April 25, 2021 sayburstuff Year 21 Bill, Crew Vehicle 5, Edan, Gilian, Kerbin Spacedock, Mun Spaceport, Summer

With Mun Spaceport (mostly) functional, Bill, Gilian, and Edan need to return to Kerbin! Summer departs in Crew Vehicle 5 to rescue them!

“If we’re going to be using these Crew Vehicles for trips back and forth to Mun, they’re going to need a better second stage – this will be a tight mission for DeltaV!“
-Summer

Crew Vehicle 5 departs Kerbin…

… Eventually arriving at Mun, and docking with Mun Spaceport!

Bill, Gilian, and Edan all board and buckle in for a quick return trip to Kerbin!

“There’s not enough fuel to do a full orbital return, so we’re going to try for touchdown near White Mesa… hold on everyone!”
-Summer

Crew Vehicle 5 misses the mark, landing 40km or so from White Mesa!

“Close enough! Rescue crews are on the way!”
-Gene, at Mission Control

Year 21, Day 30 (‘Operation Moving Day’ Gets a Green Light…to move Kerbin Spaceport to Mun!)

April 12, 2021April 13, 2021 sayburstuff Year 21 Bill, Crew Vehicle 6, Edan, Gilian, Kerbin Spaceport, Mun, Mun Spaceport, Operation Moving Day, Sarnus Va Rocket

Mission Control gives the plan to relocate the old Kerbin Spaceport to Mun a name: Operation Moving Day! The audacious plan will move the old Kerbin Spaceport… to Mun orbit!

One of the already built “Asteroid Movers” is modified with a docking port that should connect to the Spaceport, and launches on a Sarnus Va rocket!

The Station-Mover rendezvouses with Kerbin Spaceport…

…and docks!

“Remote sensors indicate a good lock! Nice work!“
-Gene

Bill, KSEA’s senior engineer will fly up in a Crew Vehicle to oversee the entire process! Edan will be the mission commander, and Gilian will be going up for her engineering expertise!

Crew Vehicle 6 carrying Edan, Bill, and Gilian blasts off from White Mesa!

“There it is – Old Kerbin Spaceport!”
-Edan

“Soon to be Mun Spaceport!”
-Gilian

“Hey – that’s catchy!”
-Bill

Crew Vehicle 6 docks!

Bill, Gilian, and Edan board the station and check things out!

Very slow control

Year 20, Day 422 (Aurora 26 Crew Returns from Kerbitat One!)

April 5, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Edan, Gilian, Kerbitat One, Samner

After the success at growing plants on the orbital Kerbitat One station, the Aurora 26 crew board the Command Module and detach from the station !

“We learned a lot from that mission – even though it didn’t go like we planned! We just need to figure out how to keep a supply of water and fertilizer somehow sustainable!”
-Samner

Aurora 26 burns through the atmosphere toward White Mesa!

“Chute has deployed! We’re touching down about 50k south of the White Mesa facility!”
-Edan

“We made it! Good job team!”
-Gilian

Year 20, Day 416 (Nebula Rocket Carrying Fertilizer Launches for Kerbitat One!)

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Edan, Gilian, Kerbitat One, Samner, Spacedock

A Nebula Rocket that had been prepared for a Crew Vehicle launch is quickly retrofitted with an experimental new payload: the DSV Supply Craft! Designed to carry a versatile payload to the bay of Horizon Class DSVs, delivering fertilizer to Kerbitat One should be a good first test!

The Nebula Rocket blasts off!

The payload detaches, and the first stage turns around and heads back to KSC! The DSV Supply Craft continues it’s launch to orbit!

The spacecraft approaches Kerbitat One…

… and docks!

Back at Spacedock, Aurora 26 departs for Kerbitat One!

“Hopefully that fertilizer does the trick!”
-Edan

Edan brings Aurora 26 into alignment with Kerbitat One, and docks!

“Looks like a good connection! Let’s get that fertilizer transferred over too!”
-Gilian

The Kerbals begin unloading the payload from the service vehicle, and Samner studies the plants. The crew waits patiently… until after many hours have passed….

“It’s working! It’s working! The plants are growing! I had to use water from our crew vehicle to start the processes, but it looks like it’s going! That means we’ll need to leave before long, but there should be enough water to run the greenhouse for a while!”
-Samner

After the successful mission, the crew begins preparations for heading home!

Year 20, Day 400 (Kerbitat One Evacuated!)

March 30, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Edan, Gilian, Kerbin Spacedock, Kerbitat One, Problems, Samner

After weeks trying to grow food, the Aurora 26 crew are ordered to evacuate the station before life support runs out!

“Dang! I thought for sure all these plants would need is some light! Maybe if we added some fertilizer?”
-Samner

“Maybe… but you’d think they’d need water too!”
-Gilian

“Well, I think we’d all think better with some snacks in our bellies! Let’s head back to Spacedock until KSEA can send up some supplies!”
-Edan

Thankfully, Kerbitat One’s orbit is very close to Spacedock – Edan pilots Aurora 26 to the station…

…and docks!

“Now we wait!”
-Edan

Year 20, Day 365 (Aurora 26 Launches Carrying Kerbitat Greenhouse Experiment!)

March 28, 2021 sayburstuff Year 20 Aurora 26, Edan, Gilian, Kerbin Spacedock, Kerbitat One, Samner

Aurora 26 blasts off from the Space Center, carrying Edan, Samner, and Gilian to orbit!

This Aurora mission will launch Kerbitat One into orbit, testing the feasibility of a greenhouse in space for long term habitation of other worlds!

The Sarnus V carries the Kerbitat Module and the Aurora Crew Vehicle higher and higher….

Until the fairing separates, and circularizes it’s orbit!

“Good launch everyone! Let’s get our Spacedock Rendezvous underway!”
–

Aurora 26 and Kerbitat One arrive at Spacedock and reach station keeping 500 meters away!

“Ok -starting docking and transposition maneuver….”
–

“Looks like a good connection! Nice!”
–

Kerbitat One deploys it’s solar panel arrays, and the crew starts getting comfortable!

Year 13, Day 158 (Intrepid Returns Crews to Kerbin from Kerbin Spaceport!)

February 22, 2020February 22, 2020 sayburstuff Year 13 Bill, CTS-3 Intrepid, DSV-2 Discovery, Edan, Gilian, Glenica, Kerbin Spaceport, Orlas, Sean, Seely, Shepely

With the return of Explorer 5 and the test flight of Discovery the Kerbin Spaceport has gotten very crowded! Edan, Bill, Orlas, Glenica, and Sean all board CTS-3 Intrepid!

“Have a good flight – you soon!”
-Gene

Edan undocks from the Spaceport, and uses RCS thrusters to reach a safe distance from the station! Gilian, Shepely, and Seely remain on the station, conducting the vitally important scientific research that must certainly occur there.

“Come back soon! Bring more snacks! “
-Shepely

Intrepid fires its engines to de-orbit… then detaches the service pod that holds cargo (and provides for solar power!)

“Hold on everyone! Things are about to get pretty hot!”
-Edan

Intrepid soars through the atmosphere, occasionally usings its airbrake system to slow its decent.

Once past the mountains west of the Space Center, Edan makes the final manuevers to line up for a landing!

“Edan to Mission Control… Intrepid is in the pipe, five by five!”
-Edan

Intrepid touches down on the runway!

A perfect landing! The tired Kerbals exit the Crew Shuttle to rest up for their next mission – Intrepid is recovered and undergoes minor repairs and the standard recovery process to get it ready for its next flight!

Year 7, Day 393 (Endeavor Launches To Check on CryoLab!)

June 23, 2018June 23, 2018 sayburstuff Year 7 CryoLab, CTS-2 Endeavor, Gilian, Mirphe

Endeavor blasts off!

Mirphe and Gilian are heading up to the new CryoLab to make sure the crew is doing ok!

Mirphe pilots Endeavor in slow and carefully toward CryoLab!

“Almost there!”

-Mirphe

Mirphe docks Endaevor successfully, and Gillian hops out for an EVA to inspect the station from the outside.

“Things look out from the outside… we’ll have to get inside and make sure everything’s fine there too!

-Gilian

“CryoLab checks out! All systems are fully functional and life signs for Bob, Shepely, and Lluly are faint but within desired specifications!”

-Gilian

“OK then – let’s head back to Kerbin and let these guys chill until their 100 days is up!”

-Mirphe

Endeavor rockets throught Kerbin’s atmosphere!

“Whew! That was a fast landing! Endeavor took a little damage! We’ll need a little repairs before she flies again!”

-Mirphe

KSEA agrees that it might be time to look at improving the Crew Shuttle’s rentry control systems and upgrade a few other systems while there at it! A Crew Shuttle refit might be on the way!

Year 7, Day 139 (Resolute Blasts Off for KSS!)

June 10, 2018June 10, 2018 sayburstuff Year 7 Gilian, HCS-1 Resolute, Mirphe, Sean

Mirphe, Gilian, and Sean launch in the Resolute on a service mission to the KSS!

screenshot52 Resolute (which was recently given nifty navigational lights) is the first of two Heavy Cargo Shuttles operated by KSEA. Due to a planning oversight on Station Life Support a Heavy Cargo Shuttle was chosen to carry an emergency life support mission to the station!

“This payload is pretty heavy, there won’t be any room in the fuel budget to spare this mission!”

-Mirphe

Thankfully Resolute eventually arrives the station… and not a moment too soon!

“Wow – I forget how big the Heavy Cargo Shuttle is until I see it up next to the Kerbin Space Station – these are some large spacecraft being docked!”

-Mirphe