Horizon 9 is prepared to launch! This time, Val in command! “It sure is dark in here with this fairing!  Guess I’ll be steering by instruments only!”Blast off!  

Horizon 9 circularizes to a neat 90km orbit.  Mission Control notices something… with several days of energy reserves, and over 900d/v of fuel remaining… it’s possible that Horizon 9 could risk a Mun-shot!

“Is everyone really, really sure about this?” Val asks.  Mission control responds that no – but it does seem highly likely.  It’s a risk.

“I didn’t go to space to play it safe!  Let’s do it!” Val responds.  Very well! The Mun-Shot calculations are done… the science bays on Horizon 9 are saved for Munar research!

The burn to Mun will be FAST, carrying Val there in roughly 1 day.  Then using Mun’s gravity to slingshot around it back to Kerbin, in a very fast re-entry to Kerbin.  This will certainly put the new heat shield to a test!

The Munar approach will be fairly close.. flying 50k over its surface! 

“Wow!  Look at that!”

As Horizon 9 flies past the dark side of Mun, Val gets out to get a good look.  “It looks so bumpy down there!”

With just 2 hours of electricity remaining, Horizon 9 heads into Kerbin’s atmosphere!  “That new heat shield is performing perfectly… I was barely even crispy!” Val reports.  Moving at nearly 3300 m/s, Val is officially the fastest moving Kerbal in history! 

Ker-splash!  A successful landing on Kerbin!  Rescue teams go and pick up Val – great work everybody!  A very unexpected historic flight… but wow, what a day!