Jool

Year 14, Day 1 (Explorer 6 Leaves Laythe)

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Explorer 6’s mission at Jool’s tempting moon Laythe is complete – and it’s time to come home!

“It’s a shame we have to leave.. but don’t worry. We’ll be back! “

-Sean

As Explorer 6 drifts past Laythe for the last time, the crew prepares to return to cryogenic sleep for the long trip back to Kerbin!

“It’s a good thing we’re heading back to cryo-sleep… we just finished the last snack!”

–Mitster

“The sooner we go back into cryo-stasis the sooner we can get on the next Deep Space craft headed back… this time with a lander! By the time we’re back at Kerbin I bet Laythe Spaceport will be ready!“

-Glenica

Year 13, Day 396 (Laythe Spaceport Launches!)

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The Laythe Spaceport launches atop the Jool DS-1 Rocket! KSEA was running out of superlatives to describe how big the rockets were getting, so DS-1 seemed liked a good name for the first really big deep space launcher!

The mighty solid rockets push the rocket faster and faster, until…

Having exhausted their fuel, the solids explode (safely) away from the rocket with a load “ka-chunk!” Each one is equipped with a small parachute and transmitter to aid in recovery and re-usability efforts!

The launch stage ejects, and the orbital stage fires, providing the bulk of the energy required for circularizing the spacecraft in orbit of Kerbin!

The protective fairing ejects, then the Interplanetary Transfer Stage fires for just a moment to finish the circularization of orbit.

Success! The station will remain in orbit until the window to Jool / Laythe opens!

That went about as well as it could! The station is reporting all systems are functioning properly. Good work team!

-Gene

Year 13, Day 127 (Explorer 6 Enters Laythe Orbit!)

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After a journey lasting longer than 2 years, Explorer 6 finally arrives at Laythe! Automated systems thaw the crew – who slowly wake up!

“Wow, it’s been years? It barely felt like much of a nap!”
-Glenica

Explorer 6’s engines fire, and eventually circularize the orbit around Laythe!

“Mitster to Ground Control – I’m stepping through the hatch… “
-Mitster

“Oh wow! It’s beautiful!”
-Mitster

“Ground Control to Mitster – you’ve really made the grade!”
-Gene, Mission Control

Year 13, Day 110 (X-10 Laythe Spaceplane Announced!)

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KSEA announces the final draft of the X-10 Laythe Spaceplane! In development for longer than the engineers would like to admit, the X-10 is the most sophisticated (and complicated) spaceplane the space program has designed.

The mission that the spaceplane has been designed for is so unique that the KSEA Blueprint Division spent an inordinate amount of time detailing it so that everyone would remember what to do once the spacecraft finally arrived!

“Dibs! I can’t wait to land a spaceplane on a moon!”
-Jeb

The pilot program has seen an increase in applicants since the plans were released!

“We finally have a design for a spacecraft that can land on Laythe – we have a way to get crew to Jool and back… now we just need to design a spaceport for the crew to rest and refuel!”
-Bill

Year 13, Day 10 (Explorer 6 Update!)

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In just 60 days, Explorer 6 will enter the Joolian system! Computers on the spacecraft start waking up – transmitting data on the crew: healthy, lifesigns extremely faint from cryostasis but at expected levels. Radiation levels from Jool are high, as expected. Communication systems appear sufficient, barely, for communicating with Kerbin.

Explorer 6 was launched before Discovery had even been built, to test KSEA’s deep space capabilities. Ultimately, Explorer 6 will orbit Laythe, a world that on the surface looks very much like Kerbin! Eventually KSEA wants to land Kerbals on the planet – and to do that a permanent deep space station, like Duna Spaceport, will be required! Laythe Spaceport will hopefully be a destination for Discovery, and other Deep Space Vessels!

When the mission is complete KSEA will have learned a lot about deep space exploration – vital information for the space program to continue going further and further!

Year 12, Day 392 (Pathfinder 3 Probe 1 Lost)

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Pathfinder 3 deploys it’s first probe!

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Little was known about Vall when Pathfinder 3 was launched, it is now obvious that the probe suite on Pathfinder 3 is somewhat ill equipped – Vall has no atmosphere so the parachute and heat shield are a waste of mass!

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Pathfinder 3’s first probe also has insufficient fuel to slow down in time, and the probe crashes into the surface!

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The probe transmits this haunting photo of Jool and the surface of Vall right before communications are lost!

 

Year 12, Day 103 (Pathfinder 1 Lands Last Probe on Laythe at De Grasse Sea!)

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Pathfinder 1 launches it’s last probe!

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The probe fires it’s retro rockets and starts to decend!

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Hopefully the heat shield is sufficient to protect the fragile electronics and other components!

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The probe survives the atmospheric heating and deploys it’s parachutes!

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The solar panels deploy, and the probe transmits as much data as it can before the power runs out!  Sadly, the probe is only able to partially transmit it’s gravity data!

“Some data is better than none!  We’ll equip the next probe with more robust power systems! ”

-Robart, at Mission Control, Kerbin

Several important facts have been learned, such as power demands on Outer Planet missions and the importance of integrating the planetary scan with the mothership!

There were some concerns after the failure of Pathfinder 4 and Pathfinder 5 that the entire Pathfinder program might need to be scrapped, however this success guarantees a bright future for the Pathfinder Program!

As the probe transmits it’s last bit of data, it’s systems power down and the connection is lost.  This concludes the Pathfinder 1 mission, which despite a few bumps is considered a success by KSEA!

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Year 12, Day 100 (First Pathfinder 1 Probe Deploys and Lands on Laythe!)

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The first landing site on Laythe has been chosen!  An island that KSEA is calling “Island 1” has been chosen as the first landing site as topography suggests it is the largest and flattest surface. The mostly liquid surface of Laythe may make landing… tricky.

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Simulations show that the best orbit for releasing the landing probes is 200k, so Pathfinder 1 adjusts it’s orbit accordingly  – and the probe is away!

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The probe fires its orbital manuevering rockets and before long begins to rocket to the surface! screenshot573.png

“Calculations look like they were near perfect!  It’s going to set down right where we thought, on the shores of Island One – the one that looks a bit like a bunny!”

-Gene

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The probe’s parachute deploys, and it slowly drifts to the surface!

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Onboard cameras transmit stunning video back to Kerbin!

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Pathfinder 1’s first probe is a complete success! Once on the surface the suite of sensors record and transmit vital information about Laythe back to Kerbin!

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“Remarkable! I can’t wait to look at this data we’re getting back!”

-Robart, at Mission Control