Year 3, Day 379 (KSS Crew Rotation)

March 29, 2017March 29, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Aurora 16, Aurora Porgram, CTS-1 Adventure, CTS-3 Intrepid, Kerbin Space Station, Kimmy, Robart, Val

While work starts on Aurora 16, which will deliver the crew to MunBase One, CTS-1 Adventure blasts off from Cape Kerman, to rotate crew on the KSS! Val, Robart, and Kimmy are eager to get more training time on the KSS! Equally eager to get back to Kerbin are Val, Samner, and Sean!

Adventure docks with the KSS! Everyone says their ‘hi’s’ and ‘bye’s’, then Jeb detaches Intrepid, and heads back to Kerbin!

Jeb misses the Space Center… by a LOT! Thankfully, the leftover fuel in Intrepid is enough to get back to the landing strip!

“In the pipe… five by five!”
-Jeb

Intrepid makes a good night landing, even if it was a bit bumpy!

Year 3, Day 2

February 16, 2017February 16, 2017 sayburstuff Year 3 Glenica, Kerbin Space Station, Problems, Samner

“Uh… KSC… We have a problem!”
-Samner

Samner, aboard the KSS, reports that the original station core has a leak! In order to save the entire station, the affected area is evacuated, and the module is ejected!

“Jeez, as this thing gets older, more and more parts keep breaking! We may need to think about getting an engineer up here or we might have to replace the whole thing!”
-Glenica

Indeed, the KSS has been having multiple problems lately. KSEA engineers start work on a systems upgrade to the station! With the myriad of problems on the station it’s not clear exactly what can be done to save the KSS.

Year 2, Day 424

February 11, 2017February 11, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Jebediah, Kerbin Space Station, Kimmy, Orlas

Kimmy, Jebediah, and Orlas return from the KSS! They rest up, and get ready for flights beyond Kerbin!

“That was a long time in space! What great training!”

-Orlas

Year 2, Day 331 (KSS Research Launch)

January 19, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Kerbin Space Station

A KSS Support Vehicle blasts off, and carries a cargo of plants for the researches on the KSS to study growing in orbit! A previous launch of the same payload seemed ineffective… The KSS crew wonders if they got baked during launch. If this experiment is successful, it will be the first time a Support Vehicle has attempted returning to Kerbin.

The Service Vehicle moves in for a rendevous with the KSS… and docks!Mena

Meanwhile, it looks like the previous Plant Science mission has actually had some results! The plants have in fact grown!

“Well… let’s send it down and see what the scientists on the surface have to say!”
-Glenica

Good idea Glenica! The Service Vehicle detaches, and begins its attempt to de-orbit. KSEA hopes to set the pod down as close to the Space Center as possible. Let’s hope the results survive re-entry!

The Service Vehicle begins its descent!

Surviving the fire of re-entry, the pod heads for a touchdown in the fields at the base of the mountains west of the Space Center.

“Sensors indicate a clean landing! Let’s get a team out there asap!”
-Bob, Head Scientist

Year 2, Day 305 (1st KSS Resupply Mission)

January 19, 2017January 19, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Kerbin Space Station

As supplies begin to run a bit low on the KSS, the first Automated Re-Supply Mission is launched! Based on the same design as the Science Payload launches, this supply mission will dock with the station, transfer supplies, and can then return to Kerbin for refurbishment and another launch!

screenshot501

The supply vehicle docks at the lower docking pylon, and the crew starts unloading the food and other supplies! With this launch KSEA has demonstrated that the KSS can hopefully be maintained for a long period with a full crew. Nice!

Year 2, Day 302 (KSS Auxillary Science Lab Launched)

January 16, 2017January 17, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Jeb, Kerbin Space Station, KSS Upgrades, Sarnus Rocket, Val

The KSS Auxillary Science Lab is launched! These frequent KSS missions using the Sarnus Rocket hardware is getting our scientists and engineers very familiar with them – should be useful when the Aurora Program uses them to visit Mun! screenshot487

The launch has some serious problems once in orbit. The very top heavy module proves very difficult to control! From the ground, Val does her best to help.

“This thing steers terribly! I’ll do my best to save it – no promises though!”
-Val

Once Val is able to successfully navigate a rendevous, Jeb EVAs over to the module…and hops inside!

“I’ve got it from here, Val!”
-Jeb

Jeb pilots the unwieldy module closer and closer to the station…

Success! The new module docks with the KSS.

“Just need to move this Escape Vehicle over to the habitat section of the station!”
-Jebape vehicle over to the habitat section…”
-Jeb

“There we go! Station looks great!”
-Jeb

Year 2, Day 292

January 16, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Kerbin Space Station, KSS Upgrades

Construction starts on the next expansion to the KSS – the Auxillary Science Lab!

While much smaller than the previous expansions the Auxillary Science Lab is just as heavy… packed full of interesting scientific equipment!

Year 2, Day 280 (KSS Science Hub Launches)

January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Kerbin Space Station, KSS Upgrades

The new Science Hub blasts off on top of the massive Sarnus V-H!

The craft is guided automatically into orbit, and sets course to rendeavous with the KSS.

“I can’t wait to get out there and fly something! There’s not much to pilot on a Space Station!”-Jeb

Jeb EVA’s over to the Science Hub’s Emergency Escape Vehicle, and uses it to pilot the new section into place.

Almost there…

Contact! The Station is now ready to receive additional science modules, and generate what KSEA hopes will be more than enough power for future needs. Additionally, two more Cupolas provide some really amazing views of Kerbin!

“Wow! This place is getting really roomy!”
-Glenica

“This is quite the view!”
-Samner

Year 2, Day 235

January 13, 2017January 14, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Blueprints, Kerbin Space Station, KSS Upgrades

scihub Construction begins on the next massive KSS upgrade – a new science hub with additional solar arrays. This new hub will (hopefully) be the starting point for several other science additions… putting them on the far side of the station ensure greater levels of safety if the experiments get too dangerous!

Ingeniously, the delivery stage of the module will double as an emergency escape vehicle, the RCS system has been balanced to work in tandem with the rest of the module for delivery, and the remaining fuel will let the Escape Vehicle re-enter Kerbin’s atmosphere. Future delivery modules are planned to use the same design to allow several Escape Vehicles to be docked in case of an emergency.

Year 2, Day 229

January 11, 2017January 12, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Kerbin Space Station, KSS Upgrades, Sarnus V

screenshot442
The new Command Core is slowly rolled out to the launch pad, and is ready to go first thing in the morning.

“That’s one big rocket!”
-Bill

It sure is! In fact, the Sarnus V that will carry the new Command Core to orbit is the largest vehicle ever launched! screenshot443 Crowds gather to watch it take off!