Explorer 7 is just days away from reaching Duna’s sphere of influence! Mission Control sends the automated signal to thaw the crew from Cryo-Stasis!
“Mission Control this is Malcolm on Explorer 7… we’re all thawed out and ready for our mission!”
-Malcolm
“… I could use something hot to drink though!”
-Shepely
Dunwin checks over the ship’s systems and makes sure everything is looking good!
“Explorer handled the transit just fine… all systems are good!”
-Dunwin
The Explorer 7 crew heads over to the Cryo Section and gets ready for their chilly nap!
“Mission Control – this is Malcolm – we’re all ready for cryostasis… Explorer 7, signing out!”
-Malcolm
In just 280 days, Explorer 7 will arrive at Duna!
Malcolm, Dunwin, and Shepley all board Explorer 7! Outside the rocket, the loudspeakers count down to launch!
“10… 9…8…7…6…ignition sequence start….5…4…3…2…1…IGNITION!”
-Gene
“We have liftoff!”
-Gene
The powerful Sarnus Va rocket lifts Explorer 7 higher and higher!
Until orbit is reached! Then, with just 3 minutes to spare until the transfer window, Malcolm fires the engines!
“Engines firing…. We’re on course!”
-Malcolm
Explorer 7 soars past Mun on its way out of Kerbin’s SOI!
Hours later, the Advanced Duna Lander departs for Duna! The two spacecraft will arrive at Duna in 208 days!
“Ok, we’re on our way! Mission Control, we’re handing over vehicle control to KSC! “
-Malcolm
“That means it’s time to head over to the Cryo Section… And take a little nap!”
-Shepely
The 3 Kerbals prepare to head over to the Cryo Module to enter Cryo-Stasis! The mission schedule has them starting suspension tomorrow!
KSEA announces that Malcolm, Dunwin, and Shepely have been selected as the crew for Explorer 7! Explorer 7 itself is rolled out to the launchpad, and the crew will board tomorrow! In the meantime, everyone’s talking about how colorful the new patches are!
Malcolm and Shepely have never been to Duna, however Dunwin, the mission engineer, is a veteran!
The Advanced Duna Lander is already in orbit, and will leave a day after Explorer 7!
The Explorer 7 Duna Mission will make use of the Advanced Duna Lander’s capabilities to target landing sites that were out of range of previous missions. Additionally, many of the new surface experiments deployed and tested on Mun by the Aurora 18, 19, 20, and 21 crews will be deployed on Duna!
Having completed their mission at the Munar Arch, Tamre, Malcolm, and Dunwin take off!
They dock with the Aurora 21 Command Module, in orbit, and Malcolm returns the spacecraft to Kerbin orbit!
“Mission Control wants us to do more precise landings near the space center to recycle parts! That means we need to use up the extra fuel for entering orbit, THEN doing our descent burn!”
-Malcolm
Success! Aurora 21 splashes down in the waters right next to the airstrip!
Malcolm blasts off in the new Mk10 Crew Vehicle!
The crew vehicle quickly reaches orbit, then Malcolm sets course for the Spaceport!
“This cabin is so roomy! Much more breathing room in here!”
-Malcolm
After rendezvousing with the Spaceport, Malcolm docks the spacecraft!
“Yikes! This centrifugal wheel is sure close to the docking ports! We should add something to make docking safer!”
-Malcolm
After some system tests, Malcolm undocks, and heads back to the surface!
The Mk10 decouples, and the command module heads back to the surface!
“Heading down… a little bumpy… but I’m on course to land just west of the Space Center!“
-Malcolm
The landing engines fire to slow down the Mk10…
… then the parachute deploys!
Malcolm climbs out, and the Mk10 is given approval for future production!
After undocking with the lander, Aurora 19 powers up it’s engines and heads home!
“Now we wait!“
-Malcolm
The Aurora 19 Command Module burns through the atmosphere…
…until the parachutes can safely deploy!
Moments later, the Aurora Command Module splashes down! Rescue teams are dispatched, and towels and refreshments are prepared for the brave Kerbals of Aurora 19!
While exploring the surface time got away from them, and Luly and Malcolm’s rover ran out of power! Thankfully, they were both able to get back to the lander in time.
“That was a close one!”
-Malcolm
With a new lander and science equipment on the way, the crew waits patiently on Mun’s surface!
Malcolm, Seely, and Luly are chosen to be the crew for the next Mun mission! For the first time, they’ll attempt a landing at the Mun’s north pole! The lander has been specially outfitted with a fuel cell to provide power in the uneven polar regions.
Aurora 19 blasts off!
The Sarnus Va carries the spacecraft higher and higher…
Until the Orbital/TMI stage fires, circularizing the craft!
“Everything checks out – let’s head to Mun!”
-Malcolm
Aurora 19 will be the first polar landing at Mun – a somewhat more difficult task given the inclination, and the availability of solar power at the poles.
Aurora 19 arrives at Mun! Malcolm and Luly EVA to the lander, and head down!
“Looks pretty hilly up here, but I think we have a good landing site selection…”
-Malcolm
The Aurora 19 lander touches down!
“Time to test the new and improved Rover Deployment System!”
-Malcolm
The Rover Assembly system powers up, detaches from the lander, and gently lifts up, then off to the side of the lander!
The Rover deploys successfully!
After deployment, the drone flies off until it runs out of fuel!
“Shame that things has to go crashing down! Hey! We should use the crash from the next one of those drones to test our seismic equipment!”
-Luly
Malcolm watches as Luly plants a flag at the North Pole crater!
Then, Luly gets to business planting all the science equipment, before heading off in the rover with Malcolm!
“One little problem Mission Control! We didn’t bring a communication system! We need to start double checking our science payloads before these launches!! “
-Luly
Engineers at KSEA begin work to see if they can throw together a replacement system quickly!
“We launched one lander for Aurora 18, we should probably be able to send another one just like it! We’ll get to work asap!”
-Gene
While Mission Control explores solutions to the science equipment at Aurora 19’s polar landing, Malcolm and Luly take off in the Mun Rover!
Malcolm, Luly, and Seely blast off in an Aurora Crew Vehicle to supplement the crew on Kerbin Spaceport (and to get the newest kerbalnauts trained!)
Malcolm docks the ACV, and the crew makes themselves comfortable!
Meanwhile, another Aurora Payload Vehicle launches, carrying a new science payload to the station!
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 