Mirphe

Year 8, Day 63 (CryoLab Update!)

sayburstuff Year 8 , , , , , ,

screenshot360.pngIt’s been 100 days since Cryolab was put into orbit, and Mirphe pilots Intrepid launches to check on the crew!  Bill is along for the mission to see how the lab (and crew!) have held up. screenshot362.png

Docking complete!  Go see if our guys are OK Bill!

-Mirphe

Luly, Shepely, and Bob all thaw from their cryogenic sleep!

“Wow – feels like I just fell asleep!”

-Bob

Bill checks the crew and the Cryo equipment out…

Everybody and everything seem to check out!  I think we’re good to head back to the Space Center!

-Bill

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I’m in the pipe – five by five!

-Mirphe

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An (almost) perfect landing!  One of the dorsal airbrakes took some damage, but repairs shouldn’t be a problem.  The Cryo-crew is taken directly to the medlab!

 

 

 

Year 8, Day 48 (Enterprise Finishes Testing Pathfinder Payloads)

sayburstuff Year 8 , , ,

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Enterprise launches the last Pathfinder payload – the Mk8 Atmospheric Scanner.

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Equipped with a multspectral scanner and enough deltaV to allow a wide range of deployments, the Mk8 will be the first Pathfinder probe launched to survey the surface for the  two remote landers.

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The scanner and probe perform perfectly, and the green light is given to include this design on Pathfinder!

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Alright, time to take Enterprise home!

–Mirphe

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Enterprise streaks through the clouds toward the Space Center!

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Ok – got the Center on visual… Enterprise is handling a little strange today – that or it’s been a while since I’ve landed a Heavy Cargo Shuttle!!

-Mirphe

 

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Thankfully Mirphe and Chrisnic set down safely!  Enterprise is taken to prepare for it’s next launch, but not before Chrisnic and the rest of the engineering team see if there’s any mechanical explanation for the shuttles odd handling!

Year 8, Day 47 (Enterprise Tests Pathfinder Payloads)

sayburstuff Year 8 , , ,

screenshot317.pngEnterprise launches the next Pathfinder test payload, the Mk7 Atmospheric Probe – designed for landing on terrestrial targets, the lander has the typical 4 leg design of a lander, but with additional fuel for precise landings and in some cases, jumps on planet surfaces!

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The burn to fall out of orbit goes well, however engineers already see a problem – power levels are fairly low, additional batteries or perhaps even a solar array might be called for!  Additionally, communications systems on the craft seem insufficient – a more powerful antenna is needed!

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In all the test is mostly successful, engineers start work right away on an upgraded design for the Mk7 probe!

 

Year 8, Day 46 (Enterprise Tests Pathfinder Payloads)

sayburstuff Year 8 , , ,

screenshot294.pngAs part of the upcoming Pathfinder missions, several probe designs need real-world testing, beyond what a simple simulation can provide.

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To help facilitate this, Enterprise is loaded with 3 of the new probes and heads to the launchpad! Mirphe will be piloting the shuttle, and Chrisnic will be onboard to supervise the launches!screenshot299.png

So far so good!  Launcher is away, circularizing Enterprise’s orbit!

-Mirphe

screenshot301.pngOnce Enterprise is in a stable orbit, the cargo bay doors open – time to test some probes! The first launch is the Mk 6 Atmospheric Probe – designed for water landings on Laythe, Jool’s closest moon and Kerbin-look-a-like!

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Probe is away!  Remote systems responding… sending it for a water landing!

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The probe drifts away from Enterprise until it’s time to fire the retro rockets that will take it to the surface…

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Probe is on course – all systems nominal!

-Chrisnic

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The parachute deploys, and the probe drifts slowly to the ocean surface!

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Splashdown!  The probe lands safely and the solar panels deploy – all systems seem to be working perfectly!

“I’d call that a success!”

-Mirphe

KSEA Search and Rescue heads out to recover the probe, and the Enterprise crew rests for a day before the next launch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

sayburstuff Year 7 , , ,

screenshot233.pngEndeavor blasts off!

screenshot234.pngMirphe and Gilian are heading up to the new CryoLab to make sure the crew is doing ok! screenshot237.png

Mirphe pilots Endeavor in slow and carefully toward CryoLab!

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“Almost there!”

-Mirphe

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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

 

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

-Gilian

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

-Mirphe

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Endeavor rockets throught Kerbin’s atmosphere!

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“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 389 (Resolute Launches, Carrying CryoLab To Orbit!)

sayburstuff Year 7 , , , , ,

cryolab.pngBob, Shepely, and Luly have all been selected from the volunteers to try long term cryogenic suspension in space!  The Crew Cryogenic Research Lab, more commonly known as the CryoLab.   CryoLab will hopefully pave the way toward much longer range missions for Kerbals, as the only life support and food stuffs needed by the crew will be that needed at the endpoint, not for the entire voyage!

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Mirphe blasts off in the Resolute, and the crew holds on tight!

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“Don’t worry back there… I’ve done this lots of times!”

-Mirphe

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Mirphe pilots Resolute to the planned orbit of 140km.

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The Cargo Bay Doors open, and Luly, Shepely, and Bob climb into the Cronic Freezing Chamber!

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“CryoLab is away!”

-Mirphe

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“Well… here it goes!  See you all in a few minutes!”

-Bob

Minutes to the science team perhaps, but 100 days to everyone back on Kerbin! The solar arrays extend, and Bob, Shepely, and Luly are frozen!

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“Switching Resolute to Landing Configuration!”

-Mirphe

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Resolute rockets through the clouds toward the space center!

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“Ok… I’m in the pipe – five by five!”

-Mirphe

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Mirphe sets Resolute down for a perfect landing!  Crews start working on refurbishing the Shuttle for its next launch!

 

 

 

Year 7, Day 346 (Resolute Launches After Refit!)

sayburstuff Year 7 , , ,

screenshot119.pngThe Heavy Cargo Shuttle (HCS) Resolute launches!   Mirphe volunteers to pilot the refitted Shuttle!

This will be the first flight after the major refit done to overhaul the craft, which included:

  • Improving flight characteristics both on launch and return
  • Upgrade the launch vehicle to provide more power.
  • Increase the launch vehicle recoverability.
  • Adding cool lights.

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This is also the first flight of the refitted HCS Launch Vehicle!

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Mirphe pilots Resolute into an 100k orbit, then plots a course to rendezvous with the Kerbin Space Station!

 

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“I’d call that a success!  Taking Resolute back down to the surface now!”

-Mirphe

screenshot126.pngMirphe sets Resolute to Landing Configuration – the spacecraft’s 3 Air Brakes deploy, and the Elevons are all locked. At 25k the craft switches to Flight Configuration, and prepares to approach the landing strip at KSC!

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“Tracking looks good… speed at 1400 m/s and dropping!”

-Mirphe

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Mirphe fires Resolute‘s maneuvering engines to line up the shuttle with the landing strip!

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Resolute touches down!

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“Perfect landing.  The Refit appears to check out – Resolute flew great!”

-Mirphe

Indeed, KSEA is very pleased at the new HCS Refit!  Plans are made to upgrade the other Heavy Cargo Shuttle, Enterprise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

sayburstuff Year 7 , , ,

screenshot49.pngMirphe, Gilian, and Sean launch in the Resolute on a service mission to the KSS!

screenshot52Resolute (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

screenshot56.pngThankfully 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

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Success!  Resolute docks with the KSS, at the Utility Docking Port!  Station Crew immedeatly start moving supplies over to the station.

“Nice docking Mirphe!”

-Jeb

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Resolute undocks, leaving the supply module attached to the station.

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“Time to head home – call the Space Center if that module gives you any trouble!”

-Sean

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Resolute screams through the clouds, heading toward the Space Center!

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“Going pretty fast! Hold on everyone, this might be a bumpy landing!”

-Mirphe

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Resolute touches down, and at the last moment veers slightly off the landing strip!

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“Hmph!  Almost a perfect mission!”

-Mirphe

 

Year 6, Day 127 (Enterprise Science Launch!)

sayburstuff Year 6 , , , ,

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Enterprise launches!  The mission is to investigate a sub-atomic particle that scientists have named “kuarks” – initial research has indicated that many of these particles are quite strange indeed..

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Veteran scientist Orlas will oversee the research, along with Samner.  Val will pilot Enterprise, and train rookie pilot Mirphe as well!

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The Heavy Cargo Shuttle is testing a new science payload that essentially turns a Cargo Shuttle into a fully equipped Science Lab in space!

“Orbit achieved – we’re starting science now!”

-Orlas

Back in Mission Control, scientists anxiously await for the science data to start streaming in!