A Jool Rocket takes off from the Space Center, carrying a new Mun Lander – the Heavy Mun Lander!
The Heavy Mun Lander circularizes, and orbits Kerbin, then takes off to Mun!
Year 21, Day 126
After a three day transit, the Heavy Mun Lander arrives at Mun!
The Heavy Mun Lander docks at Mun Spaceport!
“This new Mun Lander can carry three Kerbals… AND transport the rovers to new locations! It’ll be exciting to see what these can do!”
-Malcolm
KSEA releases plan for a new Mun Lander! The heaviest Mun Lander yet, the Heavy Mun Lander can transport three Kerbals to the surface and move various payloads, such as Rovers or base components!
This will be the first Mun Lander that won’t be delivered with Aurora Missions – as it’s simply too big! Instead, mission planners intend to provide additional fuel to re-load the Space Port instead!
“I can’t wait to test that new lander!”
-Jeb
The Mun Lander takes off from Aurora Base…
… and enters Mun orbit!
“I see the lander! Computers say it’s on track for remote docking. Technology has sure come a long way since the first days of Munar Exploration!”
-Summer
The lander docks! Luly and Orlas board, and prepare to head down to the surface!
The lander undocks, and starts it’s descent!
“This is gonna be a lot of fun!!”
-Orlas
The lander sets down near Aurora Base!
Luly hops out, and heads to the airlock!
“Wow! These modular bases snap together fast!”
-Luly
Orlas hops out, and joins Luly!
“The great thing is that we can keep expanding as time goes on! Since Mun doesn’t have any water though, we’ll always need a lifeline from Kerbin! But we can use this base to test out future colonies – like on Minmus, or Laythe!”
-Orlas
“I found the door! Let’s get inside and start up the Base’s science systems!”
-Luly
“These pre-planted seedlings are already growing – amazing!”
-Orlas
“Mission Control – Aurora Base is fully functional! All systems online!”
-Dunwin
A Sarnus Va rocket launches from the space center carrying a modified rover that had been converted to move Base modules!
“Good thing we had a Sarnus V rocket ready! It made this launch fast! That was the next scheduled Aurora Mission though, but it was worth it to get Aurora Base up and running!”
-Gene
Orbit is achieved! The second stage settles into orbit, deploying it’s solar panels!
After a rapid transit, the rover arrives at Mun…
…and heads down for a landing!
The Base Mover sets down amongst the deployed modules for Aurora Base, as Bill and Dunwin watch from the lander!
“There it is! I’ll head out and oversee the deployment of the Base Mover!”
-Dunwin
“That’s one ugly rover! Let’s get it deployed and see if it works!”
-Dunwin
The RCS Lifting crane struggles under the heavy weight – the Base Adapter Modules are pretty heavy!
The RCS lifter ejects, and goes flying away! Seismic instruments around Mun will monitor the impact and transmit the data back to Kerbin!
“Time to get moving!”
-Dunwin
Dunwin drives the Base Mover to the first module – the Green House!
“Got it! Interface looks good… Heading your way Bill!”
-Dunwin
The connection is made and the Greenhouse is connected!
Meanwhile, Bill scouts the are around Aurora Base and determines the base needs to be shifted about 50m north east to have a good flat surface!
Next, Bill and Dunwin both board the Base Mover and pick up the Science Module!
“Great! Another module installed!”
-Bill
With the base coming together so quickly, crew up on Mun Spaceport prepare to head down and start their surface mission!
“The start if this project was a bit bumpy, but this latest phase is going great!”
-Bill
“Yeah! We’ll be done before you know it!”
-Dunwin
The Habitat module is installed! Dunwin and Bill head inside after parking the Base Mover and the Rover near the base!
Mission Control orders the Lander to lift off and set down at the new Base site.
“Now we wait for the rest of the crew!”
-Bill
“I wonder how long until the Greenhouse is able to grow treats?!”
-Dunwin
Dunwin and Bill board the new Aurora 28 Lander and head down to Mun’s surface!
The new rover is designed to pick up the debris from the landing!
“The lander is taking us down! It feels weird being in a remotely piloted vehicle without a pilot!”
-Bill
The lander sets down at Aurora Base!
“Oh boy! We have our work cut out for us!”
-Dunwin
“Our first problem is that the modules don’t have any command or communications equipment installed! We’re not going to be able to pilot them into place!”
-Dunwin
Uh oh! KSEA engineers start working on a solution to this latest Munar problem!
“No one ever said setting up a base on The Mun was going to be easy!”
-Gene
The Nebula Rocket carrying the Mun Spaceport adapters launches!
At a 200k apoapsis, the first stage turns around, and returns to Kerbin! Meanwhile, the second stage ejects it’s fairing…
…and heads to Mun!
Circularizing orbit around Mun, the remotely piloted vehicle rendezvouses with Mun Spaceport until…
The tiny craft arrives at the massive orbital research and refueling depot!
“Mission Control – we show the spacecraft at station keeping – we’re ready for control handover!”
-Summer
Control of the upgrade modules is given to Mun Spaceport, and Summer (carefully!) pilots the three small modules into position!
The first Module goes on in an unoccupied bay…
Then the second module goes on opposite it!
“Ready for the last module! This one will be a little tricky, it’s going on the underside of the station!”
-Summer
Depsite some difficulty, Summer flawlessly docks the small module to the underside of the station!
With all three adapter modules in place (and their disposable installation craft drifting safely away) Mun Spaceport is ready for future spacecraft!
Big news from the Aurora program – the Aurora Command Module has been upgraded using a modified Nebula Crew Vehicle capsule, and the lander has been modified to allow easier re-use from Mun Spaceport! These changes will allow FOUR crew to journey to Mun from now on!
The crew is announced: Two engineers, Bill and Dunwin, the Mission Commander Malcolm, and Luly will be the mission Scientist!
Aurora 28 blasts off on top of a Sarnus Va rocket!
The rocket carries the spacecraft up to a 600k orbit of Kerbin…
…then departs for Mun!
“Even with 4 crew this new module is so roomy!”
-Bill
This will be the first launch for the 4-crew variant of the Aurora Spacecraft… the module is identical to the Nebula Crew Vehicle which has a perfect record!
The Crew Lander is slightly modified with more fuel and life support and an improved refueling system!
Aurora 28 arrives at Mun Spaceport!
“Aurora 28… we have you on tracking… our docking ports are all full though!”
-Summer
The old lander ejects, as does the Aurora 27 Command Module, and Aurora 28 docks!
“We need to get some adapters up here to make more room for more spacecraft!”
-Malcolm
Plans are begun for some expansions to the Spaceport to allow for more docking ports… while the crew prepares to head down to Aurora Base!
Aurora Base is finally ready to launch! This complicated mission will involve one very large payload launched to Mun Orbit, then 3 separate landings delivering all the components of the station. The first landing will carry the Habitat and Science Modules. The second will carry the Greenhouse and Life Support systems. The third module will carry the Command Module!
In the evening of Day 194, the Jool X rocket blasts off from the Space Center carrying Aurora Base!
The second stage carries the Aurora Base modules to orbit…
… then to Mun’s Orbit!
Once in Mun orbit the three landings commence.
“Let’s keep our fingers crossed everyone! These landings have to be timed precisely for the modules to arrive undamaged!”
-Gene
The Habitat and Science modules descend to Aurora Crater!
Then land just next to the Aurora Rover from the Aurora 27 mission from Mun Spaceport!
Then, the complicated part! One module breaks off, and is piloted away using RCS!
Eventually the next detaches, and rolls to nearby safety!
“That wasn’t so bad! Just two more to go!”
-Bob, at the Space Center
The Green House and Life Support modules land next…
.. landing just next to the other modules!
Aurora Crater is starting to fill up with some very expensive Kerbal hardware!
Next, the Command Module heads down!
“Telemetry is good. Speed is good. Command Module should be good to set down – fuel’s looking pretty tight though! “
-Bob, at the Space Center
At the last second, the Command Module detaches from the descent vehicle, and the upper mounted RCS system (the same that’s used to deploy rovers in Aurora Missions) takes the Command Module to the surface of Mun!
“Looks like a good set of landings people! Let’s get some crew out there to get started!”
-Gene
A crew will be launching soon from Kerbin to construct the station on the next Aurora mission – Aurora 28!
Summer and Orlas blast off from Aurora Crater!
“I think we found a great site for the new Base!”
-Summer
“Agreed! It’s not just scenic either… there’s a lot of interesting science to be done at that location!”
-Orlas
Summer pilots the lander to a rendevous with Mun Spaceport…
… and docks!
“Alright, let’s get ready for the arrival of Aurora Base! “
-Summer
While scientists are still grumbling that the lack of water means the outpost will likely never be self-sustaining, KSEA is nonetheless excited to release plans for Aurora Base – the next Munar Outpost! The name was chosen to honor the Aurora Program, which paved the way for every crewed KSEA mission!
The site chosen by Orlas and Summer has been named Aurora Crater.
Unlike previous Munar Outposts, this one will have a greenhouse and supplies to make habitability long term, if not permanent (with minor support from Kerbin.)
Construction has already begun, and the Outpost will be launched on a Jool-X rocket soon!
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 