Mun

Year 4, Day 339 (Unity Station Arrives at Mun!)

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screenshot1198.pngAurora 16 blasts off, taking Edan, Dunwin, and Kerlorf on their way to Mun (and with them, the new Lander that Unity Space Station will need!)

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Aurora 16 will also be a test of the new second stage for the Sarnus V Heavy – a mono-propellant based engine called the LV-601-4.  screenshot1203.png

Success!  Aurora 16 arrives at Mun.  First, the lander heads over… screenshot1208.png

Then the Command Module docks with the station.

“Wow! Quite the crowd up here!”

-Luly

Luly is correct – along with her, Seely, Edan, Dunwin, and Kerlorf are staying on the station for a decent amount of time.  The crew is mostly rookies, at least in regards to landing on other worlds!  Each of the crew will get a chance to head down and investigate a different region of Mun.  It should be quite teh adventure!

 

Year 4, Day 288 (Unity Space Station Heads to Mun!)

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Seely and rookie scientist Luly are chosen for the first crew aboard Unity Space Station!  Edan pilots them up in the refitted Adventure! The new Cargo Module performs well!

screenshot1123.pngUnity Space Station is sitting in a 100k orbit.  The shuttle is capable of reaching orbits up to 120k, however tolerances for errors and safety start getting pushed above 100k.

screenshot1130.pngAdventure docks at Unity Space Station!

screenshot1133.pngLuly and Seely head over… but Seely takes the scenic route and installs the new Gravity Sensors on the station! Edan takes a second to correct the orientation of one of the Station’s Habitat Modules…

“There we go… now the other side matches!”

-Edan

Then disconnects.

screenshot1135.pngUnity Station begins its transfer to Mun!

screenshot1136.pngThis time the launch goes much better than Harmony Station’s… keeping the insertion stage’s engine’s gimbals set lower appears to solve the problem (that and the station has been designed to be symmetrical!) Adventure will remain in orbit until KSEA signals that the Station is safely away!

screenshot1141.pngUnity Station arrives at Mun!It’s just a short 5 hours trip to Mun!

screenshot1145.pngWith just a little work, the station is put into a 31k orbit,.  Now all the crew needs is a lander, and science can begin!  (The Transfer stage still has a little precious fuel in it, so it will remain until the lander arrives!)screenshot1149.png

Adventure heads down (and ejects its cargo module!)

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Another great landing by Edan!

 

 

 

 

 

Year 4, Day 217 (Enterprise’s First Mission!)

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The Heavy Cargo Shuttle Enterprise blasts off from Cape Kerman!

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The launcher disconnects, then guides itself back to the surface.  Meanwhile, the Orbital Assist Vehicle (OAV) fires, taking the shuttle to its desired 80k orbit!

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The OAV disconnects… and Edan pilots the craft to a rendezvous with the Unity Space Station!

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Mission Control – Enterprise is ready to begin installation maneuvers!

-Edan

screenshot1001.pngUh oh. There’s a small problem!  Looks like the Habitat Module wasn’t equipped with a communications device.  What a disaster! But… there might be hope.

“I’ll head up there and fix it!  Installing an antenna on that thing can’t be too hard!”

-Gilian

screenshot1010.pngKSEA decides to green light the mission – in fact, this will allow testing of a new cargo module for the Crew Shuttle program!  The small module will allow a small cargo payload to be carried behind the shuttle, and once emptied will still allow crew to move through the module!   It should also solve the problem of where to put solar panels on the crew shuttles. Endeavor is rolled out, and has some antennas put on it that can easily be detached in orbit. No one’s ever tried something quite like this!  Rookie engineer Gillian says she’s practiced just this kind of thing underwater, and assures it can’t be that much more difficult in orbit!screenshot1012.png

Endeavor blasts off, just a few hours after the Enterprise.  Val and Gilian take Endeavor into a high orbit….screenshot1015.png

“Looks like the engine exhaust isn’t heating up the payload beyond what it’s rated for… this might work! ”

-Val

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“Alright Edan – I’m pretty close – I see the Unity Station Module… moving in to let Gilian do her work!”

-Val

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Endeavor gets very close to the dead-in-space module!

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First Gilian connects the antenna… then the solar array!

“Well – that was easy!  Heading back to Endeavor!”

-Gilian

Everyone at the Space Center is impressed!  Once Module’s onboard systems are powered up, the module moves in to dock with Unity Space Station…

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Almost there… screenshot1035.png

Connection established!  Hopefully the next launch is less dramatic!

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Endeavor sets down!  Gilian and Val get some well deserved rest!

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Next, Enterprise heads down!

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Not a perfect first mission for Enterprise, but everything went well in the end!  Enterprise tested several new design features of the Heavy Cargo Shuttle – and after the successful flight, similar upgrades will be undertaken on Resolute – including outfitting it with the new Launcher!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year 4, Day 202 (Unity Space Station Announced!)

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KSEA excitedly announces the next Space Station – Unity Space Station, set for a launch to Mun later this year!

Much like the Harmony Space Station, Unity will allow a small science crew to live for a long period in Munar orbit, conducting multiple Mun landings.

Engineers believe that the symmetrical design of the station will help deal with the problems Harmony had during its delivery to Minmus orbit.

KSEA’s most powerful launcher, a Sarnus V Ultra Heavy will take the station core into orbit, and the station’s last stage will take it into orbit with Mun.

Two Heavy Cargo Shuttle launches will construct the station in Kerbin orbit, delivering the two Habitat Modules!  Construction Unity will be the Enterprise‘s first mission!

 

 

Year 4, Day 123 (Mun Surveyor Launched!)

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Originally purposed to be a mapping satellite for Kerbin, the previous launches have proven quite adequate at that task!   So instead the craft that was planned for the Surveyor 3 launch will be re-purposed for surveying the surface of Mun! screenshot734.png

Surveyor launches using an automated system called Ascent Guidance – no satellite has been launched before using this system, so engineers are eager to see how well it performs the orbital burn! screenshot736.png

Amazingly, it seems to go very well!

It’ll be nice to have the computer be able to launch these more routine missions!

-Val

Mun Surveyor reaches… Mun!  A polar orbit is set for the scan, at an altitude of roughly 300k – an altitude ideal for multi-spectral biome scanning!-

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Year 3, Day 372 (MunBase One Launches! )

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Shortly before launch, the final plans for the next MunBase are released: MunBase One!

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With funds running low, another MunBase launch is attempted. The new base is designated as “MunBase One.”

Because of the negative associations with “Alpha” from the MunBase Alpha disaster, KSEA felt a new name might be best. Also, it uses less room on those patches.

screenshot378.pngThe launch is successful… and MunBase One’s fairings eject.  This time, large solar arrays like those on Explorer and the KSS deploy to help keep the base powered on its journey to Mun!  Additionally, the capacitors have been removed, and a new battery, combined with a longer range relay antenna, are located at the center of the base!

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Finally, MunBase One arrives at Mun!  Mission Control orders the flight computer to begin its decent.. .screenshot386.png

Success!  MunBase One sets down!  Just under 100 meters from the initial planned site… close enough!  screenshot389.png

Up in orbit, the crew gets ready to head down and check things out!  Edan and Bill climb into the lander, and head down!  (Historians note this is the first time that a Mun Lander has been used more than once!)screenshot392.png

The lander sets down at MunBase One!  screenshot393.png

“Everything looks like it set down OK!  I’m going to head inside and see if everything’s OK!
-Bill

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Huh. Looks like the base set down about 50m from where it was supposed to!  No matter… we’ll just move the flag!

-Bill

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Bill and Edan pose for a nice landing portrait, then Bill heads inside the Base.  Edan scurries back to the lander for shelter!

“Things look fine in here!  I think we’re “Go” for you heading back up Edan… I’ll keep an eye on the base until the next crew rotation arrives!”
-Bill

The plan is for Edan to return to the Aurora 15 Spacecraft and head back to Kerbin with Bob!   Bill will remain until the MunBase One crew is assigned! screenshot400.png

Year 3, Day 360 (MunBase Alpha Disaster!)

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screenshot371MunBase Alpha launches!  The Sarnus V Heavy rocket easily carries the base into orbit! The night launch goes perfectly, and before long, the base is on its way to Mun… where Aurora 15 is waiting!

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The fairings eject… and the base sails off to Mun!  A slight modification was made after some pre-launch simulations… a RA-2 Relay antenna was installed to replace the secondary Communotron antenna.  (Engineers promise it won’t unbalance the craft…. too much…)

Uh oh!  As the base heads down for landing communications are lost.

“Um, I think I saw some explosions on the surface!  Might be time to make a new base! While we’re at it, a depot in orbit of Mun might be nice too!  This pod gets pretty stuffy… even with the extra space the lander has!”
-Edan

Engineers think that a power loss led to communications failure… work on a revised MunBase beins at once!    The crew of Aurora 15 graciously agrees to stay in orbit of Mun until the replacement is complete.

 

 

 

Year 3, Day 350 (Aurora 15 Launches, MunBase Alpha Construction)

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Edan, Bill, and Bob blast off from the Space Center on Aurora 15!  Their mission is to find a suitable, and ideally scenic, spot for MunBase Alpha!

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After docking and transposition, the orbital stage is ejected… and Aurora 15 sails to Mun!screenshot349.png

After just a few hours, Aurora 15 arrives … and the crew starts looking for a good site!screenshot352.png

Landing confirmed!  Now to find a nice flat spot with a good view!screenshot353.png

Edan stays at the lander… while Bob heads out in his EVA jetpack to find a good spot!

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“I think this is it!  I’ll put a flag here so we know where to find it when we come back!”
-Bob

The site for MunBase Alpha will be in the center of one of the large Midland craters, in a flat area between 3 others:screenshot361.png

This location should be easy enough to set a base at, flat with few large rocks or other obstacles nearby!

Ok then – that’s a go!  Let’s start construction on MunBase Alpha at once!  Meanwhile, Edan and Bill take off, back to the orbiting Aurora Spacecraft!

Edan and Bill say hi to Bob, and share the good news!  Meanwhile, back on Kerbin, mission planners work on last minute adjustments to MunBase Alpha!  The plan is to have Aurora 15 stay in orbit, while the MunBase launches!