Year 5, Day 132 (Oxygen Low on Unity Space Station!)

screenshot1582.pngOxygen is starting to run low on Unity Space Station, the research station orbiting Mun!  The supply craft sent to the KSS has enough extra supplies in it to resupply the station, however scrubbers and other technology to extend life on the stations is clearly needed.

Mission Control wants to delay any landings on Mun until the Oxygen situation is resolved!

 

 

Year 5, Day 59 (MunBaseOne Life Support Mission!)

screenshot1521.pngA resupply mission to MunBaseOne is launched on a Sarnus V rocket!  This is the first time a resupply mission has been attempted to the base.  With supplies running short on the first Mun settlement, if this mission isn’t a success the crew will have to evacuate to Unity Space Station in orbit!

screenshot1522.pngThe mission will do much more than just resupply the station. With any luck the installation of oxygen and water scrubbers and purifiers will let supplies on the station last much, much longer.  Another item on the wish-list for KSEA planners is a better vehicle for delivering colonies to the surface of Mun.  The present design works, but is wasteful and tends to create a lot of debris!

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The new module rockets down to the surface, then starts rolling along toward MunBaseOne!

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“I see it out the window! It’s almost here!”

-Sean

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It takes some maneuvering, but the module gets into position…

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Then docks with the base!  The new systems should keep the base running for some time.  Glenica, Sean, and Bill all report the air is much easier to breathe!

 

 

Year 4, Day 360 (Aurora 16 Leaves from Mun, To Minmus!)

screenshot1354.pngKSEA decides that it’s probably best to get Dunwin and Kimmy back to Kerbin to start their training for the Explorer 2 Mission to Duna!   Edan takes Aurora 16 and pilots it from Unity Space Station in orbit of Mun, to Minmus! screenshot1352.png

“Bye guys!  Have a fun trip to Duna!!”

-Luly

Kerlorf, Seely, and Luly remain on the station to train!

This will be the first time a vehicle has traveled from one Space Station to the other!   The trip to Minmus will take 2 weeks!

 

 

Year 4, Day 342 (Next Unity Mun Landing Announced!)

LandingMapMun.pngThe next landing for the research team at Unity Space Station is announced!  The landing will be at the far side crater, at site USSLS03-A.  From there, the somewhat more dangerous investigation of the Farside Canyons will be conducted.

Luly and Kerlorf will be the crew for this landing!

“Before we go back to the surface I need some time to rest!  We need to get more scientists up here!”

-Luly

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“Well, in the meantime we can ditch the Munar transfer stage… we’ve finally used up all its fuel! ”

-Dunwin

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Year 4, Day 340 (First Unity Space Station Landings Planned)

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Mission Planners announce the first destinations of the Unity Space Station Science teams!   The first landing will be at USSLS01-A, in the Highlands.  Next, the lander will perform a short jump and land in the Southwest Crater.  From there, the lander will return to Unity Station and the next team will head down!

A scientist will be required for each landing, so Luly will get the most time on Mun! Tentatively, the crew rotation will be:

  • Landing 1:  Luly, Edan
  • Landing 2:  Luly, Dunwin
  • Landing 3: Luly, Kerlorf
  • Landing 4: Luly, Seely

This should let all crew on the station get some experience!

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

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!