Val and Orlas take the Explorer 4 Lander and do a short jump across the surface of Dres!
The lander travels in an arc across the surface….
Touching down at the Midlands, where Orlas and Val hop out!
That’s probably it for landings, we don’t want to stretch the fuel reserve out too much!
-Val
That’s a shame, it may look a lot like Mun but scientifically it’s quite distinct!
-Orlas
If you say so Orlas… the crew readies themselves to return to orbit in a matter of days!
Val and Orlas detach from Explorer 4, and head down!
“Feel just like landing on Mun – easy!”
-Val
The lander sets down at the Lowlands, and begins initial scientific surveys before the crew heads out!
Orlas climbs out…
The leaps away in the low gravity!
“This is great… I can’t wait to get more readings from Dres!”
-Orlas
Val hops out next…
And then the two put up the Kerbal States flag!
“That’s one for the record books! Let’s see if we can skip to a few new areas before heading up Orlas!”
-Val
The initial orbit selected by KSEA has proven too high (147km) and Val adjusts the orbit with some well timed burns!
The new orbit, 30km should allow us to conserve fuel for landings… sure feels close too!
-Val
Orlas EVA’s over to the lander without waiting another second!
Wow! Dres looks like a darker Mun… the Sun being so small doesn’t look right!
-Val
Val, Orlas, and Robart report that the Explorer 4 has arrived at Dres! The spacecraft’s engines fire to circularize in a roughly polar orbit of the distant world.
Huh, for coming this far out I wasn’t expecting it to look like another Mun!
-Val
Indeed, Dres does look very much like Kerbin’s sattelite Mun. Unlike Mun though, no Kerbal has set foot on a world this far out!
Anytime we get to visit another world I’m excited, even if they all look like Mun!
-Orlas
The next Explorer mission is green-lit, Explorer 4! This will be the first exploration craft to Dres, and will also be testing the Explorer Crew Vehicle, the successor to the Duna Crew Vehicle, with greater range and more advanced life support systems.
Explorer 4’s mission will be to reach and orbit Dres, land on the surface, return to the Crew Vehicle, then return to Kerbin! For fuel purposes the lander will remain in orbit of Dres.
Val has been chosen as Mission Commander, Orlas will be the Engineering Specialist, and Robart will be the Mission Science Specialist!
Another awesome patch is commissioned for the crew:
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..
Veteran scientist Orlas will oversee the research, along with Samner. Val will pilot Enterprise, and train rookie pilot Mirphe as well!
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!
Endeavor hurtles toward the Shadow Valley Complex!
A perfect landing! The small spaceplane is recovered, and work starts on readying the shuttle for its next launch… from the SVC!
Endeavor completes a minor refit to its orbital maneuvering system. Ever since the rear cargo addition was added to the Crew Shuttles orbital handling has been off, it’s hoped that this update will make the craft easier to control during docking! In addition, air brakes developed during the Heavy Cargo Shuttle Program have been scaled down, and installed on Endeavor. Hopefully they assist in landing safety! 
Today, Val pilots Endeavor to orbit, taking Robart and Orlas up to the KSS for a crew rotation! This might be the last launch to make use of the lower docking ports on the KSS, as engineers are designing a new Observation Lounge for the station, based on designs developed for Explorer 3! Getting the huge addition into space will help test how practical it will be for the Explorer crew!
Endeavor arrives at the KSS!
“This new orbital maneuvering system works a LOT better than the old design. We should refit the rest of the Crew Shuttles ASAP!”
-Val
Shepley, Jeb, Bob depart in the Intrepid, which is due for its own upgrades once it returns to Kerbin! 
Jeb soars Intrepid down to the runway… 
…for a perfect landing!
“Let’s get this thing refitted… I can’t wait to try out the new design!”
-Jeb
A new research mission to study Kerbin is launched. The X-5 will be taken out by Mitster and Orlas – recently returned from Eve! A Gravity Sensor is installed in the cargo bay. 
“Here we go! Reaching optimal altitude for the X-5… 9000km!”
-Mitster
The X-5 flies over X5RM01-A – and Orlas notices something!
Looks like we made a mapping error – woops! The X-5 has already explored this canyon, and the Monolith that’s down there!
-Orlas
We better keep moving anyway… that looks like it would be a tricky landing!
-Mitster
X5RM01-B isn’t very far away, and Mitster takes the X-5 down for a landing. Orlas hops out, and checks the scientific instruments… then the jet takes off again!
Hey – will you look at that! One of the ground stations for communications – cool!
-Orlas
Mitster takes the X-5 down to X5RM01-C!
Certainly there’s some staff at that communications station that could have done this survey? Ah well. The X-5 takes off… heading north!
Better turn on the cabin heaters… it’s getting chilly!
-Mitster
“Ok – this is the site where orbital sensors indicated a strange anomaly. I’m going out to check it out!”
-Orlas
Oh wow! Mitster, get out and check this out!
-Orlas
Orlas runs toward what looks like a crashed … saucer of some kind!
Mitster puts on the parking brake and climbs out….
Then runs to meet up with Orlas at the crashed saucer!
“Wow! They’ll never believe this back at KSC! We better take lots of pictures and samples!”
-Orlas
It’s starting to get pretty late… so Mitster and Orlas take off, and head back to KSC.
Thankfully, there’s justenough fuel to reach the Space Center!
Orlas and Mitster hop out of the X-5 and rush to tell the others about their exciting discoveries! The X-5 is brought in to be refurbished.
The Explorer spacecraft finishes its journey from Eve to Gilly, circularizing an orbit around the small planetoid.
“Fuel keeps getting lower and lower guys… let’s try to be careful!”
-Mitster
For the first time all three crew of a spacecraft will abandon their vessel and head down in a lander. It’s a bit risky… but no one wants to be left behind on such a momentous occasion!Chrisnic, Mitster, and Orlas climb into the LARC… and detach!
The LARC slowly moves away from Explorer.. and heads down to Gilly!
“”I’m so excited! ”
-Orlas
The LARC sets down, and Chrisnic climbs out…
Once he lets go of the ladder, the slightest step sends him flying across the surface
“Whoa! The low gravity here is… very low! Be careful!”
-Chrisnic
Mitster is next… expertly piloting his rocket pack over to Chrisnic!
“You weren’t kidding! It’s almost like we’re in space, and not even on a moon!
-Mitster
Orlas jumps out next!
“Wheeeeee!”
-Orlas
After having a good deal of fun playing on Gilly, the crew of Explorer gathers to take a landing portrait…. when Orlas notices something…
“Wow! What a sight to behold!”
-Orlas
The crew pose for their portrait… the first Kerbals to land on Gilly! What a day! The crew will spend about 4 days on the surface of Gilly collecting important data before returning to the Explorer, high above the small moon… empty… waiting for its crew!
Kerbal States | Kerbin Space Exploration Administration 