Problems

Year 23, Day 130 (Neidon Rocket Launches Fuel Depot Mover!)

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With the upcoming launch of the new space station Spacedock 2, plans have been made to utilize the existing Lithium Fuel depot that survived the (original) Spacedock disaster!  A Multi Payload Vehicle (MPV) has been configured to be a “Depot Mover” to grab the Lithum Tanks and move them to a lower orbit for the station!

“This should be a good test of the Neidon Rocket!”
-Gene, at Mission Control

The Neidon Booster lifts off the launchpad!

The aerospike engine easily lifts the 20 ton payload up and out of the astmosphere…

…the fairing detaches, and the orbit is circularized!

With the MPV in a stable orbit, the booster uses its RCS thrusters to get in position, and fires its engine!

With the MPV in a stable orbit, the booster starts its descent!

“Hmm, reentry angle seems off, tracking is showing the booster landing a good deal west of the Space Center!”
-Gillian, at Mission Control

“We’ll have to get some movers over there to pick it up… hope it doesn’t land on a tree! 
-Gene, at Mission Control

The booster’s hydraulic landing system engages, and the rocket sets down in the idyllic green woods outside the Space Center!

Touch down!  The engine stops firing and the rocket is safe!

“Not quite where it should be… but it’s in one piece!”
-Gillian, at Mission Control

Year 21, Day 360 (Aurora Base Power Upgrade Mission)

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Aurora Base has been having power difficulties – occasionally it will run out of power over night! A larger battery bank is required, so a small mission to upgrade the base’s power systems is launched on a Nebula Rocket!

The reusable first stage ejects, and returns to Kerbin!

The Power Module continues it’s trajectory to Mun!

Once in Mun orbit, the Power Module starts it’s descent…

…landing next to Aurora Base!

The module rolls up and docks to the Green House module!

“Looks like a good connection… those battery banks should solve the problem! With the Green House and the life support systems all running this base takes a surprising amount of power! We may need to consider a nuclear reactor for some of our future bases where solar won’t work!”
-Bill, at Aurora Base

Year 21, Day 341 (DSV-2 Crew Heads to Duna Surface!)

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After a considerable time aboard Duna Spaceport, Mirphe, Tamre, and Seely head down to the surface!

“Hold on to something everybody… these landers are pretty rough on the way down!”
-Mirphe

The rear airbrakes deploy, and the lander heads nose-first into the Duna atmosphere!

“We’re going so fast! I hope we decelerate with enough time to deploy the chutes!”
-Seely

“Chutes deployed! And just in time too!”
-Mirphe

The lander sets down on the surface of Duna! Back on Kerbin, looking over the landing metrics, Gene frowns!

“That wasn’t just a close one – that was really close! The parachutes barely had enough time to deploy! I think we need to start looking at a next generation lander for Duna!”
-Gene

Engineers start looking at prototype designs… meanwhile the crew gets ready to explore the surface of Duna!

Year 21, Day 35 (Mirphe, Seely and Tamre Rush to DSV-2 Discovery… and Leave for Duna!)

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With no time to waste, Mirphe and Tamre fly to White Mesa and board Crew Vehicle 4, already waiting at the launch pad!

“Seely is already getting Discovery ready to go, as soon as we’re up there we’re taking off!”
-Mirphe

Crew Vehicle 4 blasts off on it’s Nebula Rocket!

Once the spacecraft reaches it’s 200k apogee, the Crew Vehicle detaches and uses it’s RCS thrusters to move clear of the first stage Nebula Rocket!

The Nebula Rocket uses it’s own RCS thrusters to invert itself, and fire it’s main engine, to perform a propulsive landing at KSC!

“We’re clear to rendevous to Spacedock!”
-Mirphe

The Crew Vehicle arrives at Spacedock!

“Welcome to Spacedock CV4! Discovery is fueled up and ready to go!”
-Val

The Crew Vehicle docks! Mirphe and Tamre rush to help Seely get the lander out!

“Hey – why are all the doors open on CV1!?”
-Tamre

“They got stuck open! It shouldn’t have any impact on the return, just annoying!”
-Val

Mirphe, Seely, and Tamre board Discovery… and undock!

“RCS thrusters firing in reverse… moving clear of Spacedock! Let’s get the reactor powered up to maximum!”
-Mirphe

Discovery turns from Spacedock as the entire spacecraft shudders from the engines and reactor powering up!

“Reactor showing 100%! We’re good to power up engines!”
-Seely

“Good luck Discovery!”
-Val

Discovery’s three nuclear engines fire, and it slowly builds up speed!

4 minutes into the burn, alarms sound!

“What’s that!?”
-Mirphe

“Looks like the rear engine housing is giving us trouble again! It’s heating up from the engines and not transferring enough heat to the Radiators!”
-Tamre

“If we reduce thrust to 50 percent we should be fine… the burn will just take longer!”
-Seely

With the overheating problem out of the way, Discovery completes it’s burn for Duna, and soars out of the system!

“Wow – we are moving fast! We should reach Duna in less than 70 days! Once we enter orbit and dock we’re not going to have much fuel left!”
-Tamre

“That’s the idea! The return to Kerbin from Duna using the correct launch window is much less demanding – we’ll be fine! Let’s get ready to enter Cryo-sleep!”
-Mirphe

Year 21, Day 15 (Upcoming Explorer 8 Mission to Duna Delayed!)

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KSEA is disappointed to announce that the upcoming Explorer 8 launch to Duna has been delayed! The next window to Duna won’t be for another year, which has many astronauts upset!

The delay is due to construction time for the spacecraft, which took longer than planned!

“I know it’s disappointing everyone, but we’ve got to keep our eyes on the prize! We’re investigating other options for Duna Missions in the meantime!”

-Gene

Year 20, Day 400 (Kerbitat One Evacuated!)

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After weeks trying to grow food, the Aurora 26 crew are ordered to evacuate the station before life support runs out!

“Dang! I thought for sure all these plants would need is some light! Maybe if we added some fertilizer?”
-Samner

“Maybe… but you’d think they’d need water too!”
-Gilian

“Well, I think we’d all think better with some snacks in our bellies! Let’s head back to Spacedock until KSEA can send up some supplies!”
-Edan

Thankfully, Kerbitat One’s orbit is very close to Spacedock – Edan pilots Aurora 26 to the station…

…and docks!

“Now we wait!”
-Edan

Year 17, Day 350 (Endurance Returns to Laythe Spaceport!)

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With the transfer window back to Kerbin rapidly approaching, Jeb decides it’s time to take Endurance back to orbit!

“Pack up all the science and snacks! It’s time to take off!”
-Jeb

Endurance lifts higher and higher…

… eventually reaching orbit!

“That loud pop noise was Endurance running out of primary fuel! Just in time too, we should have enough monopropellant to slow down the final leg of the rendezvous with Laythe Spaceport!”
-Jeb

Thankfully, there’s enough monoprop for both slowing down, and maneuvering!

Jeb docks with Laythe Spaceport!

“You know… these missions have all been really close, let’s call it good and not try a water landing this time?”
-Bill

“I dunno, I’m down for it! What’s the worst that could happen!?”
-Jeb

“Hmmm… maybe Bill’s right – let’s get ready to head back to Kerbin… we can try a water landing next time!”
-Bob

Year 17, Day 228 (Endurance Returns to Laythe Spaceport!)

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Bob plants a flag and places the plaque for the second landing site! Bob insisted that they ‘suit up’ as the temperature was getting cold enough it might be dangerous!

Then, all three Kerbals climb back into Endurance. Bob is so captivated by all the new science data he doesn’t even complain about the tight science bay! Next, Jeb opens the VTOL bays, and fires Endurance’s aerospike VTOLs!

“Fuel flow is steady… we have good lift… brakes off, gear up… here we go!”
-Jeb

Endurance blasts off, it’s air-fueled engines taking it higher and higher!

Once high enough, the RAPIER engines switch over to full rocket mode!

“We’re almost to orbit!”

-Jeb

Endurance reaches the Spaceport and docks!

“We’re getting so much interesting data here! We have to go back down as soon as possible!”
-Bob

“We need to be more careful next time though, these missions keep using up almost all of Endurance’s fuel! We barely had enough to get back!”
-Jeb

KSEA engineers start running simulations to see if there’s an ideal flight profile to take to save fuel! Meanwhile, Bill oversees the refueling of Endurance!

Year 17, Day 94 (Support Lander Launches From Kerbin – With Mixed Results!)

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The Aurora Rocket launches from KSC carrying the lander and other supplies!

Before long, remote systems guide the craft to Mun!

The lander sets down slowly… then runs out of fuel! Aurora 18’s support lander barely had fuel to travel from Kerbin and land on Mun… sadly Aurora 19’s second lander didn’t go well either!

“It’s pretty close – I’ll EVA over and see if anything’s salvagable!”
-Malcolm

Malcolm finds the lander… mostly intact!

“The damage isn’t so bad! Looks like the Communication’s dish is intact though! I’ll head back and we can get it installed!”
-Malcolm

Malcolm EVA’s across the Mun’s surface back to the lander!

“Well… this wasn’t a perfect mission, but we did get a lot of science data!”
-Luly

“We did! And next time we’ll have the right tools, and nothing will have to explode!”
-Malcolm

The lander blasts off from the surface…

… and docks with the Aurora Crew Vehicle!