Year 22, Day 329 (DSV-4 Endeavor Crew Explore Colony Site at Laythe!)

Val and Robart climb into the cockpit of the Endurance, while Kerlorf squeezes into the small crew compartment at the back of the spaceplane!

“Everybody secure? Disconnecting docking clamps!”

-Val

Endurance slowly drifts away from Laythe Spaceport!

“Systems nominal – what a view!”

-Robart

The Spaceport grows smaller and smaller, set against the impressive sight of the giant green planet of Jool!

Endurance is scouting a site for a future colony on Laythe! One promising (and scenic) site is Crater Island!

“Readings show we’re on the right course – cloud cover’s still too thick for visual confirmation!”

-Val

Endurance finally drops below the clouds, and Crater Island becomes visible!

“We’re lined up with a good flat landing spot – deploying chute! Horizontal engines are switched off – activating VTOL pods!”

-Val

The spaceplane’s parachute deploys, it’s air brakes lift, and the VTOL pod doors open – providing the final bit of thrust needed for a safe landing!

Endurance touches down! Robart is the first out!

“Incredible! You’d almost forget this was another world until you look up!”

-Robart

Kerlorf plants the Kerbal States flag, and the crew sets up a camera to take the traditional “landing portrait!” The Endeavor crew will be busy for the next few days, setting up science equipment and experiments on the surface, as well as checking out the landing site!

“Ok – we have about 20 days to investigate this site – let’s get working!”

-Val

Year 22, Day 324 (DSV-4 Endeavor Arrives at Laythe Spaceport!)

The Endeavor arrives at Laythe! Onboard systems start activating, and wakes up the crew from Cryo-sleep!

“Wake up everybody! We’re here!”
-Robart

“We’re up! Let’s get to our stations! “
-Val

Val, Robart, and Kerlorf rush to their stations, and check out the incredible views!

“Reactor levels good – all systems look OK… engine powered up! “
-Kerlorf

“OK! Maneuvering Endeavor so we can capture into Laythe orbit! “
-Kerlorf

Endeavor continues it’s approach to Laythe, until…

Val fires the main engine, capturing the spacecraft into Laythe orbit!

“Orbital entry angle is good – nice flying Val!
-Robart

Val maneuvers Endeavor, completing its rendezvous with Laythe Spaceport!

Endeavor slowly maneuvers closer and closer to the docking port of the spaceport!

“Wow! Crazy to think the station has been waiting here for us since the last crew visited!
-Kerlorf

“We’re lined up – slowing speed….
-Val

With a loud mechanical “clunk!” Endeavor docks with Laythe Spaceport!

The Endeavor crew heads over to the Spaceport – getting the Laythe Spaceplane Endurance ready for a flight to the surface!

“The airs a little stale, but readings show it’s still safe!
-Robart

“Endurance is looking good too! Once we get settled in we should be ready to head down to Laythe!
-Kerlorf

Year 21, Day 67 (DSV-4 Endeavor Leaves Kerbin, Heading to Laythe!)

Endeavor’s nuclear engine fires, and the spacecraft begins moving out of Kerbin orbit!

“All systems nominal. Power levels holding ..”

-Kerlorf

The cryo tanks are ready once we’re away!”

-Robart

Endeavor is on course! Preparing ship for automatic mode!”

-Val

As Endeavor heads to Laythe, KSEA prepares to launch another Spaceplane to follow the crew!

Year 21, Day 61 (DSV-4 Endeavor Crew Launches from White Mesa Facility!)

Crew Vehicle 2 blasts off from White Mesa, carrying Jeb, Robart, and Kerlorf! Robart and Kerlorf will be joining Val as the crew for DSV-4 Discovery’s journey to Laythe! Jeb will be taking over as station commander at Spacedock!

The Crew Vehicle reaches it’s 200k apogee, and separates from the Nebula Rocket! The Nebula Rocket turns itself around and performs it’s burn toward KSC to be recovered!

Eventually, CV2 performs it’s final rendevous with Spacedock!

“There’s Endeavor – it’s huge!”
-Robart

The crew board Endeavor… and undock!

Turning Endeavor to match direction of travel…. transit to Jool will be in 4 days!”
-Val

The Endeavor crew get ready for their journey!

Year 17, Day (Desert Facility Upgrades!)

Certain facilities are missing from the Desert Launch site – notably towers to supervise the site! To correct this KSEA and KOAA have teamed up to build a combination tower that increases radio coverage in the area, provides command and control functions over the facility, and even has a flag pole!

Robart, a science specialist, is picked to command the new facility – which will need to be driven to it’s final destination!

“Wow! This thing does NOT drive well!”
-Robart

There are a few close calls, but eventually the tower is driven to it’s final position, overseeing the rocket launch site!

“Ok… I’m climbing to the top! This sure is a tall tower!”
-Robart

“What a view though! I have a good angle on the launch site and the facility down below! Let’s launch some rockets!”
-Robart

Work begins on a similar tower to oversee aircraft at the nearby landing strip!

Year 9, Day 14 (Explorer 4 Returns Home!)

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After a very, very long mission, the Explorer 4 crew enters Kerbin’s sphere of influence!

Hold on everyone, we’re going to be going in pretty fast!!

-Val

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Indeed, Explorer 4 is going so fast that Robart and Orlas blackout during re-entry!  Thankfully Val is one tough Kerbal, and keeps conscious through it all!

“We’re OK! Just very very hot!”

-Val

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Splash!  Explorer 4 sets down in the water for a night landing – a few hours later rescue craft pick up the crew and return them to the space center.

Well done everyone, that’s one for the books!

-Gene, KSEA Mission Control

 

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Year 7, Day 367 (Explorer 4 Moves To Lower Orbit of Dres)

screenshot162.pngThe initial orbit selected by KSEA has proven too high (147km) and Val adjusts the orbit with some well timed burns!

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The new orbit, 30km should allow us to conserve fuel for landings… sure feels close too!

-Val

screenshot166.pngOrlas EVA’s over to the lander without waiting another second!

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Wow!  Dres looks like a darker Mun… the Sun being so small doesn’t look right!

-Val

Year 7, Day 313 (Explorer 4 Arrives at Dres!)

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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

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Year 5, Day 422 (Unity Space Station Landing on Farside Crater, Munar Canyons!)

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Luly and Kerlorf prepare to head down in the (very) delayed USS-LS03 landing!  Both the Farside crater and the Munar Canyons will be investigated! screenshot1740.png

The Unity Research Lander undocks, and heads down to the surface!

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Luly watches as Kerlorf plants the flag at the Farside crater landing site!

“It’s time to head over to those canyons!”

-Luly

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Luly and Kerlorf land at the Munar Canyons and take readings – both are getting pretty exhausted, especially Luly!  A future Aurora mission is being planned to swap the crew out!

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The lander heads back to orbit, then sets course for Unity Space Station!

“Fuel on this one is very, very tight.  I think future landings we should keep it to just one landing… no jumps!  This isn’t Minmus afterall!”

-Luly

The next crew for the Unity Space Station is slated to be Robart and Gilian – both have experience landing on Minmus, but this will be their first time on Mun!