Year 22, Day 195 (DSV-5 Intrepid Mission to Moho Announced!)

October 22, 2022October 22, 2022 sayburstuff Year 22 Aurora Program, Bob, Carson, Crew Vehicle 1, DSV-5 Intrepid, Moho, Sarnus V, Sondo

DSV-5 Intrepid’s first mission has now been fully planned, and a crew selected! Carson will be mission commander, Bob will be the Science specialist, and Sondo will be the Engineering Specialist!

For the first time a Sarnus Va rocket will deliver both the crew and the mission payload – Crew Vehicle 1 was designed initially as the replacement for the Aurora Crew Vehicle, but this is the first time it will be fully integrated into the stack!

This will also be the first test of the DSV-Lander – designed to fit into the DSV Payload bay! The Sarnus Va launch will also include the new DSV Science & Relay Satellite, that will be docked with the nose of the spacecraft and deployed in orbit of Moho!

Year 4, Day 129 (Harmony Space Station Planning)

May 24, 2017May 24, 2017 sayburstuff Year 4 Harmony Space Station, HCS-1 Resolute, Heavy Cargo Shuttle, Minmus, Sarnus V

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After some debate, scientists decide on the assembly method of the Minmus Space Station, Harmony.

First, a Sarnus V Heavy rocket will carry the Station Hub into orbit. Then, two Heavy Cargo Shuttle launches will carry Harmony’s two modules into orbit. Once there, the payloads will separate, and attach remotely to the orbiting Station Core. (Resolute has already proven itself as a efficient method of carrying cargo into orbit, and since it’s the only Heavy Cargo Shuttle, engineers start work at once on getting the craft ready!)

Finally, the Station Core, still attached to the Sarnus V orbital stage, will carry the assembled station to Minmus orbit.

Initially, the plan was to launch three separate assembly missions, followed by a final crew mission. This new method should be more efficient, and save time too!

Year 2, Day 290

January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Aurora 4, Aurora Program, Communications, Sarnus V

KerbSat 2, an additional communications satellite, is launched. It is identical to KerbSat 1, except for a longer range communications dish similar to the one on Explorer 1. KSEA engineers realized only too late that by the time Explorer 1 reached Eve, the antenna on board the probe would reach Kerbin, but the relay satellite wouldn’t be able to transmit back! The launch goes well, and the satellite is put into a high polar orbit over Kerbin.

Additionally initial construction work begins on a Aurora 4 – the first test of the full Mun-mission Sarnus V rocket stack. The current thought is to launch, test the docking and transposition maneuver, then re-enter to test the Aurora Spacecraft. If all goes well Aurora 5 should be set to go to Mun!

Year 2, Day 281 (Sarnus Launch Vehicle Announced!)

January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Aurora Program, Blueprints, Sarnus V

KSEA excitedly releases the plans for the Sarnus V launch vehicle! The Sarnus Rocket itself has been through several trial runs while construction the Kerbin Space Station, and with just a few modifications to the basic lifter design a Mun Mission should be quite possible!

The Launch Stage blasts off, firing the primary engine as well as the two (recoverable) solid rockets. The solid rockets detach, and the main engine carries the rocket to an altitude of about 90k. Along the arc of the launch (once the primary engine stops firing) the Orbit/Munar Insertion Stage fires as the Luanch Stage detaches and falls back to Kerbin. Once orbit is achieved, the same stage carries the Aurora Spacecraft and the Mun Lander toward Mun! Along the way the craft performs a docking and transposition manuever. The Aurora Spacecraft itself will then orbit Mun, and the Lander will head down.

That the plan, anyway! A test launch will be done as soon as funds can be found to build one of the things!

Year 2, Day 229

January 11, 2017January 12, 2017 sayburstuff Year 2 Kerbin Space Station, KSS Upgrades, Sarnus V

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The new Command Core is slowly rolled out to the launch pad, and is ready to go first thing in the morning.

“That’s one big rocket!”
-Bill

It sure is! In fact, the Sarnus V that will carry the new Command Core to orbit is the largest vehicle ever launched! screenshot443 Crowds gather to watch it take off!