From Humble Beginnings [Chapter 25]

[Butterbar]

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Reconnaissance Operations

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Fifteen hundred kilometers into the heart of the greatest continent Kerbin lies a mountain range that is unrivaled in it's height or scale anywhere else on the planet.  From its sharp ice-covered peaks to the valleys carved out by prehistoric glaciers, the range was an awe-inspiring sight.  And for the Union of Socialist Republics, it was their western border, a front to which they would fight the United Provinces if they invaded.  And so they prepared for war.  Along the entire length of the border were radar installations, airbases, and minefields.  If one was lucky, they would happen upon the occasional missile silo - or unlucky when one considers the vigilance of the guards, for that matter.  From orbit, one could see a series small metallic flare on the mountains when the sun was at the right angle.  Each flare was a military installation built into the stone itself.  Each one was constantly on alert, and when the time came, each one would release upon Kerbin total nuclear armageddon.

The barracks of Mikhaeleyev Airfield were all full with the influx of officer cadets, churned out in a steady stream by the military academies of the Union.  As one of the more prominent officers at Mikhaeleyev Airfield, Colonel Kudrin was afforded some luxuries - a small stateroom with a bed, some furniture, and his very own radio.  But as the head instructor for "Radar Officers", he spent very little time in it.  Instead, he had what he called his "second home" - the radar control room for Mikhaeleyev, some three kilometers from that main airfield, accessible by a winding dirt road and a system of tunnels that snaked along the sides of the Mount Ishtar.  From here, he had at his fingertips one of the largest and most impressive radar arrays in all of the Union.  Sixteen great dishes scanned the sky, their antennas supported by some of the most advanced computers on all of Kerbin.   Truly a marvel of modern engineering, Kudrin thought.  Or at least he had.  Six months of monotonic classes and having to deal with the young and immature cadets had worn off the novelty of mountaineering life.  

Kudrin had brought with him to the shift a newspaper and his private coffee maker.  The coffee maker in the officer's wardroom was broken - besides, it was bitter and weak.  Kudrin liked his coffee sweet and strong.  "Like his women", a cadet had joked, until he saw the paddle on his desk.  That was three weeks ago and the cadet still winced while sitting down.  Flipping to the front page of the newspaper, Kudrin started to read.  

SPACE STATION JUPITER RECIEVES FIRST CREW, UNITED PROVINCES NOW HAS PERMANENT PRESENCE IN SPACE.  He frowned.  What use is a space station, and why is the United Provinces frolicking around in space?, was his first thought.  The United Provinces may own the stars, but the Union shall inherit the Kerbin, was his second.  

There was a blip.

Kudrin lazily looked over at the screen.  On the lower right corner was a small dot, slowly making it's way across.  Kudrin blinked, expecting the dot to go away.  Oh great, now not only I'm bored, I'm hallucinating.  The dot stayed.  He leaned forth on the screen, reading it's telemetry.  Altitude 77KM.  Distance 102KM and closing.  Velocity estimated to be 2,172 meters per second.  Heading west.  

"Lieutenant!", he called, to noone in particular.  But there was only one Lieutenant in the entire radar station, so only one Kerbal to answer to his demands.  

"Sir!" Boris came running.  The Colonel was prone to anger issues, and he, the hapless adjutant, was often on the receiving end of it.  As he entered the control room, he felt his heart drop as he saw his commander.  

"Call the Kremlin.  I want to know if there are any spacecraft around our location with these parameters."  Kudrin looked back towards the screen.  The dot was maintaining it's constant motion, it's altitude increasing.  Even if I launch the ground to air interceptors, they wouldn't able to reach it in time.  He turned towards the Lieutenant.  Boris saluted, and scurried off to the phone lines.  Turning his attention back to the radar, Kudrin felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead.  He wiped it away, knowing all too well what the craft was doing.  

Exactly seventy-seven kilometers above Mikhaeleyev Airfield, the Genesis-5 orbited Kerbin.  Felix Kerman grabbed the handlebar inside the cylindrical main cabin, hooking his feet onto the open cabinet.  Behind him, Nemie sat at the controls of a strange machine, feeding into it a black film.  Felix looked out at the mountain range beneath him, oblivious to the panicked response of the Colonel.  He didn't care.  At this altitude and speed, the Genesis-5 was all but invincible to the missile interceptors of the USR.  

"How much longer do we have left?", he asked.  Nemie was a scientist by profession, and his development of the high-definition imaging camera was what earned him a position on the flight roster.  He shrugged - or tried to, while operating the machine. 

"Another five minutes.  The Air Force explicitly stated they wanted the camera to be tested here in a separate flight, I dunno why.  Probably some bureaucratic bull excrement.  I wouldn't mind seeing Jupiter myself.  After I wrap this up, you'll fire the boosters for the retrograde burn, and we'll be back home in an hour, just in time for dinner."

Felix nodded.  Beyond his small capsule, Kerbin expanded out into a circular plane, with glowing white edges that faded into the blackness of space.  Taking one last look at the ice-covered peaks of the mountains, he strapped himself into the flight seat at the front of the Genesis, letting the hum of the life-support system pull him into sleep.  Now one hundred and ten kilometers below him, Colonel Kundrin received the news from Boris that, indeed, there was no Union spacecraft with these orbital parameters.  And now one hundred and twenty kilometers below him, Kundrin had begun to berate Boris, before punching an unfortunate Major who attempted to intervene.  As the Genesis-5 left the radar screen, so did the Colonel - not of his will; but instead by four soldiers, kicking and screaming as he went.  

The Genesis-5 moved forth, indifferent to the arguably hilarious scene taking place below it.  An hour later, just as Nermie said, Felix fired the retrorockets and the craft parachuted into the blue sky of Kerbin, with nothing but microscopic debris to mark where it had once circled the planet.  Kundrin's mystery spacecraft had disappeared from the radar forever.  

Nermie watched the ground grow closer to her window as the capsule fell through the clouds.  Bored, she opened the first canister and began to examine her film.  In one of the shots of the mountain, just off the center, was a small metallic flare.  

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THE CAPITOL SUN TIMES (NOW IN COLOR!) 

~ 1958, Month 3, Day 5 ~

SOCRATES-2 HAS LANDED: SCENE IS "INCREDIBLE" 

WRITTEN BY WALTER KERMAN

KERMAN SPACE CENTER - ANOTHER FIRST WAS SCORED FOR KERBALKIND TODAY AS THE SOCRATES-2 LANDER PERFORMED A SOFT TOUCHDOWN ONTO THE SURFACE OF MINMUS, THE DISTANT MOON OF KERBIN.  AT AROUND 15:33 CENTRAL TIME, THE CRAFT DESCENDED TO THE FROZEN SURFACE THROUGH IT'S MAIN ENGINES: CONFIRMATION OF LANDING WAS RECEIVED AT 15:35 CENTRAL TIME.  THE COMPLEX MATERIALS SCIENCE LABORATORY ONBOARD THE SOCRATES-2 HAS DEPLOYED, AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF OTHER EXPERIMENTS AND MEASUREMENTS.

DR. LINUS KERMAN, THE FLIGHT DIRECTOR OF THE SOCRATES, SPOKE TO REPORTERS YESTERDAY AT THE "GATE OF THE UNIVERSE", THE FAMED ENTRANCE TO THE SPACECRAFT ASSEMBLY COMPLEX AT KSC.  "THE SOCRATES MISSION IS THE FIRST OF IT'S KIND, AND THE RESULTS FROM IT ARE SURPRISING", HE STATED IN A PRESS CONFERENCE.  "MINMUS APPARENTLY IS NOT MADE OF MINT ICE CREAM", HE ADDED.  "THE RESULTS FROM THE SOCRATES HAVE DISPELLED THAT NOTION."

AS OF THE MOMENT OF PUBLICATION, "MINMUS ICE-CREAM AND CO." HAS DECLARED CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY WHILE MASS PROTESTS HAVE BEEN STAGED IN THE STREETS OF MAJOR PROVINCIAL CITIES, CROWDS CLAMORING TO "MAKE MINMUS TASTY AGAIN".  A STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED OVER THE PROVINCES OF.... (SEE MORE ON PAGE 2A)

THE END OF AN ERA, AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ONE.

THE LANDING OF THE SOCRATES IS A MILESTONE FOR KERBALKIND AS IT SIGNIFIES THE END OF THE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL KERBIN-SYSTEM PROBE PROGRAM: THE NEXT STEP FOR THE SPACE AGENCY ARE MANNED EXPEDITIONS TO THE MUN AND INTERPLANETARY PROBE FLIGHTS TO A VARIETY OF DESTINATIONS, ESPECIALLY DUNA AND EVE.  ALREADY, PRELIMINARY FUNDING HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR A SERIES OF DUNA PROBES THAT WILL LAND ONTO THE PLANET AS WELL AS ENTER ORBIT.  IT IS HOPED THAT AS WAS THE CASE WITH MINMUS, THE SPACE AGENCY WILL ONCE AGAIN MAINTAIN THE LEAD OVER THE KOMMUNIST UNION IN THE PROBE RACE TO THE RED PLANET.

 

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Edited April 2, 2016 by Butterbar

[Butterbar]

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: To The Mun

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THE CAPITOL SUN TIMES (NOW IN COLOR!) 

~ 1958, Month 11, Day 13 ~

MUNSHOT-1 ENTERS ORBIT OF THE MUN: BOB KERMAN FIRST KERBAL TO PERFORM SPACEWALK BEYOND KERBIN.

WRITTEN BY DOLING KERMAN

ABOVE: IN THIS STUNNING PICTURE RELEASED BY THE A.R.A SHOWS THE MUNSHOT-1 IN LOW MUNAR ORBIT WITH KERBIN IN THE BACKGROUND.

KERMAN SPACE CENTER - THE DARING EXPLORERS OF MUNSHOT-1 SLID INTO AN INCREDIBLE ORBIT OF THE MUN YESTERDAY, REPORTED THE SPACE AGENCY.  THE CREW PERFORMED A STUNNING SPACEWALK IN MUNAR ORBIT THAT LASTED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AS WELL AS BROADCASTING BACK TO KERBIN PICTURES OF A BARREN AND STARTLINGLY ALIEN LANDSCAPE.  

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER JEBEDIAH KERMAN, UPN, AND CAPITAN BOB KERMAN, UPAF, ENTERED THE ANNALS OF HISTORY 2:30 CENTRAL TIME YESTERDAY AS THE FIRST KERBALS TO TRULY LEAVE KERBIN. AS THEIR INTREPID SPACECRAFT, THE MUNSHOT-1, HURTLED ACROSS THE MUNAR SURFACE, THEY SAW WHAT NO KERBAL EYE HAS SEEN BEFORE: THE POCKMARKED FAR SIDE OF THE MUN.  IT WAS AKIN TO THE FIRST KERBALS CROSSING THE SEAS OF KERBIN - IT WAS THE SPIRIT OF FRONTIERSMANSHIP, THE LOVE OF ADVENTURE, AND THE PRODUCT OF THE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF KERBAL CIVILIZATION REACHING NEW HEIGHTS WRAPPED UP INTO ONE PACKAGE.  AS THEY FLEW ACROSS THE SURFACE, THEY MADE ONE TWO-HOUR LONG LIVE TELEVISED BROADCAST TO THE ENTIRE WORLD DURING WHICH THEY TOOK QUESTIONS FROM STUDENTS AND CONDUCTED EXPERIMENTS FOR ALL TO SEE.

THE TWO KERBONAUTS WILL SPEND THE NEXT THREE DAYS IN MUNAR ORBIT, CONDUCTING EXPERIMENTS AS WELL AS MAPPING OUT THE FAR SIDE OF THE MUN.  AFTER THAT, THEY WILL FIRE THEIR ENGINE TO LEAVE THE ORBIT OF THE MUN AND RETURN TO THEIR HOME PLANET, KERBIN, SAFE AND SOUND, AIMING TO SPLASHDOWN INTO THE SEA NEXT SUNDAY EVENING.

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THE CAPITOL SUN TIMES (NOW IN COLOR!) 

~ 1959, Month 1, Day 9 ~

THE KOMMUNISTS HAVE LANDED ON THE MUN: USR VICTOR IN "SPACE RACE", "WE WILL GO TO DUNA BY 1970", SAYS PRESIDENT.

WRITTEN BY WALTER KERMAN

ABOVE: THIRTY HOURS AGO, THE MUNA-1 LANDER LANDED ONTO THE MUNAR SURFACE, MARKING A SOLID KOMMUNIST VICTORY IN THE "SPACE RACE".  

THE CAPITOL - THE UNION OF SOCIALIST REPUBLICS HAS CLAIMED VICTORY OVER THE UNITED PROVINCES IN THE "RACE TO THE MUN" TODAY BY LAUNCHING KERBALKIND'S FIRST MUNAR-LANDING MISSION, AND A TRIUMPHANT BROADCAST FROM THE KREMLIN HAILED THE VICTORY AS THE "FIRST OF MANY STEPS" TOWARDS A KOMMUNIST OUTPOST ON THE MUN.  THE SPACE AGENCY CONFIRMED THE LANDING TODAY THROUGH THEIR GLOBAL TRACKING STATIONS, ISSUING A SOBER STATEMENT THAT THEY "APPLAUD THE U.S.R FOR THEIR PROGRESS IN FURTHERING INTERPLANETARY SPACEFLIGHT".  

A PUBLIC OUTCRY HAS ARISEN IN THE UNITED PROVINCES, WITH WIDESPREAD FEAR OF A KOMMUNIST BASE ON THE MUN THAT COULD STRIKE AT THE UNITED PROVINCES WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION - A STARK CONTRAST FROM THE JOVIAL MOOD TWO MONTHS AGO, AS THE MUNSHOT CREW WAS TREATED TO PARADES AFTER THEIR RETURN TO KERBIN.  ADDRESSING A MASSIVE CROWD OF SPECTATORS ON THE STEPS OF THE CAPITOL TODAY,  PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN ANNOUNCED BOLDLY, "THIS IS NOT THE END.  WE WILL GO TO DUNA BY 1970, NOT BECAUSE IT IS EASY, BUT BECAUSE IT IS HARD.  WE WILL PROVE TO THE WORLD OUR INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL MIGHT: BUT MOST OF ALL, WE WILL ENDEAVOR TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD."  

SPACE AGENCY "SHOCKED" THAT THE REDS BEAT THEM

THE LANDING OF THE MUNA HAS SENT SHOCKWAVES THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT.  THE SPACE AGENCY HAD MISTAKENLY BELIEVED THAT THE REDS WERE NOWHERE NEAR TO ACCOMPLISHING A MUNAR LANDING - THE SUDDEN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS "A FAILURE OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE".  KIRRIM KERMAN, THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, HAS RESIGNED OVER THE SCANDAL CAUSED BY THE MUNA, WHILE ALL WERNHER VON KERMAN HAD TO SAY WAS "I SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT ON THIS.  WE WILL GO TO DUNA - THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE."

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Edited April 3, 2016 by Butterbar

[Butterbar]

Personally, I'm not so sure about the USR beating the United Provinces to the Mun being a good idea.  It sort of sets me into an awkward position since I didn't provide enough buildup to this happening and the idea is pretty unconventional, but it opens up the idea of a "alternate Space Race" that I've always wondered about.  I'll see how everyone reacts to it, and replace/delete it accordingly.  

[Garibaldi2257]

I think its fine.

[RocketSquid]

I say keep it. It means the UP will need to get their S in gear.

[Geschosskopf]

13 hours ago, Butterbar said:

Personally, I'm not so sure about the USR beating the United Provinces to the Mun being a good idea.  It sort of sets me into an awkward position since I didn't provide enough buildup to this happening and the idea is pretty unconventional, but it opens up the idea of a "alternate Space Race" that I've always wondered about.  I'll see how everyone reacts to it, and replace/delete it accordingly.  

In the real world, things worked out the way they did due to a series of events that could have gone either way.  Both sides had moments of good and bad luck with far-reaching implications.  So why not change things up a bit?

[Butterbar]

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Strike Back

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THE CAPITOL SUN TIMES (NOW IN COLOR!) 

~ 1959, Month 2, Day 3 ~

THE PROVINCES STRIKE BACK: MUNSHOT-2 LANDING A SUCCESS, SPACE AGENCY SAYS

WRITTEN BY ELDING KERMAN

ABOVE: THE UNITED PROVINCIAL SPACESHIP MUNSHOT-2 LANDED ON ANOTHER WORLD TODAY

KERMAN SPACE CENTER - UNFAZED BY THE KOMMUNIST MUNAR LANDING SEVERAL WEEKS PRIOR, TODAY THE CREW OF THE MUNSHOT-2 PILOTED THEIR CRAFT TO THE SURFACE OF THE MUN IN ONE OF THE GREATEST FEATS OF KERBAL HISTORY.  DR. NEET KERMAN, A FATHER OF TWO, AND COMMANDER JEBEDIAH KERMAN, A VETERAN FIGHTER PILOT TURNED KERBONAUT,  MADE HISTORY AS THEY WALKED, HOPPED, AND WORKED IN THE POWERED REGOLITH OF THE MUNAR HIGHLANDS BEFORE LIFTING OFF INTO ORBIT THREE HOURS LATER.  THE MUNSHOT-2 WILL RETURN TO KERBIN TOMORROW, IT'S CREW GIVEN A WELL-EARNED REST FROM THEIR FOUR DAY LONG ORDEAL.  

SPACE PROGRAM DEVELOPING LONG TERM GOALS

THE SUDDEN LANDING OF THE KOMMUNIST MUNA-1 ONTO THE MUN LAST MONTH SENT SHOCKWAVES THROUGHOUT THE POLITICAL WORLD, LEADING PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN TO ANNOUNCE A GOAL OF A "KERBAL ON DUNA BY 1970" IN A SPEECH THAT WAS TELEVISED TO THE WORLD.  DIRECTOR WERNHER VON KERMAN OF THE ARA BACKED THESE GOALS LAST MONTH, BUT TODAY, HE EXPRESSED SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT THEM.  

"WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO DUNA", HE SAID TO REPORTERS.  "WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PLANET.  WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE.  WE NEED TO SEND PROBES BEFORE A MANNED MISSION".  AFTER A REPORTER SUGGESTED THE POSSIBILITY OF A MANNED MISSION TO EVE, WERNHER SHRUGGED.  "EVE IS A WILDCARD.  IT'S CLOUDS COVER EVERYTHING.  IT MAY BE A PARADISE HIDDEN BEHIND THEM.  OR LITERAL HELL.  WE DON'T KNOW YET - AND THAT'S MY JOB.  TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW".

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[TAPE BEGINS, DATED 6/18/59]

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "I NEED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE AS THE A.R.A.  IS THE ARES PROGRAM - DO YOU THINK IT IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY PROGRAM YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW?"

WERNHER: "NO, MR. PRESIDENT, I DO NOT.  WE'VE ALREADY LANDED ON THE MUN, THERE IS NO NEED TO CONTINUE LANDING ON IT.  OUR FUNDS ARE LIMITED, SIR, AND I'M BUSY PUSHING A PROBE TO DUNA.  IT IS A TOP PRIORITY, CERTAINLY, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE HERE, THAT WE NEED TO BEGIN THE GRAND TOUR PROBE PROGRAM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOVA-CLASS LAUNCHER AND THE KERSAT NETWORK.  THERE ARE MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH A ROCKET, AND OUR TECHNOLOGY IS YEARS AHEAD OF ANYTHING THE UNION CAN FIELD, I ASSURE YOU, MR. PRESIDENT"

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "WERNHER, I THINK I'VE MADE MYSELF VERY CLEAR.  THE SPACE PROGRAM [SIC] HAS PRIORITIES IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS AS WELL AS SCIENCE.  SCIENCE IS AN AFTERTHOUGHT - WE CAN'T COME IN SECOND TO DUNA RIGHT NOW.  WE CAME IN SECOND TO THE MUN.  IT DIDN'T MATTER THAT THE KOMMUNISTS BEAT US BY LESS THAN A MONTH ON WHAT COULD BARELY BE CALLED A "SPACECRAFT".  HELL, IF OUR MUNSHOT WAS A SHIP, THE KOMMUNISTS WENT TO THE MUN ON DRIFTWOOD.  IT DOESN'T MATTER TO THE PUBLIC THAT OUR ROCKETS ARE YEARS AHEAD OF THE BEST KOMMUNIST ROCKET.  THEY SEE A KOMMUNIST HIT THE MUN BEFORE US, THEY THINK WE'VE FALLEN BEHIND.  WE LOST THE MUN RACE.  THIS IS VERY SERIOUS, WERNHER.  WE CAN'T LOSE DUNA.  THE OTHER PROGRAMS; THEY CAN WAIT."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "THE JOOL PROBE AND THE EVE LANDER AND THE MOHO FLYBY PROBE ARE DESIRABLE, BUT THEY CAN WAIT.  OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS THE KERBAL SPACEFLIGHT PROGRAM."  

WERNHER: "NO, MR. PRESIDENT, I'M NOT SAYING THESE ARE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.  HOWEVER, THEY ARE IMPORTANT SINCE WE NEED TO KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT [SIC] THAT THE MISSION TO DUNA IS GOING INTO.  WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT."

DR. LINUS KERMAN: "WITHOUT THE SCIENCE, I'M AFRAID, THE CHANCES OF THIS MISSION BEING SUCCESS IS NIL.  IMAGINE THE PRESS IT WOULD GENERATE IF OUR DUNA MISSION FAILED.  WE NEED A PRECURSOR MISSION AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND [SIC] THE DYNAMICS BEHIND INTERPLANETARY SPACE."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "WHAT'S THE PLAN THEN?"

WERNHER: "ROCKOMAX PHONED THIS MORNING AND TOLD US THAT THEY CAN DELIVER THE FIRST NOVA BY NEXT WEEK. EVERYTHING AFTER THAT IS A MATTER OF TIMING, I'M AFRAID.  I'LL PROPOSE THIS TIMEFRAME: WE CAN GET A STATION AROUND THE MUN, CALL IT, SAY, MUNLAB."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "SO THE KERBAL SPACEFLIGHT PROGRAM IS THE PRIORITY?"

WERNHER: "AS OF THE CURRENT, IT SHARES PRIORITY WITH THE PLANETARY PROBE PROGRAM, AS OF CURRENT."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "WHAT MISSIONS ARE IN THE PLANETARY PROGRAM RIGHT NOW?"

WERNHER: "ORBITER AND LANDER TO EVE, FLYBY'S OF MOHO AND DRES, ORBITER AND LANDER TO DUNA, ORBITER TO JOOL AND LANDER TO LAYTHE.  SUNDIVING PROBE AS WELL."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "CANCEL THE DRES PROBE.  HALF THE POPULATION DOESN'T KNOW IT EXISTS ANYWAY.  COULD YOU DOWNSCALE THE MOHO PROBE AND CANCEL THE EVE ORBITER; A LANDER WILL BE ENOUGH.  PRIORITIZE THE DUNA PROBES HERE.  WHAT ABOUT KERBIN ORBIT?"
 

WERNHER: "WE'VE GOT A NEW 2.5M HABITAT DESIGNED.  WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PHASING OUT JUPITER AND REPLACING IT WITH SPACE STATION SATURN.  THE PLAN IS TO GET IT OPERATIONAL BY 1961. ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THE PLANETARY PROBES, SIR?"

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "THEY CAN WAIT A COUPLE MONTHS.  THE PRIORITY HERE IS THE DUNA MISSION AND THE, UH, MUNLAB AND SATURN."

WERNHER: [UNCLEAR]

DR. MORTIMER KERMAN: [UNCLEAR] "THE THING IS WE'RE IN DESPERATE NEED OF A NEW LAUNCHER.  THE NOVA-CLASS WILL FULFILL OUR NEED FOR IT.  I RECOMMEND STARTING MASS PRODUCTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  ECONOMICS OF SCALE WILL DO THE REST OF THE WORK AND LOWER THE PRICE TO ORBIT BY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "THE ISSUE IS THAT THE PUBLIC, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT SCIENCE.  THEY WANT A KERBAL ON DUNA.  THAT'S WHAT THEY SEE."

WERNHER: "I'M NOT VERY SURE ABOUT A MANNED MISSION TO DUNA BEING THE RIGHT CHOICE RIGHT NOW.  YOU'RE GENERATING A GREAT INTELLECTUAL MOVEMENT IN ALL THE UNIVERSITIES OF THIS COUNTRY, AND THERE'S THOUSANDS OF KERBALS NOW WANTING TO BECOME KERBONAUTS AND ENGINEERS AND THEY CARE ABOUT SCIENCE, AND THEY VOTE AS WELL.  THEY DON'T THINK THAT KERBAL SPACEFLIGHT IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY, THEY WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE LAWS OF NATURE AND THE DYNAMICS THAT INFLUENCE SPACE AND THE PLANETS.  DR. LINUS AND I OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM - BUT I THINK THAT CUTTING THE MOHO FLYBY AND THE DRES FLYBY AND GUTTING THE REST OF THE PROGRAMS SAVE DUNA AND KERBAL SPACEFLIGHT IS A HUGE MISTAKE."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "YES, AND I CAN AGREE WE'RE ALL VERY INTERESTED IN THIS, BUT THESE PROGRAMS CAN WAIT A YEAR OR A COUPLE MONTHS.  PUSH IT FROM 1962 TO 1963.  DUNA MUST BE OUR PRIORITY.  THIS IS A RACE, AND THE U.S.R KNOWS THAT.  WE CANNOT LOSE THIS RACE."

WERNHER: "THE LAUNCH WINDOW TO JOOL AND DRES WILL BE OVER BY THEN."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "THEN WE WAIT."

DR. LINUS KERMAN: "WE DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT DUNA RIGHT NOW, MR. PRESIDENT.  I STRONGLY SUGGEST INVESTING INTO THE MUN BEFORE WE LIFT A FINGER ABOUT A MANNED MISSION TO DUNA BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE.  WE NEED TO RUSH THE PROBES THERE."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.  BUT THE SCIENCE CAN TAKE A BACK SEAT FOR NOW.WHAT ARE THE COST ESTIMATES?"

DR. MORTIMER KERMAN: "√250,000 FOR MUNLAB, ANOTHER √550,000 FOR THE OUTPOST, AND √500,000 FOR SATURN, TO BE SAFE.  THE SPACE PROGRAM CAN'T LET COSTS RUN RAMPANT.  I'LL ALSO TOSS IN √1,000,000, BALLPARK FIGURE, FOR THE DUNA MISSION.  IT'S AROUND √75,000 RIGHT NOW PER MUNSHOT MISSION.  I RECOMMEND FUNDING THESE PROGRAMS TO THE FULLEST.  FOR THE PLANETARY PROBE PROGRAM, I'M GUESSING √60,000 PER FLYBY PROBE, √100,000 IF IT'S A LANDER, √80,000 FOR AN ORBITER."
 

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: [UNCLEAR]"WELL COST-SAVING IS A CENTRAL TENET OF MY ADMINISTRATION AND I AM DETERMINED TO MAINTAIN THAT.  HOWEVER THE [UNCLEAR] IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF SPACEFLIGHT, AND I'M VERY GLAD ABOUT THAT.  YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NATION HAVE BEEN MANY, WERNHER.  I WILL CONTACT YOU IN SIX MONTHS WITH THE FISCAL BUDGET FOR 1960, AND WE'LL DISCUSS THE FATE OF THE PLANETARY PROBE PROGRAM THEN."

WERNHER: "THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MR. PRESIDENT."

DR. MORTIMER KERMAN: "THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT."

DR. LINUS KERMAN: "THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT."
 

[TAPE END: 11 MINUTES, 23 SECONDS]

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

 

[Butterbar]

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Jupiter Sets

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

THE CAPITOL SUN TIMES (NOW IN COLOR!) 

~ 1959, Month 6, Day 7 ~

BULLS EYE!  MUNSHOT-3 BRINGS TWO KERBALS TO THE MUN

WRITTEN BY DOLING KERMAN

ABOVE: THE SCENE IN THE MUNAR HIGHLANDS AS THE MUNSHOT-3 TOUCHED DOWN SAFELY EARLY THIS MORNING

KERMAN SPACE CENTER - KERBALS HAVE LANDED AND WALKED UPON THE MUN FOR THE THIRD TIME.  TWO PROVINCIAL KERBONAUTS STEERED THEIR FRAGILE SPACESHIP SAFELY AND SMOOTHLY TO THE MUNAR HIGHLANDS EARLY THIS MORNING, CONFIRMING A TOUCHDOWN AT 3:22 AM CENTRAL TIME.  FELIX C. KERMAN, WHO PREVIOUSLY FLEW ON THE GENESIS-5, RADIOED A MESSAGE TO MISSION SUPPORT.  

"I CAN SEE OUR PLANET RISING OVER THE HILLS NOW.  GROUND CONTACT CONFIRMED, MUNSHOT-3 HAS TOUCHED DOWN SAFELY.", HE ANNOUNCED TO A ROOM OF CHEERING CONTROLLERS.  THE MUNSHOT-3 WAS THE THIRD EXPEDITION TO THE MUNAR SURFACE, BEHIND THE MUNSHOT-2 AND MUNA EARLIER THIS YEAR.  WITH THE SUPERPOWERS OF KERBIN PREPARING TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RESPECTIVE OUTPOSTS ONTO THE MUN, THE NEWS OF A THIRD LANDING COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WELCOME.  UNTIL A TROUBLING REPORT WAS MADE.

MUNAR SURFACE "UNSUITABLE" FOR BASE, CLAIMS SPACE AGENCY

ACCORDING TO REPORTS BY THE SPACE CENTER, THE MUNSHOT-3 SUFFERED ISSUES WITH IT'S LANDING GEAR "SKIDDING" ON THE MUN.  "THE MUNAR REGOLITH APPARENTLY HAS LOW SURFACE VISCOSITY, MUCH LIKE SOAP", EXPLAINED DR. LINUS KERMAN, THE PLANETARY SCIENCE DIRECTOR OF THE ARA, "THIS LEADS TO THE LANDING GEAR BEING UNABLE TO HOLD ITSELF DOWN ON THE SURFACE".  TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE AGENCY ALSO REVEALED THE ISSUE WAS OBSERVED WITH THE MUNSHOT-2, BECOMING SO SEVERE THAT JEBEDIAH KERMAN STARTED THE ASCENT PROFILE ONE HOUR EARLY.  

THE ADDED CHALLENGE OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH A LACK OF FRICTION ON THE MUNAR SURFACE WILL FURTHER COMPLICATE THE SPACE AGENCY'S PLANS TO ESTABLISH AN OUTPOST ON THE MUN, AND POSSIBLY CAUSE IT'S CANCELLATION.  HOWEVER, THE AGENCY HAS DECIDED TO REMAIN OPTIMISTIC OF FINDING A SUITABLE LOCATION FOR A MUNAR BASE, ANNOUNCING THEY WILL LAUNCH THE REMAINING MUNSHOT-4, MUNSHOT-5, AND MUNSHOT-6 AS PLANNED.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

THE CAPITOL SUN TIMES (NOW IN COLOR!) 

~ 1959, Month 12, Day 2 ~

THE SUN SETS ON JUPITER: IS THIS THE END FOR THE SPACE STATION?

WRITTEN BY DOLING KERMAN

ABOVE: THE JUPITER IN ORBIT OF KERBIN.  NOW UNMANNED, THE SPACE AGENCY HAS DECIDED TO MOTHBALL OR TERMINATE THE SPACE STATION.

KERMAN SPACE CENTER - THE END OF IS APPROACHING FOR JUPITER.  THE TWO YEAR OLD SPACE STATION, NOW A RELIC OF THE PRE-MUNSHOT ERA, "IS SET TO BE DECOMMISSIONED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR", ACCORDING TO SPACE AGENCY SOURCES.  THE JUPITER, THE FIRST SPACE STATION IN KERBAL HISTORY, ONLY SAW ONE FLIGHT - THE GENESIS-4, WHICH STAYED FOR A YEAR AND RETURNED TO KERBIN LAST MONTH, SETTING A RECORD FOR THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME A KERBAL HAS CONTINUOUSLY STAYED IN SPACE.  THE REMAINING MISSIONS TO JUPITER, THE GENESIS-6, 7, AND 8, WERE CANCELLED TO DIVERT FUNDING TO "MORE URGENT NEEDS", SAID WERNHER VON KERMAN, THE TOP CHIEF OF THE SPACE PROGRAM.

SAVING THE SKY GOD

THE NEWS OF JUPITER'S DEMISE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL, WITH PROMINENT MEMBERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DEBATE.

"WHAT?  DEORBIT JUPITER?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?", SAID SENATOR SAMDEN KERMAN SR.  "WE PAID √100,000 FOR THAT STATION.  DEORBITING IT IS AN ACT OF IRRESPONSIBILITY ON BEHALF OF THE SPACE PROGRAM", HE ADDED. "DECOMMISSION DOESN'T MEAN DEORBIT", RESPONDED DIRECTOR WALTER KERMAN OF THE SPACE AGENCY'S PUBLIC RELATIONS CENTER.  "WE CAN JUST MOVE IT TO A ORBIT WHERE IT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH ORBITAL OPERATIONS AND KEEP IT THERE AS A MUSUEMPIECE FOR THE KERBALS OF THE FUTURE.  IT'S A IMPORTANT HISTORICAL MILESTONE."

THE MAIN ARGUMENT BEHIND THE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE JUPITER IS TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE SATURN, A SPACE STATION PROPOSED BY JEBEDIAH'S JUNKYARD AND SPACESHIP PARTS COMPANY AS WELL AS SEAN'S CANNERY.  THE SATURN WILL USE THE 2.5-METERE HABITATION MODULES COMPARED TO THE JUPITER'S 1.25-METERE HABITATS, AS WELL AS USE STATE-OF-THE-ART COOLING SYSTEMS AND SOLAR PANELS, ALLOWING AS MUCH AS TWENTY KERBALS TO STAY ONBOARD THE STATION.  THIS HASN'T CONVINCED EVERYONE.

"I KNOW THE REDS ARE COMPETING AGAINST US BUT THIS IS JUST MADNESS", SAID BILLY-BOBFRED KERMAN, A HONEST FARMER ON THE STREET.  "WE'RE GETTING RID OF A STATION STILL WORKS SO WE CAN LAUNCH A BRAND NEW SHINY ONE THAT'LL COST US MORE MONEY THAN EVER BEFORE."

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Edited April 4, 2016 by Butterbar

[GDJ]

The president seems to be pretty stuck in his point of view.

[Geschosskopf]

I agree with Billy-Bobfred.  But then I'm a nihilist so.....

[Butterbar]

28 minutes ago, GDJ said:

The president seems to be pretty stuck in his point of view.

I based him off a mix of John F. Kennedy, LBJ, and Eisenhower.  All three supported the space program in a general sense but saw more political objectives as higher priority.  Some of what Frank says are close to direct quotes from White House tapes from the LBJ and JFK administration, just with specific words (Munshot for Apollo, Duna for Moon, .etc) switched out.  

Edited April 4, 2016 by Butterbar

[GDJ]

Nice touch!

[SpaceplaneAddict]

People oddly dislike Space. We just need to...

 

 

Stay Determined . . .

[max_creative]

11 hours ago, Butterbar said:

WERNHER: "ORBITER AND LANDER TO EVE, FLYBY'S OF MOHO AND DRES, ORBITER AND LANDER TO DUNA, ORBITER TO JOOL AND LANDER TO LAYTHE.  SUNDIVING PROBE AS WELL."

PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN: "CANCEL THE DRES PROBE.  HALF THE POPULATION DOESN'T KNOW IT EXISTS ANYWAY.  COULD YOU DOWNSCALE THE MOHO PROBE AND CANCEL THE EVE ORBITER; A LANDER WILL BE ENOUGH.  PRIORITIZE THE DUNA PROBES HERE.  WHAT ABOUT KERBIN ORBIT?"

What?!? We will not stand for this! Dres at least needs an orbiter! Moho too! This is madness! Everyone here who loves Dres will know about the probe, and if it's cancelled I will post a ton of crying faces! Dres is my favorite planet!

 

14 minutes ago, SpaceplaneAddict said:

Stay Determined . . .

Why do you keep saying that?

 

oh well. For science! For Dres! 

[SpaceplaneAddict]

1 hour ago, max_creative said:

Why do you keep saying that?

Undertale. Unless you want raw....

Determination.

 

 

It's Stay Determined to mean something positive, and

Determination. to mean something terrifyingly horrible.

 

 

So...
Stay Determined . . .

Edited April 4, 2016 by SpaceplaneAddict

[max_creative]

21 minutes ago, SpaceplaneAddict said:

Undertale. Unless you want raw....

Determination.

 

 

It's Stay Determined to mean something positive, and

Determination. to mean something terrifyingly horrible.

 

 

So...
Stay Determined . . .

I just say for science! For Dres! For ect...

[Butterbar]

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Munlab

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

☭ ҬҤЄ VФЇҪԐ ФӺ ГЊЭ PЯФLЄҐДЯЇДҬ ☭

 

1960, ԠФЍҬЊ 3, DДЧ 1

 

ЏИЇҬԐD PЯФVЇИҪЭS LДЙDS MЏЍSЊФҐ-5, LДЙDS ҐШФ MФЯԐ ҚЄЯБДLS ФИ MЏИ, "DФ ЍФГ ЩФЯЯЧ", SДҰS PДЯҬҰ ҪӉДIЯMДЙ

 

ЩЯЇГҐЭИ ЬҰ ҜЯЇБԞФV ҠЄЯԠДЍ

ДБФVЄ: ҐӉЭ "MЏЙSҢФҬ-5" SPДҪԐSҢЇP ФЍ ҬҢԐ MЦИДЯ SЦЯӺДҪЭ

ҬӉЄ ҚЯԐMLЇИ - Д ЯДDЇФ БЯФДDҪДSГ ӺЯФM ГҢԐ ШЭSҐ ҐФDДҰ ҪФЍӺЇЯԠԐD ҐӉДҐ ҬЊЭЧ hДD LДИDЄD ГЊЭ MЏИSЊФГ-5 ФЙГФ ҐҢԐ MЏЙДЯ SЦЯҒДҪЄ. ГӉЇS ӺФLLФШS SԐVЭЯДL ФҬӉЭЯ MЇSSЇФИS ҐФ ГЊԐ MЦИ, ДЙD ЇS Д PДЯҐ ФӺ ГҤЭЇЯ PLДЙ ҐФ ҪФЙSГЯЦҪҐ ФЦҬPФSГS ФЍ ҬҢЄ MЏЙДЯ SЏЯӺДҪЄ ДS Д ЩДҰPФЇИҬ ҒФЯ Д ЭЖPЄDЇҬЇФЍ ҬФ DЏИД, ГҢЭҰ ҪLДЇM. ЊФШЄVЄЯ, ГЊЭ GФVЄЯЙMЭЙГ ФӺ ҐҤԐ PЯФLԐҬДЯЇДҬ ӉДS DЇSPЦҐЭD ГҤESЄ ҪLДЇMS. "ҬӉԐ ЦЍЇҬЄD PЯФVЇЙҪЄS ӉДS ЧЄГ ГФ SԐЙD Д PЯФЪԐ ҐФ DЦИД. ГҤДҐ ГҤԐЧ ДЯԐ ЩЇLLЇЍG ГФ ҐҤЯФЩ ДШДҰ ГӉЄ LЇVЄS ФӺ ҐҢЭЇЯ PԐЯSФЍИЭL ГФ ДҪҪФԠPLЇSЊ ҬҢЭ ԐGФMДЙЇДҪДL DЯЄДMS ФӺ ҬҤЭ БФЏЯGЭФЇSЇԐ ЇS ҒЏЯҬҤЭЯ PЯФФӺ ФӺ ҬҤЄ ЇЍДЪЇLЇҬЧ ФҒ DЭMФҪЯДГЇҪ ҪДPЇҬДLЇSҬ ИДҐЇФЙS ЇЍ ҐЊЄ ЩЄSҬ ҬФ ҪДЯԐ ӺФЯ ГӉЭЇЯ ФЩЍ ҚԐЯЪДLS", ҬҤԐ PДЯҬҰ SҐДГЭD ҬФDДҰ. "ДЍD ҒЦЯГЊЄЯ ЯԐДSФИS ЩӉҰ ШЭ ҬЦЯИЭD ФЏЯ ЊФPЄS ҐФ Д ҪФMMЏЍЇSҐ ҒФЯM ФӺ GФVЄЯЍMЄЙГ ҐЯЏLҰ ӺФЯ ҐҤԐ ҪOMMФИ ԞЄЯЪДL".

 

GԐЙЄЯДL ЙЇԞФV ҚԐЯMДЙ, ҬЊЭ ИԐШ DЇЯԐҪҬФЯ ФӺ ГҤЭ ДԐЯФSPДҪЭ ӺФЯҪԐS, ӉДS ДЍЙФЏЙҪԐD ҬЊԐЇЯ ФШЍ SPДҪЄ SҬДГЇФЍ PЯOGЯДM ҐФ ҪФЦЍҬԐЯ ГҤЭ ЦИЇҐЭD PЯФVЇИҪЄS SPДҪЄ SҬДГЇФЍ SДҬЦЯЍ. SPДҪԐ SГДҐЇФЙ ЯԐD SҜЧ ЩЇLL ЬԐ ЪЭҪФԠЄ ФPԐЯДҐЇФИДL БҰ 1961, ДЍD SЦPPФЯҬ Д SЄЯЇЄS ФҒ DЭDЇҪДГԐD ЍЏҪLЄДЯ-PФШЄЯЭD MЦЍДЯ ҬЦGS ЩЊФ ЩЇLL LДЦЙҪӉ RԐGЏLДЯ ӺLЇGЊГS ГФ ГӉԐ MЦЙ.

 

"ШЄ ҪДИЙФҐ ДLLФШ ҐҤЄSЭ ҪДPЇҐДLЇSҬ ЇЙDЏSҐЯЇДL PДЯДSЇҬЄS ҬФ SЏҪҜ ҬҢЭ LЇҒԐ ФЦҐ ФҒ ҬӉЄ ӉԐДVЄЙS", ҢЭ ДЯGЦЭD ГФDДЧ. "ЩЭ MЦSҬ ЬЄGЇЍ DЄVЭLФPЇИG ГЊЄ ЙԐҪԐSSЇҬЇԐS ҒФЯ Д DЦЙД ԐӾPЭDЇГЇФЙ, ФЯ ԐLSԐ ФҐҢԐЯЩЇSЭ ҐЊЄ ЦSЯ ДЍD ҬЊЄ ЯЇGӉҬS ФӺ ҬЊЭ PЯФLԐҬДЯЇДҬ ЩЇLL ЍФҬ SЏЯVЇVԐ".

 

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

CAPITAL SUN TIMES (SINCE 1845)

~ 1960, Month 5, Day 28 ~

MUNLAB: A Q&A WITH THE HEAD OF THE PROGRAM

WRITTEN BY WALTER KERMAN

ABOVE: THE MUNLAB IN MUNAR ORBIT, THE FIRST OUTPOST OF KERBALKIND ON ANOTHER WORLD

 

THE MUNLAB IS THE FIRST KERBAL STATION TO ORBIT THE MUN, AS WELL AS THE FIRST KERBAL OUTPOST ON ANOTHER WORLD.  THE STATION WAS DESIGNED BY DR. LOGAS KERMAN, WHO LATER ACTED AS FLIGHT DIRECTOR DURING IT'S LAUNCH ON THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE NEW NOVA-CLASS ROCKET.  TODAY, HE IS HERE WITH US IN THE VISITOR LOBBY OUTSIDE THE "GATES TO THE UNIVERSE" TO TALK WITH US ABOUT THE MUNLAB.

 

Q. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE MUNLAB

A. The main goal of the Munlab program is to provide a research center that's not on Kerbin, but far away from it so that we can keep a team of Kerbonauts constantly in the field instead of having to bring them home in less than a week, you know?  The Munlab is built for endurance.  It's able to regenerate water, oxygen, and the basic necessities of life.  All we need to do is ship food to the station.  That's it.  

 

Q. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PROPOSE THE MUNLAB TO YOUR BOSSES?  

A. When I came up with what would later become Munlab, I was an Flight Science graduate student doing a study-work internship under Dr. Wernher von Kerman in the summer of '53.  Wernher was our mentor; me and the other students would gather with him during Saturday evening to listen to the radio while playing cards and discussing new developments in spaceflight.  During that time, spaceflight was obviously in it's infancy compared to how much it's grown now, so Wernher would often ask us to come up with a unique idea for a future mission.  And one night, the song Munlight Love was playing, so I wondered, why not build a station around the Mun?

 

Q. HOW DID YOU DEVELOP THIS STATION?  WAS IT HARD TO GAIN SUPPORT?

A. It definitely was hard at first; I knew that with other projects going on, they weren't going to build a massive multi-module station around the Mun in multiple launches.  So it had to go up in one; something that wasn't really possible with the Genesis  or Juno rockets of the tme.  It wasn't really until the rumors came of the Nova-class rocket in 1958 did I start to take this idea seriously.  

 

Q. AND WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT?

A. I had met with CEO Lupus Kerman of Jebediah Kerman's Spaceship Parts as well as Vice President Max Kerman of Rockomax at the annual Provincial Airshow in 1955, and we had all exchanged contact information.  So when the news of the Nova broke out, I went to Max, and said, "Hey Max, I've heard about the Nova, and I've got an idea for a payload".  Lupus later helped me integrate the new 2.5M habitat modules into the Munlab, which ensured it's compatibility with the Nova, and with the two largest contractors behind my plan as well as a low cost estimate, we were in the door.  

 

Q.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PRESIDENT FRANK'S DUNA PROGRAM?

A. I think it's a good sign for a political leader to take an active interest in the future of Kerbalkind, but I don't like the whole "race" behind it.  International cooperation is the key.  Maybe we can see eye-to-eye in the future since we've both gotten the capability of bringing a Kerbal to the Mun, maybe we don't.  Only time can tell us.  

 

Q. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN THE MUNLAB LAUNCHED?

A. Relief, mostly.  The reorganization of all our [the ARA's] assets to accomplish interplanetary spaceflight put my project on the upper end of the list from where it had been, but it was still nerve-wracking to read that fiscal bill and not know if the project you've poured everything into has survived.  A couple friends of mine weren't as fortunate.  One of them wanted to do a Dres flyby probe.

 

Q. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, WHAT'S DRES, AND WHY DO YOU WANT TO FLYBY IT?

A. Science, mostly.  Dres is a planetoid, doesn't really get much attention nowadays.  It's between Jool and Duna.  Some fellows at here [at KSC] call it the "gateway to the stars", since it's at the very edge of the inner solar system. 

 

Q. WHAT ABOUT THE PLANS OF THE SPACE PROGRAM AFTER TODAY'S EVENTS?

A. Munlab will definitely get attention, most certainly.  But we're going to be focused on a manned expedition to Duna or maybe one of it's moons as a precursor.  Depending on the circumstances, we might head for Eve instead.  We've got a lot to learn about these subjects, and I'm hoping the Duna-Eve Lander project that we're working on will teach us more about them.  The planets have always fascinated our species, and I'm hoping that in my lifetime we'll get answers to the questions we've had for centuries.  

 

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

 

EDIT: I'm not sure about the viability of faux Cyrillic, so I'm going to see if there's any issues with the first half of this post.  

[GDJ]

4 minutes ago, Butterbar said:

EDIT: I'm not sure about the viability of faux Cyrillic, so I'm going to see if there's any issues with the first half of this post.  

It does the job for the story. At first I thought it was really Cyrillic.

[max_creative]

Yay! Now I'm happy! For Dres! Dres is also a good refueling spot so I agree it's a gateway to the stars. Finally it gets some attention! Here have some REPREPREPREPREPREPREPREPREPREPREP

[Garibaldi2257]

kinda hard to read, but I managed to get through it, maybe include the plain text as a spoiler?

[Geschosskopf]

15 hours ago, Butterbar said:

EDIT: I'm not sure about the viability of faux Cyrillic, so I'm going to see if there's any issues with the first half of this post.  

Well, at first it was pretty confusing because it actually uses real Cyrillic characters but changes their sounds.  Instead of how they're pronounced in Russian, they have a totally different English pronunciation based on coincidental visual resemblance to some Latin character.  I can actually read a little bit of Russian so I know the actual sounds for those characters, and thus mentally applied those when trying to read the post, which made it unreadable.  But after a few lines, I figured it out and thereafter had no trouble.  But that's because I speak English and only read a tiny bit of Russian, so the joke soon became obvious.    I image, however, that it would be very difficult for a native Russian speaker to figure it out due to lifelong habits in the opposite direction.

But otherwise, good story.  The race to Duna

 

[Butterbar]

CHAPTER NINETEEN: The Last Munshot

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

CAPITAL SUN TIMES (SINCE 1845)

~ 1961, Month 1, Day 2 ~

THE LAST KERBALS ON THE MUN: MUNSHOT-6 SAFELY TOUCHES DOWN IN THE FARSIDE CRATER

WRITTEN BY JENLONG KERMAN

ABOVE: MUNSHOT-6 LANDED ON THE FARSIDE CRATER OF THE MUN.

KERMAN SPACE CENTER - THE LAST FLIGHT OF THE UNITED PROVINCIAL MUNSHOT-6 TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MUNAR SURFACE TODAY, MARKING THE EIGHTH TIME KERBALKIND HAS TRAVELLED TO THE MUN (IF ONE COUNTS THE THREE MUNA MISSIONS). DR. HENWIN KERMAN, A SPACE-SPECIALIZING PHYSICIST WHO SERVED IN THE JUPITER PROGRAM, AND MAJOR SANCEE KERMAN OF THE UNITED PROVINCIAL AIR FORCE PILOTED THEIR SMALL CRAFT ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THE MUN, EVENTUALLY LANDING ON THE FARSIDE CRATER.  WITH MUNSHOT-7, 8, AND 9 ALL CANCELLED, THE PROSPECT OF ANOTHER  PROVINCIAL EXPEDITION TO THE MUNAR SURFACE FACES AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE.

ARA PROPOSES "MUNSHOT-GENESIS INTEGRATED PROGRAM"

THE END OF THE MUNSHOT-PROGRAM COMES AT A CRUCIAL TIME FOR THE UNITED PROVINCES, WHO NOW, WITH THE REMAINING GENESIS AND MUNSHOT FLIGHTS CANCELLED INT HE BUDGETARY SQUEEZE, FACES A CROSSROADS IN SPACEFLIGHT.  WITH NEW INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH THE MUNLAB, THE AGENCY REPORTS IT'S POST-MUNSHOT PROJECTS ARE ALL ON SCHEDULE AND UNDER BUDGET.

THE ARA HAS RELEASED A TIMETABLE OF IT'S PROPOSED MILESTONES DEEMED NECESSARY FOR A EXPEDITION TO DUNA UNDER THE "VERY ADVANCED MUNSHOT-GENESIS INTEGRATED PROGRAM".  AMONG IT'S PLANS ARE A MUNAR SURFACE OUTPOST, THE CONTINUATION OF MUNLAB, THE SATURN STATION , AS WELL AS A SATELLITE NETWORK AND MANNED MISSIONS TO MINMUS.  

"WE'RE ALSO LOOKING INTO A BASE ON MINMUS", DR. LINUS KERMAN, THE SCIENCE DIRECTOR OF THE ARA, ANNOUNCED.  "EXCEPT AT THIS STAGE PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL AFTER 1970.  WHO KNOWS.  A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN TEN YEARS.  TEN YEARS AGO, I THINK KERBALS WOULD HAVE SAID WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY WAS 'IMPOSSIBLE BULL EXCREMENT'.  THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE."

 

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CAPITAL SUN TIMES (SINCE 1845)

~ 1961, Month 2, Day 15 ~

MUNLAB-1 REPORTS SUCCESSFUL DOCKING: KERBALKIND NOW A TWO-WORLD SPECIES

WRITTEN BY JENLONG KERMAN

KERMAN SPACE CENTER - GEOFFREY KERMAN, THE MISSION COMMANDER OF THE MUNLAB-1, BEGAN THE FIRST PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH KERBALKIND HAS MANNED AN OUTPOST ON ANOTHER WORLD.  MAKING HISTORY, THE THREE CREWMEMBERS - ALL SEASONED VETERANS OF THE GENESIS AND MUNSHOT PROGRAMS, BOARDED THE SPACE STATION, ACTIVATING IT'S LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND BEGINNING THEIR STAY IN MUNAR ORBIT.  NOW THOUSANDS OF KILOMETERS IN A HOME AWAY FROM HOME, THEY WILL BEGIN THEIR MISSION OF A YEAR-LONG STAY, CONDUCTING RESEARCH INTO LIVING IN INTERPLANETARY SPACE AS WELL AS STUDYING THE MUN ITSELF.

THE MUNLAB COMES EQUIPPED WITH A SHOWER, TELEVISION, RADIO, AND DINING ROOMS FOR THE THREE CREWMEMBERS.  IT IS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH A RADIO TELESCOPE AND MATERIAL SCIENCE BAY, ALLOWING IT TO PERFORM A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERIMENTS.  THE STATION IS CAPABLE OF HOSTING A CREW OF SIX AT IT'S "SURGE CAPACITY": THIS WOULD, HOWEVER, REQUIRE THE STATION TO BE RESUPPLIED EVERY SIX MONTHS INSTEAD OF THE USUAL YEAR.  SHOULD IT NEED IT, THE STATION CONTAINS A EMERGENCY ALTITUDE CONTROL SYSTEM: A SERIES OF SMALL MONOPROPELLANT THRUSTERS THAT WOULD ENABLE IT TO AVOID COLLISION OR ADJUST IT'S ORBIT WHEN NEEDED.

 TOMORROW, THE CREW WILL CONDUCT A TELEVISED BROADCAST THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, IN WHICH THEY WILL TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS CONDUCT SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS AS PART OF THE FRANK ADMINISTRATIONS "MORE YOUNG KERBALS INTO ENGINEERING" PROGRAM. 

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Edited April 9, 2016 by Butterbar

[Angelo Kerman]

Nice news reports! Love the old-look of the pictures too.

[Tangle]

On 4/5/2016 at 0:40 PM, Geschosskopf said:

Well, at first it was pretty confusing because it actually uses real Cyrillic characters but changes their sounds.  Instead of how they're pronounced in Russian, they have a totally different English pronunciation based on coincidental visual resemblance to some Latin character.  I can actually read a little bit of Russian so I know the actual sounds for those characters, and thus mentally applied those when trying to read the post, which made it unreadable.  But after a few lines, I figured it out and thereafter had no trouble.  But that's because I speak English and only read a tiny bit of Russian, so the joke soon became obvious.    I image, however, that it would be very difficult for a native Russian speaker to figure it out due to lifelong habits in the opposite direction.

But otherwise, good story.  The race to Duna

 

I agree. As someone who knows exactly four letters of Cyrillic, I reacted with disgust. The actual story's fine, though! 

[Butterbar]

CHAPTER TWENTY: Saturn Station

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The sun was setting now, casting the towering skyscrapers of New Rhondia in a eerie red glow.  Like fire, Bryan Kerman thought as he adjusted his tie.  Tonight would be his biggest moment yet, as he would have to prove himself worthy of the mantle of becoming the main news anchor of one of the largest broadcasting stations on Kerbin, the successor to the famed Walcron Kerman.  All eyes would be him, as the families of Kerbin gathered around the table for dinner and to watch the television.  Taking one last look from his glass office, he made his way into the broadcasting channel and took his position, silently nodding to the support crew as they went.  The unseen heroes of the evening news, their job was to have their effects seen, but not themselves. 

"Microphone check", called the Director.

"Microphone check all right.  Teleprompter is working fine, just make sure the script doesn't scroll too last like it did with the late night special yesterday.  I'm ready", Bryan answered confidently. 

"Three, two, one, ACTION!"

Looking towards the waiting cameras, Bryan Kerman began.

"This is the National Broadcasting Channel.  Here is the evening news for Month 7, Day 18, 1961.  Today, the last Nova-class cargo rocket lifted off from Kerman Space Center into orbit, accomplishing it's finishing the assembly of the long-coveted Space Station Saturn, the biggest space outpost ever assembled in history."

Eighty kilometers above the newsroom, the Saturn orbited Kerbin.  It's many corridors and hallways were empty, the dim blue "emergency light" making the interior station fit for a horror movie.  Now several hours old, the Saturn's computer began to follow a preset list of instructions.  The gentle hum of life-support filled the station as the lights were brightened.  Down below, the Solar Reactor module deployed, opening the panels within to face the energy of the sun.  The antenna bloomed, exposing it's timid yellow surface to space just as a butterfly tentatively makes it's way out of a cocoon.  Then once more, the Saturn computer shut off - it's only mission now was to wait.  

" Now under control of the Aeronautics Research Agency and the Air Force, the Saturn will play host to a crew of five Kerbals launched on a modified Munlab crew ferry tomorrow dubbed the "Titan", who will boost the station to a higher orbit after it's intended third stage prematurely cut due to a oxidizer leak.  With a planned circular orbit of around 200 kilometers, this station will also be around 80 kilometers higher than the Jupiter.  As of this evening, the crew is making preparations for their flight, and will continue doing so into the night, launching early tomorrow morning."

Bryan watched the teleprompter scroll down, sweat building on his forehead.  He glanced up, looking at the spotlight and technicians scurrying about in the overhead platforms.  His fingers ran down the paper copy of the script, silently gauging the amount of time he had left on screen.  

"And now, the latest update from the Sans Republic crisis, as thousands of refugees flee the Kommunist dictator Fido Kastrovly, who seized the capitol of the Sans after a hour-long gun battle yesterday..."

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Month 7, Day 19, 1961, Mid-Morning

Bob Kerman adjusted his communication headset as he watched the sun slowly fade over the curvature of Kerbin.   In his mind, he substituted the Sun for Kerbin and Kerbin for the Mun.  That was where he was around a year ago as the Munshot-2 pulled into Munar orbit.  

And now he was back in space, the newly minted Station Commander for the Saturn, the combined result of the labor of four of the greatest organizations in the Space Industry.  C7, Jedediah's Junkyard And Spaceship Parts, the ARA, and the UPAF all had a stake in the construction of a vessel that he was now to command.  A great honor, as Wernher put it.  Bob thought otherwise.

He had wanted to gain a slot with the Minmus missions or on the Munar outpost that were yet to launch ("Next year, Wernher said).  But the fates had intervened, restricting him to Kerbin orbit and dashing his dreams of once again looking upon the vast expanse of the Munar surface.   Kerbin would have to do.  There was a final flash of light over the horizon, and the spacecraft passed over to the nighttime side of the planet.  Instantaneously, the cabin lights switched on, driving away the brief moment of darkness.  

"We're going to have to perform a nighttime docking", radioed Felix Kerman almost immediately.  Bob had taken a liking to Felix almost as soon as they left the Space Center.  As a flyboy, he was clever and quick to react.  As a friend, he was loyal and reliable.  And like the rest of the five-Kerbal crew, he was a veteran of the space program.  By now, almost every Kerbonaut Bob knew had flown to the Mun.  It was like a exclusive club of the greatest explorers of the 20th century.  

"Roger that." 

The hissing of the RCS thrusters as they began to adjust the final approach to Saturn filled the cabin.  Bob tried not to look out the window, a tip he had learned from Jebediah during the Munshot-1.  Best not to get vertigo before arriving, he thought.  Picking up his notebook, he began to look down the checklist of things the crew would have to accomplish in the year and a half they had onboard.  Perform study of Cantis Minorae with radio telescope.  Unload supply shipment.  Begin orbital agriculture experiments.  Begin orbital life science experiments.  Bob tucked it away into his pocket.  Thinking about all of it like a job was making his head hurt.  Besides, he would need to get some rest on the Saturn.  The early morning launch of the rocket was taking it's mental toll. 

"We're around 86.5 kilometers and closing with the Saturn.  Currently, our closest approach will bring us an estimated 250-375 meters with the station.  I'm working to get to 200 meters, then from there we'll just comfortably dock and hop on over", Felix announced confidently.

Then, as if right on cue, the hissing of the RCS abruptly stopped, and the spacecraft began to rotate slowly.  Beside him, Neildon opened the flight computer and checked the orbital parameters.  

"Aw, crap.  That wasn't supposed to happen.", Neildon blurted out.  Bob looked over sharply.  

"Titan-1, can you confirm termination of RCS fi-"

Two seconds later, the lights flickered and went out, slicing short the words of CAPCOM.  The sound of the life-support system stopped, enveloping the spacecraft in total silence.  The lights on the control panel all flashed to red before fading to darkness, the only light inside the cabin now coming from the dim glow of the Mun or the various controls on their suits.  Noone spoke.  

"Oh, damn", Bob muttered.  

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Edited April 8, 2016 by Butterbar