Space Bus Duna Rover.....2 More than one way to do this, but this was fun for me.

[aleis]

This is my first mission report so please bare with me

So Mission was deliver a rover to Duna with a large set of requirements.

Some complications where immediately evident Mainly I'm not a great inventor when it comes to efficient design or flight which makes for interesting craft.

So I created the "Space Bus Duna Rover....2" #1 was scrapped in initial testing on the launch pad.

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For this historic mission there was much debate as to which kerbonaut shall be the pilot. The greatest Mission planners created grueling competitions, and a cut throat review board ready to ensure only the most worthy off all Kerbals was selected. All of which was promptly dispensed with when Cerly Kerman from Accounts Payable, getting herself a cup of water at the fountain, mentioned that all current pilots were on mission.

What tragedy that such an undertaking could be lost simply because of so much other greatness in action. However all was not lost, for at that very moment a hero had arrived. Obler Kerman, resume in hand, standing between a fire extinguisher and the least imposing photo of a great kerbonaut spoke up asking a passing worker where the recruitment office was.

And thus the mission could begin.........

Obler: "KSP control, this is Obler, I have seperation of Stage 1 Kickers beginning rotation for circularization"

Control: "Roger that Obler everything looks good from here

Obler: "Oh by the way, those Kickback SRB's came pretty close to clipping my main engines when they separated did the seperatrons not fire?"

Control: "Ummmm...yea....we had to remove those before launch turns out the engineers forgot about the weight limit on the crawler that delivers the craft to the launch pad."

Obler: "Wait, the engineers didn't take that into account so you just ripped them off to make room! with out even testing it!"

Control: "Roger that Obler let us know when you separate for transfer"

Obler: "Beginning transfer burn, Might be a little lonely up here but at least you guys designed this with plenty of space."

Control; "Well initial plan was to have 14 kerbonauts but by the time we admitted we couldn't figure out how to get a return vessel to handle that many, the main rover was already built."

Obler: "Exactly how much of this actual mission isn't how it was initially designed?"

Control "Roger that Obler, let us no when you start your capture burn at Duna. We are all praying for your safe return"

Obler: "Oooooo pretty lights"

Control: "............"

Obler: "Hmm must be messing with coms I'll try again when I clear the other side of the atmosphere"

Obler: "Firing engines for capture, was able to get a good bit speed bled off by using the atmosphere a little"

Control: "Well done Obler, looks good from here, if you could though get yourself into a little more of a polar orbit? Macvin won the last poker night and would like to get some survey sats deployed in that orbit, and they don't have enough fuel to make that big of a correction themselves"

Obler: "Is my mission plan being dictated by the outcome of a POKER GAME!"

Control: "Roger that Obler, keep us updated"

To be continued

[aleis]

Space Bus Duna Rover.....2 continues

Obler: "Control this is Obler, Separation from transfer stage and decent to the surface is proceeding smoothly. The parachutes did a great job with leveling the rover out on this last bit. I'm about to fire the "Low Altitude Whiplash Negating Descent Arresting Rocket Thruster" System." Is there any way you could have made that anymore complicated?"

Control: Roger that Obler, activate L.A.W.N.D.A.R.T. system when ready. Oh and I just got informed the firmware upgrade just got sent to you and...lets see here Vandel says you have to activate RCS+SAS and flip your control selection switch to "Rover mode" to keep it level on the landing."

Obler: "WAIT WHAT...I'm 30sec. from ..... *mumble*....*click..flip*....*%@#!&*.......Controls set activating Low Altitude Whip....did you call this the lawn dart system?"

Control: "Roger that Obler, see you on the ground"

Duna Space Bus Probe: "Orbital parameters within limits

Duna Space Bus Probe: "Launching secondary communications satellite

Duna Space Bus Probe: "Launching surface sample probe

Duna Space Bus Probe: "Ready to receive signal from assent rocket

Duna Space Bus Probe *internal systems log; Insufficient solar input Entering hibernation mode*

Oblers Log: -Duna Surface- *Set up shop and ran experiments for a number of days wasn't able to send many personal communications back to KSP Control as all bandwidth and power was being used to process the findings. Photos taken, time stamped and archived for mission debrief on return.*

To be continued......

- - - Updated - - -

Space Bus Duna Rover.....2continues

Obler: "Control this is Obler, prepping assent module for take off......I don't see any parachutes"

Control: "The assent module is just for rendezvous with the transfer stage and get you back to Kerbal"

Obler: "I'm supposed to return in this tiny thing. All way back that's....that's.......at least 3 months depending on transfer windows!.... .wait even so how am I supposed to LAND!"

Control: "Roger that Obler, 3 months until parachutes issue needs resolution"

Oblers Log: -Launch from Duna- *launch and rendezvous were pretty intensive for concentration and I didn't activate the coms before launch so this section is preserved for archive*

Oblers Log: -Launch from Duna- *The probe core on the transfer stage died in the shadow of Duna where the rendevous linked up so it couldn't tell it to realease and auto dock to the assent module with it's RCS system. So I had to dock by hand using only main engines on the module.*

Oblers Log: -Launch from Duna- *transferred all remaining Fuel into the one tank and decoupling the engine I'll ride back to Kerbin*

Oblers Log: -Launch from Duna- *Upside down for the entire burn to Kerbin in this tiny capsule....this isn't going to be fun*

Space Bus Duna Rover.....2 continues

Edited July 20, 2015 by aleis

[Geschosskopf]

This is quite an amazing mission. Very innovative. Love the dialog, too. "L.A.W.N.D.A.R.T" sounds like it could be in my fleet

[Bev7787]

The titles belfr each post sound like a TV show. Got me hooked

[aleis]

Space Bus Duna Rover.....2 continues

*Some where in the Kerbal system a tiny pod drifts on a predestined route, with it's only passenger trapped with hardly any room to move. But soon his journey will end for all destinies come to a conclusion.*

Obler: "......*snore*....."

Obler's Pod: Maneuver approaching

Obler: "......*snore*....."

Obler's Pod: Maneuver approaching

Obler: "....mmmm nu*mumble mumble*...."

Obler's Pod: Maneuver imminent

Obler: ".....*snore*..."

Onler's Pod: *BEEP* "Fire thrusters now* *BEEP*

Obler: "*Snorf* *Thump* GAH.....OWW!...huh what..I'm awake mom!"

Onler's Pod: *BEEP* "Fire thrusters now* *BEEP*

Obler: "Thrusters!....I ALMOST HOME!"

Onler's Pod: *BEEP* "Fire thrusters now* *BEEP*

Obler: "OK OK!, Let's see...check heading..a little to the left....and Fire thrusters!"

Obler "KSP Control, this is Obler, I'm beginning burn to capture around Kerbin"

Control: "We've got you tracking steady on radar Obler."

Obler: "You know, I haven't heard any answer to the, no parachutes problem"

Control: "We have a couple of ideas, but it really depends on your transit path through system when you run out of fuel"

Obler: "RUN OUT OF FUEL! I don't even have enough fuel for capture!?"

Control: "Roger that Obler"

Obler: "OK..OK....don't panic....Don't panic.....I'm just out of fuel for the engine, I'm on an exit trajectory, and I'm going to get just close enough to Kerbin, to see the weather over my home town, before I head out system."

Obler: "What do I do. What do I do.....wait no......I would panic......I need to know, What would Jeb do!"

Obler: "Let's see Jeb would.....Add more boosters!.....no can't do that, don't have any.....Explosions!....ummm probably not the most helpful of his strategies, and I'm out of Liquid fuel.....Get out and push?....maybe....*Scribble scribble* *Crumple* not enough Mono-prop in the suit to......Mono-propellant! I had to dock to the transfer engine with mains because the probe died. It's control thrusters should have enough to get my periapsis down to the atmosphere and then drag can do the rest!"

Obler: "Control, You work on getting me a parachute I'm coming home!"

To be continued

Edited July 24, 2015 by aleis

[Mister Dilsby]

"Roger that, Obler."

[RAINCRAFTER]

This is tense, nice read. Rep'd.

[Geschosskopf]

C'mon Obler, you can do it

[aleis]

Post intrurrupted due to real life, didn't want to delete it all if you don't want to spoil the update don't read

Space Bus Duna Rover 2....Continues

Obler's Log: Pushed my trajectory down into the atmosphere with most of the remaining mono-propellant, left a little in the tanks to hopefully bring it back out again once I'm down.

Obler: "Control this is Obler, coming in for my first pass hoping an aero capture works."

Control: "It looks good, according to the radar. We ran the numbers you'll capture on the first pass, but it might get a little warm in the pod."