Through Hardships to the Stars [Chapter 32 - Something Big II]

[KAL 9000]

24 minutes ago, TheEpicSquared said:

@KAL 9000 Is it ok if I add another test flight, an unkerballed full mission to Duna and back? You could decide the name for the fourth ITS.  

Yes, that sounds good. 

HEY, GUS! I NEED YOUR TEAM TO BUILD ANOTHER ITS, PLEASE! 

ITS-T04 (ITS-Test 04): Nickname: Krakenbait. Mission objective: Minimum crew (no probe core) mission to Duna and back (first Kerbals on Duna in this save YEA!!!). Will need ISRU unit or fuel tanker prepositioned on Duna.

[TheEpicSquared]

I've updated the Grand Plan yet again!

PRESENT DAY:

• Reusable Space Transportation System (RSTS) development
• Gilly Elcano mission rover development
• Kerballed Gilly Mission using Brumby Mk2.5 CSM (Gilly Ex-1)
• SpaceLab Botany Module (BM) launch
• Kerballed Mun Mission using Brumby Mk2 CSM & Kondor Lander (Mun Ex-2)
• Kerballed Minmus Mission using Brumby CSM & Kondor Lander (Minmus Ex-1)
• Sightseer Space Telescope (SST) launch
• Gamma Ray Observational Space Telescope (GROST) launch
• Nuclear Propulsion Test Demonstrator (NPTD) launch
• Duna Orbital Vehicle (DOV) tests in LKO
• Duna Descent/Landing/Ascent Vehicle (DDLAV) tests in LKO
• JAI/SpaceY ITS-Test-01 (Ugly Duckling)
• JAI/SpaceY ITS-Test-02 (Hunk of Junk)
• JAI/SpaceY ITS-Test-03 (Bill's Worst Nightmare)

 

DUNA TRANSFER WINDOW 1 START:

• Duna Polar Reconnaissance Orbiter (DPRO) launch
• Duna Kuriosity rover launch
• Duna Opportunity rover launch
• Duna Polar Resource Scanning Satellite (DPRSS) launch
• Duna ISRU Proof of Concept rover launch
• Duna ComSat network launch
• Duna Sample Return Mission (DSRM) launch
• Ike Polar Resource Scanning Satellite (IPRSS) launch
• Ike ComSat network
• Ike Spirit rover launch

DUNA TRANSFER WINDOW 1 END

 

KERBIN RETURN WINDOW 1 START:

• Duna Sample Return Mission (DSRM) return to Kerbin
• SL Ex-2 return
• SL Ex-3 launch using Brumby CSM
• SL Ex-4 launch using Brumby CSM
• Kerballed Mun Mission using Brumby Mk2 CSM & Kondor Lander (Mun Ex-3)
• Kerballed Minmus Mission using Brumby Mk2 CSM & Kondor Lander (Minmus Ex-2)
• Kerballed Gilly Mission using Brumby Mk2.5 CSM (Gilly Ex-2)
• SL Ex-3 return
• SL Ex-5 launch using Brumby CSM
• SL Ex-4 return
• SL Ex-5 return
• SL Ex-6 launch using RSTS
• Duna-Ike Shuttle System (DISS) LKO tests

KERBIN RETURN WINDOW 1 END

 

DUNA TRANSFER WINDOW 2 START:

• DOV + DDLAV unkerballed full mission to Duna launch
• Duna Base 1 Habitat Module launch
• Duna ISRU Vehicle launch
• DISS launch

DUNA TRANSFER WINDOW 2 END

 

KERBIN TRANSFER WINDOW 2 START:

• DOV + DDLAV unkerballed full mission to Duna return
• Traveller 1 probe to Jool
• Traveller 2 probe to Sarnus
• Voyager 1 probe on escape trajectory out of Kerbol system
• Voyager 2 probe on escape trajectory out of Kerbol system
• Eve 1 orbiter + lander to Eve
• Moho 1 orbiter + lander to Moho
• Dres 1 orbiter + lander to Moho

KERBIN TRANSFER WINDOW 2 END

 

DUNA TRANSFER WINDOW 3 START:

• Pioneer 1, first kerballed mission to Duna using DOV + DDLAV
• Pioneer 2, second kerballed mission to Duna, first kerballed mission to Ike using DOV + DDLAV + DISS
• Pioneer 3, third kerballed mission to Duna, second kerballed mission to Ike using DOV + DDLAV + DISS
• JAI/SpaceY ITS-Test-04 (Krakenbait), fourth kerballed mission to Duna using ITS
• Pioneer 4, fifth kerballed mission to Duna, third kerballed mission to Ike using DOV + DDLAV + DISS

 

 

Oh, and the next chapter is going to be really long, so it'll probably be about a week before it's out. If all goes well, it will consist of Gilly Ex-1, DOV and DDLAV LKO tests, SST, GROST, NPDT, Mun Ex-2 and Minmus Ex-1.

All the acronyms I'm using can all be found in the Grand Plan.  

 

[KAL 9000]

We should be ready to launch the Krakenbait by Duna Transfer Window 1 if it can do its mission at the same time as Bill's Worst Nightmare, which should be reasonable. Also, reroute Hunk of Junk to Gilly, it should be able to do it without ISRU, decreasing costs and time. We need to get Heart of Gold and Starship Bistromath to Duna as soon as possible, to help save Kerbalkind.

[Kosmonaut]

This thread is on an exponential climb in creativity.. although one request- please don't make the aliens too cliche. 

[martinjh999]

Do I spy a Douglas Adams fan in the audience? @KAL 9000

 

[KAL 9000]

1 hour ago, martinjh999 said:

Do I spy a Douglas Adams fan in the audience? @KAL 9000

 

Yes... but Elon Musk said the first real ITS might be named Heart of Gold, so I'm excused

[TheEpicSquared]

@Kosmonaut Don't worry, I wont.  

Edited November 30, 2016 by TheEpicSquared

[TheEpicSquared]

Update: I've finished the screenshots for GROST and NPTD, so a chapter should be out by Tuesday.  

[Kosmonaut]

Wonderful news

yeeah

[Garrett Kerman]

On 11/29/2016 at 1:54 PM, KAL 9000 said:

Krakenbait

That's what I call my polar scansats (because they have never failed to summon the Kraken. Gotta love part clipping).

@TheEpicSquared I love this story! Keep up the good work!

[TheEpicSquared]

The next chapter will take a while to write, since the Imgur album for this is a ridiculous 122 pictures!! So chapter 21 will be out either today or tomorrow, depending on how much free time I have  

[TheEpicSquared]

Ignore this post.

Edited December 7, 2016 by TheEpicSquared

[TheEpicSquared]

CHAPTER 21: GETTING STUFF DONE

Lodfurt, head of Celestial Tracking, ran into Hardfield's office without even knocking. Hardfield looked up, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Lodfurt silently handed him a picure.

Hardfield whispered, "Gilly's moved..."

Lodfurt just nodded silently.

"How could move?" Hardfield asked, "It can't have been affected by the Mun's gravity, can it?"

Lodfurt replied, "That's a definite no. The Mun's gravity well doesn't extend that far, and even if it did, it would throw Gilly into an even more elliptical orbit than it already was. But now, its orbit is perfectly circular and perfectly equatorial. I don't see how that could be done!"

"Perfectly circular?"

"The apoapsis and periapsis differ by less than a meter. It's more circular than KEOSAT-1!"

"Have any of our satellites been affected?"

"No, their orbits remain unchanged. Which is a good thing, I suppose..." Lodfurt trailed off.

"We'll have to investigate," Hardfield replied.

"I guess I could get Oliver at R&D to design another lander," Lodfurt said.

"No. What we need... is a kerballed mission."

A short pause followed, and then Hardfield exclaimed, "Initiate Project Gilly!"

 

***

 

However, before Project Gilly could get started, another mission had been planned. Or rather, a mission and a static fire. The engine tested would be the revolutionary new nuclear engine, the LV-N "Nerv" Atomic Rocket Motor. The engineers just called it the Nerv.

The Nerv was a low thrust, high efficiency engine that only consumed liquid fuel, not needing oxidizer to operate. The finely refined prototype was mounted onto a test stand in the VAB.

It was rolled out to the launchpad for its test fire at dawn.

A few minutes followed with the engineers completing checklists, and then the Nerv was ready to fire.

Oliver Kerman, head of R&D, announced,

"T-10 minutes to ignition...

T-5 minutes, all systems nominal at this time...

T-1 minute, tank fully pressurized...

T-30 seconds, control has been handed over to the komputer...

T-10 seeconds, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, ignition sequence start, 3, 2, 1, 0 and we have ignition of the LV-N 'Nerv' Atomic Rocket Motor!"

The nozzle spewed out a plume of reddish exhaust.

"Throttle is good, thrust is at 50%, tank pressure is good, Nerv is good," said an engineer as she read off her screen.

"Confirmed, we are go for max throttle," replied another engineer.

The Nerv engine throttled up to 100% and the exhaust plume grew bigger.

3 minutes later, the engine shut off and water sprayed onto the entire assembly to cool it down. The test was a complete success.

Howevre, the engine had yet to be tested in space. That would be the job of the next mission. The satellite, equipped with a Nerv, would attempt to insert itself into keostationary orbit around Kerbin. The satellite itself was fairly simple, just a pair of RTGs and radiators, a dish and the propulsion system.

As usual, the launch vehicle selected was the Cormorant A-0.

It launched at dawn the next day.

The gravity turn was the usual and the rocket stayed close to prograde for the first part of the flight.

Less than a minute and a half into flight, the Mainsail had pushed the rocket above 17 kilometers.

Just a few moments later, the first stage separated from the second, and the Skipper ignited.

The rocket then accelerated horizontally.

Once an in-space apoapsis was established, the engine shut off and high in the atmosphere, the fairing separated.

At apoapsis, the engine activated once again to 

A few orbits later, the Skipper ignited once again to raise the apoapsis to keostationary altitude.

The apoapsis was just short of keostationary when the Skipper engine shut down as planned. The Nerv would complete the rest of the burn.

Then, the Nuclear Proplusion Test Demonstrator (NPTD) separated from the second stage.

At apoapsis, the Nerv engine re-ignited to place it in a roughly keostationary orbit.

[Does anyone else have this problem, where the exhaust plume doesn't show up??]

The burn was painfully slow.

4 days and numerous course corrections later, NPTD was in keostationary orbit. 

The radiators extended and the satellite began to relay signals back and forth.

 

***

 

The next mission was the Gamma Ray Observational Space Telescope (GROST). It was a big and bulky satellite, and its intended orbit was between the Mun and Minmus, to enable it to look out for gamma rays.

It was attached to the Kerbol Light.

It was the middle of the day when it was rolled out to the launchpad.

Launch occured a few minutes later.

A small software glitch caused the gravity turn to be initiated early, but the mission was not jeopardized by the early gravity turn, so the rocket continued.

At 20 kilometers, the second stage separated and the upper stage Penguin vacuum engine ignited.

Soon the rocket was accelerating horizontally. 

High in the atmosphere, the fairing separated.

The Penguin then reignited to place the spacecraft into its preliminary parking orbit.

A Moho transit was visible as Kerbol set below Kerbin's horizon.

A few minutes later, the engine started up to complete the transfer maneuver, to place the apoapsis between the Mun and Minmus.

At apoapsis, the engine was activated once again to circularize the orbit.

GROST then separated from the second stage.

The solar panels deployed and the space telescope began its mission. 

Meanwhile, the second stage deorbited itself with one final burst of the engine.

The stage entered the atmosphere at over 3.5 km/s, making it the fastest man-made object ever to re-enter Kerbin's atmosphere.

Only the decoupler survived the fiery re-entry, and proceeded to fall towards the ocean.

The decoupler even survived the impact, and was retrieved for analysis.

With the GROST mission successful, it was time for Project Gilly.

The extremely low gravity of Gilly meant that a CSM+lander combination was not necessary. Instead, the CSM would double as the lander. And so the Brumby Mk2.5 CSM was created.

It was basically the Mk2 CSM used for the Mun missions, except with landing legs.

Due to the low dV needed for the trip, the Mk2.5 CSM was mounted onto the Cormorant A-0, instead of the Kerbol Light. The Cormorant was proving to be more versatile than anyone thought.

Jedgar and Mitmon were chosen to be the crew for this mission, Gilly Ex-1.

The launch was at night.

At the predetermined time, the Mainsail ignited and the launch clamps released, allowing the rocket to slowly rise into the sky.

The gravity turn started almost immediately.

The launch camera captured a nice shot of the rocket as it ascended.

Less than 2 minutes after launch, the second stage ignited.

As the spacecraft gained altitude, it followed prograde.

The gravity turn was the best one so far. It was so accurate a periapsis was also established.

Orbital insertion only required 83m/s of additional velocity.

Once the spacecraft reached space, the interstage fairing was detached.

This revealed the landing legs and the solar panel covers.

Then, the Brumby Mk2.5 separated from the second stage. It would insert itself into orbit, while the second stage would re-enter and burn up.

At apoapsis, the aerospike ignited and inserted the craft into orbit.

[Once again, the plume doesn't show up.]

The burn was nominal and soon a stable orbit was achieved.

Then, the solar panels deployed.

 An encounter with Gilly was planned:

And then the maneuver was carried out.

Soon, Gilly's silhouette could be seen.

The spacecraft decelerated into orbit easily.

Then, the miniscule orbital velocity was canceled out.

The craft extended its landing legs and faced retrograde as Kerbin and the Mun could be seen in above the horizon.

As the craft descended, boulders could be seen.

200 meters above the surface, the RCS thrusters came online and slowed the Brumby as it crept closer to the surface.

t took an incredibly long time for the spacecraft to descend.

A quick puff of the RCS all but canceled out the vertical speed.

At this point, gravity was allowed to pull the craft to the surface.

The landing was so soft that the flight komputer didn't recognize the impact. The RCS had to be used to push the Brumby into the ground, to make the komputer realize that they were in fact landed.

When the craft finally settled, a picture was taken, showing Brumby, Kerbin and the Mun. 

Then, Jedgar Kerman exited the capsule to become the first kerbal to step on the surface of Gilly.

After a few surface experiments, Mitmon eagerly joined Jedgar, and a flag was planted.

Then, some fun was had with the EVA packs. 

Mitmon laughed and radioed, "Missoin Control, this is Mitmon, do I have permission to enter Low Gilly Orbit with my EVA pack?"

Hardfield chuckled and replied, "No! That is a negative, I repeat, negative. You are not to enter orbit, Mitmon!"

After some surface samples were collected, the intrepid crew boarded the vessel and used the RCS to ascend.

Jedgar snapped a picture of Gilly's surface.

And the RCS kept pushing the vessel upwards.

Less than a minute later, orbit had been achieved.

Some quick EVAs were also conducted.

When the time came, a quick fire of the aerospike put the vessel back into Kerbin orbit. 

At apoapsis, the aerospike fired up to lower the periapsis to 99 kilometers.

[Plume still isn't showing for some reason.]

Another burn was conducted at periapsis to brake into LKO.

Then, the aerospike ignited one final time to put Jedgar and Mitmon onto a suborbital trajectory.

Just before hitting the atmosphere, the service module separated from the command module.

Re-entry was the usual fare, and the inside cabin didn't even get warm as superheated plasma licked around the side of the capsule.

Eventually, the speed decreased and the flames disappeared.

All 3 chutes opened on schedule.

And soon, Jedgar and Mitmon Kerman were safely on the ground.

 

***

 

With Gilly Ex-1 complete, the Kerbal Space Program could finally focus on the development of the Duna mission architecture.

Edited December 8, 2016 by TheEpicSquared

[The Raging Sandwich]

Nice chapter!

As for the plume problem, I'm guessing it has to do with the mods you have installed.

[Angelo Kerman]

Very nice! Hopefully the crew got some good samples of Gilly so they can find out how it suddenly appeared in Kerbin orbit.

[TheEpicSquared]

35 minutes ago, The Raging Sandwich said:

Nice chapter!

As for the plume problem, I'm guessing it has to do with the mods you have installed.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it has to do with RealPlume.

32 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

Very nice! Hopefully the crew got some good samples of Gilly so they can find out how it suddenly appeared in Kerbin orbit.

Thanks! And don't worry, they'll find some very surprising things in those samples...  

[KAL 9000]

Hunk Of Junk has been attached to its launch vehicle and has been delivered to @TheEpicSquared's VAB. Go/No Go for mounting on the Crawler and transport to the launch pad? All systems are checked and GO for launch to Gilly.

[Garrett Kerman]

You doubled up on the first part of the story.

[TheEpicSquared]

8 hours ago, Garrett Kerman said:

You doubled up on the first part of the story.

Whoops. It's fixed now, thanks for pointing that out  

[KAL 9000]

Is this dead?

[TheEpicSquared]

29 minutes ago, KAL 9000 said:

Is this dead?

Most certainly not! I'm just finishing up the DOV/DDLAV vehicles, and then the next chapter should be up.  

[TheEpicSquared]

Due to excessive schoolwork () the next chapter will be fairly short and will not have any screenshots, due to me simply not having enough time to play KSP. Also, the next chapter will not include any rocketry, but instead will serve as a little narrative to enhance the story.  

Also, should I put following chapters in spoilers? I know that with slow internet connections, the screen tends to keep on jumping down as pictures load. Should I put chapters in spoilers?  

Edited December 13, 2016 by TheEpicSquared

[DarkOwl57]

2 minutes ago, TheEpicSquared said:

Due to excessive schoolwork () the next chapter will be fairly short and will not have any screenshots, due to me simply not having enough time to play KSP. Also, the next chapter will not include any rocketry, but instead will serve as a little plot twist which will help enhance the story. It should be out later today or tomorrow.  

Also, should I put following chapters in spoilers? I know that with slow internet connections, the screen tends to keep on jumping down as pictures load. Should I put chapters in spoilers?  

Let me guess the plot twist..... The Program must move everyone to Duna to save themselves from something or another?

[TheEpicSquared]

7 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

Let me guess the plot twist..... The Program must move everyone to Duna to save themselves from something or another?

Not really... in fact it's not really a plot twist. I just couldn't think up another word.  

[TheEpicSquared]

CHAPTER 22: THE HYBRIDIUM 

Caldos Kerman was the head of Kerbin World Airlines, the dominant superpower in herding kerbals around Kerbin in tin cans flying through the air. Currently, he was at the Kerman Lake airport, waiting for his connecting flight to the Kerbal Space Center.

He was heading for a meeting with Hardfield about the possibility of using suborbital space capsules as a form of mass transport. He was sure that the ordinary kerbal would pay good money for a chance to travel into space, and reach faraway destinations in a fraction of the current time.

Caldos had arrived at the Kerman Lake airport from the South Pole Station, where he was staying as he was looking for a good location for an airport. 

The PA system announced, "Kerbin World Airlines flight 556 to KSC is ready for boarding at gate A-23, I repeat, KWA-556, boarding at gate A-23."

Caldos sighed and got up from the uncomfortable plastic chair and followed the bright yellow-and-black to gate A-23. Through the giant windows, the shiny new Kossak K-200 that was KWA-556 was surrounded by maintenance staff, who appeared to be huddling around the tip of the right wing. A luggage car, loaded up with bags, approached the rear of the plane and unloaded its cargo into the hold. 

Just another day at the airport, Caldos thought. As he absentmindedly showed his ticket to the security officer and passed into the jetway, he couldn't help thinking of his early career, when he himself was a pilot of the old propeller planes that always were so loud and lively places to be in.

His fantasies were gone in an instant when he stepped out of the warm and stuffy jetway into the nice cool air-conditioned air of the K-200 cabin. He found seat 10D and strapped himself in as he looked at the huddle of kerbals sealing up a dent in the wing with aluminium tape. A few minutes later, everyone else had boarded and the repairs were complete, and so the plane taxied to the runway. A few seconds later, the engines roared and the K-200 started to speed down the runway. It only took roughly 30 seconds for it to reach takeoff speed and rotate. Then, it was airborne.

The flight was uneventful for the most part, and some time later it was nearing the KSC. Caldos looked out the right wing. Nothing special outside the window, just the clouds far below. 

Then, a movement caught his eye. The aluminium tape had partially peeled off and was now flapping in the wind! However, this was quickly forgotten as another object came into view. Caldos had never seen anything like it. 

The object was flying just a bit above the right wing, and closing in fast. It was completely grey and appeared to be a perfect cube! How's it flying? There's no source of propulsion! Caldos thought, astonished. Before he could do or say anything, the cube silently turned towards Caldos, exposing what must have been the front windshield of the object. Inside, at the controls, was a... creature. A humanoid, but with an astonishingly big head and pure black eyes. Caldos quickly snapped a picture with his phone. 

Then, the plane passed through a cloud. When it was back in open sky, the flying object was gone. Caldos leaned back in his seat, breathless at what he had seen.

Then, a voice, distorted but amazingly clear at the same time, emerged in his head. "Hello Caldos... we are not here to to harm you. Do not be scared." Then, the voice became distorted and unclear. "We do not *static* hurt you. We *static* want *static* help you. We are *static* friends. *static* want to cooperate."

"But we first need to test you. Your *static* set of skills. Get ready."

The voice in Caldos's head fell silent. And then the aluminium tape on the wing ripped cleanly off and instantly severed the hydraulic pipes. Shards from the pipes ripped a hole through the fuselage and suddenly everything was being sucked towards the hole in the cabin. Caldos instantly realized the severity of the situation. Without hydraulics, the control surfaces didn't work. Without pressure, the plane would need to descend quickly to allow breathing to be possible. With no working control surfaces working, that would be a bit difficult.

Caldos could barely hear himself think over the noise and chaos in the cabin. But through all the commotion, one thought could be heard, clear as day.

"We are the Hybridium"

 

***