Walking out of the Kradle : A post Kerpollo kommentary

[Sorabh]

Walking out of the Cradle

- A post Kerpollo Commentary

"Kerbin is the cradle of all kerbals; but kerbalkind can not remain in the cradle forever."

-Konstantin Kerman

Chapter 01

The Kerbal Space Centre, ever since its initiation, has been the symbol of ingenuity and innovation. It inspired a generation of Kerbals to invest in space travel and scientific exploration if the Kerbol system.

Perhaps the crowning achievement of KSC was the landing of a Kerbal on the Mun. This achievement set the course for Kermanity for several generations to come. Kerbals would set up orbital bases and Munar Science Outpost. They would then use the In Situ Resource Utilisation techniques to set up propellent depots on Minmus, thus opening up the entire Kerbol system for the Kerbonauts.

A quarter century after the first Mun Landing, Kerbals are still limited to Low Kerbin Orbit.

The current generation of Kerbals, unfortunately, does not consider the stars to be its objective. The lack of an inspirational agency like KSC has forced the Kerbals to live a life of mediocrity.

There are several reasons for the present situation, but perhaps the most damaging reason is the unfortunate death of Jebediah 'Jeb' Kerman, the first Kerbal to walk on the Mun.

Jebediah Kerman was on his 12th mission to the Munar Mission. He completed all of the mission objectives on that day. However the oxygen tanks of his EVA suit failed leading to rapid decompression of the suit. The brave Kerbonaut died on the Munar Surface, a few feet from the Munar Descent module.

(Pictured : Munar Descent Camera catching the moment of Jeb Kerman's demise.)

All these years later, Jeb's final words still echo today through the empty mission control rooms at KSC.

" I am finally home."

 

Edited June 1, 2017 by Sorabh

[Sorabh]

Walking out of the Cradle

- A post Kerpollo Commentary

Chapter 02

"For the Kerbal Space Mission to develop, we need Kerbals who can look beyond their lifetimes and politicians who can look beyond the next election cycle."

-One of the very few supporters of the KSC

The pictures of Jeb's last stand against the universe and his last words were leaked to certain media outlets. In an attempt to undermine the KSC for losing one of Kermanity's heroes, the media endlessly lamented the KSC for their lackadaisical approach to space travel.

"Space travel has never been routine; KSC should stop pretending that it is"
-KNN

"This incident tells us that zero gravity is no fairy land. It is a harsh world where even a slight miscalculation can end your life."
-Kloomberg News

Instead of gallivanting in space and wasting our resources on such frivolous activities, kermanity should focus on Kerbin."
-Kox News

The bombardment of negativity by the media and the inability of KSC to respond immediately and effectively to the situation maligned its name. Soon the Kongress stepped in and forced several budget cuts on KSC and the ultimate cancellation of the Extended Kerpollo Program. The fact that Jeb's corpse was still lying on the Mun did not help PR at all.

Due to continuous budget cuts, KSC was forced to rely heavily on probes and rovers. Not only did it calm down the public but reduce the operating costs of KSC.

(Pictured : Eve Upper Atmosphere Observer.)

(Pictured : Duna Prospector. This can be considered the last gasp of KSC)

 

Which in turn prompted the Kongress for even more budget cuts.

This soon became a trend. KSC was often used as a scapegoat for the various problems existing on Kerbin.

"We have the problem of pollution on Kerbin. KSC rockets and their hazardous exhaust fumes are the main reason"

"Vaccination makes kerbals autistic. Funds should be allocated to studies on the vaccination process instead of wasting it on a space program."

"The KSC is a vile institution which is forcing kerbals to think that Kerbin is a sphere. It is and always has been flat."

"Did we even land on the Mun? Some believe it was a scam by the renowned con artist Wernher Von Kerman."

"I am going to build a wall all around KSC and make the scientists pay for it. MAKE KERBIN GREAT AGAIN."

Such statements soon became commonplace. As the demands for disbanding the KSC grew louder, the government had no choice but to merge the space program with the Department of Defense, where the scientists spent their time developing ICBMs for bombs which may never be used.

(Pictured: The Hammer of Justice, the first in a series of missiles developed by the KSC scientists in order to continue being relevant in the Kerbal society)

However in all of this clamor a certain young man was forgotten.

That young man was Jebediah Kerman Jr., Jeb Kerman's orphaned son. He had the misfortune of watching his father's last moments live at the tender age of eight.
After the dust had settled, only one thought circled his mind, "Whats out there that took away my father? And why did he call it 'home'?"

The next few chapters will deal with Jeb Jr.'s struggles as he develops the Second KSC from scratch.

[Sorabh]

Walking out of the Cradle

- A post Kerpollo Commentary

"Its Kerbal nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice, it's an imperative."

-Michael Kollins

Jeb Jr. was a prodigy, period. He had a brilliant mind and a solid business model which made him the first kerbal with personal assets greater than 100,000 funds. At the age of 18, when most Kerbals start dreaming, Jeb Jr. had already sold his company for 300,000 funds. He could spend the rest of his life like a king.

But Jeb had other plans.

He wanted to go to space.

Naturally everyone on Kerbin was offended by this.

The following is an excerpt from Jeb's interview with Scott Kekkey, the famous ProKerbin reporter who played an important role in the downfall of KSC.

Scott Kekkey: Mr. Jeb, why would you want to develop a space program?

Jeb Jr.: It's simple. I find space very lucrative. As a businessman I believe I can profit a lot from space. But that is the secondary goal. The primary goal is to advance Kerbalkind's understanding of different celestial bodies.

S K: But isn't the military doing enough outer space missions ?

J J: Yeah but none are aimed at scientific knowledge or profits. Its all about developing weapons and military hardware in Low Kerbin Orbit.

S K: You do realist that your father died in space? Why would you want to give up a comfortable life in Kerbin to explore the void?

J J: I want to see it for myself. I want to fully understand the meanings of my father's final words.

Jeb Jr was criticized for trying to go to space. The arguments which led to the closure of KSC nearly a decade ago were once again put forward. Nearly every opinion poll claimed that he will fail miserably.

However he was not dissuaded. He requested the Department of Defense to allow him to launch their military payloads.The military demanded that he first develop a launch vehicle for lifting 1000 Kg of payloads to orbit and demonstrate its abilities

Jeb Jr. and his team was going to be very busy for quite some time.