The Moderation Nation Space Program

[peteletroll]

Yes @Vanamonde, the probes are asymmetrical - I like it

[Vanamonde]

Harrumph. 

[KerballingSmasher]

On 9/28/2020 at 5:15 PM, peteletroll said:

Yes @Vanamonde, the probes are asymmetrical - I like it

So long as it has a nice CoM, I'm good XD

[Vanamonde]

Surprise! Progress! 

I took the station Noobton put in Mun orbit like 100 years ago and added a module which includes an engine, fuel storage, a remote operating core, and science instruments we did not have access to when the station was placed. 

 
 

It is now chewing on science to add to the sum of Kerbal knowledge. 

And since I can't nag these wet blankets into participating, I might do more. 

[Dman979]

Some users might be confused why our updates take months to post. As moderators, we enjoy playing in a hardcore mode. Each update is done without the benefit of time compression.

[Spaceman.Spiff]

57 minutes ago, Dman979 said:

time compression

Well that is an epic gamer move. 

Edited March 9, 2021 by Spaceman.Spiff

[Vanamonde]

Also, a lie. We're just lazy. 

[Dman979]

17 minutes ago, Vanamonde said:

Also, a joke. We're just awesome. 

FTFY.

[Vanamonde]

And as long as I already had made the science module, I added one to our Kerbin station. 

[Vanamonde]

Adventures in Crew Rotation! 

So after docking the science module to the station above, I found that the lab could not function because there was just the one scientist aboard. Time to fly up another, but poor Chadfal had been up there for over a game decade already, so why not bring him back while visiting? So I made the crew rotation ship SamRalph and flew it up there. 
 

But when I arrived I discovered that some nitwit had put RCS thrusters on the ship but not RCS fuel, so it was time to put on my big Kerbal pants and dock using main engine burns. Which I did. 

However, for some reason the game wouldn't let me transfer the guys directly, so it was time to EVA two kerbs in and one out. 
 

After that the return was fairly routine, except when the RCS thrusters decided to detach and escort the craft down like dolphins around a ship. 
 

Fully crewed at last, the station took some science readings and is currently chewing on them. 

And now my watch has ended. 

[Deddly]

Wow, the Moderation Nation Observation Station is finally looking like an actual Station!

[18Watt]

As a recent addition to the moderation team, I thought I'd take a look at this adventure.  A brief conversation with the Kerbal business department revealed this:

Spoiler

The program currently has nine open contracts!  Yikes!  Let's see if we can knock one or two of them out with a quick launch.  Hmm.  

• I think I'll send a crew up to Plant Flag on Mun.  
• While they're out in space, they can gather Science from space around Kerbin.
• Might as well Rescue Nebald from orbit of Mun while we're in that neighborhood anyway.  
• Depending on our fuel status, we might swing by Minmus to gather Science from that CB too.

I think we can knock out three old contracts on this flight.  Maybe even a fourth one too, depending on our fuel status.  

So let's get started.

Spoiler

Here's the rocket in the warehouse.  It's an expensive launch ($52K), but a lot of the expensive stuff is science experiments, which will be recovered.  I hope.  The capsule holds 2 crew, but I'm only launching one Kerbal, leaving room to rescue Nebald from orbit of Mun.  I included RCS and a small docking port, in order to potentially dock with the Moderation Nation Space Station.  Sadly, there are no small docking ports on the station, so that isn't going to work.  I did consider adding a small port to the station, but ended up not doing that.

Launch was from the KSC pad.

Climbing out, starting to turn eastward.

SRB's are dropped after they expend their fuel.

Patvan on EVA in LKO, to inspect some of the sciency bits.

Next, I'll take a look at the stuff in orbit of Mun, to find out what kind of orbit Nebald is floating around in.

Wait a minute.  Where's Nebald?  I can't find him in orbit of Mun, where he's supposed to be.  I end up going to the AC to find out where in the heck he really is.

Turns out Nebald is actually on the Moderation Nation Space Station!  I guess a previous mission rescued him, but only brought him to the space station.  He's only half-rescued, and is still in space!  Well, we will bring him home finally.  The bad news is, he's going to have to go back to Mun on his way home.  Because that's the route this bus is taking.

Spoiler

The Moderation Nation Space Station does not have any small docking ports (at least that I could see..).  That's OK, I'm not sure I'd want to try to dock this big rocket anyway.  So we just pull to within a few hundred meters of the station.  Nebald will have to jet-pack his way over to the ship.

Nebald gets out, and takes an external look at his home for the past year or two,

He's been in space so long now that floating free in orbit is not even remotely disorienting to him.

He jetpacks over to the rescue ship.  It's a long EVA, but he does understand why we didn't try to get much closer- because then we would risk damaging the space station.

He's on board the rescue ship.  "Thanks for picking me up!  Lets go home now!"

Patvan replies, "Well, here's the thing.  This rocket is actually going to Mun.  So buckle up and get comfy."

"The last time I went to Mun, I ended up stranded for a few years.  I'm ready to go home.  Hey, is that pizza I smell?  If you brought pizza, I guess I can handle a ride back to Mun."

So, off to Mun they go.

Spoiler

Orbit of Mun.  This looks awfully familiar to Nebald.  He's been to Mun twice now.  And honestly, he really didn't even want to go the first time.

Well, Nebald never actually landed on Mun.  He's going to now,

On the Mun.  Thankfully Patvan brought his clubs with him, time to hit a few balls.

"Ok Patvan, we planted the flag on Mun.  Now let's go home!"

Patvan replies, "We still have a little gas left in the tanks.  I have a plan."

One last stop:

Spoiler

"Ah man.  I didn't even want to go to Mun.  Now I've been there twice, and now Minmus?  The pizza better not run out."

"Ok, we've seen Minmus.  Now let's go home.  Hey, it looks like your'e descending.  That's the wrong way, home is over there.  Patvan?"

I still have a few balls left.

"Ok, I hit that one a really long way.  Now we can go home."

Going home:

Spoiler

We still have some fuel left, but we'll do some aero braking passes anyway.

After aero braking, we set ourselves up to try to land near KSC.  Once we're happy with our trajectory, we drop the engine and fuel tanks.

We ended up in a slightly wonky inclined orbit around Kerbin, but we should still be able to get somewhat close to KSC with a little planning.

A heat shield would have been a good idea.  We're pushing the limits on the capsule.  Fingers crossed.

Not sure why Patvan decided to climb out of the capsule several hundred meters above the surface.   But he did.

We ended up splashing down near an island about 132 km northeast of KSC.  

Mission results:

• Launch cost: $52K
• Net gain in funds: + $285,650.  Our account now shows $2,963,669
• We gained 2277.8 science points on this trip.
• We closed out 4 contracts.

Spoiler

We gathered science from Kerbin, Mun, and Minmus.  Came home with a fair amount of science.

The launch cost was about $52K, but we recovered almost $24K of those costs, because most of the expensive bits were on the capsule, which we recovered.

 

[Deddly]

I can neither confirm nor deny that Deddly Design was negligent in completing this rescue mission. 

[Vanamonde]

Eh, worked out in the end. 

[18Watt]

1 hour ago, Deddly said:

I can neither confirm nor deny that Deddly Design was negligent in completing this rescue mission. 

I really enjoy a good mystery.  Especially ones I can figure out!