The Neptune Mission Files: A Laythe Exploration and Colonization Saga

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

1 minute ago, fulgur said:

Well, you know where to go if you need any help with any of that... (also I'm bored)

Looks exciting

Thanks, @fulgur (and everyone else). I really appreciate the help.

 

I got the idea from @Matt Lowne's Jool-5 SSTO from two years ago. However, I don't have any designs that can carry their own landers OR even put someone on Tylo. And no, I don't plan on copying off him (too much), since my final design concept will be significantly different.

• I'd like the plane to be mining-capable, so I don't need a direct burn to Jool from LKO.
  • Plus, I can also refuel the lander by extension when I refuel the plane.
• I only need one lander.
  • Like I said earlier, if I can land on and off Tylo, I can definitely get the others (except for Laythe, but that's a plane's club).
• The lander would be closed-cockpit (I'm good with a one-person capacity), since tourists will want to go to Tylo's surface. We might as well be prepared for that when it happens.

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

NAMIN KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y58D135 - 1H30M

 

I got the new probe on Laythe, as planned. Before I landed, I did a crazy stunt mid-flight.

 

• I went outside the plane WHILE IT WAS STILL FLYING. 
• I slowed it down to ~200 m/s before I went out, then I took an EVA report from Laythe's upper atmosphere.
  • And then transmitted it as soon as I landed.

 

• Refueling on Reflex Hammer Island 
  • Named so for its island formation looking like a hammer that the doctors test your reflexes with.
  • 8* 13' 21" S ; 52* 20' 31" W
• The plane doesn't have any parachutes, so braking will be pretty hard.
  • This is because you don't expect anyone to be inside it when it's working (but the cockpit is there for when it's necessary).

 

When I'm done refueling, I'll be heading over to the Nathan Kerman Memorial Outpost and do the in-base inspections before fixing the car whose tire got destroyed. After that, I'll have to wait until the others return from Vall to pick me up. We'll either explore Laythe some more, or go straight home. Knowing Wernher and Linus, he'll have us fly around some more.

Spoiler

 

The rest of the Neptune V crew landed near Vallhenge because it made a good landing spot to plant a flag and use up some fuel so that the TWR would pass 1. In the picture above, rookie scientist Lisa Kerman flew on top of one of the stone formations and took a snapshot. These pillars almost look too perfect to be naturally-occurring, so it kind of makes us wonder if there was intelligent life on Vall. If so, does it still exist today - and where? When Mission Control got this report, Matster Kerman theorized that it might be connected to the villages that the Neptune III flew over in its time on Laythe.

 

A few weeks ago, Mission Control accepted a contract to take a VIP in orbit of Laythe for his vacation. So far, the plan is to take him in a (new) Mun Hopper. However, Mission Control decided to hold back on the launch until either the Duna window opens or when someone else buys a contract to a Jool moon - whichever comes first. Though it seems like an effective with a tried-and-true model (or at least the son (or grandson, if you count the original Neptune III's model) of), I object on the grounds that my alternative idea would save some money and get more done at the same time.

• Since Wernher von Kerman has announced plans to do an orbital reconnaissance mission to Tylo with a docking-capable Poseidon, I think we should put the tourist in THAT plane instead. 
• We would kill three birds with one stone
  • Do our Tylo mission
    • Orbit Tylo and rendezvous with a new ring station (launch date pending)
  • Pick up the kerbalnauts stuck in the Pol ring station
  • Send our tourist (Jerdrin Kerman - M) to Laythe's orbit. At least he didn't pay for a landing.
• Plus, I don't think Jerdrin will object to the extra legroom

 

Outside of the Laythe missions, I heard that the Raven-Remembrance Saga is getting close to being over. All that needs to be done is to refuel the plane and send it to Kerbin, and we're all set. On the other hand, there is a possibility that it may only have enough fuel for Duna (even when refueled). If that's the case, then the plane can summon a mass ore transport to refuel it and be on its way back home. Either way, we have 15 years to end this for good. When they land, we can put this decades-long mission behind us with BIG MONEH MONEY!!!!!

Edited February 10, 2020 by Mars-Bound Hokie

[KerballingSmasher]

BIG MONEH!

[fulgur]

Why not fly to Tylo in an untested experimental spaceplane containing your new lander? Much more fun, and orbits two sats with one launcher...

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

11 hours ago, fulgur said:

Why not fly to Tylo in an untested experimental spaceplane containing your new lander? Much more fun, and orbits two sats with one launcher...

My Tylo-related mission progress (or at least specific details of) will be on a different thread that's coming soon.

 

TYLO TREK

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

GIVAN KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y58D345 - 2H15M

 

Boy, my calves are killing me. While Lisa is living it up at the Nathan Kerman Memorial Outpost (and doing some materials science), I had to walk all the way to a 13-and-a-half-years-old rover that hadn't moved since its landing.

 

• Me (left) and Lisa (right) in front of the outpost entrance.
• We then went inside for a base inspection and made contact with Mission Control, who promoted us both to Level Five. Lisa immediately started doing some research while I started walking.
  • Lisa suggested I use the plane, but I wanted the exercise since I was cooped up in that cockpit for years.

 

I couldn't just summon the rover because its front wheels were damaged and in need of repairs. To make matters worse, once I got to the car and started heading over the base, I lost battery power. Now I have to sit here and wait for the batteries to recharge before I can start moving again.

 

• Me repairing Wheel One of a Laythe car.

 

 

• My current position, ~14 km away from the base

 

As for our regular mission, Namin and I (and Lisa) are covering a lot of ground on Laythe. While Namin would flag down good landing spots in the southern hemisphere, I would cover the north. Below is a map of Laythe showing the places we flagged down (green stars are bases already in position).

 

• We still have a lot of ground to cover before Namin and I rejoin. Hopefully, this takes place before the Neptune VI gets here.
• I think we can splash a surface relay where the planet's equator and prime meridian meet.

 

Here is a list of landing spot coordinates in the order that we logged them.

 

8* 13' 21" S	52* 20' 31" W	Reflex Hammer Island
46* 28' 50" S	23* 1' 25" W	Boring Island
41* 24' 39" S	37* 29' 13" W	Penguin Soon-to-be Island
46* 20' 14" S	61* 28' 23" W	Penguin Island
15* 20' 30" N	65* 22' 24" W	Crater Island
45* 21' 36" N	121* 19' 53" W	Northern Volcano
31* 02' 44" S	103* 59' 27" W	Puffin Island
26* 30' 30" S	153* 39' 36" W	Mergard's Courage
23* 30' 08" S	171* 08' 38" E	Area D92F
24* 39' 55" S	156* 28' 18" E	Site 0-3S
26* 54' 12" S	95* 25' 50" E	Sector RT-F
32* 20' 12" S	91* 29' 46" E	Zone 81HR0

• We probably won't put stuff on all these spots, but it's great to have them in case we need them. Bet Namin was really busy, given the amount of spots she flagged in the southern hemisphere.

 

In the meantime, we remotely docked the Laythe Ascent Vehicle with Thumb Station. As of now, Odin Station construction has been shut down for good.

 

• Thumb Station, one in five ring stations that will soon orbit all five of Jool's moons.

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

FROM THE OFFICE OF WERNHER VON KERMAN

 

Back on Laythe, both Neptune V planes are busy refueling and checking the outposts. They still have several more islands to check out before heading back home, and we're very excited to see the completed map.

 

Meanwhile, the SPH engineers have been busy working on a brand-new private docking-capable spaceplane for Laythe. Our original idea consisted of four rapiers to overcome the atmospheric drag during, but some of our engineers protested that it wouldn't provide enough thrust for some places. What I didn't know at the time was that a few other engineers were trying to modify the Dirtblood plane to be docking-capable. As soon as Bill got word, he notified me and I focused all our attention to that project. After all, if we can send a docking-capable dirtblood to Duna, we can send it to Laythe. Once the final design was completed, Lodock, Matster, and Shelus were sent for the test.

• And boy, did we get some great photos with our new cameras.

 

• Our prototype about to take off while the sun's setting over the KSC.

 

• 310 km above the surface with 1,675 m/s of delta-V left.
• Still need to refuel on Minmus before going anywhere else (including the Mun), but we're not doing that just yet.

 

• We rendezvoused with a standby tourist pod.
  • We still haven't figured out what to do with it.

 

• DOCKING SUCCESSFUL.

 

• Now on a suborbital trajectory, about to land at the KSC.

 

• Coming in hot, but Lodock was able to regain control later.
• He and his teammates said that it made an excellent glider. Controls may be a bit sensitive, but otherwise great.

 

• We had already performed runway and off-road landing tests, so Lodock decided to try something new and land at the abandoned airfield. 

 

Finally, we have made a private docking-capable Laythe spaceplane. After we announced our success, we got a whole bunch of comments regarding it - and here are a few of them.

• Bill Kerman - Finally, we got a good one.
• Dinklestein Kerman - Shut up and take my funds!
• Floyd Kerman - Impressive design.
• Jebediah Kerman - SWEEEEEEET!
• Jebediah Kerman Senior - I'll take it as long as my son's not flying it
  • C.E.O. of Jeb's Junkyard, as well as the father of kerbalnaut Jebediah Kerman
• Ludlong Kerman - I nominate this for the Neptune VII.
• Notmisty Kerman - Perfect spacecraft for a violent fugitive someone with a taste for adventure.
• Valentina Kerman - Too bad I'm stuck in a regular Dirtblood. I'll try this out when I get home.

 

I anticipate sales for this craft getting high pretty soon, but I'm more excited that we finally managed to balance aerodynamic thrust and NERV thrust in a docking-capable plane. In about a year and a half, the Remembrance-Trainwreck Saga will finally be over when the Eeloo tourists return in their Poseidon. When that happens, we'll not only put this whole thing behind us for good, but we will get more tourists to flock to us - and, eventually, buy our services more and get us back to when we had ~$10M in our account.

• I know some people call it the Raven-Remembrance Saga, but that's all wrong.
  • The S.S. Remembrance launched first.
  • The S.S. Trainwreck then launched to Gilly a few years later. However, two of its engines snapped off and the tourists got stranded in Gilly orbit. Mission Control then sent the S.S. Raven to pick up the tourists and continue the mission.
    • The S.S. Trainwreck is now a space station in orbit of Gilly.

 

Wernher Von Kerman

Year 58, Day 384

3H45M

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

ANREY KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y59D221 - 3H00M

 

I made it to Ike and landed near Kyle Airport. However, as soon as I hit the ground and applied the brakes, the plane started to slide down the hill. I tried to orient it in a way that it would slow down and eventually stop, but nothing worked. 

 

 

I then got out of the plane and tried to fix the wheels, but it still kept moving. As soon as I managed to get on, I couldn't fix them.

 

 

I then jetpacked back to the base and reported my situation back to Mission Control. To my surprise, they replied back rather quickly. I don't know if they had mind-reading tech in the Hamacker, but I was thinking the same thing.

 

 NEPTUNE VI: ABORTED 

Spoiler

In the past two years, several space program employees have been questioning the reliability of the S-4 Hamacker SSTO as a Laythe exploration plane. Some of them even went as far as to formally request that the Neptune VI mission be aborted. Their most notable reasons included, but are not limited to:

• The Hamacker had an inefficient aerodynamic design.
  • Although it has passed the orbital ascent and return tests, that claim is true when compared to other spaceplane models.
• Terrible TWR on the NERV alone.
• SSTO too big for just one person.
  • Opponents of the abortion measure argued that Johnfrid Kerman had a large spacecraft design, but advocates reminded them that it was a multi-stage spacecraft that ultimately failed.
    • "More moving parts means more chances to fail." (Bill Kerman)
• We have "better" designs now.
  • The aerial probe used for the Neptune V mission has proven itself able to send a single person to Laythe. It's still there while the crew is on its way back home.
  • Since the S-4 Hamacker was commissioned as the Neptune VI, at least two new designs have emerged as possible candidates. 
    • Laythe speeder: one-man SSTO that can refuel on Ike (and probably skip Minmus) before going to Laythe. Built for speed and maximum cockpit heat protection
    • Private spaceplane: docking-capable three-man SSTO (with 120 kN on NERVs alone)
• The mission plan was terrible.
  • Although I confess to authorizing Anrey to go straight to Dres from Kerbin, I assumed that waiting for the transfer window to Jool wouldn't take too long since that was the case for the Raven and Remembrance missions. Perhaps it was dumb luck that it happened with them, but not for Anrey.

 

An hour ago, Mission Control has received a report from Anrey Kerman that her plane's brakes were malfunctioning and she couldn't fix them. I don't know how long it will take for the plane to come to a complete stop, but we're not willing to risk her life to find out. As of now, she is confined to Kyle Airport on the surface of Ike while she waits for a ride. 

 

Mission Control hereby aborts the Neptune VI mission.

 

Gus Kerman

Head of Operations

 

I don't think I'll be waiting too long, though. I heard that three planes are heading my way - but one of them is full. The other two are docking-capable Poseidon planes, but I don't know which one they're going to pick.

• Anubis I - SSTO on its way to Jool for:
  • A tourist run in Laythe orbit.
  • Orbital recon over Tylo.
  • Picking up a station crew over Pol.
• A tourist transport that will rendezvous with the U.S.S. Enterprise-D over Duna and send tourists to the planet's surface before they go to Ike and then back home.

 

If I had to pick for myself, I'd go for the Anubis. I came to space for Laythe, and I'm not going home without a piece of it. 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

BILL KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y61D214 - 5H00M

 

It is unconventional, but not unheard of, for kerbalnauts currently outside of Kerbin's SOI to participate in engineering projects. Val and I are currently in a Dirtblood, returning home from a scientific survey on Duna. The weird thing is that our on-board scientist is Lasel Kerman, the same woman who came to rescue us from Eeloo years ago.

 

Anyway, while we were heading back home, I've been selected to help the SPH engineers design a "spaceplane carrier." More specifically, it's supposed to carry a spaceplane to LKO, detach it, and return to the KSC while the spaceplane does its mission. Critics of this project - myself being one of them - called it inefficient and impractical. I mean, what's the point of a spaceplane if it can't even get itself to LKO? However, I then switched to the "pro" side when Mission Control gave me the benefits which increased the plane's delta-V after being deployed.

• Removed the monopropellant tanks and the underside docking port of a private spaceplane, saving weight.
• Draining the oxidizer.

 

• Picture of the new spaceplane 175 km above Kerbin.
• Has 4,975 m/s of delta-V after detaching from the carrier.
  • That means it can make a direct interplanetary burn without having to stop at Minmus (and/or Ike) in the middle.

 

I've heard of air-launched rockets - and I even read about the new rocket carrier - but an SSTO carrying another spaceplane to orbit has never been done before. If done successfully, we would save a lot of mission time on refueling stops alone. Heck, we could probably do a straight shot to Jool because of this. Months of research, testing, and crashing later, we managed to get a successful prototype.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.

We present to you

LAZYBIRD

 

Test run album

Spoiler

• This thing may be heavier than the Poseidon (even without the spaceplane attached to it), but you would not believe how fast it can get from 0 to 600 m/s.
• We lost one prototype due to overheating, so we had to dial back on the throttle a bit when it hit 1,400 m/s.

 

• Spaceplane Away!

 

I then told the SPH guys to mess with the fuel flow controls so that the carrier's center of mass would remain in front of the center of lift after re-entry. It worked, and the controller managed to land it on the runway at the KSC.

 

 

 

Since Anrey's mission was aborted, and since the Neptune V collected a lot of science during its runs, rumors have been going around that we may stop the Neptune program. When asked about it, Mission Control neither confirmed nor denied that it would end the Laythe exploration missions. Wernher didn't give much of an answer either when I asked him, but he told me this:

Quote

If we decide to launch a Neptune VII, we'll use the Lazybird. You did a good job with it, by the way.

 

Outside of this project, I hear that the Neptune V crew marked down a lot of possible base locations. We definitely won't cover all of them, but we know where to put bases in case we need to.

• I guess whoever was in charge of labels hates doing paperwork.

 

I am SO glad the Raven-Remembrance Saga is finally over. It started when Val and I were on Eeloo, and now everyone on that trip is satisfied with their vacation. We blew a good portion of our budget on failed carrier prototypes (and a new ring station designed for refueling), but we're now under another contract for nine more tourists (eight, not counting the one whose itinerary we already fulfilled). No matter; for the tourists that want to go to the Mun, Minmus, Duna, and further away from the sun, we can use a Poseidon SSTO. 

 

Like the Eeloo missions from decades back, the Neptune missions have expanded our boundaries in science and technology. We used to just take tourists in landers (for some planets, we still do) and splash them on Kerbin's oceans, but now we're taking planes. We also designed ring space stations (though, honestly, it was just to replace the space station we didn't bother to continue assembling), launched mass ore transports, and built new homes on Laythe.

• All that's left is to put kerbalkind on Tylo and Eve, and we would have conquered our solar system.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

SAMDARD KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y61D306 - 4H20M

 

I'm only at Level Two with a Mun and Minmus landing under my belt (for a tourist run, no less), and I've already been selected as the on-board engineer for the Neptune VII mission. I questioned why a new mission to Laythe was started, and then Mission Control replied with the following reasons.

• The Neptune VI mission had been aborted.
• Our contractors are demanding we use the Lazybird for a prominent space mission.
  • Like when Integrated Integrals wanted the Hamacker to be used as the Neptune VI mission.

 

Mission Control decided to take advantage of the fact that the launch window to Jool is about three weeks away, and that the spaceplane has 4,975 m/s of delta-V when deployed from the carrier. With two other Level-Four kerbalnauts, I'm about to go straight to Jool from Kerbin.

 

NAME	LEVEL	SPECIALTY
Donbin Kerman	4	Scientist
Gusbles Kerman	4	Pilot
Samdard Kerman	2	Engineer

 

• Gusbles Kerman, our pilot, on EVA right after the spaceplane is deployed from the carrier.
• We're ~175 km above Kerbin now.

 

• A minute after detachment, Jeb took the controls back and remotely piloted the carrier back to the KSC without a scratch.
• Gusbles actually thought that he was going to take the right wing off, due to the craft's incredibly long wingspan.

 

In 20 days, we'll make our exit burn to Jool. When we arrive, we'll refuel on Pol and then head for Laythe for our mission. I'm sure this would beat heading to Duna and waiting for our burn to Jool from there, and we're about to get some more science points on Goo alone.

 

On a side note, we considered launching a Lazybird to rescue a stranded kerbalnaut on Dres - but that idea was rejected once we realized that we already had a rescue crew on the way. We might launch an empty spaceplane to rescue an engineer stranded on Eeloo (no, it's not Bill - it's a rookie), but there's some concern regarding it having enough delta-V to land. Fortunately, the spaceplane has a docking port and a mass ore transport can fly up to it to refuel it - just like with the spaceplane that finished the Raven-Remembrance Saga. 

 

Wish us luck.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

LISA KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y62D156 - 1H30M

 

After years of exploring the water moon of Laythe, the three of us are finally home.

 

• TOUCHDOWN
  • Taken 1 hour, 21 minutes ago.
• We have earned:
  • 3392.8
  • 193,664
    • Again, how did the recovery value get higher than the regular craft price (116,278)?
  • All three of us becoming Level-Five kerbalnauts

 

To be honest, I didn't think we were going to make it since our liquid fuel tanks were at less than 1/10 capacity. I'm very glad that not only we came back alive, but we kept the data intact; otherwise, we would be a bigger laughingstock than the Neptune II. Givan, Namin, and I are also the first kerbalnauts to come back from Laythe in a Mun Hopper; Lodock and Enmal don't count, since they returned in a pod while the Neptune III (an older variant of the Mun Hopper) was empty. Though this measure was a response to the Neptune II explosion, it turned out to be unnecessary.

 

Good thing too bad that arrogant prick's the Neptune VI mission was aborted, but I honestly think that we wouldn't have gained much from a solo mission to Laythe in an SSTO. Sure, Johnfrid was alone when he first set foot on the surface, but three crewed missions (counting this one) after that have further expanded our knowledge of that moon - despite the data loss. I mean, the Neptune V flew over pretty much every biome and took scientific readings mid-flight (and even over the ocean). Heck, we often had to slow down just to get mid-flight EVA reports. Besides that, if we ever need to land more bases on Laythe, we made a very long list of spots to put them.

• I don't know why the map doesn't have the labels on ALL the stars, but at least we have the coordinates.

 

 

8* 13' 21" S	52* 20' 31" W	Reflex Hammer Island
46* 28' 50" S	23* 1' 25" W	Boring Island
41* 24' 39" S	37* 29' 13" W	Penguin Soon-to-be Island
46* 20' 14" S	61* 28' 23" W	Penguin Island
15* 20' 30" N	65* 22' 24" W	Crater Island
45* 21' 36" N	121* 19' 53" W	Northern Volcano
31* 02' 44" S	103* 59' 27" W	Puffin Island
26* 30' 30" S	153* 39' 36" W	Mergard's Courage
23* 30' 08" S	171* 08' 38" E	Area D92F
24* 39' 55" S	156* 28' 18" E	Site 0-3S
26* 54' 12" S	95* 25' 50" E	Sector RT-F
32* 20' 12" S	91* 29' 46" E	Zone 81HR0
16* 18' 55" N	169* 14' 18" E	Gregzor's Peril
36* 17' 38" N	154* 36' 37" E	Uvula Bay
22* 47' 29" N	104* 48' 41" E	Upside-down L
39* 5' 17" N	76* 14' 28" E	Doughnut
56* 48' 37" S	30* 33' 41" E	South Cuba
66* 9' 32" S	79* 40' 7" E	Anti-Florida
70* 37' 34" N	25* 41' 47" W	Seward's Island

 

Here are some pictures that we took that didn't end up in any previous journal entries. The three of us had agreed to save them until after we got back home, and we're now publishing them as promised.

Spoiler

• Givan and I flying north, with Jool in plain sight.

 

• Us approachng the North Pole.
  • If you look closely above the glow of Laythe's atmosphere along the lower left corner, you'll see Vall in the sky.

 

• Nice nighttime picture, huh.
  • And a cool green atmospheric glow. Could they be an aurora?

 

• Namin's aerial probe landing a few hundred meters away from us.

 

• (Left to right) Givan Kerman, Namin Kerman, and me
• All three of us together at last.

 

• Us after a rendezvous with the new ring station.
• We then realized that we didn't have enough delta-V for a Pol landing, so we returned to the surface to refuel.

 

• Taking off while facing the sunrise.

 

You pretty much know what happened from there.

 

When I got the news that the KSP made a spaceplane carrier that could get to LKO, I was amazed. I wish the Neptune VII boys good luck and a swift return. The "swift return" part is pretty much guaranteed, since it's not going to stop at Ike first. As for the new tourist voyage - which will begin in a couple of years, after some of them return from a Gilly landing - it will cover all the planets in the Kerbol system, including the five moons of Jool. The Poseidon SSTO which will be used won't be able to land on Tylo or Vall, but the good thing is that the tourists only paid for a fly-by of Vall and an orbit of Tylo. 

• If you have any questions regarding our Tylo-related efforts, please direct them to the Tylo Trek thread.

 

If we were to have a Neptune VIII mission, it would be another tourist run with an exploration crew along for the ride. I'm starting to sense the Laythe hype dying down in the program, and my online friends (since I was stuck with Givan and Namin for a decade) agreed that we shouldn't send anything else to Laythe unless there's a financial or new scientific incentive involved. I kind of see their point; we sent a lot of spacecraft and planes to that moon, and we have already proven ourselves able to send planes, bases, and cars to the islands. Plus, we have put two space stations (one of them incomplete) already in orbit.

Spoiler

Personally, I'm glad that Jeb didn't try to drive one of the Laythe cars when he was in charge of the Neptune IV - otherwise he'd either crash it or drop it in the water.

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

DONBIN KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y64D5 - 2H45M

 

Instead of landing on Pol to refuel, we decided to land on Bop. Here's a picture of me standing on the left canard while the Neptune VII is on the surface.

 

It's been over two years since we blasted off in a spaceplane-carried spaceplane, and we're already at our refueling stop. What's even more impressive than 4,975 m/s of delta-V at LKO is that it still has a docking port in case we need to refuel quickly. Though this plane isn't docking-capable, that doesn't mean an ore transport isn't. Anyway, after we're done filling up our tanks on Bop, we're going to fly to Laythe and do our exploration mission for a while. After that, it's Pol and then back home for us. 

 

Kind of weird that the Neptune VII is arriving at Laythe before the Neptune VI (one-woman) crew is. I hope Anrey's enjoying herself in the Anubis I, which is supposed to be the first crewed mission to orbit Jool's moon of Tylo. If we rush our Laythe run, we may end up out of Jool's SOI before the Anubis I enters. 

• On the other hand, since this plane is equipped with a goo canister, Mission Control will want us to maximize our science gains before leaving. Sure, the Neptune II and IV had goo, but they were limited in what they could get with such data.
  • Neptune II could only obtain goo from one place; there was not enough fuel just for flying around.
    • Of course, all that data was destroyed.
  • Neptune IV was large, not so maneuverable, and had tourists to bring home.

 

Back on Kerbin, our T-6 Cannonball model has shown some promising results. Our prototype with Johnfrid and Enmal are two days away from making their circularization burn over Duna. Sure, the Cannonball has enough thrust on Lf+Ox engines to fly through Duna, but we don't know if it's a good idea to use it there. I mean, we already have the Dirtblood for that - but if someone paid for a trip to Tylo as well as a Duna landing, then we could use this instead.

• And you're probably wondering why I'm rambling about a Tylo SSTO model on a Laythe mission thread. The reasons are:
  • Two of the testers were Neptune kerbalnauts
  • If there is a Neptune VIII mission, we could use that plane.
    • And merge it with the Anubis II mission plan.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

FROM THE OFFICE OF WERNHER VON KERMAN

 

Tragedy has struck the Kerbal Space Program.

 

A day ago, kerbalnauts Johnfrid Kerman (Neptune II) and Enmal Kerman (Neptune III) were testing a T-6 Cannonball Prototype through Duna's atmosphere when we lost contact with them. Their mission: see if a spaceplane meant for Tylo could work on Duna's surface. Their last transmission was a photograph of them re-entering Duna's atmosphere in their plane.

 

Almost ten minutes after this picture was taken, we lost contact with their plane. We first thought it was a communications problem, but I had ordered an orbital reconnaissance probe to take pictures of the plane's trajectory path just to be sure. Unfortunately, we ended up with this.

 

• More debris scattered across the surface of Duna, but this was the clearest picture we got.

 

So far, there has been no sign of the crew capsule. We plan to send a search for the missing kerbalnauts, but it's not likely they survived. Until we find evidence otherwise, we'll have to assume that Johnfrid and Enmal were killed in the crash. Some time after the rest of the kerbalnaut fleet got the news, a few of them came forward with some things to say.

Spoiler

Olivia Kerman (Johnfrid Kerman's wife, and one of the Vall Girls)

Spoiler

Almost 20 years ago, we got word that the Neptune II capsule had been destroyed during re-entry. Fortunately for Johnfrid, he had boarded the Vall Girls' pod before his remote-controlled capsule left Jool's sphere of influence. Had we not decided to take him in, he would have been burned to a crisp high up in Kerbin's atmosphere.

Newspaper clipping describing what happened to the Neptune II capsule on Y45D337

 

Johnfrid could have picked any one of the Vall Girls while he was cooped in that pod with us, but I'm so glad that he chose me. After we landed, he proposed, and we then got married months later. Though he was dedicated to his job at the Kerbal Space Program, he always put his wife and children first.

• To the world, he was a trailblazer who avoided death by sheer luck.
• To his coworkers, he was the luckiest man alive
• To our daughter and son (both adopted), they were the lucky ones to have him for a dad.

Everyone talks about how lucky he was to live, but the truth is that we were the lucky ones. He was the first man to set foot on the surface of Laythe and live to tell about it, bringing back invaluable information back home. The Lost Data was easily replaced, but his stories and experience could not. 

Everyone also talks about how lucky he was the Vall Girls were there to pick him up, but the truth is that I was the lucky one. I wouldn't have met the love of my life, or had a great family to settle down with, had it not been for him. 

Johnfrid and I standing in front of the Pluto I can, the first crewed spacecraft to land on Eeloo.

 

When it comes to space travel, failure is often expected and, more often than we'd like, sacrifices are made. I'm just happy that his life wasn't claimed 20 years ago in that high-atmosphere explosion, crammed inside a one-man capsule about to meet his doom. The important thing is that we learn from our mistakes and keep going, and the ones that we lost would not have died in vain.

 

We love you, Johnfrid.

 

Lodock Kerman (Enmal Kerman's Neptune III teammate)

Spoiler

I used to think Enmal would die in a spaceplane, but I thought I would go with him.

Since the Neptune II exploded, we all realized how risky space travel really was. Sure, we pushed for balancing crew safety and mission performance in all our designs, but apparently that wasn't enough. If what we did the first time actually worked, that capsule would have made it back to the Kerbin just fine - even though it was empty. After hearing about what happened to Johnfrid's old capsule, Enmal and I agreed to take another capsule back home; it was the same model that was used to transport the Vall Girls. Though it was eventually unnecessary, as the Neptune III had landed without a hitch, we didn't want to take any chances back then.

Just like Johnfrid (RIP) before us, and Ludlong, Matster, and Nathan (RIP) before him, Enmal and I had started a new age in interplanetary space travel. More specifically, we had landed the first plane on the surface of Laythe, flew it around like it was a private airliner, and brought back some juicy science.

 

Enmal (left) and I (right) standing next to the Neptune III after all the tanks were filled up.

 

Ironic, isn't it? We had dodged the chance of death by spaceplane failure 15 years ago, only for him to die from the same thing (but a different model) yesterday. May you and Johnfrid be the last ones killed despite taking such risks.

 

Keep on flying, Enmal.

 

(REDACTED) (concerned citizen)

Spoiler

Bill Kerman MURDERED Johnfrid and Enmal, and I can prove it right now.

Almost half an hour before we lost contact, I saw Bill Kerman writing this down in his notebook. How else would he know that Johnfrid and Enmal would die if he didn't PLAN it?

 

I urge you to check his notebook! There's no other way that Bill could have known that this would happen ahead of time, and with that much detail.

 

Spoiler

DISCLAIMER: (REDACTED)'s allegations were investigated, and Bill Kerman claimed that he was simply jotting down the most likely outcome of the mission. Furthermore, Internal Investigations has proven that, even if killing people by writing down their names was real, the piece of paper he was using could not have caused Johnfrid's and Enmal's deaths.

• Bill's estimated crash time was off by a few minutes from the time Mission Control lost contact.
• He only listed their deaths as the most likely outcome, not a certainty.
  • Along with the reasons.
• He also wrote an alternate scenario in which the abort program was used, and Johnfrid and Enmal MAY die. However, there is currently no evidence that it was used.
• Bill volunteered to write his own name on that same sheet of paper, and nothing happened.
• The accuser had been watching this fan video a lot.
  • S/he thought Bill did it since Bill happened to play the character of Lightyear Kermani.
  • Great video, by the way.
• Bill has no reason to want Johnfrid and Enmal dead.

 

TL;DR, Bill Kerman didn't kill Johnfrid OR Enmal

 

 

 

If Johnfrid and Enmal are not found alive within ten days, a funeral would be held at the Neptune memorial in their honor by then. Too bad they won't be buried next to Nathan (until we find their bodies, that is), but it's even worse that two more Neptune kerbalnauts have died in the pursuit of knowledge. If anything good came out of this, it's that we'll never use a T-6 Cannonball for Duna landings again. Since it's docking-capable, it can at least attach itself to a Duna lander and remain in orbit.

 

If anyone has anything to say about these brave men, speak now or forever hold your peace.

 

Wernher Von Kerman

Year 64, Day 34

3H50M

Edited April 23, 2020 by Mars-Bound Hokie

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

SAMDARD KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y64D147 - 5H00M

 

As expected, we have made it to Laythe in almost half the time as the other spaceplanes before us. Though Bop refueling took way longer than expected, we converted enough fuel for a safe landing. In fact, since we had set our Laythe periapsis to 42 km on approach, we aerobraked through the atmosphere and was lucky enough to land on the sunny side of the moon with some nearby islands.

 

Spoiler

NOTE TO SELF: Unless you have no other choice, be sure to land somewhere with an ore concentration of over 10%. 

 

• Getting kind of hot in here.

 

• Gusbles remembered the hard way that the controls to the plane were very sensitive. That's probably one reason why the spaceplane was carried through Kerbin in the first place.

 

Immediately after we stopped, we went outside and planted a flag before starting to refuel. We still had plenty of Lf in the tank when we landed, thanks to our aerobrake.

 

 

Before we took off from Bop, we heard about what happened on Duna with Johnfrid and Enmal. Since there have been no signs of them since Mission Control lost contact with the T-6 Cannonball prototype, we'll have to assume the worst. Back on Kerbin, there was a 21-Rocket Salute performed in their honor.

• I don't know why anyone would accuse Bill of murder-by-notebook; it just sounds ridiculous. 
  • After examining the design for the T-6 Cannonball, I will say this: if Bill wanted to kill them, all he had to do was sit back and watch the show. As a general rule, it's not a good idea to send any spaceplanes not specifically designed for Duna through its atmosphere. 

 

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

GUSBLES KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y64D176 - 0H00M

 

Even with the tanks (mostly) full, the controls on this plane are very sensitive. So sensitive, in fact, that I almost crashed my plane 30 seconds after takeoff while turning toward my desired heading. I then gained up to 2 km altitude and flew away, heading towards Sector RT-F.

 

• Us at 2.8 km altitude, breaking the sound barrier.
• For the most part, I should avoid turns.

 

Several minutes later, we flew over the island holding Trident Base. The picture below shows us at ~22 km altitude, flying at 915 m/s.

 

 

While we were flying there, we just realized: Samdard forgot to repack the drag chutes. On the bright side, the sensitive controls made it easier for us to lose speed mid-air (aside from the airbrakes). As soon as we saw our target island, we slowed down and began our descent.

 

• Notice the tiny spot of water in the middle of the island (not the one above engine three). We ended up landing almost ten kilometers away.

 

After we landed, Samdard repacked the chutes and started running towards that lake. I gotta admit the guy's dedication to getting us a lake sample; he ran all the way there all by himself, dove in the pond, got a sample, and ran it back to the plane.

 

• He reported feeling cold in that suit.

 

We plan to fly around the moon a little more, but it seems like we won't be getting anything new since the previous missions already had - especially the all-girl mission that jotted down the good landing spots. At best, we could get some goo data that the Neptune IV missed during its tourist run. We could also relay back some advice on how to use the private spaceplane on Laythe. 

• The Neptune VII (our plane) is basically a private spaceplane modified to be carried on another spaceplane - and with its docking capabilities removed.

 

Meanwhile, we had heard that a surface outpost on its way to Eeloo had finally landed somewhere in one of that snowball's canyons. Immediately after Mission Control got confirmation, they accepted an expansion contract and started working on the new module.

 

• Inner Canyon base on Eeloo.
  • Yes, I know the ground in this shot is brown and not white. That's just because of the local terrain.
    • Besides, the only other place with medium-dark brown terrain (that I know of) is Moho - which makes it more impressive (unless you account for the temperature regulation design)
  • Notice the docking ports on the sides. That's because whoever paid for this knew that it would be expanded soon after landing.

 

• Base prototype with the new module being tested at the KSC.
• New module also has a large docking port in case we need to attach something there.

 

I don't know how we're going to send bases like this one to Laythe, but I'm sure the engineers back home would figure it out. At least we can send these bases to three of the other Jool moons (no way we're sending them to Tylo), then we can expand our hold on Jool and the celestial bodies orbiting it. I just hope Bop and Pol aren't too bouncy.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

FROM THE OFFICE OF WERNHER VON KERMAN

 

It has been officially confirmed that life exists on Laythe. Not only that, it has apparently evolved to the point where it can form seafaring civilizations.

 

The Neptune VII's had logged its last refueling stop on Laythe's southern ice caps and reported no problems landing in the (relative) darkness. Before they landed, they transmitted this photograph with a stunning view of Jool from the sky.

 

 

After what seems like months of refueling in that frozen biome, the crew took off again and headed north towards the DeGrasse Sea. They made sure to launch when it would be daytime where they were heading. During the ascent, they sent home another postcard-worthy photograph of Jool.

 

• After seeing the beauty of the green gas giant (or, what some of the younger employees like to call, the Triple-G), I think we can benefit from selling postcards with these pictures. Perhaps we should put them in our tourist vessels.
  • Then again, how are they going to be sent across the solar system? Electronic transmission?

 

On their way to the sea, the crew saw the island where the Neptune IV was before it made its exit ascent from Laythe.

 

 

When the crew had arrived in the specified airspace, mission pilot Gusbles Kerman noticed something odd out his cockpit window. While his plane was still ablaze from the supersonic speeds (which, I assure you, pose no threat if he flies it correctly), he leaned over and took a picture from his seat.

 

• Those brown dots look like ships, which we certainly DID NOT send to Laythe. The only logical conclusion is that they originated from Laythe.

 

Gusbles then descended over the DeGrasse Sea to get some scientific data from closer to the ocean. During his descent, his sensors picked up what appeared to be a signal flare coming from the water. Samdard had logged that he guessed that the fleet of ships Gusbles saw noticed the plane and used the flares as a means of communicating to other ships about our presence.

 

• Green signal flare seen over the horizon. Those Laythan sailors must have some powerful telescopes if they can see the flare from that far.
• Fortunately, it didn't go high enough to cause any damage to the Neptune VII.
  • Detected to have gone up to 5 km altitude before its vertical velocity turned negative. The plane was 15 km high at the time this picture was taken.

 

Gusbles then changed his heading to avoid the Laythan ships before flying less than 1 km above the DeGrasse Sea. The crew didn't get much data, though (except for goo) since the Neptune V girls had already did a lot of science-harvesting while mapping out potential landing spots.

 

 

After that, Gusbles turned his plane slightly northwest and flew towards Crater Island in an attempt for obtaining more data. When the Neptune VII had reached the surrounding islands, they detected more flares rising from the surface.

 

 

It was morning in the area, so one would think that it was a Laythan tradition to fire a wake-up flare or something like that. However, if we connect that with what the kerbals observed with the ships several minutes prior, it seems like that it's a warning signal whenever someone sees our planes. Since no Neptune kerbalnauts reported any attempts to shoot down their spacecraft - except for some whackjob on Kerbin who aimed a laser pointer at the Neptune IV when it was landing - we can reasonably assume that either the Laythans don't perceive the kerbalnauts as a threat or they're just not capable of high-range anti-aircraft combat (or both). We can also assume that they are not capable of long-range communications, as seen by the need to use signal flares to communicate our presence. Since we had not detected satellites orbiting Laythe other than our own, they're probably incapable of space travel. Whether or not they can fly through the air is still a mystery. If they were, how come they didn't show up on our scanners?

• Better yet, how come the Neptune V kerbalnauts didn't report the Crater Island civilizations when they visited it the first time? Are the Laythans experts in hiding themselves from us, or do Lisa and Givan have something to hide?

 

Meanwhile, the Eelootian story has seemed to repeat itself. Some rookie engineer named Dacan Kerman got herself stranded in the northeastern hemisphere - in an old lander can, no less - and we sent a recently-developed ISRU-capable spacecraft to rescue her. Now the question remains: do we send her straight to Kerbin, or have her stop at Ike first?

 

Spoiler

• Descending on the Fragipan, with a canyon in the background.

 

• Dacan "The Can" Kerman planting a flag after the plane landed.

 

• The rescue plane taking off after months of refueling.

 

 

With these photos as proof, we can tell the public that we know for sure that civilizations exist outside of Kerbin. Internal Investigations will begin questioning Lisa and Givan about their possible encounter with the Crater Island Laythans, but it seems like the Laythans just hid themselves so well that not even they - let alone all our probes - spotted them. Though it's way better than the natives trying to kill us, I would prefer that we establish a friendly relationship with them. After all, if we're going to send kerbalkind to Laythe on a regular basis, we might as well get to know our neighbors.

 

Wernher Von Kerman

Year 64, Day 275

0H00M

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

SAMDARD KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y64D402 - 4H00M

 

Not only did we confirm that intelligent life exists on Laythe, but we have actually interacted with it. Standing next to me is Makadum, who appears to be the chief of the Laythan settlement on not only the central crater island, but the surrounding islands as well.

 

• Me (left) and Makadum (right).
• Assumed to be the chief by the way the other Laythans kneeled when he approached us - as well as the other attention he received.
  • I mean, who else could it be?
• Like with the other Laythans, he has brown fur, sharp teeth, and claws
  • Fur used to keep warm to cold temperatures
    • I was so glad to put my helmet back on after this picture was taken.
  • They are, however, omnivorous - as seen by:
    • Us witnessing it.
    • Analysis of their teeth, both on live and dead specimens
  • Their gloves were designed with holes for the retractable claws.
• Wear hats for:
  • Heat preservation
  • Eye protection from brightness
  • Showing their tribal signs
    • Everyone had that sign on their hats, which means some kind of unity.
    • Apparently, the chief has a seal on his jacket that shows the tribal sign with a gold background - nobody else had it.
• White jacket seemingly used for camouflage against snow. Useful in combat, but why is it worn on a regular basis? Do the Laythans enjoy remaining hidden?

 

None of us couldn't understand a word the Laythans said, but we still learned a lot about them. For starters, the green flares we saw hundreds of days ago were to signal the coming of a deity from "Green Sky World." It kind of makes sense, since our spaceplanes entering the atmosphere looks like we're coming from Jool. Due to our green skin color, and the fact that we don't need food thanks to our photosynthetic cells, we were welcomed as gods when we landed. 

Spoiler

When Internal Investigations questioned Lisa and Givan - the two Neptune V kerbalnauts that landed on Crater Island previously - they said that they never saw the Laythan establishments because they were "cooped up in their plane the whole time." Unless they had unlogged EVAs while they were refueling there, their mission logs corroborated their statements. They were also asked why they made no effort to search for Laythan civilizations, and they both answered that they had been assigned to "look for base sites and pick up Namin." 

• What really bugged them was that the Laythans made no attempt to approach the Neptune V when it landed.

 

Since the Native Laythans apparently have a history of staying out of our sights - and since no crimes were committed - no penal action will be taken against the two women. I'm just glad that this mistake was rectified, and that we have made first contact with the Laythans.

 

Gus Kerman

Head of Operations

 

Though we had spent most of the time inside the Neptune VII - at least one of us had to stay inside at all times, in fact - we had the chance to live among the Laythans. We had no intention to be treated as gods upon landing, but I guess that's what comes with being as green as Jool. Compared to the small towns on Kerbin, their villages seem primitive; I guess that's what comes with living on a frozen island with limited resources on a super-cold moon that's over 85% ocean. However, that doesn't mean that they're not thriving or have a steady food and water supply. They have found a way to filter all those minerals from the water, and the Laythans have extremely quick reflexes when it comes to catching fish and other animals. They use tools to do their hunting and harvesting, but the Laythans' features seemed to pay off their species well before they have started making tools. 

 

Before we left the island, we gave Makadum our Hemorrhoid camera (and some extra film) and asked him to take a picture of us. After he did, we scanned the pictures while letting him keep the originals - and the camera and film.

 

• Me with Vall and Tylo in the sky.

 

• Us looking at the sunset.

 

• A Laythan sunset over the crater islands.

 

When the photo op was over, we waved the Laythans good-bye and took off. During our ascent, they fired some more green flares.

 

 

Since MJ was having trouble with the transfer burn plotter for Pol, we had decided to refuel on Bop instead (again). I hope we're done before the next transfer window to Kerbin closes, but I'm sure the mass ore transport already stationed on that moon will help with that. Before we hit Bop's SOI, the Anubis I - the first crewed mission to Tylo - had arrived at Jool's SOI.

 

 

All that's left for us to do is to refuel and we are outta here.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

ANREY KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y65D74 - 0H25M

 

Took longer than originally planned, but I finally made it to the surface of Laythe. At least I arrived four years earlier than my "Waiting on Dres for my next transfer window" plan.

 

As explained in my last Tylo Trek entry, our plane got hit with an unexpected Laythe encounter on our way to reach Pol. After we hit the moon's SOI, we played several rounds of aerobraking ring-around-the-rosie before achieving a stable low orbit around Laythe; our periapsis altitude didn't get below 45 km. That move saved us about 1,000 m/s of delta-V that would later be used for flying through the atmosphere.

 

• Making our final re-entry trajectory, flying towards the islands surrounding Crater Island.

 

• Flying toward our landing spot, with our nuclear engines on so that:
  • We put our alternators to use
  • Increased thrust.

 

After a bouncy landing, I got out of the plane and repacked the drag chutes before planting a flag. 

 

• Me behind the Anubis I / Neptune VI landing marker.

 

My original plan was to fly around Laythe and gather some science while being worshipped as the first woman to solo to that moon in an SSTO. However, my exploration plans have been cut short on account of:

• The good data being harvested by the previous Neptune missions (especially V and VII)
  • The Neptune VII and its crew are still in Jool's SOI, by the way - and will stay there for a while.
• We have a tourist whose contract has already been fulfilled (minus the return to Kerbin)
  • Specifically, he paid for a Laythe orbit.
• The Anubis crew needs to go to Tylo for orbital reconnaissance
• Some lame Jool orbital crew report contract
• Picking up the crew of a Pol space station

 

All that's left to do is refuel on Laythe's surface, take off, and on with the mission.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

GUSBLES KERMAN'S MISSION LOG: Y65D206 - 4H45M

 

There's not really much to report here, only that we left Jool's SOI and we're about 2 years and 126 days away from reaching Kerbin's. We also have 3,354 m/s of delta-V left in our tanks; more than enough to safely land on Kerbin's surface.

 

• Like I said, not much to say here.

 

As for our friends on the Anubis I, they just circularized their departure orbit around Jool an hour ago. They plan to make their exit burn in less than a year, and then Kerbin will be getting a lot of its brave men and women returning home.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

FROM THE OFFICE OF WERNHER VON KERMAN

 

Regarding the Anubis I / Neptune VI and Neptune VII missions, there isn't much to announce other than they are set to return home to Kerbin. We have made some great progress exploring Laythe, from the orbital reconnaissance missions to the interactions with the natives there. In the process, we have also established strong network coverage around that moon and set up a couple of space stations there (granted, one of them had its construction halted after the fourth module). Though we have gained a lot from our Neptune missions, we at the Kerbal Space Center believe that we aren't done yet.

 

Most of Mission Control is not fond of climate activists - and given their recent activity defacing museums, I can see why - but you cannot deny that some of the more competent members may be on to something. More specifically, they want us to reduce our emissions on Laythe by using electric vehicles for our surface reconnaissance. Fortunately, Kerbal Motion LLC and WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium were more than willing to sell us parts to make an electric drone. As a true test of its capabilities, we set it to circumnavigate Kerbin without stopping.

 

 

While Mortimer Kerman was negotiating the pricing for the parts, Gus Kerman let slip that he had recently sent a few of our engineers to design an electric aerial drone for Eve exploration before sending Kerbals. Since Eve's atmosphere is not suitable for air intakes, it would make sense to want a sustainable propulsion source and rocket fuel for powerful rocket engines (on account of Eve's increased gravity) would not last long on one tank. Therefore, once this prototype's capabilities are proven on Kerbin, these drones will be sent to Eve as well as Laythe.

 

 

Previous test runs had proven that this prototype could not hit 175 meters per second, which was the velocity of Kerbin's rotation about its polar axis. So, to maximize time exposed to the sun, it went retrograde (west) early sunrise. I must say that we were very impressed with the aircraft's stability, even when our pilot (who will remain anonymous) left to pick up his teenage daughter after she was dumped in the middle of a date.

• Normally, leaving during a test run would be acceptable so long as the pilot-in-command (PIC) either activated the autopilot and ensured it was flying smoothly or found someone to fill in for him in his absence. However, neither of which happened in this case. As soon as we realized that nobody was flying the plane (either man or autopilot), we rushed to the control room and were surprised to find that it was still flying. 
• While the project manager was scolding the original PIC for risking a lot of money with his blatant breach in protocol, the substitute PIC kept her hands off the controls and talked with her coworkers - while ensuring the plane didn't crash, of course.

 

 

Almost one-and-a-half days later, the drone returned to the KSC after a nonstop flight across the equator. The drone was slower than we had hoped, but at least it was stable and had passed the off-runway landing tests. Besides, to save electricity, it was optimal to only fly when there's daylight in your takeoff and landing spots - even if that means having to fly in intervals. 

 

Now that we have proven that this prototype can fly reliably on electric power alone, we just need to send this to Laythe and we can explore the moon whenever we want without having to wait for kerbalnauts to arrive or ISRU converters to finish refueling. It may be slower than the supersonic remote-controlled planes, plus it may have a shorter range due to being so far away from the sun, but we'll reduce the rate that we're using the moon's ore so that future settlements can utilize it.

 

Speaking of future settlements, we have designed a multi-launch surface base for Laythe. Although we already have two single-launch bases on the surface, we decided that we needed a warehouse to store all our cargo there - mostly our deployable science station equipment made by Probodobodyne Incorporated. Below is a photograph of the four individual modules all docked together, with the center piece with the relay on top arriving first.

 

• DISCLAIMER: more lights and parachutes were added after this photo was taken. That way, it would be easier to find for kerbalnauts - especially those who are lost.
• In order, these pieces will arrive:
  • (Center piece) Primary entrance, communications array, and primary storage area
  • (Right) The mobile science lab
  • (Left) Additional storage modules and seats
  • (Behind) More seats with a small docking port at the end
    • May be used later to dock with rovers that would carry cargo.

 

The next time the Laythe transfer window opens, we'll send the drone prototype there. Some in Mission Control are contemplating sending the first piece of the Laythe Warehouse as well, while others want to send a new ring station designed specifically to hold a lot of cargo (and have many docking ports open for future expansion). Its latest design had passed the simulated test run, so real-life results seem promising so far. 

 

• The arguments for "yes" are:
  • The cost of launching this station, although quite expensive, may be less than the total cost of launching all four Laythe Warehouse modules.
    • Both in terms of time and money.
  • This station can hold nearly three times as many people as the completed Laythe Warehouse.
  • Any docking-capable spacecraft that takes in cargo on the station can send it anywhere on the moon.
  • Once launched, we won't have to worry about continuing construction in future launches.
    • While there are plenty of docking ports open in anticipation of expansion, we currently have no such plans. They may appear later on, but right now the station is fully ready for action as-is after deployment.
• The arguments for "no" are:
  • Launching this station would cost more than a third of what we have in our budget.
  • This station holds less cargo than a completed Laythe Warehouse. 
    • On the other hand, some argue that only the first and second modules are important. While it may save overall costs and ensure that only essential elements are used for the base, shutting down construction before the third launch would bring the cargo capacity to less than that of this station's.
  • If anyone in surface operations want equipment, they'll have to take time, fuel, and great risk to fly to Laythe orbit in a docking-capable spaceplane (most likely the P-5 Olympian) with somewhat limited cargo space and send it back down to the staging area.
  • We already have two stations orbiting Laythe (granted, one of them is getting close to being declared defunct), so what purpose would a third one serve besides keeping scientific instruments that can only be used on the surface in orbit?

 

We in Mission Control have 370 days to make a decision, but we welcome outside input for what we should send.

 

In the meantime, we are attempting to redo a solo mission to Laythe after our first attempt was aborted seven years ago. Engineer Agaford Kerman is currently in orbit of Minmus overseeing a P-5 Olympian fuel for Dres orbit, awaiting a Laythe speeder to arrive at the moon's sphere of influence. Once that arrives and rendezvous with her, she will board the smaller plane and refuel it in preparation for the Neptune VIII mission. If anyone wishes to enter their input or ask any questions about our ever-expanding presence on Laythe, please do not hesitate to reply.

 

It was such a long wait, but now things are warming up again.

 

Wernher Von Kerman

Y66D147

1H00M

[SkyFall2489]

@Mars-Bound Hokie I'm wondering, with all these things being sent to all these places, might it be economical to have a few large, orbitally assembled ships that repeatedly make regular journeys from kerbin to jool/eeloo/dres/duna, picking up passengers and cargo and refueling at each end of the journey?

It's got to be better than hauling ISRU equipment and RAPIERs across the empty void where they aren't very helpful, why not leave em at the end points?

SSTOs or regular rockets can refuel the ships and load them at the kerbin end of the route, while at the other end pre-positioned equipment refuels the ships for the way home.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

On 11/22/2022 at 10:36 PM, SkyFall2489 said:

I'm wondering, with all these things being sent to all these places, might it be economical to have a few large, orbitally assembled ships that repeatedly make regular journeys from kerbin to jool/eeloo/dres/duna, picking up passengers and cargo and refueling at each end of the journey?

With all the stations, ore transports, and landers I deployed over the years, that idea does sound fun. I won't have to drag all my ISRU and rapiers all the way to Laythe and back, though it is necessary if complete independence during the mission is the goal. I can send a shuttle spaceplane to the interplanetary transport vessel (let's call it the ITV to keep it simple) in LKO or Minmus, send the ITV to its destination/s, have it dock with the necessary space stations/refueling ports while sending landers (or in Laythe's case a docking-capable spaceplane), and have it return to Kerbin when everything's done. When I return, an empty shuttle can fly up to the ITV and collect everybody to return to the surface.

• And if I don't want to have so many stops and docking trips along the way, especially if my tourism contract involves landing.

 

However, speaking from experience, there is a flaw in an orbitally-assembled interplanetary transport ship. The docking ports will wobble during the burns, increasing the chances of structural failures - hence increasing the chances of mission failure. Unless you know an easy trick to dock multiple large ports to the same part at once, I'm afraid the ITV would have to be launched in one stage fully assembled before it can be used. Furthermore, to minimize refueling trips, it would need as high a delta-V capacity as possible while carrying an optimal amount of occupants and cargo. Although I don't have a good design for an ITV as of yet, I cannot guarantee now that it can reach its target destination without having to make a refueling stop first.

• If you know of any good ships to reference that match this criteria, that would be very nice.

 

On 11/22/2022 at 10:36 PM, SkyFall2489 said:

It's got to be better than hauling ISRU equipment and RAPIERs across the empty void where they aren't very helpful, why not leave em at the end points?

So I can have full mission independence and not have to worry about so many moving parts in the middle. While I already have so many space stations and other craft on standby, it would be so much simpler if the craft was standalone. Fewer moving parts means fewer chances of failure (and the consequences of the ITV itself failing are more or less the same if a completely independent SSTO fails), so why invite them? The "moving parts" I am referring to are:

• Kerbin-to-orbit shuttles
• Space stations
  • Including orbital refueling ports.
• Landers
• Laythe SSTOs

 

Not that I'm going to completely reject your idea, @SkyFall2489. In fact, you've just given me an idea for the Neptune X. If you know of any ships that can do what you described, I can use them for inspiration for my own design. Thank you very much.

[SkyFall2489]

1 hour ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

With all the stations, ore transports, and landers I deployed over the years, that idea does sound fun. I won't have to drag all my ISRU and rapiers all the way to Laythe and back, though it is necessary if complete independence during the mission is the goal. I can send a shuttle spaceplane to the interplanetary transport vessel (let's call it the ITV to keep it simple) in LKO or Minmus, send the ITV to its destination/s, have it dock with the necessary space stations/refueling ports while sending landers (or in Laythe's case a docking-capable spaceplane), and have it return to Kerbin when everything's done. When I return, an empty shuttle can fly up to the ITV and collect everybody to return to the surface.

• And if I don't want to have so many stops and docking trips along the way, especially if my tourism contract involves landing.

 

However, speaking from experience, there is a flaw in an orbitally-assembled interplanetary transport ship. The docking ports will wobble during the burns, increasing the chances of structural failures - hence increasing the chances of mission failure. Unless you know an easy trick to dock multiple large ports to the same part at once, I'm afraid the ITV would have to be launched in one stage fully assembled before it can be used. Furthermore, to minimize refueling trips, it would need as high a delta-V capacity as possible while carrying an optimal amount of occupants and cargo. Although I don't have a good design for an ITV as of yet, I cannot guarantee now that it can reach its target destination without having to make a refueling stop first.

• If you know of any good ships to reference that match this criteria, that would be very nice.

 

So I can have full mission independence and not have to worry about so many moving parts in the middle. While I already have so many space stations and other craft on standby, it would be so much simpler if the craft was standalone. Fewer moving parts means fewer chances of failure (and the consequences of the ITV itself failing are more or less the same if a completely independent SSTO fails), so why invite them? The "moving parts" I am referring to are:

• Kerbin-to-orbit shuttles
• Space stations
  • Including orbital refueling ports.
• Landers
• Laythe SSTOs

 

Not that I'm going to completely reject your idea, @SkyFall2489. In fact, you've just given me an idea for the Neptune X. If you know of any ships that can do what you described, I can use them for inspiration for my own design. Thank you very much.

I actually have a few designs for ITVs. Also, maybe try KJR? (Kerbal Joint Reinforcement)

With KJR, I’ve built large ships consisting of maybe 3 sections connected by standard ports. Each section weighed maybe 15 tons , probably less.

One tip, aerobraking these ships can sometimes be hard, if you are carrying landers. However, it is possible, and alternatively more fuel can be packed so there is no need to.

I’ll try and slap together an ITV soon, all my older designs have a bunch of mod parts on em. 

Edited November 25, 2022 by SkyFall2489

[SkyFall2489]

@Mars-Bound Hokie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O3CIEFT6lP65jNzbPQTFUI7xnTOewV8ghGEtxibCZf8/edit?usp=sharing

This google doc has all the info about my latest ITV design, tell me if you want the craft file.

It might be messed up if you don't have ReStock, but it shouldn't be too hard to reverse-engineer.

 

As for how I got the idea for the general shape:

It was based on a previous ITV design...

Which was based on an even older ITV design...

Which was based on an even older ITV design...

Which was based on @Raptor9's "EV-6 Windjammer", which is effectively an ITV...

Which was based on Lockheed's Mars Base Camp.

Now, the thing looks absolutely nothing like MBC.

Edited November 25, 2022 by SkyFall2489

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

@SkyFall2489

First of all, how do you know about the interplanetary travel pods that carry seven people? Did you come across one of my old reports/fanworks or something, because I can't find anybody else referencing such craft.

 

Second of all, I built an ITV whose sole mission is interplanetary transport of kerbals and cargo and sent it into LKO as a test run (won't spoil anything with pictures and specific performance specs yet). After I established a stable orbit, I noticed that I had a seven-man pod on standby for years (both in-game and IRL) and decided to check the craft file for it. Turns out, I have some competition for the new ITV buried deep in my save file - even with the clipped fuel tanks removed.

 

ITV Comparison
	Old Pod	New Ship
Crew Capacity	7	19
Cargo Slots	21	43
Re-entry Capable	Yes	No

• Without giving away specific information, I can tell you that the old pod (left) has at least several hundred m/s more dV than the new ship (right).

 

Although the new ship has a lower dV capacity than the old one, it's still quite impressive. At the very least, it should make it to Laythe in one shot and make a refueling stop over one of the other moons before flying back to Kerbin. When comparing it to the old pod, I think it's a decent trade-off; sacrificing some dV for a higher passenger and cargo capacity. With the new transport network in place (albeit not officially streamlined yet), and since I have Breaking Ground, having a higher passenger and cargo capacity is necessary if I want to save time and money on separate spacecraft. It may not be able to return to Kerbin's surface, but that means it can be used again after the next passenger shuttle reaches it and loads it, hence saving hundreds of thousands of funds on launch costs PER MISSION. 

Edited November 30, 2022 by Mars-Bound Hokie