The "Zeb Carter" going to Minimus (Image heavy)

[Tokay Gris]

Mission: "Zebadiah Carter"

Goals: Going to Minimus, place satellites in Orbit, place a small orbital research station in an equatorial orbit, land on site of any anomalies, if found, land at promising site otherwise.

Vessels: - Revised Falcon MK II lander "Gay Deceiver"

- Pollux MK II Cruiser "Betty"

- Two orbital satellites "Mapping" MK II

- Two service tugs "Bug" MK III

- Research Habitat MK I

Crew:

- "Gay Deceiver":

-- Jebadiah Kerman, commanding, Commodore

-- Bob Kerman, astrogation

-- Bill Kerman, copilot

- "Betty":

-- Mac Kerman, commanding

-- Zorro Kerman, "Bug"-pilot

- Habitat:

-- Dudfred Kerman, Research, "Bug"-pilot

Mission report:

Assembly of the vessel progressed well and without incident. First, the "Gay Deceiver" was connected to the "Betty" and refuelled.

Then, the satellites and the "Bugs" are docked, engines disabled as well as the RCS systems.

Zorro returning to the command capsule of the "Betty" for the transfer:

Now, the orbital research station is inserted between the "Betty" and the "Gay Deceiver".

Time for the transfer to Minimus!

Breaking burn at Minimus orbit:

Satellite one and two are picked up and placed into orbits around Minimus at a polar and a 75 degree orbit around Minimus, mapping begins.

The linkage between the "Gay Deceiver" and the orbital habitat are decoupled, the habitat placed in an orbit, while "Gay" begins her breaking turn towards the surface.

Jeb is piloting:

Early morning landing:

The rover is decoupled and manned, the search for the anomaly, as shown by the satellites begins. It ends without finding it, though. The rover is later and after successful testing recoupled (it worked much better than the unrevised version of the Falcon MK II).

The obligatory flag is planted:

Liftoff from Minimus:

Docking to the "Betty" again and burn towards home:

Debriefing:

- Mission was a success. Although the anomaly as detected by the satellites could not be found, the vessels proved to work without problems:

- The revised rover was very stable and could cover distances at a speed of around 10 m/s safely, even in the low gravity environment of Minimus. It is advised to brake before making any turns though. The RCS system aboard the rover is able to flip the rover back on its wheels again, but the solar panels cannot withstand much damage.

- The Falcon MK II proved to be a reliable craft to land in no athmosphere environments. With modifikations, it should be possible to advance this design to land on other bodies as well.

- The Pollux MK II - as was expected - has once again shown its spaceworthyness and capability to transport payloads across distances in space. For safety reasons it is advised to use the newly developed MK V for the planned Mission "Podkayne" to Duna, because of the increased delta-V.

- The additions of satellites and "Bugs" worked without any problems, and didn't lead to any instability, even on the way back to Kerbin, when only one of the "Bugs" was still attached to the cruiser.

- A slight instability on the journey back in the linkage between the Pollux MK II and the front docking port of the Falcon MK II was controllable and did not excede safe limits. It was strong enough to withstand aerobraking withing Kerbins athmosphere.

Further missions to Minimus are possible and research into mining operations - due to the low gravity of Minimus - should start to allow for missions into the outer kerbol system without the necessity to lift the fuel from the surface of Kerbin.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Tokay Gris