UKS MASEC Mission Logs [Picture Heavy] | UPDATE: Back in business, again!

[Cashen]

Isis XVII & XVIII: Jool Part 2

The engineers at MASEC came to an interesting realization recently, as the next transfer window to Jool has opened up once more. Let's let Chief Engineer, Cashen Kerman, explain:

"During the previous Jool window, we calculated the trajectory for a minimum delta-v transfer from a total mission standpoint, meaning both the departure and the capture. However, the actual hardware was desgined to expend very little delta-v during the capture, since we'd always planned for aerobreakin at either Jool or Laythe. As a result, the transit times are quite long, nearly a year. We came to the realization, and this will be important for future manned missions, that we can plan trajectories for a much more aggressive departure, by spending perhaps a few hundred more m/s of delta-v. Ordinarily on an airless body without aerocapture, this would mean a massive increase in the capture delta-v since we'd be approaching with a large excess velocity (that is, not at the transfer orbit's apoapsis), but since aerocapture has been demonstrated many times now, that doesn't matter so much. We've calculated we can reduce the transfer time to Jool from around 290 days to perhaps as little as 160 days with only a moderate increase in ejection delta-v, say 2100 m/s instead of 1900 m/s. So we've decided to demonstrate this with Isis 17 and 18, where we will send two more RAMSES missions to the remaining two Jool moons, Val and Tylo. The hardware has been scaled up a little since these two moons require greater delta-v for eventual capture, but we're going to plot a much more aggressive transfer so that these probes arrive not long after the ones sent on the previous window."

This is the hardware upgrade we're talking about. The upper stage has been doubled in size, dubbed the L-IVC, and in order to lift the extra weight, two large solid rocket boosters have been strapped to the side of the L-I first stage. This represents the largest single rocket with the largest initial liftoff thrust ever launched by MASEC to this point. The rocket has been dubbed the Lupus V-B

The first mission launches. SRBs burn at full power. The L-I would initially fire at full power and then throttle back to control the upward velocity until SRB burnout.

SRB separation. This occured about 10 seconds before L-I burnout.

Fairing jettison during the L-II burn. The L-II has poor thrust to weight when lifting the extra payload mass, which is why the solids were needed to get the rocket higher into the atmosphere before L-II firing, where drag doesn't matter so much.

Unlike previous missions, where the hardware was launched and then individually sent on their way, in this case, RAMSES Jool D (as this has been named provisionally) performed the ejection essentially right away on the first orbit, before the launch of the next mission.

The VAB can hold two rockets of this size and both were assembled and stacked at around the same time. So later in the same day comes the second launch, RAMSES Jool E.

Here we see the beginning of the L-II burn.

And finally, the L-IVC burn to reach orbit. The third stage requires just 200 m/s to complete orbit of the 3900 m/s it has available. It likewise performed the ejection about 5 minutes later on the first orbit, with an ejection dV of 2060 m/s to place both missions on an intercept with Jool in around 160 days, just 15 days after the first batch of missions are set to arrive.

Here we see the transfer orbits. One has an intercept straight away (the currently active vessel) and the other will require some corrections. Importantly, note how both will cross Jool's orbit around the same point that the previous four missions do, indicating that they'll all get there around the same time.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Cashen

[Scotius]

Good luck Due to more "agressive" trajectory aerobraking will be intense - which means pretty lightshow

[Cashen]

Good luck Due to more "agressive" trajectory aerobraking will be intense - which means pretty lightshow

Very true! But aerobraking is free. And I have a handy calculator to try to optimize with:

[Cashen]

Chapter 5: Here to Stay

Project Osiris: The Exploration of Jool

Much as Project Aten was designed for the exploration of Kerbin's moons, and Project Anubis the exploration of Duna, Project Osiris will be for the exploration of the Jool system. Since no probes have yet reached Jool and its moons, the details of Project Osiris, including the hardware, the mission profiles and the crews are very much far off in the future, but certain things are known.

Analysis from Kerbin has revealed that Laythe's surface is covered in some kind of liquid, and the conditions estimated from a distance hint that liquid water is possible. Also, spectral analysis of its atmosphere hints that it may contain oxygen: This is up to the Laythe Science Package to confirm when it arrives. The large amounts of liquid make surface exploration using rovers and/or a mobile base impractical, unless: a) A lander/rover combination analogous to NAMLARV/Fennec is deployed from an orbital station, or A fixed base is used in combination with aircraft (Horus SSTO, etc.) are used to explore the surface. The latter option could even be used in combination with an orbital station as well. We'll elaborate on this a little later.

First, as has been stated previously, the percentage of Laythe covered by land is expected to be extremely small, considering none can be visibly imaged from Kerbin. The odds of underground kethane reservoirs overlapping with land is considered unlikely at this point - there is, for example, no discernable correlation between land area and kethane on Kerbin, so no reason to suggest Laythe would be any different. This likely means importing kethane from elsewhere in the Jool system. The first two RAMSES probes sent to Jool are going to map Bop and Pol to see if a decision between the two can be made on ease of available kethane. Regardless, a kethane extraction operation will be installed at one of the small moons, and be tasked with exporting it to Laythe. Establishing the base around one of the small moons is considered a first priority, since the supporting infrastructure has to be in place before serious exploration and permanent habitation of Laythe can follow. This will however be the easiest part of the operation, since it's exactly what MASEC is doing at Minmus already.

Returning to Laythe, now; how operations there will look has evolved quite a bit during the planning stages. All plans envision a fixed surface base at some convenient equatorial point, supported by a station in orbit above. The first iteration of the plan involved two support craft that would transit between the base and the station. Both rocket based, one to ferry crews and one to bring fuel down to the surface. Exploration would be carried out by two or more Horus SSTO Spaceplanes, which are equipped to act as rovers once on the surface. One or two Fennec rovers would also be deployed at the base site for local transportation on whatever island is chosen.

The second iteration hinges on a recent development in technology. The Reactive Alternate-Propellent Intelligent Engine for Rockets, or RAPIER, has recently been developed and promises to be a breakthrough in engine technology. The Horus SSTO has been extremely successful but MASEC has been unable to scale up to a larger design capable of more practical payloads, but RAPIER's development has led to new possibilities. Project Horus, the project that deals with aircraft development, has been assigned with creating a larger SSTO Spaceplane using RAPIER that is capable of carrying 6 passengers and/or transporting fuel. The rationale being this is that aircraft are much easier to precision land at a specific target, and this vehicle could replace the rocket-based ideas for logistics at Laythe.

The third iteration is based on the large Spaceplane from iteration two being possible. It basically says, "If we are supporting ground operations from a SSTO Spaceplane, why do the exploration vehicles have to be spaceplanes too? Why not regular airplanes?" The Horus SSTO will not use the new RAPIERs because they aren't optimized for in-atmosphere travel the way actual jet engines are. They're envisioned to be most useful for craft that have to go up into space regularly, but Horus is expected to spend most of its time in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, it has to carry around the extra weight of its rocket engines. So, in theory, if an atmosphere-only jet aircraft can be developed, and a way to get it to Laythe also developed, this would simplify things even further.

Since developing hardware takes time, work on this is starting now, even if the actual exploration of Jool is a long ways away. Project Horus, which has been expanded to include all airplane/spaceplane development, has been tasked to develop this larger cargo spaceplane, dubbed the Horus Space Shuttle. If and when such a thing is developed, only then will a combination jet aircraft/rover be developed, and only if the decision is made to not use the existing Horus SSTO Spaceplane for this eventual purpose. So, interestingly, the beginning of Project Osiris will actually be dependent on more work out of Project Horus.

Meanwhile a decision needs to be made about how to start the exploration. Project Anubis decided to begin the exploration of Duna with a one-off mission; go there, explore, and come back. The transit times to Jool are much longer, even with the most aggressive transfer windows. Initial plans envisioned two simultaneous exploration missions: One to Laythe, and one to Bop and Pol, which would then return, before the permanent settlement begins, but it may actually be much simpler to just go there to stay immediately. This is another unresolved question, but one possibility is to send the hardware and crews to Bop or Pol first, and establish that operation, before sending material to Laythe on the following transfer window.

In the meantime, a permanent settlement on Duna (or anywhere else) will have to wait, since Laythe is far too interesting to pass up.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Cashen

[USKnight]

Be safe, men of Project Horus. With great invention sometimes comes great risks. I hope the Test Pilot Corps safely pulls through this development cycle. MASEC is always a great read and inspiration, Cashen. Thank you for sharing your story and for the way it has influenced my own play in Kerbal Space Program.

[Cashen]

Horus V: The Shuttle

As mentioned previously, the introduction of the RAPIER has opened possibilities for spaceplanes that didn't exist previously. While the announcement of Project Osirus was sudden, development of a reusable shuttle traces its origins back to one of the criteria of Project Newet, and there has always been low-level design work in the background. Now, for the first time, a design on paper has been tested in simulations and validated to the point that a prototype has been constructed, and ready to fly for the first time.

Name: Horus Space Shuttle (HSS)

Crew: 2

Passenger Capacity: 6

Propulsion: 6 x Reactive Alternate-Propellent Intelligent Engine for Rockets (RAPIER) hybrid engines.

Jet Thrust: 1140 kN

Jet Isp: 800 s

Rocket Thrust: 1050 kN

Rocket Isp: 360 s

Propellant (for use): 2304 L Fuel, 2816 L Oxidizer, 80L Monopropellant

Cargo Capacity: 1840L Fuel or 1334L Fuel, 506L Oxidizer or 828L Fuel, 1012L Oxidizer

Dry Mass: 25,284kg

Fuel full, cargo empty mass: 51,205kg

Fully loaded mass: 60,405kg

The development of the shuttle will be incremental in nature. Simulation suggests it can take off easily with the cargo tanks empty, but taking off fully loaded may be impractical. The end goal is that it only needs to land fully loaded (such as transporting fuel to the surface of Laythe, eventually). This design won out over an original plan which included separate cargo and passenger versions, because those versions were much shorter from nose to tail which would not allow for large enough swept wings to generate enough lift. So a single design was chosen. The fuselage aft of the cabin and fore of the engines is divided exactly in half, with the front half being the passenger compartment, and the rear half being the propellant storage tanks for cargo. The center of mass resides in the middle of this rear compartment anyway, so placing the cargo tanks there means that the center of mass moves very little regardless of the fuel load. Since the RAPIERs provide no electrical power generation, unlike conventional jet engines, the Shuttle is powered by 32 small solar panels mounted mid-fuselage and two large batteries on the back of the fuselage behind the monopropellant tanks. It has a top mounted docking port directly behind the cabin, and uses three primary landing gear plus one short tail-gear to prevent tail-strikes. The engines are mounted in three groups of two: Four outboard engines on the nacelles, and two inboard engines at the back of the fuselage. The shuttle's own fuel is stored in the outboard fuel tanks, with the inboard engines connected to them via fuel lines under the wings. The cargo tanks, while meant for storage, are also connected to the fuel system for emergency use. The outboard and inboard engines can be turned on or off separately, allowing the shuttle to fly with 2, 4 or 6 engines, depending on need. There is also a retractable fuel hose mounted under the nose.

Unlike the smaller Horus SSTO Spaceplane, which was manned on its maiden voyage, the first flight of the Horus Shuttle will be an unmanned test flight, owing to how much more complex it is. This flight will have the Shuttle's own fuel tanks full, but the cargo tanks empty.

Mission Outline & Objectives

• First flight of the Horus SSTO Space Shuttle
  
• First flight of the Reactive Alternate-Propellent Intelligent Engine for Rockets
  
• Unmanned test flight
  
• Test both the atmospheric and vacuum performance of the RAPIER engines
  
• Achieve low equatorial orbit
  
• Test RCS and electrical systems as well as the retractable docking port/shroud.
  
• Test inboard/outboard engine switching and selection
  
• De-orbit and land at KSC
  

The shuttle's maiden voyage is being controlled from the ground. Here the six RAPIER engines are shown firing as the shuttle rolls down the runway.

Lift-off from the runway with landing gear retraction. Notice the fuel lines at the backs of the wings, and the short tail-gear. This gear doesn't reach the ground, but is meant to prevent the engines from striking the ground during takeoff and landing.

The ascent is a typical SSTO ascent like we've seen before, with the Shuttle pitching up to 45 degrees. Unlike the smaller Spaceplane, which is powered partly by its jet engines and small solar panels, the Shuttle is powered entirely by solar panels and large batteries.

Transition to rocket thrust is smooth. The Shuttle is able to achieve higher altitudes and speeds than the Spaceplane, owing to the very large ram air intakes.

Orbit achieved, 84km by 80km. Here, the outboard engines are switched off to allow just the inboard engines to perform the orbital circulaization maneuver. This allows for more precise delta-V adjustments.

A good look at the shuttle in orbit. Almost all of the Shuttle was designed by B9 Aerospace, including the entire airframe and the cabin internals, docking port, landing gear, the cargo tanks, and the RCS system. The engines are internal to MASEC, while NovaPunch provided the outboard propellant tanks.

The docking port cover is opened and the port extended to test its functionality, while also visible are jets of exhaust from the RCS system being tested. The nose of the Shuttle has integrated RCS thrusters, while external ones are situated at the very back of the fuselage. Docking with a port off-axis like this may be tricky, but that will be up to the first manned mission to demonstrate.

De-orbit is also achieved with just the inboard engines, while the cabin lighting system is tested on the night side of Kerbin. Shortly after deorbiting, the Shuttle would dump leftover oxidizer and monopropellant to make for a light landing.

Slight nose-up attitude during re-entry.

Once low enough, the RAPIERs are fired back up in air-breathing mode to fly the rest of the way home.

Engine switching is demonstrated again. To decelerate, the Shuttle simply switches off the inboard engines rather than reducing throttle, as it flies over the mountains west of KSC.

Switching to the inboard engines for the final approach, with the gear lowering.

The Shuttle returns to KSC safely. A perfect first mission!

[Cashen]

Anubis Duna Excursion 3

Excursions don't happen relatively often. The vast majority of the days spent on Duna are spent in close proximity to the lander, either on foot or within a couple kilometers using Fennec. Long range excursions are more in-depth and planned events that, while only directly involving two Kerbals, require the coordination of the entire team. There are planned between 4 and 6 excursions during the Duna surface stay. After all, the excursions go well beyond walking distance and a malfunction or accident could mean certain death.

Jedlock Kerman comes down the ladder with Richbur nearby, while Wildon and Gilfal watch. Richbur and Jedlock are set to go for a drive today. Jedlock, the climatologist with special geology training, is the only one who hasn't been on an excursion yet, and their target will be to head south into the large basin nearby, past the mouth of the canyon. The team is unsure of the basin's origin, but think it may be an ancient sea, or at least was filled with water at some point in the past.

Jonbart is in on communications from orbit, and Mac from inside the lander, completing the three-way voice communications with Jedlock. They set off more or less due south mid-morning.

Jonbart: Okay guys, there's some particularly dark terrain south of the valley mouth, similar to what Mac and Gilfal saw in the canyon, only much more of it. We'd like you to check that out first.

Jedlock: Roger that.

The dark terrian, it turns out, was determined to be due to different minerals, after samples Gilfal returned with were examined. They're clay-like minerals present in most soil on Duna but are concentrated in these spots, perhaps as sediments from ancient water flows. You can see it here contrasted with the much lighter terrain of the Northeast Massif in the background.

Richbur: I think that's the biggest rock I've seen so far.

Jonbart: Most of the stones here are rounded off and there's a lot of clay-like sediments. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the bottom of an ancient ocean.

The view from orbit. Jonbart confirms they are right in the middle of some of the darkest terrain.

Richbur: That peak off to the left there, Wildon and I saw that during Excursion 1, except we were looking from the north, not the south. We were going to drive over to it but they told us to return to base. I bet the view looking south from up there would be fantastic.

More rocks, in the same general area as before. The darkness of the terrain here is also, to a degree, caused by increased weathering of the soil, which reduces it reflectivity.

Jonbart: Okay, we have one more thing you might find interesting. We'd been studying the radar altimetry data from RAMSES, and due east of you maybe 15 kilometers is what we think is the lowest point on the surface of the whole planet. We'll give you the exact coordinates shortly.

Richbur plants a flag once they reach the point of interest.

Jedlock: We've located the point and planted the flag. 5.94 degrees south latitude, 50.55 degrees west longitude, 125 meters above reference altitude. We confirm, the highest atmospheric pressure recorded so far, almost 20 kilopascals.

The pair's location as they plant the flag, marking the furthest point from the landing site so far of any excursion.

Richbur: Wow, Duna's surface sure is bright in the mid-day sun.

Jedlock: Yeah, I think we got used to the dark terrain from earlier, but the stuff here is much lighter.

They take a more northerly route back, hugging the southern edge of the Northeast Massif, and here begin to enter the mouth of the valley.

The pair arrive back at the landing site, greeted by Wildon and Gilfal who spent most of the day working outside.

Jonbart: So, we have another communications bulletin received from Kerbin if you'd like us to relay it down to you.

Mac: Sure, we're all back inside for the night and could use some news from back home.

Jonbart: Roger. MASEC has announced a new manned spaceflight project. Named Osirus, it's intended for the exploration of the Jool system, possibly with permanently manned outposts and bases. No definite time-frame for missions at this point, purely in the hardware development phase. Also, Project Horus has successfully tested the first reusable SSTO Space Shuttle, capable of holding eight Kerbals. It will replace the Aten CTV reusable rocket, which has been retired, for missions to Kerbin Station.

Wildon: That's good news about going to Jool. Laythe looks like a fascinating target. I wouldn't mind being involved in that someday.

Richbur: I just hope they don't forget about Duna. We're doing a lot of good work here already.

Jonbart: Not to worry, fellas. The pictures and video you guys are sending back are front page news almost every day back home.

Mac: Great news about that shuttle, too. I remember Project Newet and a reuseable crew transportation vehicle being the biggest challenge of the whole thing from a design standpoint. They'll have to transmit some pictures of it to us at some point.

[Scotius]

Nice details you've pulled out of digitally generated terrain And i too always feel a bit sorry for all the guys in space when i'm starting Jool exploration. Sheer scale of involvement in such a project tends to overshadow all other missions.

[Cashen]

Horus VI: Kerbin Station Expansion & Shuttle Manned Flight

There are two problems with Kerbin Station. First, it was never designed for docking a large spaceplane like the Shuttle, with its in-line docking port. It will make for a very crowded docking scenario. So, a modification needs to be made to the station to 'stand off' a couple of docking ports to make this easier. The second issue it the station is too small for the training demands that will be coming up with Project Osirus, either for new Kerbals joining the project directly, or as replacements for existing Kerbals who will be. So, two new modules have been designed to fill both roles.

A new habitation module, with a capacity to hold up to a maximum of 4 Kerbals, and with a raised docking port to facilitate docking the Shuttle. Two of these modules will be added to Kerbin Station to make docking easier and raise the station's capacity to 12 Kerbals.

Mission Outline & Objectives, Part 1:

• Launch two new habitation modules aboard unmanned carrier rockets.
  
• Dock them to Kerbin Station on either side of the air-lock module.
  

A fairly straightforward, reliable Latrans II booster, with an upper stage to intercept and dock with Kerbin Station, and the new habitation module safely stowed inside the payload fairing.

The first launch happens mid-afternoon.

Staging. Lower stage and fairing drop away, and now it's the maneuvering stage's job to do the rest.

Here's a good look at the new habitation module once in orbit, waiting for the rendezvous with Kerbin Station.

Rendezvous is successful and the module is placed next to the airlock.

The maneuvering stage de-orbits itself using its onboard RCS.

The second module is launched the next morning, seen here rising off the pad with the UKS flag in the foreground.

Rising up into orbit to complete the expansion of Kerbin Station.

The expansion is complete. Desbree will soon have more Kerbals under his command at the station. Also note the stand-off docking ports designed for the Shuttle.

Mission Outline & Objectives, Part 2:

• First manned flight of the Horus Space Shuttle
  
• Pilots: Bill Kerman & Bob Kerman
  
• Take off heavy: 50% load in the cargo fuel tank.
  
• Rendezvous and dock with Kerbin Station.
  
• Take on a full load of oxidizer and fuel, including the cargo tanks, bringing the Shuttle to maximum weight.
  
• De-orbit and land at the KSC runway to test heavy-landing capability.
  

The main objective for the Shuttle at the moment is to ferry Kerbals to orbit and back, and so performing a rendezvous and docking with the Station is the primary objective. However, they're also taking off heavy to determine if the Shuttle can fly with a 50% cargo load and still reach orbit. Essentially, a test of the vehicle's payload lifting capacity. Then, once at the station, they'll fill all the tanks and try to land that way. One hypothetical use of the Shuttle in the future is bringing jet fuel down to the surface of Laythe, and so we'll be testing that functionality as well.

Bill and Bob take off in the Shuttle from the KSC runway. The only change to the Shuttle prototype from the last mission is the addition of a pair of small lights to the docking port, since the previous mission didn't include docking and didn't need them.

In spite of taking off with an extra 5,000kg of weight, the Shuttle is able to get up into space without too much issue. This flight also tested the cargo tanks being used to feed the inboard engines.

Bill and Bob admire the beautiful cockpit internals as designed by B9 Aerospace. Certainly a significant upgrade in size and asthetics from the Spaceplane, though not with the same visibility.

The sun is starting to set as part of Kerbin Station can be seen out the window, with the limb of Kerbin in the top of the frame.

Docking takes place at night, but the lights help out a lot. It's a little trickier docking with the in-line port but not significantly so, and the pair of pilots are able to get docked to the station just fine.

The pair spend the night at Kerbin Station, sleeping in the Shuttle, while propellants are pumped through to fill the Shuttle's tanks for departure the next morning. The station has enough extra kethane left over that it's able to process it for use directly instead of having to dip into its own reserves of fuel and oxidizer.

The next morning, the Shuttle de-orbits, and can be seen approaching KSC. All the tanks are more or less full, minus whatever was needed to de-orbit.

It flies just fine with all engines running, seen here passing over the mountains west of the runway.

Gear down and on course for the runway. This heavy, the engines have to stay on nearly the whole time.

After a good bounce on the runway, the Shuttle gets stopped and Bill and Bob get out. Looks like the Shuttle has passed the test!

In remarks afterward, Bill did point out one shortcoming of the design so far: "We didn't notice this during the unmanned test but when the Shuttle lands heavy, there is a lot of flexing of the wings between the engine pods and the fuselage. The reason is because on touchdown, when the back gear make contact first, there's no gear in the middle to support the weight, so it flexes a lot. Dangerously so. Since no takeoff or landing has yet shown a need for the little tail-strike gear, I think in the future we'll omit that thing and exchange it for a full size center gear in the back, and maybe add some more stiffening in the wing roots."

[Volterra]

Hello Cashen,

I registered just to say that it the best AAR I read so far, read in one breath few hours back.

Keep up the good work.

[Cashen]

Hello Cashen,

I registered just to say that it the best AAR I read so far, read in one breath few hours back.

Keep up the good work.

Wow, thanks! These kind of posts always make me smile.

School's pretty busy right now but I should have some more mission updates posted this weekend.

Hope you continue to enjoy!

[astropapi1]

*Bump.

Hey Cashen, just telling you I really love this story. Thanks for the good read.

[Cashen]

*Bump.

Hey Cashen, just telling you I really love this story. Thanks for the good read.

Hey thanks! Sadly it's mid-terms so I've been quiet lately as I focus on school. The good news however is that I'll be graduating this spring! I have no ETA for when MASEC will be back in the swing of things again, but I'm hoping to get some more stuff done after midterms and before finals. We'll see!

[Scotius]

Probably .24 will be out by then I'm really hoping for biomes on Duna and Ike.

[Cashen]

Okay guys, just bumping the thread so I don't lose it somewhere. I'm still here, still lurking, and still planning to keep this thing going. Just have to get past a few more things with school. Grad preparations, midterms, looking for permanent work, etc. But KSP is too much fun to give up, and I've invested too much time in this thread to stop now.

[astropapi1]

Yay!

Steve Buscemi watches you in your sleep.

[USKnight]

Good to hear from you, Cashen. Deal with the real world and return when you can to tell us about the further adventures of your little green men.

[Cashen]

Ok sweet. I realize it's been ages since I posted here (well, about 5 or 6 weeks since my last message, almost 4 months since my last actual message) but I have good news! I have officially graduated and finished University! Hopefully I can get back to my UKS MASEC missions very shortly! I'll have to make sure everything's up to date and then draw up a bit of a gameplan for where I want to take things next. Again, apologies for that ridiculously long hiatus!

[Commander Zoom]

Congratulations! Looking forward to hearing (and seeing) more from you.

[Scotius]

Congratulations and welcome back. Much has changed in KSP, and more changes are coming. It may be not new world, but certainly it's brave

[Cashen]

I think the biggest problem is that the ribbons website cleared out its database so I lost all my mission accomplishment ribbons. I'll have to take some time to re-create those, but it's a good excuse to re-read all of my posts and get a feel for what should come next.

[FishInferno]

Let me just say that i have been following this for awhile now and I absolutely LOVE it:D You could probably keep this going forever! do you plan on making bases on planets/moons?

[Cashen]

Let me just say that i have been following this for awhile now and I absolutely LOVE it:D You could probably keep this going forever! do you plan on making bases on planets/moons?

Thanks for the kind words! I have plans for a surface base at Laythe eventually, plus 2-3 orbital bases in the Jool system. That's the next major thing I have planned, is manned exploration of Jool's moons. I may also set up a surface base on Duna, but the designs for that will be very different, since Duna and Laythe are very different places.

In the meantime: Quick update. I'm almost finished with fixing all the mission ribbons and re-reading my entire thread. The ribbons are now hosted on my own personal webspace, just like the screenshots, so they're now persistent. Just the last group of Kerbals in the roster need their ribbons updated, and then I'll be ready to do my first mission since the break probably tomorrow.

[Cashen]

Anubis Update: Ascent from Duna

After a long surface stay in Anubis Valley, which included extensive exploration of the immedeate landing site on foot plus three long-distance excursions with Fennec, it's time to say goodbye to Duna, at least for now. Ike awaits, before the return home.

Fennec is parked in its final resting spot, while Richbur climbs the ladder for the last time. Jedlock, Gilfal and Mac watch. Wildon is already inside. It's morning on the last day on Duna.

Gilfal climbs the ladder, while Mac waits. Mac is the last Kerbal off of the surface. "So long, Duna. I'm sure we will be back here again someday soon."

A few hours are spent getting Anubis powered back up and ready for liftoff, and for Jonbart and Wehrrigh in orbit to be in the right location for rendezvous.

Richbur: Liftoff! Cleared the descent stage cleanly. Roll complete.

A look down at the landing site, obscured in smoke, with Fennec visible.

Staging. The Duna Ascent Stage is discarded, and now the upper crew vehicle is on its own.

Richbur performs the rendezvous burn. I'm using the Enhanced Visibility mod now. Visible in the sky from left to right are Moho, Dres, Kerbin, and the Aten IEV they are catching up to.

Jonbart: Good to see you guys again! It's been a long while in orbit up here.

Richbur: Not to worry, soon you guys will get your chance to walk around.

Jonbart and Wehrrigh, who have remained in orbit thus far, will get to walk on Ike, in exchange for Jedlock and Gilfal staying in orbit.

Once back in the command pilot seat, Richbur plots the transfer to Ike.

Trans-Ike Injection, with Ike and Jool visible. Eeloo also appears as a one-pixel dot.

During trans-Ike coast, a look back at the landing valley from about 200km up.

It's now sunset at the Duna landing site, still visible near Duna's illuminated limb, as the spacecraft begins its capture burn at Ike.

Richbur: Captured. Initial orbit is 25km by 39km. We'll circularize at 25km on the other side.

Now in Ike parking orbit, they'll spend a few days studying Duna's moon from orbit, and select a landing site. After checking out the lander's systems, they extend the landing legs.

TO BE CONTINUED

[Cashen]

Horus VII: First Operational Shuttle Flight

The Horus Shuttle continues to be big news. Its primary purpose, as a crew shuttle vehicle, will be tested with this upcoming mission. With the announcement of Project Osirus, it's realized that the permanent settlement of the Jool system will be a big investment in terms of manpower. And given the prestige of MASEC missions so far, there is no shortage of Kerbals wanting to get involved. A new batch of six Kerbals (six being the standard team size) have been trained up to kerbonaut status and are due to be ferried up to UKS Kerbin Station for further training and work. What better test for the Shuttle, and to take advantage of the recently increased capacity of the station in Kerbin orbit. This mission will set the record for the crew size, with eight kerbals in all. Jeb and Bill will be flying, while the six rookies make their first flight.

Let's meet the new, brave Kerbals.

• Ergee Kerman, Engineer
  
• Milmon Kerman, Engineer
  
• Carson Kerman, Geologist
  
• Losy Kerman, Geologist
  
• Dungard Kerman, Scientist
  
• Herney Kerman, Scientist
  

Bill and Jeb take off in the Shuttle, with the six rookies safely seated in the crew cabin behind them. Only the third flight of the Shuttle. This flight, as a crew transport mission, obviously happens with the liquid cargo tanks empty.

Climbing up through the light cloud cover. You can make out the volumetric clouds, thanks to the update in the Environmental Visual Enhancements mod.

Once in orbit, Bill and Jeb get a wonderful view out the Shuttle's big forward windows.

The brand new habitation modules are visible here with their raised docking ports, as Bill and Jeb make rendezvous and prepare to dock for crew transfer.

You can clearly see in this wide shot, after docking, that the Shuttle is quite large. Desbree welcomes the six new Kerbals to the station and they begin their assignments there. The Shuttle remains docked during the night at KSC, scheduled to return the next morning.

The next morning, Bill and Jeb undock, and as can be seen here, back away from Kerbin Station using the RCS thrusters. After separating, the monopropellant would be dumped overboard.

The pair execute a de-orbit burn, and then dump the remaining oxidizer to reduce weight. Here we can see their return trajectory.

Jeb: Seems our re-entry and approach is quite long.

Bill: Not to worry. We've done this before.

One thing that's never really been tested is the Shuttle's atmospheric flight characteristics. For the most part it only flights in a straight line in the atmosphere, either at takeoff or re-entry and landing. But, once slow enough and in the dense lower atmosphere, it handles turning around quite well!

They drop the gear and descend through the clouds on the inboard engines only, having lined up for the runway. Note the full size tail gear, an addition since the last mission to make heavy landings easier. This however will be a light landing.

Another successful landing! MASEC's numbers continue to grow!