Drethon

Chapter 21 - Part 4 This is Walter Kerman reporting. Our crew has arrived at the Rockomax facility to be greeted by none other than Jebediah himself. Jebediah, can you tell us why we are here? “Hey Walt, welcome to the Rockomax launch facility!” Jebediah grinned. “We are here to go to space!” At a Rockomax facility? This is unexpected, given Rockomax’s recent track record with stranded flights. “Today, that record will turn around,” Jebediah waved at the small Rockomax assembly facility where a Halifax class E rocket was sitting on the landing pad. “Rockomax assembled this rocket using plans provided by the Icarus Program to begin a new generation of Rockomax rockets. To make sure they built it properly, Lizfal has been overseeing the rocket assembly.” Plans provided by the Icarus Program? Are you actually helping your competitor? “Space isn’t a competition,” Jebediah chuckled. “At least that’s what Gene told me. The Icarus Program can only launch so many missions with one facility. If we want to expand the Kerbal space presence, we need other programs to succeed, too.” So you are saying the Icarus Program is expanding space exploration by improving the other space programs? What is your role in this? As Jebediah opened his mouth to reply, a loud commotion was heard from the direction of the assembly building. “You can’t force me to fly on this rocket!” Looking over, the Kerbals saw Bob tied to a command seat. “They build those things with duck tape and bailing wire!” Bob protested, wriggling in his restraints as he was carried toward the Rockomax launch pad. Jebediah, do you not share Bob’s concern about a rocket assembled by Rockomax? “No not at all,” Jebediah smiled. “Lizfal won’t let a single mistake by Rockomax slip through. With her sign off, I trust the rocket as much as one assembled by Gus.” So the Icarus Program is providing rocket plans to Rockomax, do you expect this partnership will meet the demand for launches? “No,” Jebediah shook his head. “Even with the two largest rocket manufacturers, we will need more rockets to colonize space. Gene is releasing our rocket designs to any group who is willing to accept Icarus Program oversight of their assembly.” To any group? Are you not worried this could lead to more Kerbals being stranded in space? “Sure, the more rockets launched, the more accidents will happen,” Jebediah admitted with a shrug. “That is why the Icarus Program’s rescue fleet stands ready to bring Kerbals home when things go wrong.” Jebediah glanced back at the rocket where Bob was being loaded into the command pod. “I better get going,” Jebediah grinned. “Or they might launch Bob without me.” A brief delay ensued, during which our directional microphones overheard a heated discussion with Bob describing the Rockomax engineering capabilities with very colorful language. Finally Jebediah brought Lizfal on the radio and a long technical discussion occurred between Lizfal and Bob about her review checklists for the rocket assembly. Finally Bob calmed down and the launch countdown began. As the countdown ticked down to zero, the rocket assembled by Rockomax and designated the Helios, launched Jebediah and Bob for low orbit. As the Helios cleared the pad, a second rocket began its slow journey from the Rockomax assembly building. Two hours later the Rockomax Katyusha arrived at the launch pad. Rockomax representatives tell this reported the rocket is the Rodina, piloted by Leonov* Kerman. Leonov is no stranger to flight. A former flight officer in the Rockomax Engineering Aviation Division, he spent years flying resource scouting missions over the countryside of Baikerbanur, leading to his selection for Rockomax’s first astronaut class. Recently he made history with the Rockomax Conglomerate’s first spacewalk over Kerbin, proving the company's capability in space, despite their unfortunate failure rate. With the second countdown reaching zero, Leonov is on course for a new history making venture, a joint orbital rendezvous between the Icarus Program and the Rockomax Conglomerate. The Rodina lifts off, on course to chase down the Helios. In space the Helios waited for the Rodina to catch up in orbit, before maneuvering to an intercept vector. A short time later as the two rockets crossed in orbit, the Helios matched velocities with the Rodina and carefully approached. The orbital maneuvering culminated in the first time in Kerbal history that rockets of two separate programs have docked together. Leonov traversed the docking tunnel to meet Jebediah with a firm handshake in a show of cooperation that will hopefully inspire the people of Kerbin to begin a new era of space exploration. In an effort to voice the goodwill, Jebediah attempted to speak in Hsinassur, the primary language of the people of Baikerbanur. “мосям с ьтатобар етйаваД,” as Jebediah’s voice crackled over the radio, a wave of laughter broke out in the Baikerbanur facility. “You meant есомсок в ьтатобар етйаваД!” crackled Leonov’s voice between his laughter. “You told us to work in meat, not in space!” “Well space is the best place to work,” Jebediah’s voice crackled with laughter as well. “But meat is good too!” For the next day, the two crews worked side by side, exchanging scientific data, demonstrating scientific instruments, and sharing food and drink. Observers noticed that some of the Rockomax crew’s beverage flasks bore an uncanny resemblance to those used for Baikerbanur акдов, a local speciality known for its efficient rocket starting quality. Jebediah and Leonov also performed a joint spacewalk, an event captured by telescope networks back on Kerbin. The image of the two Kerbals floating side by side, their program insignias glinting in the sunlight, became an instant symbol of cooperation. Bob, remaining skeptical of Rockomax’s craftsmanship, refused to leave the spacecraft, citing distrust of the “duck tape” securing the hatch. As the mission drew to a close, Helios and Rodina undocked, preparing for their return to Kerbin. Before parting ways, Jebediah attempted another message in Hsinassur. “Ok’loks tel, Ok’loks miz!” Jebediah’s voice crackling over the radio caused another wave of laughter in the Baikerbanur facility. “No no Jebediah!”, laughed Lenov. “You asked me how long it has been since we last met. You were to say ёсв аз вам обисапс, вонеЛ, яинадивс оД! Meaning goodbye Lenov and thank you for everything!” Each crew deorbited separately and safely returned to Kerbin. This mission proved that the Icarus Program and the Rockomax Conglomerate can collaborate to push the boundaries of spaceflight. With the potential to involve Goliath National Products and other organizations that work with the Rockomax Conglomerate, this partnership may mark the beginning of a new era for Kerbalkind’s continued expansion into space. Until next time, this was a Walter Kerman report. Lizfal Chronicles - Day 2y 298d Ah, back home at the KSC again. Good to see Gus and his team, hard at work on the next rocket, following good safety procedures to ensure a well designed rocket. The team at Rockomax does have some very skilled and professional technicians, almost as good as Gus’ team, but their processes are a problem. Everything at Rockomax is designed for trying to reduce costs by focusing on building the rocket first, while things like quality reviews are expected to be performed without interrupting the assembly. This approach seems efficient in theory, but it delays the detection of mistakes, and the later a mistake is caught, the more it will cost to be fixed, if it can be fixed without causing new mistakes. The Rockomax team worked very well with Icarus Program processes. I showed them how quality reviews and assembly inspections are performed by independent reviewers as early as possible. We caught many mistakes in these reviews, but we caught most of the mistakes in the subassemblies, when they could be fixed without tearing the whole rocket apart. The result was a rocket that performed flawlessly throughout its mission. I can’t say if Rockomax will continue to use good processes with assembling their rockets, but I hope they have seen how much they can save on assembly costs by spending more money focusing first on quality, not on how fast they can assemble the rocket. - Lizfal “Lab Rat” Kerman Jebediah Chronicles - Day 2y 298d Man it was nice to get back into space again. Since the mission was just up to low orbit, me and Bob could go up without worrying about making our radiation poisoning worse. Though Bob could have been more excited about going to space again. He should have known Lizfal would make sure the rocket was built right. Leonov was a lot of fun to work with. Much more laid back than many of the Kerbalnauts we’ve picked up from Rockomax. I should take Leonov up on a vacation in Baikerbanur at some point when things are less busy. Can’t wait for the shipment of Baikerbanur акдов Leonov promised to send. I’ll have to talk to the Minty Minmus Corporation about sending some minty ice cream ale to Leonov in return. - Jeb “Comet” Kerman Bob Chronicles - Day 2y 298d Dragged off again on a mission with a dangerous experimental rocket. Gene told me I was being sent for final signoff of the rocket assembly and scientific instruments, it was supposed to be just Jeb and the Rockomax Kerbalnaut flying the mission. I do not know what the Rockomax technicians were saying when they were hauling me off to the rocket, but I am sure it had something to do about sacrificing the Icarus Program Kerbal. I have spent a lot of time with Bob and Gus to ensure the Icarus Program rockets are safe and reliable, I trust those rockets. Statistical analysis clearly demonstrates that Rockomax does not produce quality rockets. Yes, Lizfal reviewed the rocket assembly but oversight of a single rocket is not the same as refining and ensuring the usage of good processes over a number of rocket assemblies. I am not letting Gene fly me off to another site with a launch pad again. - Bob “Quark” Kerman Leonov Chronicles - Day 2y 298d Very enlightening mission with the Icarus Program Kerbals. They were certainly not cowboys running gung ho into missions. Lizfal was particularly strict with our technicians, not letting a single mistake through in production and ensuring careful and professional assembly of the rockets. The rockets not only performed flawlessly in this mission, I never even had to switch to any backup equipment. The scientist Bob was not very excited about going to space. While Lizfal was very professional in ensuring no mistakes made it to the final assembled rocket, Bob was paranoid about anything and everything failing. Double and triple checking each and every piece of equipment before we used it. Makes one wonder why he even became a Kerbalnaut. Jebediah was great to work with. One of the most skilled pilots I have ever flown with and willing to try anything. The dehydrated minty ice cream Jebediah brought was so good I can’t wait to try the real thing. We even had time to race in our rocket packs before the mission ended. Though his Hsinassur is absolutely atrocious.*** We were better off if he did not try, though some of the attempts were very amusing. I look forward to working more with the Kerbals from the Icarus Program. - Leonov “Strela” Kerman * Leonov is based loosely on Alexei Leonov who made the first human spacewalk, and commanded Soyuz 19 on the Apollo Soyuz test mission. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_Leonov ** Ironically the Icarus Program rockets look a bit more like Soyuz and Rockomax looks a bit more like Mercury. This is due to Kerbalism deciding the MK1 pod is unpressurized, so I kind of ran with the idea that spherical pods are better because they are easier to pressurize. I kind of skipped past the Mk2 pod to maintain this idea, but larger rockets will use the Mk1-3 as the KV-3 seems a bit small and claustrophobia inducing for a 3 person pod. *** On the joint Apollo Soyuz mission, Tom Stafford had trouble speaking Russian with his Oklahoma accent, with the russians calling it Oklahomski https://www.astronomicalreturns.com/2019/09/russian-english-and-oklahomski.html

Chapter 21 - Part 3 This is Walter Kerman reporting. As a result of my incredible experience in orbit around Kerbin, the Icarus Program has entered a new phase, flying the first tourists out to the moons of Kerbin. The latest launch, commanded by Surick, carries a fortunate tourist on a historic journey to Minmus. Surick’s passenger is Minidou, the supply line manager for C7 Aerospace Division. Minidou was chosen to fly to Minmus by a free lottery due to the high demand for the first tourist flights. Meanwhile, preparations are underway for a second mission, led by Desgas, set to transport another tourist to the Mun. Surick was selected for the Minmus mission due to her unparalleled precision in flight. Among all Icarus Program pilots, she holds the highest marks in smooth, controlled maneuvers, an invaluable skill when navigating Minmus' low gravity. Those following the Icarus Program may recall Surick from her role in the Mun mission that introduced us to Newton, the now famous Icarus Program mascot. Desgas, on the other hand, is making his first flight with the Icarus Program, though he is far from inexperienced. Holding a degree in aeronautical engineering from KPSC, Desgas began his career in naval aviation, specializing in high-speed transport landings on compact oceanic platforms. His mastery of controlled descents and stabilizing flight dynamics earned him a reputation as one of the most comfortable pilots to fly with, an essential quality for a mission dedicated to space tourism. Recognizing his skill, the Kerbal Navy promoted him to an instructor role, where he trained the next generation of naval aviators in the demanding art of carrier landings. Desgas’ transition to spaceflight came through an unexpected path. Goliath National Products, in its ambitious effort to develop next-generation spaceplanes, recruited Desgas for his expertise in high-speed aerodynamics. His first mission beyond the atmosphere, however, proved to be a trial by fire. Assigned to the ill-fated Rockomax/Goliath mission, Desgas found himself at the center of the critical in orbit malfunction that necessitated the Icarus Program’s first full scale rescue operation. His ability to remain calm under a stressful situation solidified his place among the Icarus Program’s growing roster of skilled pilots. Beyond these landmark tourist flights, the Icarus Program has confirmed its involvement in a new mission partnering with the Rockomax Conglomerate. However, the details of this mission remain tightly guarded. This reporter has only been informed that we will be provided private transport to the Rockomax facility at Baikerbanur** for further briefings. Curiously, despite long-standing assumptions, Baikerbanur’s facility is not actually located in the city or country of Baikerbanur. Instead, recent revelations have placed it near the city of Adrolyzyk, a discovery that has caused quite a stir within the KSC. How such a critical facility's location remained misidentified for so long remains a mystery, but it speaks to the deep layers of secrecy surrounding Rockomax’s operations. As always, we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available, and promise to send updates from the Baikerbanur launch facility. For now, the Icarus Program’s expansion into space tourism marks another milestone in Kerbal spaceflight history, and the next steps of the program promise to be just as thrilling. Until next time, this was a Walter Kerman report. * Desgas background roughly based around Robert L. Gibson, F-14 instructor pilot and pilot or commander of five space shuttle missions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L._Gibson. ** So I’m somewhat using Russian history for the Rockomax Conglomerate. This is in part because of Baikerbanur being an in game equivalent to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and wanting something to tie the Rockomax Conglomerate to as a pseudo competitor to the Icarus Program. Like most characters linked to real world people, my Baikerbanur is not intended to be Russia, but just connected to it as a real world link. This is somewhat obvious in how the Icarus Program holds all the space records and Rockomax is less competent, while Russia holds most of the early space records and the Americans only pulled ahead around the Apollo program. The Walter report mention of Baikerbanur’s name is related to the city that supported the Baikonur Cosmodrome was called Leninsk, later renamed to Baikonur. The Baikonur Cosmodrome was built 200 miles northeast of the original town of Baikonur

Chapter 21 - Part 2 This is Walter Kerman reporting. Today I am reporting, not from in front of the cameras, watching a rocket preparing to launch to space as you usually see me, but strapped into a rocket sitting on the pad, bound for orbit! For the first time in Kerbal history, ordinary Kerbals have a chance to experience the wonders of space first hand. I am aboard this historic flight thanks to my fellow passengers, Milnard and Seecas Kerman, the CEO and COO of the Experimental Engineering Group, who have generously funded my seat as one of the first tourists to space. Piloting the rocket is none other than Valentina Kerman, veteran pilot and the first Kerbal to reach orbit and land on the Mun. I am seated in the KV-2 pod, watching Valentina work through the checklist, while Milnard and Seecas are strapped into the MK1 Crew Cabin behind us. Perched on top of this rocket as it prepares to roar up away from Kerbin, I cannot help but think of my interview with Jebediah back before his mission to fly around the Mun. Here I am way up off the ground, slowly swaying like a ship at sea, just as Jebediah had described it. Jebediah had found the motion calming. I, on the other hand, do not. Yes I am simply flying to orbit, which has been done many times without fail. Yet all I can think of is I am getting ready to launch, sitting on top of two million parts, all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract*, has my stomach fluttering. Kerbalnauts must be a different breed of Kerbal, able to fly untested rockets without any concerns. Valentina is completely professional and focused on preparing for the mission. The steady cadence of her as she works through the checklist with mission control is about the only thing keeping the nausea under control. <Meanwhile in mission control…> “Ten moves until Valentina rescues your Kwing,” Bob mused as he studied the cheks board.*** Bobak shook his head with a sigh. “Well I maintain my record of zero victories against Valentina.” “I’ve never seen anyone who can keep track of a game of cheks while maintaining a perfect countdown checklist,” Gene chuckled. “Everything is going according to the checklist, correct?” “All systems are well within tolerance,” Bobak looked around at the various mission controllers who were each managing their own portions of the checklist. “So far this looks like our highest quality rocket to date.” “Excellent,” Gene smiled approvingly. “Let’s make sure our esteemed tourists have a very smooth flight.” <…Back on the landing pad.> Listening to Valentina’s voice makes the preflight pass by more quickly, soon the countdown was coming down from ten to to five… I thought I was prepared for a launch. I thought it would feel like the most impatient airline pilot using all of the power at their control to accelerate down the runway. I thought being flung around in KSCs centrifuge would prepare me for a launch. None of this prepared me for this rocket launch. The most aggressive takeoff was a pillow flight next to a battering ram. Zero At the ignition of the solid boosters,the rocket simply leapt off the pad, crushing me under the sheer physical force of the liftoff.** As we climbed higher the forces on my chest continued to increase. Somehow Valentina was calling out stage of flight transitions to mission control as I fought to pull in a single breath. Then sudden silence. The first thumper stage burns out and drops away. I gasp in relief just as the second stage hammers me with another crushing wave of acceleration. My sense reel and I struggle just to exist in the moment. I would later realize the second thumper stage ignited when the rocket was further from Kerbin’s gravity, as well as accelerating a rocket made lighter without the first stage, making the impulse of acceleration far sharper than the first stage. It never even occurred to me to try to breathe, or do much of anything but let my head loll around, until the second stage burned out. My head cleared as the LV-909 engine kicked in to lift the rocket the rest of the way to orbital altitude. While breathing was not easy by any means, I was able to fully recover my senses and return to something resembling normal breathing. After another three minutes the rocket cut off and I experienced zero g for the first time. Again I had thought flying on an airplane might prepare me, however the sensation is very bizarre. Not like an airplane cutting the throttle, gravity comfortably holding you down in your chair as the thrust at your back drops off. Instead it felt like the rocket was suddenly tumbling, no up, no down, yet up and down was everywhere at the same time. As my stomach protested, I focused on the instruments and steadied my breathing as I had been trained and the sensation slowly went away. I am floating, I am in space! There was not much time to consider the sensation when the LV-909 engine lit up again, burning for a short time to circularize the orbit before shutting off for the final time of the ascent. “The fasten seatbelts light has been turned off,” Valentina quipped. “You may now move about the cabin.” I unfastened my harness and clumsily drift free, my mind reeling once again as my body is slowly drifting without conscious movement. The rocket rolled very gently around me and the blue light of Kerbin appeared in the KV-2’s porthole. I turned my head to take it in and immediately my lunch brought itself to my attention with a sudden ulp. Valentina looked back at me and smiled gently. “Just stare at the wall for a few moments and it should pass,” said Valentina.IV I began nodding, which resulted in a more urgent ulp. “No quick movements of your head, Walter,” Valentina reached out to hold my shoulder. The simple touch helps ground me, and after a few moments of staring at the wall the nausea reduces to a tolerable amount. “Use your hands to rotate your whole body slowly, rather than just your head. Your brain is learning to deal with microgravity, but you will not have enough time up here to fully acclimate.” I offer her a tight lipped smile, rather than nodding. Valentina pushes off toward the doorway with the attached crew cabin where Seecas and Milnard were. “I should go check on our paying VIPs,” Valentina winked at me and floated through the hatch. I slowly used handholds to pull myself to the view port and look down on Kerbin. Cancodia was visible below as we moved to the east and over the mountains out into the Gulf of Mauralin.V The Ithakan Isles were just coming into sight as Valentina floated back into the pod and closed the hatch. “I could spend every flight looking at Kerbin,” Valentina’s voice was soft from somewhere over my shoulder. We watched in silence as Kerbol quickly went down behind Kerbin’s horizon. The atmosphere begins to glow, a delicate halo of light surrounding the only home we have ever known. “The entire atmosphere, everything we breathe,” my words were very quiet, there was this odd feeling that the air I spoke with was limited. “It seems endless when standing on the ground, yet from up here it is so thin, so fragile looking.” “That is part of the reason we are so passionate about the work we do,” Valentine’s voice was thoughtful as I turned slowly to face her. “We’ve taken so much from Kerbin and our planet is beginning to run out of resources. If we can find the resources in space to work in space, we can expand out here where our work does not hurt the planet. Given enough time and science, we can stop the damage, and even begin to heal it.” “You work in space to help Kerbin?” I was curious about her statement. “I’m just a pilot, not a scientist,” said Valentina quietly. “I hope Kerbals smarter than I am can figure things out, meanwhile I bring the researchers to the science as well as bringing the science to them.” Valentina shook her head a moment before a quiet alarm sounded. She reached out and flicked a switch. “This is your captain speaking. Make sure your seat back and tray tables are in their full upright position and make sure your seat belt is securely fastened. We will be descending for landing shortly.” I slowly pulled myself into my seat and fastened my harness. The harness was surprisingly easy to fasten, even for someone like myself, who needs help working with a computer. I am told Bob handed off the design to Bill to develop something easy for us tourists to work with in future flights without a Kerbalnaut. With everyone fastened in and ready for the return flight, the LV-909 lit off with a gentle acceleration pressing me down into the seat. After a few moments the engine cut off and the tumbling feeling came back as weightlessness returned. Next I felt a soft thump as the engine and fuel tank were separated to burn up in the atmosphere. The tourist mission profiles called for a low stress reentry, so we slowly descended down into the atmosphere, scrubbing off speed so gently it was not even noticeable. At least it was not notable until it was. An orange glow illuminated the interior of the pod as the heat shield down below the crew cabin began heating up as the spacecraft descended through the atmosphere. Pressure began building in the seat behind me as the deceleration increased faster as we moved deeper into the atmosphere. My weight became higher than what I felt during the launch, but the increase was so much more gradual that the breathing techniques I learned were pretty effective. The reentry vehicle rattled and rocked as the atmosphere buffeted us around. The glow dwindled away, and soon the g forces along with it. Just as the feeling of weightlessness started to return, there was a pop from somewhere in front of me. A moment later a sharp crack as the parachutes partially deployed, feeling like someone had hit my seat with a baseball bat. After a minute the force on my back slowly increased until the parachutes had fully unfurled. I waited for the force to reduce down to normal gravity when I realized I was already at a full gravity. One single orbit around Kerbin and my own weight felt higher than I remembered it feeling before I left. A couple of minutes later and another baseball bat to the back of my chair as we touched down. We had done it! The first tourists to travel to space and return, and despite all the shaking and rattling, I do not think I had any bruises as a result. While we waited for the recovery team, I was able to chat with Milnard and Seecas. What did you think of your trip to space? Does this change any of your company’s goals about spaceflight? “Looking down on Kerbin from space, then being able to look up at the dark of space with the stars shining like gems…” Milnard shook her head with a wistful expression. “This was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. “Just amazing,” said Seecas with a grin. “This trip just reinforces our priorities to help push space exploration. Kerbin will always be home, but it is such a small part of the cosmos. The resources available on the moons and asteroids could have such an impact on the Kerbin civilization. There is just so much to explore, and we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface!” What does working with the Icarus Program mean to the Experimental Engineering Group? Is the work about the contracts for exploration and resource gathering? “The contracts are important to our company, but working with the Icarus Program is about more than the contracts,” Milnard responded. “This work is cutting edge technology and science. We need the best engineers and researchers, but we also need fresh young minds with new ideas. When we work on new designs for the space program, the enthusiasm of our employees is easy to see. The space program is one of the best places to bring up new Kerbals to advance science and technologies in ways that improve life for all Kerbals.” To my wonderful readers, this was the experience of a lifetime! This planet that we live our lives on and take for granted is such a small, fragile thing in the expanse of space. I cannot emphasize enough to you the importance of doing what we can to protect our small oasis in space and to learn how to repair what damage we have already done. The Icarus Program is doing great work to advance science, and some of us are lucky enough to participate in some small way. Until next time, this was a Walter Kerman report. Valentina Chronicles - Day 2y 290d The first tourist mission to space. Not as exciting as the first landing on the Mun, or the first orbit when no one knew if the next rocket would explode on the pad, rather than lift off. Yet this mission might have a longer impact than any of my previous missions. Hopefully watching every day Kerbals fly into space will bring home to other Kerbals that the Icarus Program is working on space for everyone. Our passengers certainly seemed impacted by the trip to orbit. Seeing how small and fragile Kerbin really is, understanding how important it is to protect our planet, yet at the same time how important it is to learn how to survive off of Kerbin. I could tell that Milnard and Seecas already had one eye to the stars. However, for Walter I think this trip was a revelation. We all think Kerbin is huge and unchangeable, until we see how small and insignificant it really is. Hopefully this mission will help increase support for our greater mission. - Valentina “Fallen Angel” Kerman * Generally attributed to Alan Shepard or John Glenn, though all references seem to be hearsay. ** Based in part on Don Pettit’s article. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/whats-a-soyuz-launch-like-17931290/. *** Cheks were created by Mr Dilsby, I think originally in A Jool Odyssey. https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/topic/126293-kerbfleet-a-jool-odyssey-end-of-chapter-21-and-hopefully-not-so-many-talking-heads-in-22/page/54/. IV a brief writeup on space sickness for astronauts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_adaptation_syndrome. V Not official, but I like the map. https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/xxmrhl/the_actual_most_detailed_geographic_map_of_kerbin/.

Wow, thank you! I've just been enjoying how much of a world you can see in KSP and wanted to just start writing it. I have to give a shout out to @Parkaboy @Mister Dilsby (Kuzzter) for how big of a world KSP can really be. (Everyone probably does not need to be pointed to their work, but in case anyone new shows up I always want to bring more people to these great stories)

Chapter 21 - Part 1 Gene arrived at mission control to begin planning for the next mission. “Jeb, what are you doing here?” Gene blurted out, stunned to see Jebediah as the first to arrive at mission control that morning. “I’ve been flying some HSP simulations of our current landers to test some scenarios for tourist landings and refine the MechJeb performance,” Jebediah was uncharacteristically quiet with his response. “After they finally let me out of that quarantine hab, Seaneny said me and Bob were grounded due to radiation exposure when we flew through a solar storm.” “You mean you are too sick to fly?” Jebediah’s statement worried Gene. “No, I’m alright in general,” responded Jebediah. “Seaneny and the other doctors are worried there will be serious consequences if I’m exposed to another storm.” “Oh, that is good to hear,” Gene was relieved Jebdiah’s condition was not more serious, then blushed at how his statement sounded. “I mean that you are not too sick to fly, not that you have radiation exposure. The fact you can still fly would mean you can still fly airplanes and up to LKO as Kerbin’s magnetosphere blocks radiation from storms.” “Oh! They didn’t tell me that!” Jebediah perked up some. “Guess I should have read the whole k-mail.” “I have wanted to start focusing on sending our newly recruited pilots out on missions,” said Gene. “So I am glad you are working on refining the MechJeb control.” As they talked the other Kerbals slowly filtered into mission control. There were some more astonished looks as they realized Jebediah was already in mission control. “Now that everyone is here, I wanted to go over the plans for our next missions,” said Gene. “Our medium term plan has been to place stations in low orbits around Kerbin, the Mun and Minmus to support a reusable lander for multiple Mun and Minmus landings. In the long term these stations will support trips to other planets, but first we need to launch the initial stations, which Bob tells me we now have most of the science required.” Bob nodded. “We should be able to collect enough science to construct the necessary stations from one trip to the Mun and one trip to Minmus.” “We also have contracts to plant flags on both the Mun and Minmus, and collect scientific data from the surface of the Mun,” Mortimer’s eyes glinted with greed. “We can gain significant funds from these missions.” “More than you think Mort,” Gene winked at Mortimer. “Contracts have popped up to fly tourists to land on the Mun and Minmus. “If we use the pilot to gather the science from the landing, a tourist can accompany each landing mission in place of the scientist.” Mortimer’s smile became creepily broader at the thought of even more funds. “Not having a scientist on the mission will reduce the science we can produce from samples on sight,” Bob shook his head slightly. “However Maberry has been training the new recruits on sample gathering. Any of the pilots should be able to gather samples nearly as well as Maberry herself. Once we get the samples back home we can get the proper science out of them.” “We have been developing tourist transport rockets,” Gene pulled up an image of a number of rockets on the screen. “With these designs we can fly up to four Kerbals to orbit of each Kerbin, the Mun and Minmus, or two Kerbals to land on either the Mun or Minmus” “Hold on a moment,” Mortimer was furiously scrolling through information on his computer. “We need to upgrade the mission control!” “Wait, you want to spend money?” asked Gene in amazement. “Want is a rather strong word,” responded Mort. “Why do you want to upgrade mission control?” asked Gene. “Look at these tourist contracts that have been appearing since Bob mentioned plans for space tourism during the Eve interview,” Mortimer updated the large screens to show his computer screen. “In each contract a few Kerbals want a trip to space, one wants to orbit Kerbin, one wants to Land on the Mun, one wants to fly by Minmus. Most Kerbals are paying enough to profit after accounting for the cost of the rocket needed to bring each to their destination, but not always. Even then the profits are rather small. “Now these Kerbals are not in a hurry to complete their trip. We have years to fly them to their destination and back. Rather than sending each Kerbal on their trip as soon as possible, we can pick up multiple tourist contracts at the same time. Once we have four Kerbals wanting to orbit Minmus, or land on the Mun, we can send a rocket up with all of them. Each lander could support two tourists, even better if we could upgrade to four!” “A four Kerbal lander to Minmus would not be hard,” Bob was looking at the schematic of the tourist landing rocket. “But four Kerbals to land on the Mun would need a significant upgrade to the rocket, and we would lose the savings of common rockets for Mun and Minmus landings.” “Each lander is going to have a pilot on board,” said Gene. “I am not going to land a tourist purely on MechJeb control.” Mortimer looked ready to interrupt but Gene held a hand up. “This does not mean I’m rejecting your idea Mort. “MechJeb is reliable enough that we can fly to orbit without a pilot on board. So we can fly four tourists on a single rocket to orbit of Kerbin, the Mun or Minmus. “However before we trust MechJeb to fly groups of tourists, I want to fly a rocket with a pilot and three tourists to Kerbin orbit, followed by a single tourist to land at each of the Mun and Minmus with a pilot on board. This allows us to test out tourist flights, and gather the science we need for stations. “Next we can launch stations to the Mun and Minmus to hold a reusable lander, and house an engineer to maintain the lander and a pilot to fly the lander. With everything we need to operate the lander on the station, we can use MechJeb to fly four tourists to the station, and the station pilot can remotely operate the rocket to dock with the station. So we can fly four tourists to a station for Mun or Minmus landing.” “The profits for four tourists to land on Minmus in one rocket would be… would be…” Mortimer looked about to faint from thoughts of the profits. “One problem with these rockets,” Bob said as he pulled the image of the rockets back up on the main screens. “They are using existing Arethusa rockets with no shielding, and given Jebediah and my grounding from anything beyond LKO, we know unshielded rockets are unsuitable for long term missions.” “Can we just add shielding to these rockets?” asked Gene. Bob shook his head. “The shielding adds too much mass. I’ve been working on the following design since Seaneny told me about my radiation sickness. It costs more, but will easily reach the stations with full shielding” “We know from yourself and Jebediah that a single trip through a solar storm in an unshielded ship is survivable,” said Mortimer. “The tourists only have the money for one flight, they do not need to worry about radiation.” “If the crew visits the tourists pod, they can end up being irradiated,”* explained Bob. “And Kerbalnauts cost a lot to replace if they get grounded by radiation,” said Gene. Mortimer just looked sour. “OK so we have our rockets, let’s start planning our tourist missions.” “Hey,” said Bill. “This first contract has a Walter Kerman aboard! Is that the reporter?” “Yepper!” Walt bounced in. “Just think of all the reputation we will gain from a report from space!” * Kerbalism only considers a rocket to be fully shielded if all habitats on the rocket are shielded. So I can’t get away with tourist rockets being unshielded.

Interlude 3 "My fellow Kerbals, have you ever looked up at the night sky and dreamed of what it feels like to soar among the stars? Of course you have, we all have! For as long as Kerbalkind has existed, we have looked to the stars, dreaming about venturing among them. Well, dream no more! The Icarus Program is here to turn your dreams of space travel into a reality." "Picture yourself hurtling through the cosmos at breathtaking speeds, orbiting Kerbin in a way no aircraft ever could. From the inky void of space, you’ll witness our home planet in all its majesty, vast oceans, sprawling continents, and the gentle curve of the horizon stretching endlessly before you. Experience the awe of zero gravity, where up and down are mere suggestions and every moment is a thrill." "But why stop there? The Mun awaits! Leave Kerbin behind and set your sights on our celestial neighbor. Peer down into craters carved by time itself, orbit its rugged surface, or, if you dare, take the leap and walk where only the boldest have tread. The Mun is no longer just for pioneers, anyone with the heart of an explorer can experience the dusty surface." "And for the truly daring, there’s Minmus, the emerald jewel of the heavens! With gravity so low you can bound across the surface with ease, it’s like stepping into a dream. Reach the furthest points any Kerbin has explored. Glide, bounce, and experience a world unlike any other, where the landscape is serene, the sky is vast, and the adventure is limitless." "At the Icarus Program, we offer safe, reliable, and unforgettable journeys beyond the atmosphere. Whether you’re a first-time flyer or a seasoned spacefarer, our missions to Kerbin orbit, the Mun, and Minmus promise an adventure that’s truly out of this world." "But hurry—seats are limited, and the cosmos waits for no Kerbal. Book your flight today, and let the Icarus Program take you beyond the horizon. The stars are calling... will you answer?"

Chapter 20 - Part 6 Lizfal reveled the feeling of slicing through the clouds in her KT-38. The sleek jet responded crisply to her control stick inputs as she executed a lazy roll, causing the world to spin beneath her, a patchwork of green plains separated by rugged mountains. The views were briefly obscured by wisps of cloud before clearing again. Flying was not just a way to get from point a to b, it had become the greatest part of her life. The sky was her domain, she was addicted to the thrill and freedom. None of her classmates at the university had their own high performance jet. Few had even flown before, let alone practiced high speed maneuvers. She could not quite hold back a smile when she thought of how quickly she had progressed, pride, but not arrogance… she hoped. Not too long ago she, too, had been grounded and dreaming of space. Those dreams had felt small and far away. For some unknown reason, fate had intervened when the Icarus Program hired her as an intern, immersing her in a world she had only previously dreamed of. She had been hired as the program was starting to make history, Jeb had just completed the first spacewalk, mere weeks after Val completed the first Kerbin orbit. Spaceflight was just starting to shift from a dream to a tangible reality, and she had been dropped into the Icarus Program right in the middle of it. At the time she had just begun to learn how to write computer programs, but her first job was not based on the skills she had learned, it was to just sit in a MK1 Command Pod for fifteen days. She had crashed countless simulated rockets, spent sleepless nights poring over telemetry data, and by the end, had gone slightly loopy from exhaustion. Jeb, willing to pilot the craziest aircraft yet still somehow managing to mentor all of the junior pilots on how to be safe in an aircraft, had assured her that he had experienced the same thing during long-duration flights. That bit of camaraderie had stuck with her, a reminder she often recalled when she needed to center herself, especially on long trips in the cockpit. The subsequent simulated missions had given Lizfal a chance to continue her practice flying rockets in the HSP included with the simulator. She had perfected Minmus landings to the point where Jeb and Surick had been impressed enough to train her to fly atmospheric craft. Yet as much as flying would forever be her first love, her real breakthrough had been in engineering. During her second simulated mission, the Onion pod she had tested had been slapped together rather haphazardly as on ground simulations were not hazardous like space missions. A faulty connection caused scientific instrumentation to completely drop out in mid simulation. Sending in technicians would have broken the pod seal and ended the mission. However, she had managed to repair the faulty system with the few tools at hand, allowing the simulation to run its full length. Bob had taken notice of the repair, and pulled Lizfal in to support his work. Bob Kerman, the legendary scientist of the Icarus Program was a scientific genius, and infamous for his reluctance to bother with real-world testing. He preferred to focus on the next research topic, leaving the actual implementation to others. Lizfal had been more than happy to integrate and test the scientific equipment Bob developed. Their partnership had evolved quickly, leading her beyond the simulation bays and into the heart of the program’s engineering efforts. She had found herself working directly with vendors, testing prototypes at their facilities, and ensuring that the technology rolling off the assembly lines met the rigorous standards for spaceflight. Her finest achievement had been the development of the Icarus Program’s probe designs. By miniaturizing cumbersome scientific payloads from crewed missions, she had created compact probe cores capable of traversing vast distances. Now, those probes were transmitting data from Kerbin’s orbit, the Mun, Minmus, and even one en route to Eve. Yet she suspected this next assignment would be far more challenging. For the past two months in preparation for the mission, she had immersed herself in every detail of the Halifax E, until she could see every component in her sleep. The rocket was an engineering masterpiece which she could not have dreamed of designing, but she now understood every component, memorized the systems and knew all of the assembly tolerances. Bill had spent hours patiently explaining the intricacies of its systems, ensuring she grasped the finer points of its engineering. Gus and his team of technicians had welcomed her into their world, teaching her assembly techniques and even allowing her to put together key components herself. She had grown to trust them, to rely on them. But now, she was leaving them all behind. The facility she was flying toward had none of the expertise she had come to know. No skilled engineers like Bill, no skilled leaders like Gus or a seasoned team of technicians who understood what needed to be done to make these massive machines safe. What it did have was a dismal track record. The failures here were not mere accidents, they were systemic. The technicians lacked training, the quality control was nonexistent, safety was not placed at the forefront. That was about to change. Until they learned to hold themselves to a higher standard, she would be their quality control. Because this time, the consequences were dire. This time, it would be Jeb and Bob’s lives on the line. She brought her KT-38 into a low pass over the facility, scanning the terrain for the best possible landing site. This facility was so low tech it did not have a proper runway, just a stretch of grass that would barely support her aircraft. The place hardly even had a capable launch pad. She extended her flaps fully to give her KT-38 the lowest possible approach speed. Even in this configuration, her jet, which was designed for high speed cruise and maneuvering, was still travelling at a dangerously high speed to be landing on this terrain. Lizfal increased the angle of attack, floating slightly in the ground effect as she dropped lower. The jet was dangerously close to stalling. The wheels thumped down on the grass a little harder than she intended as the aircraft stalled a moment before touchdown. She immediately extended the speed brakes and began decelerating with the wheel brakes as hard as she could without losing control. The aircraft shuddered, the uneven ground slick under her wheels, but she held firm, keeping steering into the start of a skid. After what felt like an eternity, she rolled to a stop. She did not look forward to taking off again from this location. Lizfal climbed out of her cockpit and down the ladder to the ground. She pulled her helmet off and took a long look at the facility around her. The challenges here were greater than anything she had faced before. The stakes were high. The risks higher. But she had a job to do. And she was going to do it right. Time to get started.

Chapter 20 Part 5 The conference room in the Icarus Program’s administrative wing had a functional simplicity about it, sturdy furniture and construction inspired by spaceship design, and strong natural lighting. The scent of coffee had seeped into the walls, lingering in the air despite no beverages being consumed at the conference, a testament to the long hours spent in the building. Seated on one side of the table, Gene Kerman leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression welcoming but measured. Beside him, Jebediah sat with a familiar air of relaxed confidence, arms resting on the table, his ever-present grin making it impossible to tell if he was entirely serious or quietly entertained by the proceedings. Across from them sat Milnard and Seecas, the CEO and COO of the Experimental Engineering Group, one of the most prominent research firms supporting the space program. Milnard’s tone was warm yet professional as she opened the discussion. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” said Milnard. “We are excited to actually see where the Icarus Program is running the space program.” “Glad to show you around,” said Gene. “You Science Jr has been invaluable to our research, and we are looking forward to deploying your upcoming infrared telescope.” Seecas, leaned forward, his eyes alight with the spark of enthusiasm. “One day we may be talking about performing science on asteroids and comets found by the telescope. I look forward to what science we might be able to haul into Kerbin orbit one day.” “One day I’m flying a comet past Kerbin,” Jebediah grinned broadly. “So what is it we can do for you?” asked Gene. “This is the first time you have requested an in person meeting.” “We saw the Walter Kerman report where Bob mentioned you were working toward sending tourists to space,” Milnard folded her hands neatly on the table. “We would like to formally request the honor of being the first tourists to travel to space.” “I respect your request, and that you are the only ones to make the request in person,” smiled Gene, his expression polite but measured. “However I should point out that quite a few others have already made the same request. Not to bargain, but why should we grant your request, beyond being significantly more humble than nearly all of the previous requests.” The corner of Gene’s lip twitched slightly with amusement. Seecas was ready with his response. “First, we understand that the inaugural tourist flight will have a capacity of four Kerbals,” he said and Gene nodded in response. “The two of us are deeply interested in being a part of this first tourist mission to space, and we have a proposition that we believe will significantly benefit the Icarus Program, more than enough compensation to justify allowing us as the first tourists to travel to space. We propose that the Experimental Engineering Group will fund the third seat on the mission for Walter Kerman, ensuring the mission receives the publicity that will come from a firsthand report by the legendary journalist.” Gene and Jebediah exchanged a surprised glance. The offer was as unexpected as it was compelling. “An intriguing offer, that kind of publicity could be very valuable.” Gene paused thoughtfully and then continued. “I have to make it clear that there will not be a fourth tourist seat. These initial missions will be flown by an experienced pilot, not by a computerized piloting system.” “This was another request we wanted to make,” Seecas turned to face Jebediah. “We were hoping that Jebediah would pilot the first tourist mission for us.” Gene and Jebediah glanced at each other again, this time with a heavier, unspoken meaning. This request was not unreasonable, but Jebediah was preparing for another spaceflight that would make him unavailable to fly the tourist mission. A spaceflight that had not yet been announced. Jebediah paused for a moment to consider his words, then turned to Seecas, his grin softening into something more genuine. “I am flattered,” he said with a tinge of regret in his voice. “But I’m a test pilot, I fly rockets first and find out what their limits are. You would not want Walter to be on board such a flight.” Jebediah paused a moment in thought before nodding toward Gene. “For the first tourist flight you want Valentina as your pilot. There is no other pilot in the program that can take command of a rocket and ensure a flawless mission the way she can.” Now Seecas and Milnard glanced at each other in surprise, Milnard nodded and Seecas turned back to Jebediah. “As much as we would like you to fly the mission, we agree, Valentina is an excellent alternative.” “You said Walter was the first part of your offer?” prompted Gene, leaning forward. Seecas smiled and Milnard took the lead. “Yes, the second part is that the Experimental Engineering Group would like to formally offer our services to help grow the Icarus Program. We believe in the scientific mission you have been pursuing, and feel the program’s science would benefit from scientists associated with our company performing long term research missions in space. To facilitate this, we are willing to fund the participation of scientists in these missions, in addition to offering other services to help grow your capabilities.” “An interesting concept,” Gene leaned back in his chair and folded his arms as he considered the proposal. “But I have to be frank, this is not something the Icarus Program can support right now. Even once we launch permanent space stations, the first generation will only have enough supplies for our Kerbalnauts, plus very short term tourists. It may be some time before we can support a long term presence in space for more Kerbals.” Milnard nodded in understanding. “We know the program is still in its early days, despite all of your accomplishments. We are prepared to collaborate on how such an arrangement could work as the technology involves.” “Until then we have plenty of work with Megas assisting to complete your infrared telescope design,” said Gene. “Lizfal will be available to test your prototypes once they are ready.” “Agreed,” Seecas nodded in agreement. Gene and Jebediah glanced at each other and Jebediah nodded back. “If Walter Kerman agrees to fly on the first tourist flight,” Gene broke into a broad smile. “We will be happy to fly you to space on the first tourist flight.” With that, the two groups stood, exchanging firm handshakes, and the deal was sealed.

Chapter 20 - Part 4 “OK, first loosen shoulder straps,” Lizfal instructed herself aloud, her brow furrowed in concentration. She tugged at the harness straps over her shoulders. “Urf, okay, loose. Next, turn central release clockwise and push…” Lizfal grunted as her fingers slipped while trying to turn. “Come on… push… no wait, turn counterclockwise and push.” The shoulder straps popped loose with a satisfying click, but Lizfal was still firmly held to the seat by leg straps. “Locate leg release tabs…” Lizfal muttered, her tongue poking out slightly as she concentrated. “They are… somewhere… yes, there!” She fumbled for a moment before realizing her mistake. “Oh, right. Loosen the leg straps before releasing.” With a pop, the leg straps came free and Lizfal jumped up from the seat with a triumphant grin. “Twenty five seconds,” said Bill, looking at his stopwatch with a crooked smile. “Unacceptable,” Bob stood with his arms crossed, looking unsatisfied. “In case of a fire, passengers need to be able to exit the harness in no more than ten seconds,” Bob shook his head. “Preferably less.” Bob turned on his heel and walked off. “Bill, figure out how to make a harness release easier to use.” After Bob had walked off, Lizfal dusted herself off, and Bill handed her a one hundred credit note. “That was some very fine acting there, Lizfal.” Bill winked at Lizfal and tipped an imaginary hat. “Thanks,” smiled Lizfal. “That harness is really a simple set of logical steps, a lot like a Kiburs Cube. I could’ve gotten out in under ten seconds if I wanted to, but I wouldn’t want to see a panicked civilian passenger trying to release that harness in an emergency.” Lizfal glanced at the note and frowned. “You didn’t have to pay me though, I was happy to help.” “It ain’t a bribe or nothing,” chuckled Bill. “You just saved me days of arguing with Bob. That’s worth every credit.” Bill leaned against the wall with a conspiratorial expression. “See, I’ve been tinkering on a squeeze release mechanism for the harness. Simple as pie, yet hard to trigger by accident. It’d release the whole harness with one easy motion. Bob, though…” Bill glanced off in the direction Bob had walked off, shaking his head. “He took one look at my diagrams, declared it ‘insecure’, and went off and designed that mess.” Bill waved at the harness dismissively. “And now you are free to finish your own design,” Lizfal’s smile took on a mischievous tint. “Exactly!” Bill chuckled. “Thanks to your fine performance, Bob ain’t gonna be breathing down my neck. “Always glad to help,” Lizfal finally folded up the note and tucked it away. “Make sure to let me know when the new harness needs testing, I’d like to see how much better your work is.” “You’re the first on my list,” Bill grinned.

Chapter 20 - Part 3 This is Walter Kerman reporting. The Kerbal Space Center wasted no time after my interview with Bob Kerman, kicking off a series of critical probe launches the very next day. The initial launch was a critical upgrade to the communication network, featuring a satellite with two RA-15 Relay Antennas. The infrastructure upgrade will provide uninterrupted control of probes venturing out to Eve or Moho. With the relay satellite successfully inserted into its high orbit, the next mission marked a historic milestone, the launch of the first science probe beyond the moons of Kerbin. Kerbals will be sending a rocket to fly past Eve. This mission represents more than just another step in space exploration; it is a deliberate push toward making Kerbals an interplanetary species. The rocket designated for this mission was the largest ever constructed at the KSC, a towering behemoth of engineering. Its sheer size necessitated extensive upgrades to the launch pad, reinforcing the structure to withstand the immense thrust at liftoff. When the countdown reached zero, the deafening roar of more than a dozen rocket engines echoed off the distant mountains, a sound that lingered in the crisp air long after the vehicle soared beyond the clouds. The probe is now outbound, set to break free from Kerbin’s sphere of influence, en route to the inaugural Eve flyby. For the first time in Kerbal history, scientific data will be collected from orbit around another planet, propelling the Icarus Program into new and exciting scientific territory. Over the four weeks following the launch of the Eve mission, a flurry of additional missions expanded the program’s reach. Science probes were dispatched to orbit both the Mun and Minmus, while a specialized lander set course for the surface of Minmus itself, aiming to conduct the first seismic readings on another celestial body. Meanwhile, a final science probe remains stationed in low Kerbin orbit, continuously gathering data to aid in the design of future space stations and long-term habitation efforts. <In mission control during the landing of the Minmus probe> “Altitude dropping through seven thousand meters,” reported Jebediah, a steady focused tone to his voice as his eyes remained locked on his control screen. “Zeroing horizontal velocities.” Mission control buzzed with anticipation, Jebediah and Bob had previously landed on Minmus, however this probe provided something different, long term science of the minty body. On the large mission control screen a space probe slowly descending toward the mint colored surface. Its thrusters pulsed sporadically, maintaining the descent profile of the gently burning rocket engine with near mechanical precision. “Nearing terminal burn, throttling up for touchdown” said Jebediah, hands steady on the rocket remote controls as the probe’s rocket engine flared brightly to a steady burn. “Wait… I’m not throttling up that much. Reducing throttle…” The display told a different story. The thrust remained unchanged. Instead of slowing, the probe accelerated, pulling away from Minmus’ surface. “The probe is not responding to my inputs at all!” Jebediah cried in shock. “It’s…” “The probe seems to be flying a loop,” said Maberry incredulously. Gasps and murmurs rippled among the flight controllers and observers as on the screen, the probe performed a flawless loop, a maneuver far outside of any flight plan. “That…” stammered Jebediah, his hands frozen, poised above the controls. “What…?” “Now it’s flying a figure eight pattern?” Megdas squinted at the screen, eyes flicking between data readouts and the improbable display unfolding before them. “Wait just a darn minute…” said Jebediah softly as his confusion gave way to suspicion. Jebediah turned toward where Melfal was sitting at her station, featuring an unmistakable grin. “You know something about this don’t you.” “Seems like your probe has taken on a mind of its own,” said Melfal innocently, her grin widening uncontrollably. Jebediah shot up from his chair and stalked down his row of stations, then back up the next until he reached Melfal’s station. As Jebediah approached, Melfal fingers flew over her keyboard, entering a rapid sequence of commands. The mission control screen flickered and then updated to reveal the Minmus probe, sitting calmly on the surface of Minmus as if nothing abnormal had happened with the landing. “Was I even flying anything?!” Jebediah demanded, voice equally frustrated and incredulous. “Just a Minmus simulation,” said Gene from his station, a small smile threatening to break out on his lips. “Programmed by Lizfal, of course, after her long experience with Minmus simulations” Jebediah glowered at Lizfal, who blushed bright green. “I can’t believe you were in on this, of all Kerbals,” Jebediah’s dark face swivelled back from Lizfal to glare at Gene. “With all the pranks you’ve pulled,” a crooked grin grew on Gene’s face. “You didn’t think the rest of us would not find a way to get back at you?” “Gotya!” exclaimed most of the Kerbals in mission control, voices overlapping with glee as the room erupted with laughter. Jebediah let the moment hang for a second longer before breaking into a wide grin. He shook his head in mock defeat. “Yeah, you got me.” <Back to the Walter Kerman report> The Icarus Program’s recent achievements have paved the way for an ambitious future. With a steady stream of scientific data pouring in from across the Kerbol system, discussions have already shifted from mere exploration to permanent space habitation. The vision of a Kerbal presence beyond Kerbin is no longer just theoretical, it is becoming an achievable reality. In addition to the plans for space habitation, civilian tourists may soon have the opportunity to witness the wonders of space firsthand. They could stand atop Minmus’ shimmering plains, gaze at the Mun’s stark craters, or some day set foot on entirely new worlds yet to be explored. The possibilities stretch far beyond our atmosphere, and the next chapter in spaceflight promises to be the most exciting yet. Until next time, this was a Walter Kerman report.

Chapter 20 - Part 2 Hello and welcome to a Icarus Program special report, bringing you the latest updates on the Icarus Program’s journey through the stars, this is Walter Kerman reporting. It is widely known that the Icarus Program accepted its most ambitious contract yet, the first interplanetary expedition. Yet, unlike past missions that saw rockets rapidly built and launched, the launch pad remains conspicuously empty. To shed light on this unprecedented delay, we are joined live by one of the program’s foremost technical experts, the distinguished scientist, Bob Kerman. Bob, thank you for joining us today. “Hello Walter,” Bob’s tone was politely reserved. “I am happy to help explain things.” Let us dive right into the question on the top of everyone’s mind. What can you tell me about the Eve contract? Why the delay of the launch? “Well Walter,” Bob pauses, choosing his words carefully. “Travelling to Eve presents a unique challenge that will require a rocket unlike what we have previously flown.” Interesting. From my understanding of the Kerbol system maps, an Eve flyby could be flown with a rocket of similar power to those used for Mun landings. Was my information wrong? “You are partially right Walter,” Bob seemed to struggle to maintain a neutral tone. “If the mission was flown during the ideal transfer window, the rocket would only require a similar delta V to what we used to land on the Mun and return.” So, does this mean we have missed the best time to go? “Correct,” Bob sighed and gestured to a display of the Eve orbital transfer. “If you look at this image you will see the optimal time for a transfer from Kerbin to Eve is when Eve trails Kerbin by approximately fifty four degrees, to the lower left on the image. Unfortunately when Eve was in the optimal position we did not have the communications capability for this mission. Now Eve’s current position is almost forty five degrees ahead of Kerbin in orbit, to the lower right, one of the least favorable times to launch this mission.” How much worse is an attempt to reach Eve now? “Much worse,” Bob said, his polite tone masking a deep seated frustration. “A rocket heading to Eve now has to lower its periapsis almost to the orbit of Moho to gain speed and catch up to Eve. The necessary delta v once the rocket reaches solar orbit is nearly triple what we would need for an ideal transfer window. This does not even account for the fuel needed to return to Kerbin, or get this beast into space.” Why not wait for the optimal time? Why push forward now? “Moho only knows…” Bob muttered before clearing his voice and continuing firmly. “The decision comes down to the time required. Waiting for the ideal Eve transfer window would delay our arrival at Eve by over three hundred days. So the Icarus Program is wasting a lot of fuel to run more missions.” More missions means more profit, correct? “Yes,” said Bob. “However fuel is not infinite, and reckless use of fuel can strain our resources.” Are you saying the Icarus Program has a fuel shortage? Bob turned a deeper shade of green. “I did not say that, but I would rather manage our resources more efficiently. However this approach does provide more funds for more ambitious future missions.” Does this mean the Icarus Program will be seeing massive rockets like this all the time? “Yes and no,” said Bob. “If we want to travel to other planets outside of the ideal transfer windows, we will always need extra delta V. However the Icarus Program is using the science gathered from the Mun and Minmus to develop equipment to build mines on these moons. When we start mining we can produce fuel at Minmus as a waystation. Long operational life, reusable rockets will be used to travel between Kerbin and Minmus, then eventually for regular trips to other planets. By keeping these taxis in space and refueling them in space, we will no longer have to build large rockets to launch all of the necessary fuel into space, only small rockets to bring the passengers to the reusable interplanetary rocket.” This sounds like a game changer! But for now the focus is on very large rockets? “For now, yes,” said Bob. “I worked with Bill to refine his initial design. That rocket likely could have landed on Moho. The new rocket should be just large enough to reach Eve and return with a minimum of resources used for this improper transfer.” So once the rocket is launched to Eve, does the Icarus Program go on a hiatus? “No,” Bob shook his head firmly. “Even while this rocket is enroute, we have plenty of work to do. There is a significant amount of science on the Mun and Minmus. We will use this science to develop the components needed for space stations. We plan to launch a long term fueling station to orbit above Kerbin, the Mun and Minmus. These stations will be used as waystations for further science missions to the Mun and Minmus, as well as our plans to begin space tourism.” Space tourism? You plan to let civilians pay to fly to the moons? “Yes,” Bob said with a faint hint of resignation. “Walt, our head of public relations, not you Walter, thought space tourism was the greatest idea he has ever had for increased funding for the Icarus Program.” The Icarus Program needs money? “The Icarus Program’s mandate is advancing science and space resources,” said Bob. “While science is my greatest priority, we need to upgrade the research and development facility for more advanced science. These upgrades are very expensive. While funds are not an Icarus Program priority, we need funds to further advance science before we can explore deeper into space.” You heard it here first folks. The Icarus Program is forging ahead with plans to explore further into space while bringing the dream of spaceflight to the public. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll snag a ticket to visit Minmus myself. Until next time, this was a Walter Kerman report.

Chapter 20 “So are we heading to a moon?” Jebediah’s voice crackled over the radio from the quarantine habitat, his tone light and carefree. “You, Jeb, are sitting in that habitat for a few more weeks,” Gene glowered at the screen, his voice tinged with the resigned patience of someone used to dealing with Jebediah. “The doctors are still running tests, and they are convinced that any virus you may have gotten from Minmus could be catastrophic for the population, particularly since you licked it.” “Meh, I’m healthy as a kitteh kat,” grinned Jebediah, reclining in his habitat seat, his arms crossed behind his head like he was lounging in a beach chair. Even sitting in a quarantine habitat, Jebediah had a way of making it seem like a vacation. “Doesn’t matter,” Gene’s expression hardened. “You and Bob are not going anywhere until the medical team says you are one hundred percent infection free.” Gene paused to bring up a new image on the screen. “Project Icarus, on the other hand, is going somewhere.” https://i.imgur.com/vbYeuR9.png “A mission to Eve?” Valentina perked up, her tone cautious but intrigued. “We almost ran out of supplies on the way back from Minmus. With all due respect, Gene, Eve seems… ambitious.” “Yes we have a mission to Eve,” said Gene with an easy smile. “However, before you get ahead of yourself, we are not flying Kerbals, with supplies or otherwise, to Eve. We are not ready to send Kerbals on a trip over one hundred and fifty days away from Kerbin. We have only recently completed the thirty day mission with a space station orbiting Kerbal, which was left up there for more than eighty days, but always had a short return trip. We will make sure we can keep Kerbals on a station for longer than an Eve trip before we send a Kerbal to Eve. One step at a time.” Valentina raised an eyebrow, nodding thoughtfully. “That makes sense. And with the timing, we’re still a long way off from the next transfer window, right?” “From a technical standpoint, that makes sense,” Bob was sitting in a corner of the quarantine habitat with his notes and scratched his chin idly, ticking off points. “The prototype probes we have been planning are far cheaper than sending two Kerbals to Eve. The upgraded MechJeb software the probe can now plan and execute its own maneuver nodes, so orbital flight is almost fully autonomous. Plus I think we would need more than two Kerbals to support a mission with that length, which would increase the cost of a Kerballed flight further. Still, Val is right, the window to Eve is nearly a year and a half away.” “We can’t afford to wait that long!” Walt interrupted before Gene could respond, bursting into the discussion in a rush. “The public’s attention span is... let’s say... limited. We’re working toward building stations around Kerbin, the Mun, and Minmus, but people are already starting to yawn. We need new headlines! ‘Kerbin to Eve: The Next Great Leap!’, that’s the kind of buzz we need to keep the funding rolling in! Bigger and better! Higher and Further!” “Buzz does not build rockets,” Bob muttered, then continued firmly. “Waiting for the proper transfer window could save as much as the funds you are chasing after. Launching now would require…” “More fuel,” Bill interrupted with a casual shrug as he leaned back in his chair. “A larger rocket would have the delta V to dip the periapsis near Moho’s orbit and catch up to Eve, no problem. This could happen before the next transfer window. Might not be the ideal mission, sure, but we have the capacity.” “Not ideal?” Bob glared as his voice rose in disbelief. “You are suggesting a massively inefficient monster of a rocket. A properly timed rocket would require a little over five hundred delta V just to travel from a Kerbol orbit near Kerbin to Eve. Launching now would increase that cost fivefold. Then actually launching that much mass from Kerbin, the costs would be astronomic.” “Mort,” Gene turned to the quiet, largely ignored, finance Kerbal. “Would we make more funds if we could complete three contracts to Eve with larger rockets in the time it would take to wait for the transfer window?” Mort blinked and looked up from where he was quietly observing the debate. “Why yes!” he exclaimed as a glimmer of realization slowly grew on his face. “These contracts are quite lucrative. The up front costs would be very high, but we would actually make more profit over the same timeframe.” “All of you are crazy,” Bob groaned, sinking into his chair. “You will end up wasting valuable resources on a project that is horribly inefficient, and... none of you will listen to reason. Why am I even here?” “Because, Bob, you have the expertise to trim this monster down as far as possible,” Gene said with a faint smile. “Think of it as a challenge. “Speaking of challenges,” Gene’s tone shifted, a slight smile crossing his face as he turned to Lizfal, who had been quietly taking in the debate. “We have new science gathering capacity, courtesy of Lizfal, who has packed it all into a new probe core design.” “Thanks Gene,” Lizfal's face brightened with a smile as she entered commands on a console and an image of three distinct probe rocket designs appeared on the screen. “We have developed three separate probe designs: one for orbital science within the Kerbin SOI, one for interplanetary use, and one for landing. Each probe is equipped with our latest scientific instruments.” She gestured to each probe design in order. “The Kerbin probe uses the tried and true Stayputnik to keep costs down. The interplanetary probe uses the new Probodobodyne OKTO probe core, which has additional processing for communication of scientific data from orbits around other planets. The lander probe, designed for Minmus’ low gravity to be able to land and gather science in multiple biomes, also uses the Probodobodyne OKTO to provide extra processing for surface navigation. Lizfal continued with unrestrained enthusiasm. “The orbital probes include a new magnetometer boom to measure Kerbin’s magnetic field, which will be vital for determining the best locations for future space stations. The lander probe includes a seismometer to help with identifying mineral deposit locations on Minmus.” “Wait, wait, wait!” Mortimer’s voice cut sharply through the room. “We don’t have contracts for any of these missions!” “You are right, Mort” Gene’s smile widened. “However we regularly get contracts to gather science in orbit or on the ground. We can use these probes to complete those missions as they pop up.” Mortimer’s face paled, and he slumped back in his chair. “Yet again you want to launch a mission with the plan that it will satisfy a contract that will just “pop up”?” “Exactly!” Gene’s grin was unrepentant. “You’re right, they are all insane,” Mortimer said to Bob, sighing deeply and sinking back into his chair. “Fine, we have enough funds to launch these probes, for now.” “I have another idea to discuss that will really get people talking about the Icarus Program!” gushed Walt. “If you are planning to broadcast Jeb’s comedy from quarantine shtick,” Gene shook his head. “The answer is still no.” “It would have been a sensation, Gene!” Jebediah’s laughter crackled over the radio. “No, no, no!” Walt waved his hands in the air. “This idea is way better than that! You’ll love it Gene!”

Part 6 “This seems like a good place for the test,” said Bill, shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight on the grassy plains. The wind rustled through the tall grass, carrying the faint scent of salt from the nearby ocean. A few wispy clouds drifted lazily across the sky, offering little respite from the blazing midday sun. “Agreed,” Bob replied, adjusting his visor and glancing over his clipboard checklist once again. His presence outside the quarantine module was a rare privilege, and only granted under strict conditions. The medical team had insisted that both he and anyone he interacted with remain fully suited up, with their EVA suits undergoing rigorous decontamination afterward. It was a hassle, but Bob understood the necessity. “Good sunlight and far enough out from KSC to avoid any electronic interference.” “Perfect, expanding the solar panels!” Bill grinned as he flipped a switch with an unnecessary dramatic flourish. “Wait! No! Not that...” Bob’s shout of alarm came too late. With a sudden whump, the solar panels expanded, metallic frames swinging wide like an overenthusiastic bird preparing to take flight. The deployment sent a groan through the rover’s frame with an immediate, and disastrous, effect. The extending panels clipped the rover’s static solar panel, snapping it clean off and sending it spiraling into the grass. At the same moment, the force of the unfolding arms broke both seats loose from the rover. In a spectacular display of unintended engineering, Bob and Bill found themselves abruptly airborne, still strapped into their respective seats, tumbling away from the vehicle. “What in Moho?!” exclaimed Bill, flailing his arms as his seat crashed to the ground. “Ugg,” Bob groaned as he unbuckled from his seat, then hauled himself back upright. “I clearly marked the solar panel assembly should be mounted at the back of the rover. One of your technicians mounted the assembly in the center of the rover, much too close to the seats.” Bob shook his head at Bill. “I did not bother to correct the mistake as the rear panel could deploy without issue. You went and deployed the front panels.” “Well now my friend, you coulda warned me before we left to test ‘em out,” Bill raised an eyebrow, still untangling himself from his seat. “You could have checked with the head scientists before activating an experimental system,” Bob looked pointedly at Bill. Once Bill had freed himself, they lumbered back to the rover in their bulky EVA spacesuits. Bill grabbed the solar panel assembly and gave it a good shake. The array rotated away from the sun before slowly realigning itself. Despite the earlier chaos, the deployed panels held together. “Well, Would ya look at that? The solar panels seem to have held up,” Bill said admiringly. “Wonder what that technician used to build ‘em, it’s sturdy. They shouldn’t have to hold up to this kind of abuse.” “The assembly is producing sufficient power,” Bob let out a relieved sigh as he inspected the readout from the batteries. “Everything is operating well within tolerance.” “Like a dream,” grinned Bill. “These adjustable solar panels will collect way more power than those old fixed ones. I’ll get started redesigning our rocket systems to incorporate ‘em.” Bob did not look up from his readings. “Provided, of course, that they’re mounted correctly next time.” Bill chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. “Oh now, don’t you worry, I’ll make sure that gets sorted. But hey, this means we can start upgrading the entire fleet with these beauties. They’ll keep running like champs even during low solar angles.” Bob glanced at him, unimpressed. “I would prioritize a sturdier seat attachment system while you are at it. That, or a seat design that doesn’t launch Kerbals into orbit when things go wrong.” Bill laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. “Aw, Come on now, Bob, where’s your sense of adventure? That little tumble just added some excitement to the day!” Bob shook his head, but as he glanced at the rover, the gleaming solar panels catching the sunlight just right, he had to admit, despite the chaos, it really was an impressive piece of engineering.

Chapter 19 - Part 5 "Come on! Why won't you work?" Lizfal groaned, her voice bouncing off the metallic lab walls as she glowered darkly at the stubborn prototype in front of her. The constant soft hum of the machinery seemed to mock her as it ran patiently. No matter how hard she glowered at the prototype probe core, it still refused to cooperate. "Having trouble, Lab Rat?" came a familiar drawl from behind her. Lizfal spun around to see Bill leaning casually against the doorway, a clipboard in hand and an easy smile on his face. https://i.imgur.com/x9Z4Ozk.png "It's this probe design for Bob," she sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Her ponytail had become more haphazard as she tried to resolve her problem. "I'm using the same electronic setup as Valentina's orbital rocket, just in a scaled down frame, but the simulations keep saying it can't handle transmitting sensor data in real time.” She jabbed an accusing finger at the monitor. “No matter how many times I recheck the system configuration, it still will not work. I'm at my wits end!" Bill pushed off the doorway and ambled over to her workstation. "Huh. That don't sound right.” Bill peered at the screen with mild curiosity. “Val's rocket had plenty of bandwidth to transmit the science data. Mind if I take a gander at the simulation?" "Please, by all means," Lizfal replied, gesturing to the computer. Bill squinted at the numbers, his fingers idly scratching his chin. "Well now, that is peculiar," he muttered, more to himself than her. "Peculiar! Everything about this is peculiar!" Lizfal threw up her hands, frustration bubbling over. “I’m ready to completely rewire this thing from scratch!” After a moment, she sighed and softened her tone. "Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." "No harm done, Liz. Believe me, I get it," Bill replied with a lopsided grin. "Take a look at this parameter here." Lizfal leaned in, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the data he pointed to. "That's the antenna propagation delay," she said thoughtfully. "For our communications... that's peculiar..." "Exactly," Bill nodded. "Way too high for Minmus, like it's calculating the delay for..." "...a message from Eve to Kerbin," Lizfal finished, her eyes widening in realization. The two Kerbals exchanged a look as the implication sank in. "Bob's been messin' with interplanetary probe designs," Bill said with a thoughtful tone. "Betcha he sent you the Eve simulation instead of the Minmus one by mistake." "The Stayputnik will never have the power for compression and error handling with these communication delays," Lizfal sighed, reaching toward the computer. "I guess we'll just have to tell Bob and wait for the right data." "Now hold your horses Lab Rat," Bill said, holding up a hand to stop her. "I've been tinkering with a couple of prototype cores. Bob's using one to test navigation algorithms for interplanetary missions, but the other's just sittin' there in storage, gathering dust. We could use it to simulate transmission of your instrument data." Lizfal's brow furrowed as she thought it over. "With a stronger core, compression and CRC algorithms could handle the delay... but interference over those distances would still be a problem." "Funny you should mention interference. I've been putting together some error correction algorithms for just that," Bill said, his grin widening. "If we pair that with your planed algorithms, this might be worth presenting to Bob for the first interplanetary probe" "Brilliant!" Lizfal's face lit up, her frustration replaced by unbridled excitement. "I'll start working on the coding right now!" "I'll grab the other probe core and get you a copy of my algorithms," Bill said with a chuckle, already heading for the door. "Let's make us something that'll knock Bob’s socks off." As Lizfal's fingers flew across the keyboard, she couldn't help but grin, until what Bill said registered with her and she spun back to call out to his back. “Better not knock his socks off while I’m around!”* Then she turned back to the computer to start reworking her code. For the first time, she allowed herself to dream, not just of fixing the problem, but of the possibilities. Not only was she solving a problem, but her work might actually make it to other planets. * I had actually written the knock his socks off part, which then made me think of the incident from a Jool Odyssey

Chapter 19 Part 4 This is Walter Kerman reporting. Today, Kerbals around the world are celebrating another triumphant return of our brave Kerbalnauts, who have set foot on a previously unexplored stellar body. This time the new stellar body is Minmus itself, Jebediah and Bob have returned from the minty colored heavenly body that has been the greatest inspiration throughout history to Kerbalkind. Our staff is diligently reviewing the numerous messages and kMails sent in by our excited viewers and will provide as much information as we are able. Upon their return, Jebediah and Bob were promptly escorted to a quarantine habitat, where they will undergo routine observation to ensure no unforeseen contaminants were brought back from Minmus. While the safety of the pair is paramount, the habitat is more than just a medical waiting room. The habitat has been outfitted with the best scientific tools that could be packed in, allowing Bob to begin the meticulous process of analyzing the samples and scientific data gathered from Minmus. The revelation producing the buzz in messages sent to us is that Jebediah himself has reportedly tasted Minmus! We take you to live video of our intrepid Kerbonauts in their quarantine habitat, who are standing by to share their experiences. Jebediah and Bob, the whole world welcomes you back and is eager to hear what you can report about your journey to Minmus! “It was an extraordinary mission, Walter,” said Bob paging through a clipboard. “We conducted a comprehensive survey of Minmus’ surface around the lander, collected an unprecedented variety of samples, and gathered an extensive amount of scientific data. The data collected on Minmus is orders of magnitude more than anything previously collected. Currently I am performing a preliminary analysis using the equipment supplied in the habitat.” That is fascinating Bob! Our viewers will be thrilled to learn what scientific discoveries you remission will yield. Jebediah, our viewers are dying to know, what does the minty moon taste like! “Well Walter… Minmus tastes like dust with a faint metallic flavor,” Jebediah’s face twisted. “Unfortunately, nothing minty about it. Honestly, the experience was not particularly pleasant, I don’t recommend anyone else try it.” “We have known for some time Minmus is not minty, despite the speculation” Bob pointed at a microscope. “The samples exhibit a glassy, silicate like structure, with the greenish tint likely caused by iron oxide impurities.” There you have it folks, Minmus is only minty in appearance, but is certainly not for consumption. The moon may simply be made of glass. Bob, is there anything else you can determine from these samples so far? “A more detailed analysis will require the specialized equipment back at the KSC,” Bob crossed his arms. “However my initial investigations have found the samples contain a high concentration of ore that could be refined into rocket fuel. The green coloration could also have excellent applications in paint and dyes, just not for Kerbal consumption.” In addition to welcoming Jebediah and Bob home, we can confirm earlier news from Kerbodyne of a Kerbal stranded in low Kerbin orbit due to an engine failure during a Goliath National Products mission. Acting swiftly, the Icarus Program launched a rescue mission and successfully returned the stranded engineer to the surface of Kerbin. We are pleased to introduce the newest recruit to the program. *Camman Kerman: A highly skilled engineer specializing in fluid transportation systems, Camman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cove, followed by a Master of Science degree in industrial engineering from the University of KSC. His expertise will be invaluable in refining and improving the fueling systems critical to the Icarus Program’s deep space operations. While the Rockmax Conglomerate and Goliath National Products smaller mission sizes have reduced the number of Kerbalnauts lost to the Icarus Program, the partnership still has not resolved their problems leading to stranded Kerbals. Sources indicate that Gene has taken a particular interest in these issues, and the Icarus Program is investigating possible solutions. Until next time, this was a Walter Kerman report. Jebediah Chronicles - Day 2y 223d Minmus was unlike anything I have experienced. Landing there really messed with my instincts as a pilot. All my experience on how to land on the Mun, useless for Minmus. With the low gravity, the tiniest throttle inputs cause huge effects, almost more like docking in orbit than landing. For all future minmus landings, I’m going to recommend pilots focus on instruments. As much as I prefer using my own Mk1 eyeballs, I think instruments are the best way to fight bad instincts. Minmus sure is a fun planet to be on though. Once you get used to almost no gravity, it is like a great big bouncy house. I was able to jump from the surface to the hatch of the rocket, with just some minor corrections from my jetpack. This would be a fun planet to build a base on, so long as the buildings are large enough for some good bouncing! The only downside is Minmus looks so tasty, but tastes lousy. I had to try a taste, but it was no better than licking some rust. Oh well, I guess I can’t have my Minmus and eat it too. Will have to have them send a good mint sundae to the quarantine hab now that I’m back home. - Jeb Bob Chronicles - Day 2y 223d Jeb?! Seriously?! Licking the sample?! I had to carefully separate the licked portion from the rest of the sample, hoping that it was not actually contaminated with any Kerbin based materials. Now we will have to cross check all of our results with samples from future missions to ensure nothing was contaminated. Not to mention our quarantine time will be significantly extended, thanks to Jeb licking the sample. At least the quarantine habitat has an excellent set of scientific equipment I can use to begin analyzing the science we brought back from Minmus. So far the samples seem to indicate a significant amount of ore that can be refined into fuel. Plus I think the green colorization could be very interesting to the art community. - Bob * Camman’s background is loosely based on Rex Walheim, an engineer who flew on three space shuttle missions, including STS-135 which included equipment for a robotic refueling mission. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_J._Walheim