MinimumSky5

Well KSK, I hope that it's lunchtime wherever you are in the world! Integrity Jeb was cycling down the main road leading away from the KSC, as he did every morning. As today was the Eclipse, he technically shouldn’t be on the road, as most kerbals get very anxious during this period. This was because, during the longest Eclipses, temperatures can drop to -15 degrees Celsius, even at the equator. As a result, all life on Kerbin had two circadian rhythms, a daily cycle corresponding to Kerbin rotating around its axis, and a weekly rhythm in sync with Kerbins orbit around Sonnah. Kerbals, as a result, become very agoraphobic around the time of the Eclipse, and develop a fear of the colour blue (as the early stages of the Eclipse are coloured blue by Sonnah’s atmosphere.) At this time of year at the equator, the Eclipse doesn’t really happen, all that does happen is that the area goes slightly blue and dims a little. Jeb’s route took him south, along the coast, through largely uninhabited areas. This was the main reason the KSC was in this area, as both the sea and soil were so poor that only a few scattered fishing villages and cattle ranches existed that could be in the way of a discarded rocket stage. Even so, KSC was only allowed to launch to the east or the south, as only ocean existed in those directions. The road was a dual carriageway, and despite being one of the main routes through Kelpogart, it was very hilly, with many tight curves. 15 miles from KSC, Jeb pulled over in the village of Mevagissey, as he had a small errand to run. He locked his bike to a rack in the main harbour, and walked first to a tiny bakery, sandwiched between a tailors and a pub. “Ah, Jeb, how many this time?†asked the lone baker. “10 large Gartish pastries, 5 meat feast baguettes and three large vegetarian pizzas please, Kelcas.†“The usual then! Coming right up!†replied Kelcas, as he started to mix the fillings of the pastries. “So, Kelcas, how are things on this fine, sunny day?†“I tell you what, Jeb, if not for you folks at KSC, I would have gone out of business!†quipped Kelcas, as he placed the pastries in the oven and started constructing the baguettes. “The tourist season has been that bad?†“We’re a bit out of the way here, and all the tourists are staying in southern Kelpogart. Very few get this far north.†“Kelcas, if trade is bad, I’m sure that no one would mind you joining us! I know that Gene is very fond of your Gartish pastries!†“Really?†asked Kelcas “You know Jeb, I might just take you up on that offer!†“Here’s Gene’s number, and let me tell you, if word got out the Gene had turned you down to work at KSC, it would be him going up in Athena 1, not a probe core!†“Well,†said Kelcas, as he handed Jeb three bulging sacks of goodies â€Âin that case Jeb, no payment is necessary, so long as I get that job up north!†“Kelcas, you’re amazing! I’ll text Gene to tell him.†Jeb was halfway back to his bike, when he felt his phone vibrate. From Gene: Jeb, that kerbal is such an important asset, that I’m sending the helicopter! We’re landing on the headland north of you in half an hour. Jeb spun on one foot, and walked back to give Kelcas that good news. Kelcas’s jaw dropped as he heard how much his pastries were enjoyed back in KSC, and on Jebs instruction, started packing his kitchen supplies away. “I’ll be on the other side of the harbour Kelcas, call if you need me.†As Jeb walked across the small harbour, he stopped to take in the atmosphere of this small village. With Kelcas heading to KSC, it was unlikely that Jeb would ever return here. He could smell the fish being unloaded from the ships, and the coffee from a harbourside café next to him. He could hear kerblets playing in the narrow, cobbled streets, and seagulls fighting over scraps left by the fishermen. Jeb had grew up in a small village like this, and he would be sad to leave here. He also knew that the fish in the fishmongers would likely be second choice, the better quality catch being taken by the large transport and catering companies. As luck would have it, a fishing boat was pulling in near to him. “Ahoy, skipper!†called Jeb, using the old maritime greeting. “Ahoy landlubber! Are you after a particular fish?†This kerbal seemed a little nervous, likely due to the impending Eclipse, so Jeb tried to complete this errand quickly. “Do you happen to have any Whitebelly on board?†“How much, and what price?†“One small crate, 20% higher than what they are asking!†replied Jeb, pointing at a truck that was pulling in to the quayside.†“That will be 360 credits, and you have a deal!†“Hey, you have a contract with us, any Whitebelly is ours, and ours alone!†shouted the truck driver, as he ran towards Jeb and the skipper. “The very first clause of that contract, and the Laws Of The Sea, mean that as that kerbal has given me a better price, I can give him whatever he wants!†“What’s your price?†asked the now highly irate driver to Jeb. “360 credits for a small crate, that’s all I want.†Replied Jeb, trying to defuse the situation. By now, several people were watching the confrontation with a variety of facial expressions. Jeb was also fairly certain that a pair of kerbals across the quayside were betting on the outcome. The driver looked forlornly at the skipper “I can’t match that price. Give him the fish.†The driver started walking back to his truck, slamming the trucks back doors shut as he went. A 10 credit note changed hands across the quayside. “Hey, wait! I only want this crate, you can get the rest!†“Yeah, and you’ll be back here tomorrow with a big truck before I will be.†It dawned on Jeb that the driver thought that he was a scout from a shipping company, looking for samples from the fisherman. “Nononono, guys, I’m from the KSC, I seriously just want a small crate of Whitebelly, for a meal tonight!†“You’re from KSC!†“What’s an astronaut doing in our small village?†“Can I get your autograph! Please!†A small crowd gathered around Jeb, ecstatic at an actual member of the Kerbal Space Program visiting their village. After the autographs, photographs and handshakes, he paid the highly bemused skipper, and took his crate back to his bike. He took a metal contraption out of his pannier bag, and unfolded it into a trailer. This was a gift from Bill, who realised that with Jeb getting everyone lunch every day, he needed a better way of transporting the food back. Jeb placed the fish crate into the trailer, and covered the crate with a plastic lid, to protect the fish. He then walked back to the truck, and helped the driver to load the fish into it. “Why are you helping me? I haven’t done anything to help you.†The driver asked, as Jeb started loading some crates into the back. “I probably delayed you with that little sideshow back then, so I’m making sure that you get to your deliveries on time.†The driver smiled at Jeb. “You are an incredibly kind kerbal. Thank you.†“What do you mean kind, this is my gym session for the day!†That earned Jeb a small chuckle from the driver, and the two of them continued to load pallets of fish in a companionable silence. Just as they finished, Jeb heard the distinctive rumble of Vals helicopter. “Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting you two, but that’s my ticket home!†Jeb retrieved his bike, helped Kelcas to load his things onto one of his mobile cooling rocks from the bakery, and headed towards the helicopter. “Jeb, how is all this going to fit in a small helicopter?†Asked Kelcas. “It’s not a small helicopter!†As they climb up, out of the village and onto the headland beyond, Kelcas caught his first sight of KSC’s helicopter. The helicopter wasn’t a small craft, like the ones that the police and larger television companies use. It was a military surplus, dual rotor transport, designed to take several tonnes of supplies behind enemy lines. All weapons were, of course, deactivated. As soon as Jeb and Kelcas appeared over the hill leading into the village, Gene stepped out of the side door. “Kelcas, welcome to the Kerbal Space Program! If I may be so bold, do you happen to have any Gartish pastries with you?†------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The helicopter landed on the runway outside an old hanger that KSC had inherited, as much by accident as design. The land had been an airstrip, and to save costs, the Government had just built around the hanger and runway rather than demolishing it. As soon as the rotors stopped, Val rolled the aircraft into the hanger, where Bill and Bob were waiting to perform checks and maintenance. “Val,†asked Kelcas, after Val had gotten out of the pilots seat “how did you get a helicopter like this? It’s a bit more than I thought you would have!†“When I served in the military, this was the chopper I was assigned to. She’s an old design, even back when I started flight school, and when I finished my last tour of duty, I was the only pilot left that knew how to fly these helicopters. The air force was scrapping them, so when me and Jeb were hired by KSC, when Gene asked for an aircraft, it made sense for the military to offload the old bird onto us.†Seeing the mildly shocked expression on Kelcas’ face, Val elaborated “Don’t worry, she was built for reliability, and was only taken out of service because technology had progressed, not because she’s unsafe!†Kelcas remained to be convinced, which Val put down to the Eclispe. “Come on, let’s leave, I’m sure Bill and Bob will want to give her a once over.†As soon as Val and Kelcas left, they saw Gene, Bill, Bob, and Mortimer have a quite animated discussion. “Mortimer, the building isn’t unsafe, it’s not structurally sound, a particularly angry kerblet could knock the thing over!†“Well, let’s not let any angry kerblets in, then.†was the infuriatingly calm reply. “This isn’t funny Mortimer, we are risking our lives every time we enter that building.†“Maybe, but we can’t afford the repairs that you are proposing.†“Could we just evacuate the southern wing?†asked Gene, trying to calm the situation.†“When the southern wing collapses, when, not if, it may take down the whole building with it.†“Is it possible to isolate the problem section?†Bill considered this for a second, then replied. “Maybe, but we would need significantly more powerful plasma torches to cut through the building structure.†“Get them. Yes Mortimer, we are buying them, as I don’t want the astronaut complex to fall on top of me during the night!†said Gene, in a way which invited no arguments. As the group dispersed, Gene finally noticed Kelcas standing next to Val, with a small suitcase full of clothes, and a very worried expression on his face. “Kelcas, I’m sorry you had to see that, but as you can tell, we are having issues with the quality of the building work that was undertaken here.†Kelcas had expected as much, as he had noticed several holes in the hanger walls that had been hastily patched together with corrugated sheet metal. “This building is government built, isn’t it?†“No, this building is just old and dilapidated, but the rest of the space centre was built by the government.†“Get those buildings replaced Mr Gene, you know how much you should trust anything that comes from up north.†“Believe me Kelcas, I am well aware of what our leadership is capable and is not capable of, and I will be replacing those buildings as soon as we can.†“Is the building safe that you were discussing?†“Mostly, the northern wing is safe, but the southern wing seems like it was built with duct tape and prayers.†“Then I’ll avoid the southern side! Now, Jeb mentioned something about a fish pie on the way over, and me mother’s pies are to die for, if I can remember the recipe!†“I’ll show you to the kitchens, I’m sure Luddo and Dunmey would appreciate a helping hand!†Gene, Jeb and Kelcas walked out of the hanger, pulling several carts of assorted ingredients and kitchen supplies. Val had completed her post flight checks, and turned to Bill, who was currently almost upside down, buried in the engine bay. Quietly, she climbed up the helicopter and asked “How is he?†Bill had been expecting this, so he wasn’t at all surprised at the sudden question. “He’s doing as well as could be expected, but the new therapy hasn’t helped at all. It’s the Eclipse now, so you know what Bob like at this time.†As if on que, Bob started muttering to himself incoherently, which was Bill and Vals indication that the day’s work was done for him. Bob clambered down the side of the helicopter, with little of the grace of Val, and scooped Bob up into his arms. Bob was very small and skinny for a kerbal, and Bill was quite strong, so it wasn’t hard to carry Bob back to his quarters. After Bob had settled down to sleep, Val turned to Bill. “Do we have to accept government help? It seems like we’re disrespecting Bob by doing so.†“I know Val, and for now, we do need monetary help. Soon, though, we’ll be able to make money ourselves, and when we can, this place will be torn down and replaced with something better.†“I’ll never forgive them, Bill.†“I know Val, I know. Neither will I.â€Â

Believe me, I fully plan on Debbella being a very important character further down the line, but that is a story for another time! I was only asking where to go, because I wasn't sure if the worldbuilding and character development were getting boring, and if people wanted to get right to the rockets and science and explosions! I am working on the next instalment, which will focus on The Big Three, then I should be able to get Athena 1 in the chapter after that. But thank you for the response, I was starting to feel like KSK's personal provider of bedtime stories!

Climatology lesson: ENSO effects are global, and the second major effect is drought in the western Pacific region. Almost everyone will feel the effects, e.g. here in Europe, our winter will be colder and dryer than normal.

I asked Ferram about that, and he said that the only extra value you needed was the Atmospheric Molar Mass, but in most atmospheres that has very little effect. Air intakes should work just fine.

I think that now we humans (at least, in the developed world) live a nice, cushy life compared to our neanderthal ancestors, our fear circuits will lock on to anything now, no matter how dangerous it is. I remember when I was younger (and still now, to an extent) I used to have a morbid fear of UFO's and aliens, of all thing! Completely irrational, but nothing to be ashamed of

My game is already unstable as it is, I did try 64bit, and I ended up getting one scene change before crashing. OpenGL works perfectly fine...... for now!

When Unity 5 arrives, I plan on making full use of my 12GB RAM, and those cloud layers are first on my list!

That's the most important reason why that method likely wouldn't work.

This is so complicated (not impossible, complicated) that terraforming the planet and replenishing the atmosphere periodically would probably be easier!

This is an AAR, so I don't decide what happens to Athena 1, but if it does crash into any of the buildings, I will put that in! I'd love that final scene to happen, but it would be unoriginal now, and probably stealing, to use it! I think I will combine the chapters though, it seems like a really good idea. Cheers!

I think the issue with First Flight is that it has enough characters for a full novel, but people generally give less attention to fanfic than novels, so they will be less able to remember all of the plot threads and character arcs. Also, it's too late to change, but the names of Ordrie, Ornie and Ordun are probably too close to each other, and could cause some confusion.

That does depend on the style of story you're writing, so for me, a wide variety of part models is more important (but I will look at TextureReplacer).

Just a quick question for my readers (apparently, this means KSK!), do you want to hear about Bill and Bobs adventures with repairing the KSC, or do you want me to just skip right to the launch of Athena 1? I'm still working on some issues with the career (I don't want to use Realism Overhauls tech tree, I want to let the kerbals make their own stuff!) but I would need to get Open Tree balanced correctly, and the terrain for Kerbin is currently very flat, after being resized to Earth's dimensions.

The G loading increased at first as the fuel remaining in the shuttle stack went down. This means that a similar force from the engines was pushing on a smaller mass, causing a bigger acceleration. The G forces went down later when the shuttles boosters were detached, so less force was pushing on the vehicle. The engines themselves get throttled down about a minutes before the external tank gets jettisoned, to stop the crew and the orbiter experiencing high G loads.

I don't know why that happened, but just in case of computer stupidity in that, and to help with spelling and grammar, I write in an MS Word document and just copy and paste into the reply box.

That's really good to hear, my biggest concern about writing this story has been whether I have been putting in enough detail in the descriptions! I'm also going to try and put technical details like that rocket fin in, as I'm going to focus more on the design of the rockets rather than the missions (not that Jeb and Co won't feature, this is a work of fiction, not a rocketry textbook!). Also, I've been working on an actual world for these guys, as I wanted to use real scale planets.... in a planet pack with no support for RSS! I have managed it though, but the planets look very flat at the moment.

That looks more like an R-7 lateral booster, but I see your point.

I'm actually not sure, its presumably somewhere in the Kazakhstan Steppes. It wouldn't land on one piece though, but I think that the engines would each land relatively intact.

And now we get to see what looks like an extended advertisement. WHERE'S MY ROCKET LAUNCH!

What's 20 minutes to 6 hours! The entire launch takes over two hours due to the low TWR of the Briz-M stage, but the first few minutes is always the most fun!

Inmarsat-5-F3, a geostationary communications satellite, is scheduled for 11:44 UTC from Baikonur cosmodrome, on a Proton K/Briz-M rocket. This launch is important for the Proton rocket, as it has suffered from a series of recent failures, with the most recent failure in May, with the loss of a Mexican communications sat. The stream starts at 11:30 UTC : http://www.inmarsat.com/service/global-xpress/ Edit : the stream is currently online, I think that it's the commentary that starts at 11:30

Its probably better for the crew to have the parachutes stay attached, as an autocut system would be yet another system to fail, and if that system went off too early, well, it wouldn't end well for the crew. Also, while the capsule does have a low centre of gravity, it also has a large, flat base, which can create a lot of friction.

The next part will be going up soon, I have been making a config for New Horizons that turns it into a somewhat realistic planetary system (basically, a 10x config). I'm also working on custom parts (Using models already in the game, or from mods!) with procedural parts, to get the rockets looking and working as close to what the kerbals are making as possible. I still want to do some character building first though. The Wall The door to the newly christened Aerodynamics and Control laboratory opened with a squeal of misaligned and improperly installed hinges, and the laboured breathing on two struggling kerbals. “Oh, do come on!†huffed Dilzer, as he slipped on the gravel path and received a mouthful of grit for his trouble. With a loud snap, something in the door mechanism gave way, and Debbella also fell over, but this time into the lab itself. The lab, like most of the smaller buildings in the Research and Development centre, was made of corrugated iron, bent into a half cylinder and capped with flat iron sheets. Cheap, but normally sturdy and reliable. In this case, the Government had decided that while public opinion was high for a space program, they didn’t want to splash out on something that, traditionally, never quite worked out. Even so, with half of the Astronaut Complex unfit for use, and many other buildings with major issues, Dilzer couldn’t help but think that maybe, just a little more could have possibly been spent on construction. The lab itself was more of a workshop, with tool racks on the walls, lathes and cutting machines scattered haphazardly around the room, and a smell of fresh oil. “So, Dilzer, what’s that plan?†asked Debbella. “Work on the fairing and control fins for the Athena 1, like Werner told us to.†said Dilzer, confused as to why Debbella had to ask when she had been in the same meeting where this was all discussed. “So, if I work on the control fins, and you work on the….. the thingy…… the…….. ermmm……†“The fairing?†asked Dilzer, who was now getting a bit annoyed with Debbella. “Yes, the thingy!†“Debbella.†“What!†“What experience do you have with aerodynamics?†“Plenty, I’ve designed many rockets and aircraft!†“And how many of them were Kerlington paper models?†The silence in the room was all the answer that Dilzer needed. “Debbella, why did you join my department if you had no experience in aerodynamics?†“Because we are all amateurs, right? It doesn’t make a difference what department we are in!†“Debbella, I have a degree in aerospace engineering, Lisna has a degree in fluid dynamics, and most of the others have degrees of some sort. We aren’t amateurs, we are engineers and scientists that wanted to take a chance and join what could very well be the last attempt at spaceflight in kerbal history. Didn’t you realise that?†Debbella rook a while to answer, but Dilzer decided that it would be best to let her talk in her own time. “I didn’t realise at first, but on Hadcas’s minibus, overhearing your conversations with each other, I realised how out of my depth I was. I wanted to say something, but I was past the point of no return, so I just had to continue and hope that no-one noticed.†Dilzer could only feel pity for the kerbal standing in front of him. She had thought that this would just be a group of friends launching small solid fuel rockets to the upper atmosphere, not a space program with the stated goal of footprints on every solid surface in the Kerbol system. Even so, Dilzer needed someone who understood aerodynamics as his assistant. “Debbella, what do you know of The Wall?†Without hesitating, Debbella replied “It’s a phenomena that happens when an object approaches the speed of sound. The drag suddenly increases beyond what the Kelwill laws state the drag should be, due to the sound waves created by the object collapsing into one another.†Dilzer had been listening carefully, and was impressed with Debbellas knowledge. But when he heard her explanation for The Wall, he started getting very interested indeed. As of that point, no kerbal had been able to explain the phenomenon. “Debbella, are you aware of any other theories about The Wall?†“No, I couldn’t find anything on The Wall in fact, apart from a basic outline of what it is.†“Debbella, that’s because no-one knows what it is, you are the first kerbal I have met that seems to understand it. Could you try and explain your theory in more detail, please.†Debbella took a pencil and a piece of paper from the nearest workbench, and drew four pictures. The first was a stylised drawing of a plane, with concentric circles emitting from it, representing sound waves. The second picture had the sound waves shifted, so that the lines in front of the plane were closer together, and the lines behind the plane were further away. The fourth picture had the circles arranged so that the front of them overlapped, forming a large shockwave in front of the plane. The fourth picture had a cone drawn from the front of the planet, with the circles inside of it. “Debbella, what score did you get in your maths exams?†asked Dilzer. “A*, why?†“You were first in your school?!†Dilzer practically shouted. A* means that the student is the best in their year, and it is normally a fast track to a scholarship at a university. “Yes, but my science results were poor, so my teachers told me not to bother with university.†Debbella had said that as if it made perfect sense, but inside, Dilzer was both shocked and furious. Debbella was clearly a maths genius, and she had quite possible solved the conundrum of what The Wall is, yet her teachers had decided that, for whatever reason, she was unfit for university! He had heard stories of students whose teachers had told them to avoid university in order to save themselves the hassle of sorting out the application, and Dilzer sincerely hoped that that wasn’t the case here. “Could you create an equation showing how the pressure would change on a surface accelerating through sonic speeds, assuming that your theory is correct?†asked Dilzer, struggling to contain his anger. “I’ll start building the fairings.†He needed to do something with his hands, to release to the tension inside. “Of course, I’ll get it done within an hour.†Dilzer was still trying to comprehend that Debbella could create an equation, which could very well be the biggest discovery in aerodynamics, in less than an hour, as he started work on the fins. “Dilzer, out of curiosity, what are the fins going to be made out of?†“You can talk about fin construction while rewriting a significant chunk of the aerodynamic sciences!†“You’re talking while trying to not lose your fingers on a router!†Debbella shouted back. “Fair point. I’m making two primary spars out of mild steel, with a fibreglass skin, and aluminium stringers holding it together.†Debbella gave him a blank look, so he toned down the technical language. “Two pieces of steel in the middle,†he grunted, as he set the first of two down on the central workbench “fiberglass on the outside, and aluminium strips holding it all together.†“Ah, gotcha!†Dilzer’s pager beeped as he started going back to the router. He chuckled as he read the message. “Better late than never.†He quipped. “What is?†“That was Tilotte, she has just told me the diameter of the rocket. 40cm.â€Â

If anyone ever claims that space travel isn't regular, I will show them this quote!

There was always going to be an IDA-3 as a spare, so NASA will probably make an IDA-4 now.