Daelkyr

Moho II Begins 3 Day Space Mission Kerbonauts to Explore "High Space" By Walter Kerman - The Daily Planet - Kerlon 9, 720 In what is hoped to be kick-off a series of firsts, Moho II launched from the Kerbal Space Center (KSC) just before noon. The first rocket launched from the KSC in the month of Kerlon, the rocket carried "First Four" veteran Valentina Kerman and rookie pilot Hudley Kerman into low Kerbin orbit. Powered by a new 1.875 m lower stack and assisted by two BAAC "Thumper" solid rocket boosters [SRB], the deafening roar of the rocket was heard up and down the coast as a sea of onlookers watched to highly anticipated flight. The lift-off went went smoothly, with the SRB's separating without issue. However, at 62 km up, the gimbal on the HGR FG-90 main engine failed. This hardware failure prevented the powerful twin nozzle engine from directing its thrust to aid in steering the rocket on its journey to orbit. The failure was not deemed mission critical and Moho II successfully made it into orbit without further incident. In a departure from previous reports on KSC launches, the Moho II did not splash down after a few hours of flight. Moho II's mission is two-fold. First, after spending a few hours ensuring that the craft is fully functional, Valentina Kerman and Hudley Kerman will re-ignite their LVT-909 engine and push their capsule to a "high Kerbin" orbit of 350 km above the planet. They will spend two hours circling the globe from that never before reached vantage point, perform several science experiments, and conduct an EVA. After all mission objectives are completed, they will then lower the Moho II capsule back to a low Kerbin orbit of 90 km and spend an additional two days orbiting the planet. Bobak Kerman, Mission Controller and Skyler Kerman, Public Relations were on hand to discuss the unique goals of Moho II's mission. Bobak stated that Moho II was originally only to be a "high orbit" mission. "We need to get solid data about how our systems will function when they get farther away from Kerbin," he said. "Right now, we can still get anyone with a strong enough portable radio to send a quick message to our capsules. We need to get answers on actual ranges for telemetry, radio, and hardening of our systems." Skyler Kerman spoke of the decision to extend Moho II's mission with a long duration orbit. "We didn't make this decision lightly," Skyler explained. "We have already stated that our 'BIG' goal after orbit was exploration of Mun. And a journey to it would take at least three days." She stated that a discussion with all of the department heads and Valentina and Hudley was conducted before the decision for the long duration goal was included. "We would never had done this if we were not 100% certain of mission success." Bobak added that Valentina was the biggest advocate for the long duration addition to the mission profile. When asked why Hudley Kerman was put on the roster for Moho II instead of "First Four" kerbonaut Bill Kerman, Bobak explained that the decision was based on KSC needs. "We love Bill," Skyler said. "But simulation experience only goes so far. Moho II will give Hudley a chance to have real space experience with one of our most veteran pilots. It was a decision that everyone felt good about." At press time, Moho II had finished it's of two burns to place it into "high Kerbin" orbit. Profile of a Kerbonaut Bill Kerman has been called the original "rocket kerbal". Growing up in a rural part of the continent, Bill was never content with local livelihoods such as farming or mining. As a tween, Bill watched a film in school from the venerable physicist Wernher von Kerman on the laws of motion and was entranced by Wernher's description of theoretical 'rocket propelled' vessels. Spending the summer pouring over every book on mechanics and physics his library carried or could order, the D+ student quickly rose to the top of his kohort in school. But while his grades achieved lift-off, he gained his most fame and notoriety for forming the Kerbin Interplanetary Rocket Society. This group of like-mined kerbits designed, machined, and built ever increasing sizes of rockets. Launching them from the back of trucks or cleared out fields, Bill lead the group (after being its founding member and driving force) to launch a sounding rocket so large, it reached the upper atmosphere. This fame got the attention of several universities. But his attempt to make high quality rocket fuel to launch a (self-admittedly) crudely designed capsule into space caused an explosion that destroyed his barn and caused cows to dry up across the county. Offered the choice of jail time or a scholarship and probation as an assistant to Wernher von Kerman, Bill made the sensible choice and began his career in rocketry in earnest. Bill's original designs for his space capsule eventually became the RT-5 and RT-10 solid rocket boosters that helped put the Kerbin series of rockets into space. As well, Bill holds several patents for Liquid Fuel/Oxidizer engines and was lead designer on the LT-V30 that put Kerbin VI into orbit.

Okay. A quick question. Did anyone know why the Vector is priced at $18,000 and the Mammoth is $39,000? This makes the DIRECT setup cost prohibitive versus a Mammoth first stage.

Work continues on the project. But I'm worried that I'm losing the original idea. I've been putting together parts to make the Jupiter III super-lifter. I even slapped together a 5-section SRB called the "Backfire" to help lift the thing off the ground. It's all still part of the original DIRECT proposal. is there demand for something that wonders into the 5m tank territory? (I wouldn't be making engines for it. Just more adapter for the SR-25 "Vector"'s.)

The reason for four nodes in a line was to match the NASA DIRECT proposal. You can always place three (or two) Vectors down, depending on what your payload profile is. In actuality, that was part of the DIRECT design plan. I do like your idea for a 2.5 m with 1.25's on the end. I'll think about it. As for the logo suggestions, how's this? (Also doubles as a flag.)

Okay. 0.2 is up. Gave the 5m Large tank a not unattractive texture. And finished the nose cap and tank bottom. Also hacked up a 5m fairing for your ridiculous payloads.

That's high praise indeed. I'm glad to see your amazing parts back in action. I wish I could texture anywhere near as good as you. For the v0.2 update, besides the change to the thrust plate, I also wanted to add a few extra parts. Here is a test flight of my 3.75 m orange nose cone and 5 m Jool III main body. It has 8 RS-25 "Vector"s under it and the NARP payload is set to 150 tons. Made it into orbit just fine.

Your back!!!!! Great to see you.

Here's a look at the thrust plate shroud re-tweak. I narrowed the fairing from 3.8 to 3.75 so it would be seamed with the other parts correctly. It gives the fairing enough room for the engine bases but doesn't make the whole part seem too large. But the question I'm dying to know... What do you think of the logo on the main post? - Josh

Thanks for the kind words folks. I started this project because I couldn't get an Ares I/Ares V stock-ish build to work. (Which is funny if you know DIRECT's history). I'm mucking around with the thrust plate shroud right now to make it look nicer. I also want to get some kind of Seperatron like nose cone for the SRB's. Besides that, my next task would be to balance the parts cost and tech tree placement. But what else should I include? More orange tank sizes? A more powerful 5 part SRB?

So, I was trawling the forums when I found @benjee10 phenomenal parts pack. The problem is it's only available from Kerbalstuff and it hasn't been posted to for a few months. What's a part junkie to do? Create his own parts. Which leads us to: This project has grown from just a few 3.75 m parts to an ever evolving (it seems) collection of parts in 3.75 m and 5 m to help you realize your heavy lifting dreams. It is a kerbalized version of NASA's DIRECT program and their Jupiter rocket family. I provide an assortment of pieces designed to compliment what KSP already has and make use of existing rocket engines to create new and exciting missions. For those of you interested in trying/critiquing what I've done so far, feel free to grab it at SpaceDock. Current Parts: For those who aren't familiar with the idea of DIRECT and it's Jupiter rocket family... - Josh License: CC-BY-NC-SA This parts pack uses textures from D.I.R.E.C.T - Super-Heavy Launchers & Interplanetary Spacecraft (Benjee10) (CC-BY-NC) This parts pack uses textures from Prodecural Parts (Swamp Ig) (CC-BY-NC)

This looks awesome, but Kerbalstuff is down. Is there another download option?

The link still leads to kerbalstuff. Is there an alternate download location for what has already been done?

Sorry for the long delay. Between writers block on Moho II and the holidays, this project got lost in the shuffle. I'm working on the next few entries and hope to have them up today and tomorrow.

Kerbal Space Program Begins Construction on Moho II Work on Third Rocket Begins By Walter Kerman - The Daily Planet - Eelops 46, 720 Three days after Moho I’s historic two kerbal flight around Kerbin, the Kerbal Space Center (KSC) begins construction on the second rocket in the Moho program, Moho II. In addition, construction on an additional rocket featuring to Moho Mk 1/Mk 1-85 command capsule has begun construction in the Vehicle Assembly Building. This unprecedented construction schedule has caused much excitement on the purpose of this “third” rocket. Gene Kerman, Flight Director, was on hand to answer questions about the aggressive schedule. Gene stated that the Moho II was being built to achieve high Kerbin orbit and long duration space flight. “We need to be sure that the advancements made by the KSC will reach further than just low orbit around our planet”, Gene said. He also stated that Moho II would have several new experiments from Dmagic Orbital Sciences (DOS), a terrestrial bound supplier of laboratory equipment looking to expand into space. When questioned about the additional rocket being built in parallel to Moho II, Gene said that an interested “third party” was assisting with the addition kerb hours needed to perform both tasks. When asked if this rocket was Moho III, Gene simply stated that it would be “a rocket for people”. No other information was given for this cryptic third rocket. Moho - Lower Stage Contributed by LInus Kerman, Head of Applied Science Part of the versatility of the Moho series of rockets is found in the lower stage rocket stack. A new diameter of Liquid Fuel Oxygen (LFO) rockets was created to assist in lifting the heavier command capsule and upper stage into orbit. The 1.875m diameter tanks sport the same modular design as our 1.25m tanks so we can tweak the fuel profiles as missions call for them. In addition to the new 1.875m tanks, the Moho series is currently using the new HGR FG-90 LFO engine for its lower stage lifting. This twin engine design, a first for the space program, offers an incredible amount of lift and power from launch pad to jettison. It includes a gimble system to add in flight control during its burn time. While we are working on more specialized 1.875m engines for future missions, the HGR FG-90 makes up for its workhorse nature in sheer versatility. When combined, the lower stage, upper stage, and command capsule of the Moho series will be an incredible asset to space exploration.

Thanks for the kind words @Angel-125 @Chemp I'll be hhonest, I hit a small block with Moho II. I know what I want to say be it just doesn't come out well on the page. Hopefully I can get it done today.

HGR 1.875 Parts by Oinkerman. I love them more than is proper.

Thanks for the kind words. I'll have to look at your mission reports. The patches are something I haven't really tried before, but then seem to be popular.

Bob Kerman First Kerbal To Walk In Space Jebediah Kerman and Bob Kerman Orbit Kerbin Twice in Moho II By Walter Kerman – The Daily Planet – Eelops 43, 720 Crowds numbering in the thousands gathered at the Kerbal Space Center (KSC) to watch the launch of Moho I. The first capable of carrying two kerbal capsule, the Moho I carried Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman and Bob Kerman into orbit. As the countdown slowly worked its way from T -20 minutes, all eyes were riveted to the largest rocket stack the KSC has ever built. Gleaming in the noon light, the Moho capsule rested on top of a two stage stack. The upper stage was the familiar 1.25 m diameter seen in the Kerbin program. However, the lower stage was a new, wider 1.875 m rocket. When zero was reached, the Moho I leaped into the sky. Momentarily deafened onlookers oohed and awed as the rocket climbed an ever increasing column of smoke as it made its way spaceward. The larger, lower stage propelled the rocket ever higher until it was lost from sight. The gathered crowd either switched on or turned up their radios to listen to announcements of the kerbonauts progress from Mission Control. At close to 60 km up, the Moho I jettisoned its lower stage rocket and Jebediah Kerman fired up the smaller upper stage. With a short burn to push the Moho I’s top altitude (or apoapsis) to 85 km, the engine was cut and the rocket was allowed to silently slip into space. When the time came to reignite the engine, the new LT-V909 started without complaint and Jeb circularized the rockets orbit at 85 km by 82 km. After a brief respite to enjoy the sheer exhilaration of weightlessness, Jeb orientated the vessel into the sunlight of Kerbol and Bob prepared for the first phase of Moho I’s mission. At 15 minutes into Moho I’s flight, Bob Kerman suited up in a pressurized Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) space suit. Then at 16 minutes into the mission, the Mk1-85 capsule extension had its oxygen cycled out of the cabin in preparation for Bob to step outside the capsule. On minute 17 Bob Kerman opened up his capsule door, and while hurtling around Kerbin at speeds in excess of 2,200 m/s, he prepared to step outside. The atmosphere in Mission Control was tense. All eyes were glued to monitors feeding life-signs and vital statistics for both kerbals and their craft. Bobak Kerman, Mission Controller paced back and forth, a cigarette forgotten in his hand. Gene Kerman, Flight Director, stood silent and still amid the hushed chaos. Bill Kerman, Capsule Communicator (CapCom), listening to the final go ahead from Bobak, said “Bob, why don’t you get some fresh air.” Moments passed inside the Mission Control with seemingly no one breathing when the radio crackled and Bob Kerman reported, “CapCom, this is Bob. My front yard is beautiful.” Bob Kerman became the first kerbal to “walk” in space. Spending four minutes on EVA, he was able to confirm the ability to move while in the vacuum of space and was able to successfully test a monopropellant movement system designed by fellow kerbonaut Valentina Kerman. During his four minutes in his “front yard”, Bob performed and retrieved several scientific experiments and even took several photographs of Kerbin from space. After 3 minutes and 30 seconds on EVA, CapCom ordered Bob to return to the Mk1-85, but radio problems prevented him from complying immediately, causing his return to be delayed by 30 seconds. After returning to the capsule, Jebediah and Bob finished their first orbit of Kerbin and followed it by a second orbit of the planet. They set a record in space as their mission had them in low Kerbin orbit for just over an hour. Once they finished their second orbit over the great desert, Jebediah fired the Moho I’s rocket and lowered the kerbonauts back to Kerbin. However, their return was not as flawless as their ascent. The Moho I’s descent burn was 8 seconds longer than needed. This caused the capsules return to be shallow. Jeb and Bob hit the atmosphere and experience over 5 times the strength of gravity due to their shallow descent. After slowing enough to trigger their parachute, the Moho I landed roughly in the highlands west if the KSC. This is the second time Bob Kerman has had a landing not go to plan Recovery and Rescue teams where scrambled to retrieve the kerbonauts from their landing site. After 45 minutes, Jeb and Bob were safely on their way home with the Moho I capsule in tow. The pair of kerbonauts are reported in good health and high spirits. When asked for a quick comment, Jebediah’s comment was drowned out by an exuberant Bob yelling “First!” Skyler Kerman, Public Relations, said that Moho I was an “orbiting success” and that the Moho program would continue to set firsts in space exploration. Interview with a Kerbonaut – Bob Kerman Walter Kerman had the chance to sit and talk with BobKerman after his historic spacewalk. Walter Kerman (W): Bob, you were one of the “First Four” kerbonauts and have already been to in a rocket on Kerbin II. Was Moho I more of the same or different for you? Bob Kerman (B): It was very different. We knew that Moho’s first objective was the spacewalk. But Gene and Bobak weren’t telling who the two kerbals were. W: Did that cause some concern? B: No, just speculation. And then I get the call to step into Gene’s office. I see Bill [Kerman, “First Four” kerbonaut] there and I think to myself, “Well, Bill’s finally going to space.” And Bill gets this big grin and says that he’s gonna love seeing me test out the KMU [Kerbal Movement Unit, the rocket pack Bob used to move during his spacewalk]. W: Did that come as a shock? B: It did. I mean, here I was going up again and Bill hadn’t even been in a rocket. Especially with how Kerbin II ended. W: Your crash landing cast a long shadow over the remaining flights of the Kerbin program. B: That’s the truth. We changed so many procedures and assumptions after the incident. All for the better of course. In fact, if I hadn’t crashed, we might have had something worse happen latter on when the rockets got bigger. W: An interesting way of looking at it. Besides the changes in procedures, was there any problems that you personally experienced because of the landing. B: Besides being grounded until we could work up a two kerbal capsule, the only real problem was that Bill made a sign that says “Days since Bob Crashed a Spaceship”. Before today it was at 39 days. Now it’s at 0. Although I am in disputes with Bobak on whether it count’s if Jeb[ediah Kerman] was piloting. W: How were you feeling just before you stepped outside of you Mk1-85 capsule? B: Well… I’d have to say somewhere between a heart attack and eating cakes on Life Day. I was looking out into the black. Seeing stars so clear, so bright. But thinking that I was about to step out of a perfectly good space capsule. W: That’s quite a combination, Bob. Was there the possibility you wouldn’t be able to take that step? B: Heh. None. None whatsoever. There was a lot of valuable (and expensive) equipment we brought up with us. And while we could have radioed some of that data back, the best results needed to ride home with us. W: That is a powerful commitment to science. B: Yep. But don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t just about the science. I mean… it wasn’t even about being first, my shouts to the contrary. I was, literally, standing at the doorway to discovery. I don’t think the Moho crashing would have kept me away. W: Once that step was taken. Once you were “spacewalking”, what was it like? B: Jeb is always describing weightlessness as like dreaming about flying. But he’s wrong. When I stepped out of that capsule. I really was flying. I pushed off from the doorway and when I turned around, I was flying, all by myself above the most beautiful planet I think I’ll ever see. That feeling… *sigh* I was very blessed to have had that opportunity. If I never go back into space again, that will have been enough. W: Going back to our first question, how did Moho I compare with Kerbin II? B: Well… *smiles* I went higher this time. But all teasing aside, the different between the two is night and day. Which I happened to see twice in an hour. The Moho I has a huge push, but it’s smooth. Ramps up slowly. And the Mk1-85 is so roomy in comparison. The only complaint I’d have is the freeze dried ice cream. Val[entina Kerman]’s idea. She loves it, but I thought it was terrible. W: Did having another kerbonaut change the experience? B: Not really. Kerbin II was pretty automated. It goes up, I steer a little, and it goes down. Jeb, for as talkative as he is on the ground, doesn’t say much when he’s flying. So I was again pretty much left to myself. W: What’s next for the Moho program? B: We’ll be testing high Kerbin orbit next. And endurance. Long time flights. It’s a day to Mun on the best trajectories we can calculate, so we need to make sure that our technology will keep going that long. Moho – Capsule and Upper Stage Contributed by Linus Kerman, Head of Applied Science The Moho series of rockets are designed to have a single multipurpose command capsule that will be able to be used for a multitude of low Kerbin orbit missions. The capsule itself is composed of the Mk1 Command Pod, the Mk1-85 Mobile Orbital Laboratory Extension, and an upper stage booster for orbital circularization, altitude change, and de-orbit. The Mk1 pod is being brought over from its successful service missions on the Kerbin program. While the Kerbal Space Center is working on designs for a fully modern command service module in the future, the Mk1 has been too good of a capsule to retire yet. It continues to have a KER guidance chip, life support for several days, reaction control systems. An addition to the Mk1 is a flight reaction control systems (RCS) integrated into the parachute. This allows the capsule to change directions and all three dimensions using monopropellant. The new Mk1-85, nicknamed the “Backseat” by Bill Kerman and Bob Kerman, in an extension to the Mk1. Fusing the two together, the Moho capsule can hold two kerbals comfortably for up to 15 days. The Backseat is has its own hatch to for its kerbonaut to enter and exit on EVA [extra-vehicular activity]. Because of the backseats great size, it allows both itself and the Mk1 to cycle their cabins oxygen supply into holding tanks to allow exits into space. The Mk1-85 also has integrated monopropellant RCS to aid in steering. Lastly, while Kerbal Space Center is working on using solar technology in the future to power our space craft, the Mk1-85 includes a simple generator that will convert monopropellant into electricity for extended flights. The upper stage of the Moho is a single mid-stack 1.25 m liquid fuel oxygen rocket. The engine attacked to the stack is our new LV-T909. This small engine has a huge thrust when in the upper atmosphere or space. This allows the Moho to be able to get more speed and burn time from the same amount of fuel than the larger LV-T series engines we’ve used in the past. The upper stage also can include a small service bay to store experiments, sensitive equipment, or other vital supplies. The Moho capsule and upper stage combine to make a two kerbal vessel that will be able to handle any job we ask of it.

Thanks for the kind words. I've really enjoyed writing them u up so far.

Kerbal Space Center Reveals Plans for Mun Celebrates New Launch Site and Shows Two Kerbal Pod By Walter Kerman – The Daily Planet – Eelops 30, 720 The excitement at the Kerbin Space Center (KSC) was palpable this morning as the Heads of each department gathered around the newly finished launch site. With Gene Kerman, Flight Director and Skyler Kerman, Public Relations, taking their place in front of the lectern, the gathered crowds waiting in the hot rays of Kerbol finally quieted down. Behind the lectern was a large object covered with a red tarp. And sitting to the side of the trap was the “First Four” kerbonauts, Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman, Bob Kerman, Bill Kerman, and Valentina Kerman. Valentina, the first kerbonaut in orbit, had just finished a whirlwind two day tour of the continent participating in parades in several cities. Gene Kerman began by thanking all who were in attendance. He offered congratulatory words to the KSC for the recent success of their Kerbin program and completion of the new launch pad. He then turned his remarks to the future. “You all are here to hear what’s coming next”, he said smiling. Gene then gave a quick thumbs up. The red tarp was removed, revealing a new larger command pod. At the same time, a flag with what was described as “Program Patch” was carried on to the launch pad and displayed to a cheering crowd. The flag, showing a command pod sitting above the curve of Kerbin. Above the pod itself, sat two four point stars. Below the pod was a single word, MOHO. Skyler Kerman explained that the program, named Moho, was to test out the new two-kerbal capsule behind her. The design called for the reliable Mk1 Command Pod to be connected to a new Mk1-85 laboratory extension. The new two kerbal pod would allow tandem flights. When asked what the need for a two kerbal pod would be, Skyler explained that this would allow a pilot and a specialist, either engineer or scientist to travel together into Kerbin’s orbit. The specialist would be able to perform experiments or other work while the pilot remained in control of the ship. She also commented that any long distance space journey “won’t be the kind of thing you want to do alone”. That was when Gene Kerman gave a second thumbs up and another program patch flag was carried in. Showing Kerbin in the background, the majority of the patch was taken up by an image of Mun. A rocket was shown hurtling from Kerbin towards its moon. The single word on the patch was MUNA. Gene explained that the “Muna” Program was to map and explore Mun in preparations for putting kerbal on our nearest celestial body. When asked what that would entail, he said the first step was “simply getting there.” Gene explained that the Muna program would be made up of remote piloted probes and satellites to develop and practice all of the skills needed for kerbals to follow. Skyler reassured the audience that the idea of simply throwing a rocket on Mun with kerbonauts onboard and then figuring out how to get them home was not how the KSC worked. Gene Kerman said that Moho and Muna will be run simultaneously. Each project will provide scientific data and technical development to “achieve kerbbed Mun landings before the year is over”, Gene said with confidence. As well, with the need for two-kerbal flight crews, and the lessons learned from the Kerbin VI test accident, Gene said that the KSC would be expanding its roster of kerbonauts and introduced their first new pilot Hudley Kerman. The first flight for Moho will be Moho I. Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman and Bob Kerman will be the flight crew for that mission. The first mission for Muna will be Muna I. A flyby of Mun to gauge how to actually hit another celestial body and to provide basic telemetry about our closest neighbor. Gene Kerman closed the conference by paraphrasing “Jeb” Kerman’s oft repeated line. “Getting into orbit is halfway to anywhere, so now it’s time to start playing where that’s going to be.” Kerbal Space Center Launch Site The Kerbal Space Center (KSC) was host to huge crowd to spectators today as it unveiled its new launch site. Replacing the simple pit of piled sand and dirt, the new launch pad is a gleaming edifice of concreate and steel. The launch pads base is a raised platform with a steel mesh in the middle. Gus Kerman, Head of Operations, says that this will allow the blast force of larger rockets to be channeled away from the engines in through three vents built into the sides of the platform. As well, several water tanks are located around the launch pad for use in emergency fire retardation and as noise control. The new launch site has been re-enforced to withstand much heavier rocket payloads. The original launch pad was limited by the grounds own lifting ability, 18 tons. Gus Kerman said that this new structure could handle weights of upwards of 140 tons. The largest rocket built to date, the Kerbin VI, weighed in at 16.8 tons. The sheer size of a rocket that would come close to meeting that weight limit, let alone exceeding it, staggers the imagination. The new launch side also includes a re-enforced track from bringing the finished rockets from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the site. Gus Kerman fondly reminisced on the changes in the last month. “I remember carrying our sounding rockets by hand. And the Kerbin I we brought in a long bed truck.” Gus said that Kerbin III was the first time they needed a dedicated “crawler” vehicle to transport a rocket. “And Kerbin VI was the last thing of practical size the old pad could have accommodated,” Gus explained. When asked what the future held for the newly unveiled launch site, Gus smiled slightly and said, “Rockets. Really big rockets.”

Valentina Kerman Orbits Kerbin And Returns Safely By Walter Kerman – The Daily Planet – Eelops 28, 720 Valentina Kerman successfully completed one orbit around Kerbin today. Piloting the Kerbal Space Center’s {KSC} Kerbin VI rocket, the kerbonaut launched from the KSC launch site early in the afternoon. She rose in a graceful arc to a height of 85 km above the surface of Kerbin and then burned her rocket engine until she was moving at a horizontal speed in excess of 2,200 m/s. Shattering distance and speed records as she raced around the globe, Valentina crashed through the most elusive record of all: stable orbit around our planet. Moving at a velocity that allowed her to travel the circumference of Kerbin in a mere 30 minutes time, Valentina then fired her LV-T30 rocket engine on last time to allow her Mk1 Command Pod to fall back from space towards Kerbin. Valentina previously held the record for time spent in space at two minutes and 10 seconds. Her new record, started when she surpassed 70 km altitude is an astonishing 34 minutes 20 seconds. In addition, she set more unique records as being the first kerbonaut to eat and drink in space, experiencing weightlessness for longer than any other kerbal, and being the fastest kerbal in history. Kerbals across the world tuned in to radio and television broadcasts of the launch, a first of its own kind. Her final record set may have been most kerbals participating in a single event. Of particular note on this historic flight, Kerbin VI was equipped with several cameras. The design was to capture Kerbin VI’s ascent into orbit for study and to take clear images of Kerbin from orbit outside of a craft. The pictures of the launch were spectacular. However, kerbals across the world are clamoring for prints of the Kerbin-side images from outside the ship. After splashing down in the ocean near the KSC, Valentina waited 15 minutes for the Rescue and Retrieval crew to collect her capsule and herself. Reports of her smiling cheerfully and waiving to the kerbals sent to bring her home speak to the joy she finds in being a kerbonaut. Once she was brought back to the KSC, she was transferred to a makeshift medical center to find out what, if any, ill health consequences there are from prolonged absence from Kerbin’s gravity. At last report on her situation, this reporter saw a green hand sneak its way in between the flaps of the medical tent and offer a big thumbs up. A press conference with many of the department heads of the KSC was held while Valentina Kerman was being examined. Gene Kerman, Flight Director and Skyler Kerman, Public Relations were standing next to the lectern while sitting at a table next to them were Gus Kerman, Head of Operations; Linus Kerman, Head of Applied Sciences; Bobak Kerman. Mission Controller; and reclusive Werhner von Kerman, Head of Research and Development. In addition, Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman, Bill Kerman, and Bob Kerman; the other members of the “First Four” were at the conference. The atmosphere was one of jubilance. Speaking first, Gene Kerman stated that the success of Kerbal VI was carried on Valentina’s shoulders, but was placed there by every single member of the KSC. “We could not have taken this step forward into the future, without the tireless work of every kerbal who believed in this dream. Whether they flew the rockets, built them, or cleaned up after the messes left by everyone else”, Gene said. He went on to thank each of the “First Four” for their willingness to the take the risk to be first and to “wrap the flowing white silk scarf” bravely around their neck. Skyler Kerman, expressed deep appreciation to the kerbonauts. She said, “Because each of you, even you Bob, were willing to lift where we needed you, the Kerbal Space Center has been able to safely put a kerbal into orbit and bring her safely home.” She went on to compliment how the KSC has worked over monumental hurdles to create a reliable, trustworthy, and safe program for kerbbed space exploration. Gus Kerman spoke at length about the difficult work and enormous challenges that went into the design of the Kerbin VI. He thanks Linus Kermans Applied Sciences division for making sense of the data that Kerbin I – V brought back. Gus also thanked Werhner von Kerman’s Research and Development team for being able to “science the [expletive] out of things”. He finally thanked his own department for the overly long hours to craft vehicles that could “pierce the sky and come back safely”. Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman, his arm still in a sling from an accident that bumped him from being the pilot on Kerbin VI, spoke last. Jeb started by saying the dream of space travel had existed “ever since kerbits looked up at Mun and wondered how high it was”. He expressed no regrets for missing the opportunity of being the first kerbal in orbit. “You probably all forgot I *was* the first kerbal in space,” he said to much laughter. He concluded his remarks with some emotion says, “It’s enough for me… for any kerbal, that someone simply did it. Val was that someone. She went first, so others could follow.” Questions were asked to be held on the Eelops 30, when the KSC would open up its new larger launch site. At that time, Gene Kerman will outline the next programs that will be the focus of the KSC. This morning’s historic event will live on in the memories of all kerbals alive today. Today Kerbin became just a little bit smaller. But our universe became just a little bit larger. Foror so long, our heroes have been images of myth up in the sky. Now we can look up and see our heroes in the sky anew. But this time they are real, flesh and bone kerbals. Kerbals that ride chariots of fire towards the heavens and bring back knowledge of the journeys. This mythology is growing ever stronger because of Valentina Kerman – First Kerbal in Orbit. Kerbin VI The venerable Mk1 Command Pod sits atop its rocket stack as it always has. But the Kerbal Space Center’s (KSC) new Kerbin VI is redesigned in every way. While still a two stage rocket comprised of a solid rocket booster lower stage and a Liquid Fuel Oxygen (LFO) rocket upper stage, each part has been retrofitted or completely redesigned. Even the parachute has not been left out of the upgrades. A new Launch Escape System (LES) sits on top of a modified parachute system. This small but powerful booster rocket is designed to sheer the capsule from a faulty or malfunctioning vessel and pull the kerbonaut to safety. Designed to safely decouple from the craft when it has reached a safe altitude, it is a continuing show of “safety by over designing”. Used recently on the Kerbin V, the LV-T30 Liquid Fuel Oxygen (LFO) engine is now resting under an LFO long stack of fuel tanks allowing it to burn longer and farther than ever before. Measuring in at over twice the length of the standard LFO stack, Gus Kerman, Head of Operations, assures that this upper stage of the rocket will feature more thrust than any rocket ever before. The RT-5 and the RT-10 solid rocket boosters which have been In house designs have been replaced by Rockomax Corporations BACC “Thumper” Solid Fuel Booster. This long grey cylinder offers more thrust and lift than anything KSC has used to date, or even has access to. The first entry by Rockomax into the growing space industry. The KSC helped Rockomax with design specification for the 1.25 m rocket booster. The final addition for the Kerbin VI is camera technology provided by Razzlebad. With the historic mission into orbit. The vessel will be equipped with two hull mounted cameras. One pointing down to allow the KSC and kerbals worldwide to see what a rocket launch looks like from outside the rocket. In addition, a second mounted camera will allow high quality pictures of Kerbin from the vantage point of outer space. All of these improvements combine into a rocket that will fly farther, higher and faster than any the KSC has flown before. The goal is to have Kerbin VI make orbit around its namesake planet.

Training Injury Sidelines Kerbonaut By Walter Kerman – The Daily Planet – Eelops 24, 720 The Kerbal Space Center (KSC) was stuck this morning by another near fatal accident. Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman, the first kerbal in space, was working on a dress rehearsal for his upcoming launch of Kerbin VI, when a system malfunction caused his command pod to careen from the top of its rocket and crash into the ground. Recovery and Rescue crews rushed to the scene. At time of reporting, his injuries were listed as non-critical. He is recuperating at St. HarvestR’s Hospital. Gene Kerman, Flight Director and Skyler Kerman, Public Relations held a small press conference after the incident. Skyler assured the anxious crowd that this accident would push back but not cancel the upcoming launch of Kerbin VI. “While we were all deeply concerned over the glitch that Jebediah experienced, we have every confidence in the Kerbin VI’s readiness to fly”, she said. Gene Kerman repeated the commitment to have Kerbin VI launch before the end of the month. When asked what the reason for the malfunction was, Gene Kerman indicated that the new Launch Escape System (LES), a small rocket affixed to the top of the rocket and designed to wrench the command pod away to safety, had faulty wiring with the parachute systems. Gene explained, “We did not have the full rocket out today. We had planned to launch just the LFO [Liquid Fuel Oxygen] stack half full and test out the LES at an altitude of 10 km.” He stated that the LES system had been triggered prematurely and had activated the parachute at the same time. This caused a rapid descent as the chute caught fire and prevented Jebediah from having a soft landing. Skyler Kerman insisted that the KSC still had the safest record of any of the burgeoning space programs on Kerbin. “That doesn’t mean we’re simply the ‘least dangerous’”, she said. “We’ve had only minor injuries and no hardware catastrophes. We’re safer than driving.” When asked if Kerbin VI would wait until Jebediah would be ready to pilot it, Gene Kerman said that Valentina Kerman would be piloting it instead.

Thanks. They're fun yet frustrating to make. I want each one to be s variation on a theme but unique to the flight.

Kerbin V Takes Valentina Kerman To Space By Walter Kerman – The Daily Planet – Eelops 18, 720 Four days after Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman’s historic first flight into space, the Kerbal Space Center (KSC) sent Valentina Kerman into space as well on the new Kerbin V rocket. A new trend of delays keep the Kerbin V idling on the launch pad for nearly three hours. The pre-dawn launch turned into a noon take off due to Operations and Research and Development making sure the new Liquid Fuel/Oxygen (LFO) tanks and LV-T30 Liquid Fuel engine that comprised the Kerbin V’s upper stage were in working top shape condition. Once the countdown was completed, Kerbin V’s RT-10 lower stage ignited and hurled Valentina skyward. While the RT-10 lower stage was able to hit 18 km in height, it didn’t reach the 20 km that Jeb’s Kerbin IV did on its record breaking flight. Once the lower stage dropped away, however, the new LV-T30’s ignition could be heard all the way back to the launch pad. The new rocket motor hurled Valentina and her Kerbin V, a heavier rocket in total than the Kerbin IV, to a maximum height of 80 km, falling 10 km short of the height set by Jebediah’s first flight to space. Bobak Kerman, Flight Controller, said that the 80 km ceiling was an intentional choice. Once the target elevation was reached, Valentina deactivated the LV-T30 engine. A feat only possible with new LFO fueled rockets. As she sailed from upper atmosphere to outer space, Valentina experienced weightlessness for the first time. Just after reaching 80 km in height, Valentina re-ignited the LV-T30 engine on the Kerbin V. Pointing straight east, she was able to restart the rocket and extend the time that she would be in space by moving faster horizontally. After a 10 second burn, she turned off the engine and coasted again. After another 20 seconds of drifting to her new height of 82 km, she ignited the engine for a third time and pushed her total height to 84 km. This set her total time in space to two minutes and ten seconds. More than doubling Jebediah’s time spent as first kerbal in space. As she began to fall back to Kerbin, Valentina jettisoned her LV-T30 rocket stage. When she met the upper atmosphere the capsule of her Kerbin V was greeted with the explosive plasma flames of the air around her catching fire as she used Kerbin’s own atmosphere to slow her fall. After slowing to a safe speed, the Kerbin V deployed its chutes and safely splashed down on Kerbin. Bobak Kerman, Mission Controller and Skyler Kerman, new Head of Public Relations were on hand to discuss the launch of Kerbin V. Skyler described the mission as perfection. “Valentina is an example of the daring things the KSC is doing. She’s the youngest kerbal in space, the first kerbal to test our new LFO rockets, and she has spent the longest time in space,” Skyler said. When questioned about Valentina not making it as far up as Jebediah, she responded that “height isn’t everything” to chuckles from the reporters present. Bobak Kerman discussed the success of the LV-T30 engine. “With the new found ability to stop and re-start our engines, we have a whole new avenue of vehicle and mission profiles available to us,” he said. Skyler Kerman also commented that the new LV-T30 engine and the LFO technology that it is based on is already getting interest in the private sector. “Rockomax and Kerbodyne are in talks with our R&D department about licensing our developments”, she said. Bobak was quick to point out such ventures would only be to open up space technology to a wider audience. When questioned on the KSC’s feelings about sending their second kerbonaut to space, Skyler Kerman corrected the question with, “newest kerbonaut in space.” When asked what the probable Kerbin VI’s mission profile would be, both Skyler and Bobak looked at each other and smile before saying “Orbit!” If that is indeed the next step for the KSC, Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman will be the next on the flight rotation. Interview with a Kerbonaut – Valentina Kerman Walter Kerman had the opportunity to meet with Valentina Kerman after her flight of Kerbin V. Walter Kerman (W): Valentina, what did you think of your time in space? Valentina Kerman (V): Oh my gosh! It was awesome! Incredible! W: You seem pretty excited about it still. V: I am. It’s exactly everything I hoped it would be. It was amazing. You should try it. W: *Chuckles* I might be a little too old to start sitting on top of rockets. How was your experience with Kerbin V compared to Kerbin III? V: No comparison. None. The Flea [nickname for RT-5] double stack was like being thrown down the stairs and then drug across the street to get thrown down another set of stairs. The gentle thrust of our little Valiant [nickname for new LT-V30 engine] was like taking a walk in the woods. Although the waiting on this one was brutal. W: There was a delay with Kerbin IV as well, how did you pass the time? V: By reading the launch sequence manuals. Truthfully, I was hungry. I skipped breakfast because of the early time. Luckily, someone had stored some snacks in the capsule. But I spent 10 minutes arguing with Linus [Kerman, Mission Controller] to let me eat any. W: Was there concern that the new engine wouldn’t start? V: Tons. And none at all. You gotta remember Walt, that we’ve been lighting Valiants up until they explode or quit on us for some time. When one goes “BOOM”, we tweek it until it doesn’t. And then try to get the next one to “BOOOOM”. My rockets engine hasn’t had a boom since Kerbin I. W: That seems to be some dedication to safety. V: In all seriousness, it is. We don’t ever want to risk the lives of our crew. W: What did you think of the parade held in Jebediah’s honor after the flight of Kerbin IV? V: It was something else. All those kerbals. All that ticker tape. All the “First Four” were in the procession. It was something to see. He deserved it though, he got there first. W: No professional jealousy? V: None. And tons of it. We all want to get to space. And I got mine today. And I was up there longer by a minute and 10 seconds. But we’re all happy and proud of Jeb. Besides, the blush and embarrassed look on his face when he got that medal. *Chuckles* W: Word from the KSC is that Kerbin VI will be the final step of the Kerbin program. Orbit around Kerbin. What are the plans for the future? V: Yeah. Kerbin VI will be the first use of a long stack LFO engine and a *shush* new booster. W: New booster? V: Yep. Twice as big as the RT-10. It’ll be what carries us most of the way up. Then the Valiant will finish getting Kerbin VI going real fast. It’ll be Jeb’s flight. After that, we’ll be moving on to a couple of different projects that we can’t talk about yet. But orbit is just the beginning. Kerbin V The Kerbin V is a marvel of modern kerbal engineering. The two stage rocket comprises a lower stage RT-10 solid rocket booster with control fins. The upper stage is a new Liquid Fuel Oxygen LT-V30 engine. The stack is capped by the workhorse Mk1 Command Pod. The Kerbin V is the tallest in a rapidly growing line of rockets. The new LT-V30 rocket engine is the star of the Kerbin V design. Built to be able to stop and restart numerous times while it flight. It also has the ability to be throttled up or down. Gus Kerman, Head of Operations discussed the necessity of this type of engine. “Throttle is essential to space flight. We need to be able to ease our way past the thick atmosphere of Kerbin.” In addition, Gus said that the ability to stop and re-start an engine would allow precision maneuvers in space. “We can coast to a spot we want, then re-light the engines for a timed burn,” Gus said. While reviewing the construction of the Kerbin V, much of the assembled Operations team was admiring a tarped off section of the Vehicle Assembly Building. When asked what was behind the curtain, Gus said “Pay no attention to the rocket behind the curtain.” He would only say that “Thumper” would have its turn at the dance soon.

Thanks for the kind words. I'll fix that when I get home.