Butterbar

Reality has not been kind to me or my free-time. I'll have to go look and see if I still have the save-file for this, and continue onwards.

Been overloaded with school and track lately, and I have a assignment from my English teacher to go out and write a short story. I think I have a basic outline in mind. Could someone critique the beginning and come up with directions as to how the story should go? The basic plot is that Germany fights the Second World War to a standstill and pioneers spaceflight early on. I'm planning to have this work as a continuous plot showing the progression of the Third Reich in a alternate Cold War and their slow expansion into space with eventually one of the characters discovering the dark secrets behind the "space program".

I suggest looking into doing a Kerbalized Space Exploration Initiative and build that station into a upgraded and upscaled ISS, then using Shuttle launches to build Munar and Duna ships. Make it grandiose and fancy. Whatever you want. Or even play out the plot of Titan. Launch a shuttle on a large rocket and perform a manned mission to Laythe.

10/10, see you around all the time.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: Routine Operations ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ CAPITAL SUN TIMES (SINCE 1845) ~ 1963, Month 2, Day 11 ~ "URANUS IS A PEACEFUL RESEARCH STATION", SAYS GENERAL BULL KERMAN AMID WIDESPREAD BACKLASH WRITTEN BY DOLING KERMAN ABOVE: PEACEFUL INTENTIONS? THE NEWLY COMMISSIONED GEOSTATIONARY FACILITY URANUS IN ORBIT OF KERBIN. THE CAPITOL - THE GEOSTATIONARY STATION URANUS IS DESCRIBED AS A "STATE-OF-THE-ART ORBITAL PLATFORM" AND IS OPERATED BY BOTH THE AIR FORCE AND THE A.R.A. CONTAINING A SEPERATEL-LAUNCHED LABORATORY, SOLAR MODULE, AND ENOUGH LIVING SPACE FOR A CREW OF 30, THE MAIN TASK OF THE STATION IS TO "MAINTAIN THE GLOBAL KERSAT COMMUNICATION NETWORKS" AS WELL AS "FACILITATING THE CORE MISSION OF EXPLORATION AS DESCRIBED IN THE DUNA PROGRAM". THE THIRD OPERATIONAL SPACE STATION AROUND KERBIN, THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS THAT IT FUNCTIONS IN "SOLELY A CIVILIAN CAPACITY"; BUT MANY HAVE DOUBTS. GENERAL BULL KERMAN OF THE UNITED PROVINCIAL SPACE COMMAND FOUND HIMSELF IN HOT WATER DURING A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING TODAY AS HE DEFENDED THE NEWLY BUILT "GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBITAL FACILITY" URANUS, WHICH BEGAN OPERATIONS ONE MONTH AGO. REFUSING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WHEN PROMPTED TO BY SENATE SPEAKER SAMDEN KERMAN (L), BULL REMAINED AMBIGUOUS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ORDEAL, STRESSING HIS ADMIRATION FOR "PROVINCIAL VALUES" AND "PATRIOTISM". "THERE'S KERBALS OUT THERE WHO WANT TO TAKE OUR VALUES AND SPIT ON THEM", HE SAID. "THAT'S BAD. WE NEED OT MAINTAIN CONSTANT VIGILANCE". BUT AS THE QUESTIONING BECAME MORE INTENSE, BULL'S RESPONSES BECAME MORE HEATED. "YOU [EXPLETIVE] LIVE UNDER A BLANKET OF FREEDOM FOR WHICH I BLED FOR", HE SHOUTED AT SENATOR BILLY-BIE KERMAN (L). "[EXPLETIVE] CIVILIANS DON'T UNDERSTAND. YOU'RE A BUNCH OF FOOLS WHO BOW TO THE CORPORATIONS. I SERVED MY COUNTRY WHILE YOU JUST [EXPLETIVE] SIT HERE ON YOUR [EXPLETIVE] DOING NOTHING" NOT TO THE SURPRISE OF MANY, THE GENERAL WAS USHERED OUT AFTER FIFTEEN MINUTES BY A FORCE OF SIX PRESIDENTIAL BODYGUARDS. HE IS EXPECTED TO FACE REPRIMAND BUT IT IS UNLIKELY FOR HIM TO BE REMOVED FROM COMMAND OF THE U.P.S.C. ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ CAPITAL SUN TIMES (SINCE 1845) ~ 1963 Month 4, Day 29 ~ MIRANDA-3 LANDS ON MINMUS: SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE DISTANT MOON OF KERBIN WRITTEN BY WALTER KERMAN ABOVE: THE MIRANDA-3 TOUCHED DOWN ON THE SURFACE OF MINMUS YESTERDAY THE COOL MORNING WIND BRUSHES PAST THE TREES AT KSC, WHICH IN THE LAST 10 YEARS HAS SEEN IT'S EXPANSION FROM A SMALL TOURIST TRAP TO A BUSTLING SPACEPORT - AND "SPACE CITY", ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE UNITED PROVINCES. TODAY, THE MOOD OF THE CITY AND IT'S ATTENDANT SPACE INDUSTRY IS JUBILANT: KERBALKIND HAS LANDED ON MINMUS FOR THE SECOND TIME. KERMAN SPACE CENTER - THE MIRANDA-3 CONFIRMED TOUCHDOWN ON THE MINMUSIAN SURFACE, MARKING THE SECOND TIME KERBAL HAS LANDED ON THE DISTANT MOON OF KERBIN. LEAPING FROM THE AIRLOCK TO THE SURFACE OF MINMUS, FELIX KERMAN STUCK THE FLAG OF THE UNITED PROVINCES INTO THE FROZEN SOIL, DECLARING, "THIS IS NOT THE END. THIS IS A BEGINNING". THE CREW IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ON THE SURFACE FOR TWO KERBIN DAYS BEFORE BEGINNING THE RETURN TRIP TO KERBIN. FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR STAY THEY WILL CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS AS WELL AS COLLECTING SAMPLES FROM THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. THE ASTRONAUTICS RESEARCH AGENCY CHAIRMAN WERNHER VON KERMAN CONGRATULATED THE TWO KERBONAUTS AT A BANQUET TODAY, TESTIFYING TO THE "RESILIENCE OF THE KERBAL SPIRIT" AND THE "INGENUITY OF OUR ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE HELPED US TO REACH FOR THE STARS". THE NEWLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT CALFREY ALSO SENT HIS CONGRATULATIONS, REFERRING TO THE MISSION AS "AN CONTINUANCE OF OUR LEGACY AS EXPLORERS" AND "THE LAST DEFENSE AGAINST THE HORRORS OF IGNORANCE'. THE LANDING OF THE MIRANDA-3 COMES AT A IMPORTANT TIME AS THE KOMMUNIST UNION BEGINS TO ASSEMBLE IT'S OWN EXPEDITION TO MINMUS. REPORTS OF INTENSE ACTIVITY AT THE U.S.R SPACE CENTER AS WELL AS INTERCEPTED INTELLIGENCE REPORTS HAVE LED MANY TO SUSPECT THAT THIS EXPEDITION WILL LAUNCH IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2B. ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

The Soviets certainly tried, and it's one of those sad inevitabilities that comes along with moving into space. On the bright side, when aliens poke their head into the Sol system and start messing around with our stuff, we can fire off a few shots before we either get destroyed or end up on the short stick in attrition warfare.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: New Beginnings ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ UNITED PROVINCES LAUNCH REPORT: NO CLEARANCE AGENCY: ASTRONAUTICS RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION (A.R.A) BACKGROUND: THE DUNA PROBE PROGRAM, AS OUTLINED IN THE REPORT FOR FY1962 ACCOMPLISHED IT'S YEARLY MILESTONES BY: 1. SUCCESSFULLY TESTING THE SYSTEMS ONBOARD THE LANDER AND ORBITER SPACECRAFT IN THE CLEAN ROOM AT KSC 2. INSERTING THE LANDER AND ORBITER SPACECRAFT ONTO A DUNA INTERCEPT TRAJECTORY, TO BE RECEIVED BY THE PLANET IN NO MORE THAN 400 DAY(S) MISSION OBJECTIVES: To gather the first Kerbal data from Duna as well as performing a separate flyby of Ike (If possible) and determining the feasibility of a manned expedition in the near future. SUMMARY: Two separate Nova-class rockets were launched from KSC at 0500 and 1400 on Day 28, Month 11, 1962, with the purpose of lofting an orbiter and a lander to Duna as part of the proposed "Duna by 1970" goal outlined by President Frank Kerman. The main orbiter, Adrophite-1, is powered through tracking Photovoltaic panels used successfully in the KerSAT network, while the lander uses static panels. The probe is set to arrive at Duna first at around late 1963, while the lander will arrive in early 1964. With the arrival of these probes, the Duna Probe Program will have been considered complete. ABOVE: Orbiter Adrophite-1 as it leaves the Kerbin system. ABOVE: Lander Mars-1 attached to Type II probe bus. The launch of the probe and lander have removed much of the force against a manned expedition to Duna, and will pave the way for more ambitious missions to Eve or even Laythe. At the time of this report, both probes have reported reaching interplanetary space and are heading towards their target at 9KM/S. They will both arrive within a week of each other: the orbiter will fire it's main engines and settle into a elliptical 60KM X 250KM orbit, while the lander will slow aerobrake and use it's parachutes to touch down on Duna. FUNDING: The program cost has totaled out to be around √ 250,000 funds for both payload and launcher, spread out over five years (1957-1962). SCIENTIFIC PAYLOAD: One material science bay on both craft, two mystery goo research modules on both craft: Mars-1 lander is equipped with seismic sensor to monitor Duna for any internal activity. Gravoli Detector was planned but cancelled as it is unlikely to be available until 1965 at the earliest. This report has been approved by the Astronautics Research Agency and has been filed under the "Public Spaceflight Record" by the Capital Library. ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ UNITED PROVINCIAL SPACE COMMAND FROM: General Bull Kerman, U.P.A.F TO: President Calfrey Kerman, Green House REF NO: DISPATCH 2399, Month 2, Day 1, 1963 Our last meeting at the Hilton resort on your spaceflight policy during the election day was a real pleasure for me, since we could finally sit down and speak face-to-face about our vision for space exploration. Although I never imagined it in these terms, your suggestion for military facilities in Kerbin orbit was quite well received by my staff and Kirrim: Wernher von Kerman has so far been very reluctant to consider the idea. This brings me to my point. The Geostationary Station Uranus is now in orbit of Kerbin. We've built the station as a joint A.R.A-U.P.S.C venture, and it is manned by a mix of civilian and military personnel. The station serves as a ICBM and satellite command center as well as a research laboratory for the Air Force: one that seeks out military applications for it's data. The crew resides in it's three "wings", who rotate to provide artificial gravity to the station. Just last week, a Titan-class crew ferry docked with the station, and the station is now operational, sustaining a crew of two Kerbals for the next year. Both Kerbals are experienced in spaceflight and are Air Force personnel, so we do not expect much in the way of problems. This brings us to around 10 Kerbals living and working in space - a great feat, indeed! The station is a important centerpiece of my strategy to take and retain the "high ground" in a military sense, and has plenty of room to expand and can boast a garrison force of 30 Kerbals. With the Union having their own space station in low orbit, I believe it is up to us to establish to the world that the geostationary zone, a prime spot for satellites, is firmly our territory. I now propose the following: 1. Expansion of the station to add a dedicated research and electric module, perhaps leading into building it into a factory for assembling and repairing satellites. 2. Construction of the Archangel Orbital Bombardment network to provide support to our ground troops in times of conflict. 3. Funding for at least six more Titan-class missions to resupply and rotate the crew onboard the Uranus, as well as design funding for the orbital X-32 aircraft, which I hope to bring into operation some time around 1972-1973. As President of the United Provinces, you have the opportunity to continue the work of halting the spread of Kommunist ideals. However, I urge for the keeping of the existence of this station's military application a secret. I once publicly applauded the idea of a nuclear installation in orbit. Now with rumors of a Union missile base just outside our borders, I fear that revelation of this secret will lead to a response. A response that we are not yet prepared to handle. Sincerely, Director Of Space Operations, Department of War ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Always follow these myself. SEVEN COMMANDMENTS OF MY SAVES 1. Thou shall not force Kerbals on solo mission lasting for more than thirty days: two-Kerbal missions may only last to one and one half years. 2. Thou must start in career, shall not have a save with difficulty easier than "Normal": thou shall grind for science and funds. Custom is not permitted. Any starting science points are not permitted. 3. Thou shall strive to not kill, injure, or otherwise psychologically harm a Kerbonaut. Thou is responsible for the well-being and welfare of their Kerbals. 4. Thou shall not send a Kerbal to a planetary system unexplored by probes. Thou shall not attempt interplanetary missions without prerequisite infrastructure (Space station around Kerbin with communication network). 5. Thou shall not timewarp for a period of more than 60 days. 6. Thou shall not build a space station that houses less than 6 Kerbals. One space station may only hold 1/3rd of it's crew capacity as a permanent crew that can be self-sustaining. Same rule applies to bases. 7. Thou shall use quicksaves or reverts only in times where it is necessary to save Kerbal lives.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: End Of An Era ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ As Kerbalkind began to reach into the stars, political squabbles on Kerbin continued as usual. No place was this more prevalent than the leading nation in spaceflight: the United Provinces. Now at the end of his allowed terms in office, President Frank Kerman began his quest to forge a legacy. And having presided over one of the most important eight years in Kerbal history, he had done it quite well. "...the surge in votes for the Liberal Party candidate Samden Kerman came as a surprise today, reflecting the unpredictability of the voting tendencies of the agricultural provinces when voting in the primaries. Meanwhile, on the Conservative side, Calfrey Kerman has maintained a strong lead in the primary elections, promising to "cut unnecessary government spending" and to "lower taxes" by as much as five percent by 1964. We now turn our attention to our correspondent at the Conservative Party National Headquar..." President Frank Kerman, leader of the free world, flicked off the television set. Running his hand through his greying hair, he turned his attention to the guests seated in front of him. "Gentlemen. We have some things to discuss." Wernher looked up. He always saw the President as how he had first appeared as a Senator; a young, bold, and charismatic war hero. Eight years of political battles had not been kind to Frank. Now having aged tremendously in office, the soon-to-be former President looked far beyond his years. "I don't know how they did it in the Reich, Herr Wernher. But our governmental system is a little unstable in terms of large undertakings. Especially ones that won't provide benefits for years." Motioning to the Presidential valet to pour his guests a glass of brandy, Frank continued his speech. "Which brings me to my current point. I'm a Liberal. Calfrey, if he wins, is going to gut my programs and projects like never before. He's a true Conservative. True to the party and true to limiting spending. The space program is likely to be the first to go." Wernher raised his hand. "If that is the case, Mr. President, then why call us here for a meeting today? Why not just a simple, "You're not going to Duna in 1970". Frank Kerman lifted his cup and took a sip, letting the bittersweet liquor ride down his throat. Goddamn Constitution, with all the term limits and such. His tone softened. "Do you know what a carte blanche is, Doctor? A blank check, if you will." "Yes, Mr. President. You aren't simply going to give us free rein over funding, are you? That's a risky political move." "Apparently yes, I am. Anyways, I'm here to write you a blank check. At the looks of it, Calfrey's going to snag the Presidency, and I detest the Conservatives as much as we detest each other personally. Give him a good amount of trouble, although I wish someone would put a bullet in his head. I've got less than a year left in this place, and I'll see to it that he receives as much annoyance as possible. The Liberals have a majority in Congress right now, so I'll speak to them and get it passed. How much funds do you want?" Mortimer opened his briefcase and began to pull out documents. Frank watched curiously as he leaned over to Wernher, and began to whisper. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Wernher spoke. "Enough to follow through with Ares, the Munar outpost, and the Miranda-program. Maybe toss in a extra. Sean's Cannery proposed a new station. Called it Apollo. Munlab is nearing operational end date, so we could definitely use a more, uh, permanent station around the Mun. What will we have to do in return?" Frank grinned as he scrawled some notes onto a used envelope. The brandy's stronger than I thought. "I'll want to throw another wrench against the Conservatives in the upcoming mass election. Give the people a good aftertaste of my administration. Do something that's a first, and with the manned program. The public wants that. They dig it up. I want this to be before the poll opens and the votes are cast. That's all I ask for." Wernher and Mortimer quickly nodded, and rose to their feet. The flickering light of the fireplace was growing ever dimmer now, casting the shadows of the three Kerbals in more and more grotesque ways. It was late into the night now, and the pangs of sleepiness were beginning to tug at the ends of their mind. Sensing the meeting was over, Wernher downed the last of his brandy. "Farewell to you, Mr. President." Shaking Wernher's hand, the President wished the two officials well before returning to his desk. Putting on his coat, Wernher looked back for the last time. Then he left the room, leaving Frank to himself. With his flight back to KSC taking off in three hours, he would be lucky to get any sleep soon. ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ CAPITAL SUN TIMES (SINCE 1845) ~ 1962, Month 9, Day 25 ~ ANOTHER FIRST FOR THE UNITED PROVINCES AS MIRANDA-2 TOUCHES DOWN ON MINMUS: WRITTEN BY WALTER KERMAN ABOVE: THE MASSIVE ROCKET THAT TOOK THE MIRANDA-2 TO MINMUS: THE END OF AN ERA? KERMAN SPACE CENTER - LEAPING FROM HER SPACECRAFT, VALENTINA SIMULTANEOUSLY CLOSED ONE ERA OF HISTORY AND BEGUN ANOTHER: NOW THAT BOTH MOONS OF KERBIN HAVE BEEN STEPPED ON BY KERBONAUTS, QUESTION REMAINS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT COLONIZATION EFFORTS SHOULD OCCUR. THE MIRANDA-2 MADE IT'S FINAL APPROACH TO MINMUS LAST WEEK: WHEN VALENTINA, A VETERAN OF THE SPACE PROGRAM, AND DR. HENWIN KERMAN SPLASHDOWN IN THE TALU SEA, THEY WILL HAVE SPENT NEARLY A FULL MONTH IN SPACE AS WELL AS TRAVELING FASTER AND FURTHER THAN ANY OTHER KERBAL IN HISTORY (A RECORD THAT WILL LIKELY REMAIN UNBROKEN UNTIL THE FIRST KERBAL LANDS ON DUNA). NOW ON MINMUS, THE CREW WILL PERFORM A THREE-DAY STAY, COLLECTING ROCKS AND SAMPLING THE LANDSCAPE AND TAKING MEASUREMENTS BEFORE LIFTING OFF. THE UNITED PROVINCES HAS MADE QUICK PROGRESS IN THE FIELD OF SPACEFLIGHT SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE FIRST TRUE SPACE PROGRAM IN 1951. NOW TEN YEARS LATER, KERBALKIND STANDS AS THE CHAMPIONS OF THE MUN AND MINMUS: KERBAL NOW RESIDES IN ORBIT OF TWO WORLDS, AND ONE DOZEN KERBALS NOW LIVE IN SPACE. SPACEFLIGHT, ONCE THOUGHT AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, HAS PROVEN ITSELF TO BE A FIELD OF FAST GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND DESPITE A UNCERTAIN POLITICAL FUTURE FOR PRESIDENT FRANK KERMAN'S "DUNA BY 1970" GOAL, IT IS UNDISPUTED THAT MANNED INTERPLANETARY SPACEFLIGHT IS BOTH POSSIBLE AND THAT KERBALKIND HAS ENTERED THE "SPACEFARING AGE". ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

I believe that "From Humble Beginnings" is in serious need of character development. I've brought up some bits and pieces of a backstory (Jebediah is a combat pilot, Wernher is a captured scientist, Kirrim is a intelligence officer, .etc), but it needs to be connected more. Does anyone know how to achieve this in a newspaper-style AAR?

The Munar Outpost became operational today, with two Nova-class HLV rockets being launched, followed by a refitted Munshot-class rocket. One carried the habitat module with living space for 10 Kerbals and two long distance rovers, the second carried the research module, and last of all, the Munshot carried a crew of two. Now host to Neildon and Lemman Kerman, both seasoned veterans of the Astronautics Research Agency, the crew have begun their mission: to explore the Munar surface and search for ice that could sustain a future Mun colony. Neildon and Lemman have both flown to the Mun and Minmus before: Neildon also served a tour of duty in LKO before being transferred as the Base Commander to the Munar Outpost project. The Outpost was proposed by C7 Aerospace, a major ARA contractor, as well as the Air Force, who saw the Mun as a good observation post for enemy missiles. Now on the Mun, both Kerbals will stay for a one year long tour of duty before returning home to Kerbin, having kickstarted the first time that Kerbalkind has permanently resided on two worlds.

Before team pessimism gets here, I will wish him the best of luck in all aspects. It's good to see that not all people see the world through only profit margins, and if he is successful, then humanity has taken a great stride forwards to becoming a spacefaring civilization.

I'm going to apologize for my recent inactivity, since I've got the SAT exams very soon (Tomorrow) and that of course takes a huge priority in my life.

Nothing we know of today is possible to use in a Venus surface mission. And then think about the testing, the red tape, the bureaucracy, and the fact that said dream materials and funding would be much better used to build infrastructure on Mars and the Moon as well as pushing humanity into the Outer Solar system than planting a flag onto a literal hellhole of a planet. Anything we can do on the Venusian surface can be accomplished by probes. Manned missions are expensive and dangerous, and their intent is to go to places where humans can someday colonize (Apollo program was build-up to ALSS Lunar Base, Proenct Constellation was build-up to Lunar Outpost, NASA Mars Direct has ultimate goal of a Mars base), which is something that Venus is not. There aren't much in the way of resources on Venus that we can't get elsewhere. It is a poor target for a manned mission and even poorer target for colonies. There is also no political support for a Venus mission, and the fact that the United States Government would rather fund studies on *Interstellar Travel* and outposts in the Outer Solar System rather than a Venus surface mission shows how unlikely we are to land on Venus in this century or the next. Venus is much more dangerous than Mars, and I'd bet that we will have bases in the Outer Solar System before we ever see a flag on Venus.

These are both very, very, impressive schools, and I'd say that if you got in, you'd have a excellent shot at becoming an astronaut (As long as you keep your physical side up as well, of course). Good luck!