Ultimate Steve

Hundreds of Planets. All sizes, all kinds. Eighty Eight Species. One on the ultimate mission, the others standing in the way. One chance. One chance to stop them. If even one. Chapter 23 - The Heart of Jool

Hey, what do you know, I called it! I wish I hadn't been right, though.

Talk to them about Flash Gordon and KSP, if there's enough of them they will practically write The Princess of Duna for you.

Wow @thejameswilliam! That's quite the escape pod tree! I may do some slight edits on the pods themselves for part count reasons (the station is 300+ parts, each shuttle is ~80, and the station is only halfway done, the pods look to be 12 parts each) and I'd have to cram some pods into any mission where the space is available, but it looks good!

Also, due to how lit the station was (it had a lot of lights on), it had exactly 420 parts when the shuttle and TRS-2 were docked to it.

STS-12 has launched! This is the first launch of OV-03, which has been named Sunrise! This mission combines STS-11 and STS-12 into one mission, which is helpful, as we were running a bit low on funds following the STS-10 mishap. It also allows us to rename STS-10a to STS-11 and re-establish proper continuity. This mission has a whopping four objectives: Deliver the Tracking and Relay Satellite 2, an Edison Corporation EDI-SAN-420/69GH vehicle, to low Kerbin orbit to facilitate its transfer to Keostationary orbit. Deliver the Solar Panel Module 1, an Edison Corporation design, model Ooltaviolet-vendor-eencluded-nitrogen-3069, or Oven-3069 to the space station. Bring the Expedition 2 crew to the space station and return the Expedition 1 crew to Kerbin. Return MMU-2 to Kerbin for inspections pending the launch of MMU-3, probably on STS-13. STS-12 was originally just going to be TRS-2, and was scheduled to launch from the Woomerang launch site. However, due to TRS-1 being launched from the KSC (having supposed to launch from the Dessert launch site) because of its unplanned rescue mission, TRS-2 was assigned to the Dessert site. However, as it now needs to be equatorial, it's been reassigned to KSC... Assuming we get to phase 4, I have a number of cool missions planned involving non-equatorial launches. Until then, I don't think we have any more non-equatorial ones...

Hmm, this allows for us to do STS-11 and 12 in one mission. Fantastic, we'll take two (another set of each for the second solar panel mission). It will also allow us to rename STS-10a to STS-11 and keep the rest of the naming system. Maybe I'll use the other sat as TRS-3, or maybe I'll send it around the Mun...

I wouldn't get your hopes up. I think they planned to have the first real hop done before the presentation (only speculation, no concrete evidence) so they would have something really cool to show off. However, since the next testing window is NET the 20th, and they will probably do a static fire with SN 5 or whatever they are using before they do a hop (I think they reattached the tethers too) then in all likelyhood there will not have been a hop by the planned presentation date, so they may postpone it. Which sucks because I'm leaving on vacation the 22nd.

The shuttle picks an orientation several degrees from prograde, rolls, and yaws faster and faster. It's unrecoverable until low velocity is reached. It's mostly because of all the mass in the back and the draggy fuselage in the front, and because as the craft turns more, more drag is put on the front, to a point. I have not dealt with the arm yet, as I have not updated to 1.7.2 yet (the new textures on the robotics parts won't load) but I'll do that soon.

Keep in mind that during re-entry, the starships must be able to support several times their weight horizontally. Granted, this is over half of its surface area plus fins, but the point still still somewhat there.

Thank you! This has been planned as a cliffhanger for a while, though. Fortunately, this next chapter has been one I've been looking forward to for a while, so in terms of actual writing time, it should take less time than the others. However, I'm going on vacation on the 22nd, and I won't be back until the 7th, so if I don't get finished before a few days before the 22nd (packing, preparations, etc.) then you probably can't expect it for a while, sorry. I just wrote a short paragraph on how I don't have many screenshots past this next chapter done, and I elaborated, but then I realized that it would have been a bit of a spoiler. The point is that after this next chapter there will be a slowdown as I have to do more gameplay, which will probably involve designing more stuff. I need to reread those now! It has been far too long! Yeah, sorry! I can't say for certain, as I don't have everything completely planned out precisely, but there is a chance that this will be the biggest cliffhanger in the story. A chance. Thank you! Oh, yes, again! Hopefully not too many more times, though. To be serious for a moment... Thank you all for staying with me through this journey that I started (checks OP) over two years ago. Wow. How in the world has it been two whole years? Anyway, I feel like my writing has been improving greatly with each chapter. This story has been a great journey, probably the best thing I have ever written. Thank you for supporting me on the way, it means a lot.

I think a 2.0 version would be appreciated. We can even bring the 1.0 version back down to Kerbin for analysis if you want! STS-10a has launched. It was named STS-10a rather than STS-11 to keep from having to rename all of the missions in the OP. I may choose a module to build, but I may not. I'm going to go update the OP with new information and pictures.

I couldn't tell because I couldn't see it!

STS 8, 9, and 10 have launched. However, as you'll see, we'll need an STS-10a... In the cockpit we have the launch crew, and in the crew cabin we have the first long term crew for the station, as this is the final launch of phase one.

Sure, I guess. I didn't get to launching anything today, it was a bit busy. I might be able to tomorrow.

It was scheduled for tomorrow, but has been pushed back to the 17th through 19th.

Chapter 22 - New Stars Above Jool

Alright, looks good. May I suggest one thing, though? I don't know how long the solar panel modules are going to be, but I would suggest a bit more than one gigantor panel's clearance between the top docking ports and the bottom of the module. That may very well be it, but it looks like a close fit. I would suggest increasing module height, maybe using girders. The cargo bay can certainly fit more. Other than that, it looks good! I'm liking the creativity people are showing, the lights are interesting.

Ah, sorry if you did, I'll change it. I was really tired when I launched those. Will do. RTGs, sure. Don't go crazy with them, can't have a complete nuclear disaster on our hands! The TRS satellite already had 2 on board, so it should be fine.

Are we still at the point where we have to make custom spacesuits for every astronaut? That shouldn't increase the cost too much and might be included in launch cost... Also, I can't see astronaut insurance being cheap... There may be a lot of little things like this that we aren't thinking about that add up fast. But still, more expensive than Soyuz, which had to do all of the same things...

And astronaut training... But still. ISS time, launch, and training were still 20-30 million for Soyuz.

Yeah, but at the same time the Tesla was designed to be several times cheaper than the Lada. CC was all about getting crewed spaceflight distanced from the government and making it less expensive... For 52 million dollars, you could almost launch your own dedicated payload on a Falcon 9, and that's just per seat... But who knows, maybe Bigelow is marking the price up on its end even more. If they are flying tourists, they want profits.

Wow. That's more than double what some people paid for Soyuz seats!

Sure.

Okay. Keep in mind that the first mmu has been designed, so only one needs to be included by you. Also keep in mind that I can add more mounting points to the shuttle bay if necessary.