Cydonian Monk

MunDust 2 “Bill, we've got some bad news.†It was Chris Kerman, director of flight operations. If he was on the horn then the news really was bad. “Seems the geeks down the hall miscalculated a bit. The samples you picked up at the three landing sites were more significant than we anticipated. And with the extra fuel you used to land at the rim, you don't have enough left to reach Kerbin conventionally.†Great. All that work to get Mun rocks and now they won't make it back. Bill wasn't worried about himself as there was more than enough time to send a rescue mission. But the science? Those samples? That was more valuable than anything on Kerbin. And now it was stuck here. “We have a plan." -- Three hours earlier... The mission was a resounding success. The launch was perfect and on a mostly clear and bright day. The first two all-solid stages of the MunDust lifter performed flawlessly, and gaining orbit was easy for the Hawk's boost and insertion stages. Even the transfer burn went off without a hitch. Bill arrived in an inclined orbit and proceeded to study the “boring†parts of the Mun Jeb had skipped on the MunDust 1. The North Pole, his selected landing site, was rougher than any kerbal had dreamt. A landing site was selected that allowed Bill to visit three distinct sites with minimal fuel usage. The keologists were salivating at the prospect of more Mun rocks to study. The MunDust is a simple craft, born from a need for "science." Built around the materials science bay, the craft features a number of specialized experiments. The lander is a two-stage design, using a pair of drop tanks to allow for multiple landings. The entire core of the craft returns to Kerbin full of samples and science data, leaving behind only the jettisoned tanks. Bill's first landing was more than a bit nail biting, and he secretly suspected they'd selected it to keep the public interested. Everyone had grown tired of “The Jebediah Kerman Show." "Is this a rerun? Feels like we've seen this before...." Very few were still watching when Jeb completed his second landing, fewer when he returned to Kerbin. This sort of harrowing landing amidst the Mun's craggy north would really fit the bill. The landing turned out to be easier than expected, despite MunDust 2's strange tilt. A gorgeous view of Kerbin presented itself towards the south, inspiring the name “North KerbinView.†Samples collected, flag planted, tests run, reports complete. Move on to site two. The next site was a crater within a much larger crater. This one presented a bit of trouble... ... but nothing Bill couldn't recover from. Witness the “Precarious North Rim.†He managed to lose the rear solar panels in the "non-standard" landing, but they weren't too useful now anyway. Samples, flag, tests, jettison the fuel tanks, move on. The third and final site was a bit further down in the Mare Polaris. The dust here was blackened, possibly from volcanic action following a collision with another large body. Bill likened the surface to coal dust, and named the site accordingly: "Mare Coal Dust." Samples loaded, tests run, reports written. Time to go home! -- Or not. "Even if you chuck the samples out of the lander there's still not enough fuel. You burned that up on launch. The EVA suit, however, had three extra canisters in case you wanted to fly around the surface. The calculations we've run all show you coming up 30m/s short after your Munar Escape Burn. Given the present mass of your craft, including the samples, two and a half continuous burns from your suit should be sufficient to bridge the delta-v gap.†“Seriously? You want me to get out and push?†“Yes. After you've exhausted the fuel for the MunDust's main engines. We'll get back to you with the timing data. Cape out.†There was no questioning the logic. No other propellant was left anywhere aboard the ship (aside from the oxygen he was breathing), and his EVA suit had more than enough to spare. Just a matter of getting out and doing it. The first push was easy. No need to worry about the engine bell, so Bill shoved his head in and blasted forward with his jetpack. He stopped at the 20 percent full mark and went inside to confer with the Kerbals on the ground. “Good job, Bill. That burn brought us down to 230km. Two more should be enough.†The second burn proved troublesome, and Bill slipped and lost hold of his jetpack controls. Spinning end over end, screaming through empty space, Bill drifted almost 200m from the MunDust 2 before he found his controls again. “We'll not do that again†he whispered. Last burn. This time Bill decided to push the craft sideways, wedged between the ladder and the increasingly deformed engine. He went as far as the pack would allow since the previous push was cut short, leaving only enough to get back to the ship if he broke free. Burn completed, Bill floated around the MunDust for a few minutes, quietly taking in the view. Something he had neglected to do with all the rush and urgency of the experiments. It really was beautiful up here, craters and all. That last burn was just what was needed, and Bill was now Kerbin-bound. He came in too shallow the first time and the MunDust 2 skipped back into space. His new landing site raised some concern – deep within the CCHR. No doubt they would scrape the science from the MunDust 2 to further their own space program. Probably arrest Bill on one trumped up charge or another. Nothing Bill could do about that now. The landing on Kerban was far more relaxing than his three on the Mun. He glided down to the surface under fine silk sheets and landed amongst a grove of very large trees. A serene and safe ending to a long and harrowing mission. Bill was not harassed by the CCHR's police. Quite the opposite - He was hailed as a global hero. When his machine failed, he did the work himself. Something every worker kerb could aspire to! All in the name of science! Bill and his craft were returned to the FSK promptly, though there was some evidence the sample containers had been tampered with. Regardless, the scientific knowledge gained was well worth the trip. And Bill was home safe, of course. Kerbal First.

Mac OS-X and sometimes Linux. I'd vote, but....

Sunrise on an Alien World The 6MB animated gif version that I don't want to imbed: http://0div0.org/images/20131102_ksp_duna_sunrise.gif City Lights mod: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/55905-0-22-Beta-1-City-Lights-and-Clouds (Edit: Ninja'd by like 7 hours.....)

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/11/in-event-of-moon-disaster.html?m=1 In all seriousness, most of the samples are lost. (At least until we can transfer science between craft using Kerbals.) The best bet is to pick him up the same way you stranded him. Have you unlocked any unmanned tech? Probes, etc? If so, build another lander and slap a probe on it, preferably with a parachute too. If not - Jeb gets an extended holiday until you can go get him. Rescue missions are the heart and soul of KSP. Good luck!

Thanks! I launch from the other KSC (KSC2, what I call Sky's Reach) by editing the persistence file. First I start the "Launch" process to place the craft at KSC, then exit to the main menu and replace the lat, lon, and rot values for the VESSEL as follows: lat = 20.6634488482173, lon = -146.420919536081, rot = 0.2746611,-0.7280167,0.4987945,0.3817816. I also add 357 to the alt to account for the elevation change. That places the craft almost perfectly centered on the other launchpad, and rotated to place west to the right (backwards of KSC). There are easier ways through mods, though I've been told HyperEdit doesn't work quite right for this purpose (and KerbTown adds too much other fluff for me.). I just prefer using vim. The only things I've launched from the island are airplanes that I also landed there, but you could use the same process as for KSC2.

To summarize my approach to "Science!" - Kerbal First (Kerbal First: 2048x1152 @ 1.4MB)

Kerbal First - Project Aleph, Bet, Moho... and Wrobel Project Aleph and Project Bet were established shortly after the war to explore Kerbal'd rocketry. Both programs were administered by the International Committee for Education and Research, and included the "best" minds from the Free States of Kerbin, Indepenent Southern Coalition, Alliance of Concerned Kerbals, Westlands Consortium, and the Monastic Order of Cydonius. Research and launches for both projects was administered from Cape Kerbal in the FSK. Following Jebediah's stunt in the “borrowed†Aleph 0 rocket, the FSK decided the international teams were moving too slowly. The administration in Kerbin City held the opinion that a "Kerbal First" approach would best keep the public's interest. Thus was born Project Moho, both from a desire to place Kerbals First, and from the need to keep pace with the CCHR. Jebediah, Bill, Bob, Nelble, Buzz, Geofgan and Erry Kerman, were introduced as the Moho Seven to much fanfare. (Comments regarding the lack of originality in naming the program were ignored entirely.) The Moho launches each had a specific scientific purpose. Jeb investigated the effects of orbit on Goo (and Kerbals). Bill conducted the first northward launch to test polar launches, and was to be the first to land at the North Pole. Bob ultimately became the first to land at the North Pole after entering into a polar orbit. Nelble explored the northern Tundras. Buzz flew to a record altitude and landed in the FSK's deserts. Geofgan reached even higher to investigate rumours of increased solar radiation. Erry studied the effects of long-duration orbital flight in preparation for trips to the Mun. (Kerbal First: 2048x1152 @ 1.4MB) Bob made it close to the North Pole. Still a few kilometers off, but close enough to plant a flag. Could a probe plant a flag? There's the benefit of the Kerbal First agenda! The Moho missions were not without controversy. Jebediah reported being followed by another orbital object and recorded many other strange encounters. Bill claimed his rocket was sabotaged by Bob, keeping him from reaching the North Pole first. Erry claimed to have witnessed a launch from the vicinity of KSP which later passed him and entered into a higher orbit. All crews reported seeing other objects in near-polar orbits, though never close enough to see with any detail. None of these claims were officially supported by the ground crews. The concerns about the CCHR's space program were justified, as they placed their first Kerbal into orbit shortly after the launch of Moho 7. Orski Kerman, chosen as the most durable of all CCHR pilots, rode beyond the sky aboard the Wrobel 1. "Worker Kerbal in Orbit! Highlands Above All!" read the headline in the CCHR's official newspaper. KSA engineers were not blind to the similarities of several of the major components in the Wrobel to their own designs. There was clearly a leak somewhere.... Projects Aleph and Bet continued, with Jeb, Bill and Bob remaining aboard as the only test pilots. Many of the smaller test flights were not recorded, and to date only Aleph 1 entered into space (however briefly). There were a number of mistakes and accidents, none costing the life of a Kerbal. One noteable example is Aleph 0f, which landed on the slopes of K2, and promptly tipped over and started to roll down the mighty mountain. Only Jebediah's quick reaction saved the craft and the valuable science on board. With the FSK's Project MunDust fast approaching, future Project Aleph missions are doubtful. Project Bet is expected to see the most interest from the international community, and hopes are high for the project continuing following the announcement of a probe mission to Minmus.

Agreed. Even Rareden's HD skybox, as nice as it is, looks pixel-y if you zoom in too much. I wonder if the skybox isn't ultimately just a stand-in for a randomly/procedurally generated backdrop. That would allow you to zoom in on stars in much the same way we do planets.

I recently pulled the crafts from my demo save into my .22 career-mode save, so I'd say yes. Go for it. And welcome to the Forums!

Or perhaps new rogue planets are being captured by Kerbol? (And maybe even hurtling between Kerbin and the Mun, unleashing cosmic destruction?)

The MunDust 2 launch... from a mission report I'll upload some time next week. (To answer the Rep question - yes, the clouds are from the Kerbin City Lights plugin. Very pleased with the new version of it.)

Aleph 0 - The Heist - 0.22 Career Mode Begins “Somebody remind me why we’re doing this again?†Bob was nervous, as usual. Sneaking around KSC at night was one thing, but stealing one of the R&D lab’s rockets? That’s something else entirely! “Shhh!†Jeb motioned to Bob and Bill to be quiet. “Look, that Wernher kid keeps saying we can’t fly these things. That we don’t have the skills to control rockets. So I’m going to prove him wrong. I wanna fly! Help me up into this truck now, ok?†The “heist†wasn't much to write home about. There weren’t any guards inside the gate as every Kerbal here was "trusted." So they borrowed a truck, backed up to R&D storage, loaded up Jeb's chosen rocket, and booked it for the launchpad. Bill riding shotgun, Bob hanging on the door. It was a small rocket, and didn't take much to get out of the truck and upright on the pad. Jeb climbed into the capsule from the truckbed, stopped by Bill as he was pulling the door closed. “Just be careful, ok?†“You kidding? It’s me! I’ll see you on top of the VAB in two minutes!†Bob and Bill were just barely clear of the launchpad when Jeb hit the ignition. There was no hiding now, not with that noise. No doubt the guards were headed their way. Jeb throttled up slowly until the craft hovered above the ground. He moved left and right, then towards the truck to taunt his scared friends. No, best not melt them with rocket flame he decided, and moved for the VAB. Not much fuel in this thing! Jeb managed a powered landing atop the VAB, though his hand has hovering over the parachute release the entire time. He even had time to plant a flag before the guards arrived, claiming the VAB in the name of courage and stupidity. The Project Aleph administrators were not amused. -- Wernher von Kerman, head of Project Aleph, barely noticed the flight despite being next door in the hanger. He had been staring at his "Fera Leaf," the craft which "Bob" had called Eala, for what seemed like several years. The capsule construction and fuel tanks were simple, and easy to replicate. But those tiny rocket engines? Wernher had yet to find a technician with the skill for such tiny fuel systems. Not now, and not five years ago when it landed. How very peculiar. "Woher bist du?" he asked silently. And how did that insane Bob character ever fly you? Doesn't matter. The knowledge gained from this craft had propelled Kerbal science further than anyone would have believed. Sure, there were the crazy ones in the press that claimed alien tech was the source, but only a handful of Kerbals knew the truth. Wernher was now certain he could fulfill his dream. Soon it would be possible to reach up and pluck Duna itself from the sky. 70 kerbals... 290 days... such a short trip, a bit under three years. So close. And with small, lightweight equipment such as the Eala? Perhaps this "Bob" really did have friends there..... -- -- I merged all of my previous saves into a new .22 career mode game. At least all of the saves I still have. That's everything from the 18.3 demo up through the Dunan-X save. In the conversion I changed everything that was already above the surface of Kerbin to "Debris," so the map screen is empty when first loaded. All previous Kerbals that weren't on a mission were "killed" until I need them, so they don't appear in the Astronaut complex. My house rules are simple - I can only use craft that were in a previous save after they've been "repaired" (i.e. - I reach the tech unlocks for those parts or explain it through story). I will occasionally edit in another craft that /might/ be beyond the current tech level, but only when it works for the story (this will be explained). Finally - Existing equipment WILL NOT be used for Science. Only NEW equipment launched by the CCHR or the FSK.

Aside from (obviously) being on the Mun biome map, does anyone know what qualifies a crater as a Midlands, etc crater? Does it have to be one of the pre-.21 craters? Or are some of the procedurally-generated craters counted, too? I dropped Jeb a kilometer down into a crater on the Midlands, expecting to get a bit more science, and was dissapointed that it wasn't cratered enough. I found that too, just didn't get as nice of a screenshot. Unless equatorial Kerbin is home to some freakishly cold weather (thanks no doubt to the insane density of the planet), then I think one if the Devs forgot to pull out their test biomes.

Hit "R" to turn it on and off. It's basically RCS. if it's on (he's holding the controls) and not working, then you're out of fuel.

Thanks! I was happy to finally have a use for the parachutes on my rovers. I'd designed them back in early .20 and had only used them on the Mun or around Kerbin. Chutes on the Mun are only there to look pretty. (Maybe they packed extra snacks in them?)

0.21 Epilogue - Bob Bob wasn't sure what was going on anymore. Not that being afraid and confused was anything new, but the last three months had been the scariest and most confusing of his life. Earlier today all was well and he was in orbit, safe and sound aboard the Axiom of Choice. Now? Now he was hurtling towards the ground in a dead spaceship. It all started during a routine systems check on the Axiom of Choice. Nothing abnormal, all systems nominal. Then the main computer shut down. Not unexpected, really. New systems are prone to bugs. Then communications failed. Ok, this is getting weird. Then the life support system shut down. And then the lights went out. Panic started to chip away at Bob's already unstable mind. How did he get this ship back online? Dark. Why does it have to be so dark! Where is the main computer even located? Dark. He wished he had his helmet lights. He fumbled his way to the airlock by memory and put on his EVA suit. Tore through the AoC's manual, trying to find the restart sequence. Kicked and cursed at the main computer. Nothing. He'd decided to ditch in the Eala crew taxi and come back to fix the AoC later. Preferably with a good mechanic. Or three. Only after be was away from the Axiom did he notice the Eala was also dead. No guidance computer. No communications. No landing programs. Nothing. Ok, not the first time Bob had to fly manually, and the Eala was built for it. He took out the orbital map, ran some quick back-of-the-notebook calculations. The dust from the pencil clouded around him, some clinging to the arms of his suit. Quick and violent erasures only caused more dust. Why did it have to be so dark! He would land short of KSC and save himself a swim. With comms down he wasn’t sure they’d know to come get him. One quick burn and reentry was set up. Hopefully this was right. What if it wasn’t? Bob could feel the panic welling up. Fear. That's all he could feel right now: Fear. Reentry in a cold, dead, somewhat unresponsive spacecraft. Unexpected by anyone on the ground. Alone. Nobody to catch him if he messes this up. -- Bob’s calculations were close, but he failed to account for the drag of the entire craft instead of just the capsule, and came in 60 kilometers short. Short of K2 (mercifully), but also far short of KSC. In the twilight Bob couldn’t tell how close he was to the ground. Nothing to fire the soft landing thrusters for him, and he waited too long to do it himself. The impact was jarring and painful. Enough to shatter bones and teeth. Enough to snap Bob’s harnesses and throw him from the chair, breaking several ribs. Now Bob only knew pain. Something sparked and started to smoke in the capsule. The capsule door was blocked by the ground, so he crawled through the airlock. Out into the twilight. The dark. He hit the soft ground with a thud.... And promptly blacked out. -- He came to in what he thought was a hospital. White walls, white sheets, tubes, needles, a dull ache in his chest. A cute nurse kerbal by the wall. A guard at the door. With a weapon. Bob hadn’t seen a weapon since the war. Someone speaking next to him, strange language. Bob turned, winced in a sudden pain. "Ah, you are avake. We had been vondering if you were ever going to vake up." Strange looking doctor. Obviously from the Westlands with the accent, probably moved here after the war. "I am Verner, and we have some questions for you. Nurse, please leave." The nurse protested, but left anyway. This "Verner" was not alone, and clearly had the help of the military. Verner... Verner.... Werner? von Kerman? The whackjob scientist who started the program so many years ago? Couldn’t be. Could it? Wouldn't he know who Bob is? "Now," he continued, "you see, we have been trying to build und rocket kraft since the krieg. And now here you come, dropping from the sky, floating like the leaf of the Fera Tree. And you bring me eine rocket kraft! A gift from the heavens!" Verner paused to let him excitement abate. He pulled a notebook from his many pockets, pushed his glasses up with a pencil, then continued. "So now you vill be helping us, not that you are being given any choice in this matter. Let’s start with the name. What do you call yourself on the planet from where you come?" Bob could only cry, his fragile mind utterly broken. ---- (With that, my .21 campaign comes to a close. I've now merged all of my previous saves into a new "Career Mode" game. On to science!)

Anybody know if this fixes the MacOS Launcher? Or is it still completely borked?

Aleph 0. (Unless we're talking about the Demo. That one was apparently named Hawk 1.)

Any part that has anything to do with Xenon gas.

Today I played some Grand Theft Kerbal.... Bill, Bob and Jeb stole a truck. And maybe a rocket. Then I was disappointed when it was pointed out they were doing their job, and the truck and rocket were communal property. That the only stars at the top of the screen were real ones.... No wanted level. Oh well.

Which one? First died in the Demo. Second is in orbit. Third is safe on Kerbin after two successful missions. Fourth is stuck in Munar orbit. Fifth is in LKO, frozen and dead, forever orbiting 190kms above his home. Sixth, Seventh and Eighth are back safe on Kerbin after countless successful missions. Ninth is stuck on Duna. Tenth just landed a simple, start-part rocket on top of the VAB.

Dunan-X - The Arrival "I still can't get a lock on Kerbin, Jeb. The heatshield for the rover is blocking the high-gain." "OK, thanks Dosby. Just send them something short on the low-gain so Gene knows we made it past Ike. No time to turn the ship to transmit now." Great. Another design flaw. First there was the unplanned encounter with Ike (Why did they bother with the high approach if they were going to hit Ike anyway?), and now this. Not that any of it bothered Jeb. Never did. The whole world could be exploding around him and he'd still keep smiling along. Bill wasn't as happy. He hated these long burns, and didn't look forward to nine minutes of strange noises and heavy vibrations. At least they weren't trying to aerobrake this collection of junk. And maybe it would drone out the two CCHR highlanders and their strange language. It'd been driving him slightly batty for the last 55 days, not understanding half of what anybody was saying. Bill pulled his "don't hit this by accident" post-it note from the transfer stage's controls, which garnered an odd glance and a snicker from Jeb. "What? Can't be too safe." Jeb kept grinning, a grin you could hear across the ship's PA. "Ok dudes, this ride's about to get bumpy. Make sure you're strapped in. Duna capture burn in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Burn!" He motioned to Bill, who hit the throttle for the main engines. The NERVAs started up perfectly after almost 50 days in the cold, and suddenly the kerbals were punched into the back of their seats. Random bits of floating debris pinged along the back of the capsule. Or was it the bottom? "This outta wake up old Shep!" Nine minutes felt like thirty. The drive section of the Dunan-X was designed with the limited availability of nuclear fuel in mind, and only featured 4 of the fancy NERVA engines. When you’re mass is in the “several hundred tonnes†range, those four little engines can take a little while to do much of anything. Still enough to give you a kick after weeks in microgravity. When the burn was finished the Dunan-X was in a nearly-perfect 400km by 100km orbit inclined at 45°. Just like they'd planned. All the random bits of junk at the bottom of the capsule started to float forward again. "OK, Bill, lets get the satellites deployed so we can see what we can see. I'd like to get down to that big red rock." Jeb unsnapped his restraints and floated into the back cabins of the ship. Bill looked down to see Shepson asleep in the lower seat. He'd slept through the entire capture. Bill could only shake his head and set about polluting the Duna system with satellites. -- Deploying the MP-SMC-1 wasn't very easy. They put the craft off-balance at Ike when they dropped the first microsat. Bill decided it'd be easier to fly it remotely and at one-thirds throttle. The good news was it didn't take nearly as much fuel to get it into a polar orbit as Bill had feared. Thank you, lower Dunan gravity. The MP-SMC satellite array is a relatively simple solution for planets without a communications and mapping network. The package consists of three micro satellites attached to the “mother†MP-SMC satellite. The three microsats can serve as communication uplinks or mapping satellites, and relay data back to Kerbin via the mother satellite. The mother satellite also serves as a local router, directing in-system communications efficiently. The package is topped off with a healthy booster, allowing the satellites to deploy into nearly any desired orbit. A message from Kerbin crackled on the radio momentarily, then Gene's voice came through clearly. "DX, this is Cape. We're not sure what you meant in your last message by 'Something Short,' and we're hoping you haven't encountered major electrical issues. Please respond when you receive this to advise on your Dunan capture burn. Cape out." "That guy has no sense of humor" remarked Jeb as he bounced back into the cabin. “We’ll have to wait for the first surveys before we narrow down our landing options. With our orbit, I expect they’ll want us to go for the Category-B sites in the north. Night landings make for bad T.V. But first we need to finish our circularization burn." In the dark, naturally. "And get those satellites working." The orbits after everything was deployed. Four of the microsats will move into a pseudo-Molniya orbit and become communications satellites following the completion of their initial mapping mission. With Ike guarding Duna-sync orbit, Molniyas are the best option for reliable commsats. Take On Duna (Descent) "Look Jeb, I don't think this is safe. It has an automated landing system for a reason." Bill knew this would happen. It was inevitable. Almost as though the mission planners expected it when they added the rover to the mission payload. Here they were, in orbit around Duna, a million kilometers from home, and Jeb was about to do something stupid. "Jeb we haven't even finished the satellite surveys. If something goes wrong we might not be able to find you. It's a big planet." "Hey, we named it Lucky for a reason, right? There's still an open seat if you're game Bill. It'll be one heck of a ride!" "You're hopeless Jeb. Just be careful." The sound of the rover pulling away from the Dunan-X was jarring. After hundreds of Kerbin days in empty space, the most noise they'd heard were the strange sounds that worked up the spacecraft from the main engines. This noise was more of a snap and a shriek, followed by the sound of fairing tethers smacking the side of the ship. Bill just shook his head and returned to the surveys. Only a few more passes then he could join his mad friend on the surface. As usual Jebediah was heavy on the retrothrusters, getting the Rothar lined up for its entry onto the Dunan stage. "Lucky" they called it. Lucky for Jeb they'd decided to install a heat shield at the last minute, otherwise his trip would be warm and short. Part of the way through the burn Jeb used the rover’s self-righting mechanism to kick the upper fairing away. Don’t want to run into that on reentry. Entry? Retroburn complete, Jeb sat back in the driver's seat and took in the very unique Dunan sunrise. “Hey Bill!†“Yes Jeb.†“You see that big mountain just over the horizon? We should drive over to that when we get the chance. Shouldn’t be more than a day or two. Looks like it reaches up into space!†“Whatever, Jeb. Just keep us updated on your reentry and landing, ok?†What a wet blanket. "C’mon Bill! This should be more fun than my Mun landing! I’ll call you when I find the nearest snack machine." Jeb kicked back and braced for the awesome fire and light show of reentry. Entry! First Kerbal on Duna! With style! Always count on Jebediah to make a crazy theatrical entrance. Enter Jeb, stage sky. Next Year's Model Time hasn't stopped back on Kerbin, where the engineers just finished testing the vessel for Bob's mission to Vall, and were proceeding with launch and orbital assembly. First up was the crew lander. The XKV-2 lander is capable of returning from most of the moons in the Kerbol system, and a couple of the planets. While not as roomy as the Dunan-X, it makes up for the lack of amenities with a noticeable reduction in mass. Lightweight parachutes are included for emergency use only. The assembly launches were all unmanned, and crews will launch to finalize the ship at a later date. Here's a fuel pod being launched. Just imagine there's a nice fairing on that. The drive segment proved the most difficult to get to orbit. Initial plans were to include only one of the fuel pods and have the main drive use larger tanks. This necessitated the creation of a larger launch vehicle, dubbed the Heron XK. Unfortunately the rushed design failed, resulting in a catastrophic (and radiation-spewing) loss. A quick design revision (and a hushed nuclear waste cleanup effort) and the new drive section was within the limitations of existing and proven launch hardware. Two of the six nuclear engines were salvaged from the failed first launch, the other four were robbed from another (now delayed) program. The change necessitated the inclusion of a second as of yet unbuilt fuel pod, bringing total module count to four. The new drive section was launched without a hitch. Initial assembly complete. Presenting the newest ship in the KSA's Interplanetary Exploration Fleet: the "Axiom of Choice." Total mass in current configuration: 165t. Current part count: 128. Each additional fuel pod adds 55.3t and 20 parts. The lander stage was developed from the proven Dunan-X design, with a reduced part count and a lower mass for operations on smaller moons. The main drive stage features a 50 percent increase in thrust over that used for the Dunan-X. The modular design allows for the inclusion of any mission payload. The fuel pods allow the ship to expand to meet any need. This is truly next year’s model of Interplanetary vessel! The first mission planned for the AoC is shake-down run to the Mun and Minmus. By then construction of the revised fuel pod will be complete, providing enough fuel to reach and return from Vall with the mission payload. With the Axiom of Choice launch and initial assembly complete back in Kerbin orbit, it was time to send up the inspection and final set-up crew: Bob. Gene had offered to delay the mission until after the Dunan-X landing, but Bob refused. “I’d rather watch it from orbit. I hear there’ll be fireworks over Kerbin City.†So while Jeb was busy descending to Duna, Bob was headed skyward from Kerbin. Night launch, as is my custom. This was only the second launch of the Peregrine-based Eala, and everything went perfectly. First rendezvous with the Axiom of Choice was almost two orbit away, and Bob would be back over KSC and Kerbin City just in time to watch the Dunan-X landing celebration from space. The fireworks weren’t as impressive as he’d hoped, but his ship? His new ship? That’s pretty. Now if only he wasn’t so terrified by EVA. (The Eala 2 was my last launch in .21. Very smooth flight.) Take On Duna (Awakening) - Jeb Jeb awoke to a terrible headache. He couldn't remember much of the night before... was it something he ate? What was up with the buzzing sound? The sun was spinning overhead in an agitated way. And bright. Too bright. Thinking about it made his head hurt even more. He crawled around for a bit, decided that wasn't working and pulled himself using the walking stick he was carrying. Walking stick?!? He hobbled around using the stick, taking in the scenery, trying to shake the cobwebs out of his mind. Why was everything so red? And what on Bop was that noise! The Rothar had landed hard. Jeb was knocked unconscious when the rover’s chutes deployed, snapping him back with near-lethal force, causing the heat shield to be jettisoned early in the process. (He was lucky to be alive.) The whole reentry was a bit strange to him anyway. He expected flames, and wind, and noise. The air on Duna was too thin, and it caught him by surprise. He’d disabled the automatic landing system so he could choose the best landing spot, so instead of a soft, RCS-cushioned landing, the rover hit the ground at 20 meters per second. The unconscious Jebediah was thrown from his seat. That infernal noise! Jeb violently smacked the side of his helmet twice, then glared at the empty Dunan wasteland. Nary a green thing nor a blue thing to see. And of course he’d packed only a few small snacks. Had to make room for this walking stick. Flag! Where did that come from? Flag! Right, flag. Jebediah Kerman, First Kerbal on Duna! (Maybe.) Jeb remembered he had a radio. And friends in orbit waiting for him to call. "Hey Bill! Got a landing target for you! Big flag, says 'First dude on Duna' or somesuch." Jeb noticed the buzzing went away when he had his hand over the push-to-talk button on the side of his helmet. He played around with it a bit before he realized the problem. "Good to hear from you Jeb. We were starting to get worried. Send us your coordinates and I'll get started running the numbers for our landing." "Sure thing, Billyboy! I'll get to it right after I patch this hole in the side of my helmet!" (I had to fight KSP over this landing. The collision mesh for the self-righting legs is apparently /too/ close to the chairs, which was causing Jeb to be ejected 500m above the surface. Two attempts later I realized I needed to leave the legs extended, but even then the landing was rough. The Rothar flipped, ejected Jeb as debris, then came to a stop upright a short distance away. I had to persistence edit Jeb back to an EVA state.... perhaps the landing really did kill him? Not today. This won’t be an issue in .22, as the update has nerfed the landing legs, making the self-righting design useless.) Landing the Dunan-X - Bill It was white knuckle time for Bill. That last bump felt like it was more than just air. After 60 days in a vacuum even the thinnest atmosphere felt like sludge. The sound of the wind rushing past the lander’s windows was reassuring though. Sounded like reentry on Kerbin. Sounded like home. But Jeb was on the surface with a cracked helmet and probably a concussion. No time to waste. No time to screw up this landing. “What is that eeediot pilot of yours thinking he is doing now? Glupek! [some unintelligible sentence]†Shepson just shrugged and went back to lazily watching the fast-approaching Dunan landscape. It was the most he’d heard out of Luton since they broke orbit. Luton still had a stiff accent, and the only other Highlander in the area was back in the orbital module. No idea what that rant was about, but he was more curious what happened to the parachutes. He thought there’d be more of them. The chutes took too long to deploy. And since they were still reefed they weren't doing much. The geeks back at KSC had warned Bill he'd need to land on flame, but he didn't think he'd also need to kill his lateral movement with the engines too. Bill decided to trust the guys with the glasses and slide rules and punched the landing gear. Right as the drogues opened up. The main chutes were less subtle than the drogues, and knocked around everything that wasn’t bolted down. Bill was increasingly nervous. Time to throttle up. No, wait. Coming in too fast, throttle up! 30m/s, still too fast. 25m/s. "It was never this hard in the simulations!" he screamed. Think of the open mic, Bill. Calm yourself. 20m/s. 30 meters.... [bOOM] That one hurt. All the bumps and fake gravity from the main drive were nothing compared to hitting the ground at speed. The landing legs took some of the force (and prevented any real damage), but they also caused the ship to bounce into the air. Bill was struggling to keep it upright. The chutes cut. The ship fell like a brick. [booM] Another bounce. You couldn't see outside through the fire and smoke or the sand kicked up by the engines. [screeeeeeee] The legs were skidding across the dune, gouging four neat trenches. Bill killed the engines to stop the hovering, hands still gripping the controls tightly. The ship stopped shaking. All the gauges read zero. Shepson yawned audibly. "Are we down yet?" The Dunan-X had arrived. -- It didn’t take Jeb long to drive the half kilometer to the landing site. It did, however, take him entirely too long to find a spare helmet that matched his old one. The rest of the crew had managed to do their “first so and so on Duna!†ladder descent. Interviews, big speeches, famous phrases. Jeb rubbed the inside of another helmet from the storage bin and tossed it aside. Not the one. “Jeb, they’re all the same! Just, c’mon, you’re holding up the flag ceremony!†Bill was growing impatient as usual. Time to go outside and wear a fake smile for the cameras. If they could see it through the cheap space helmet. From left to right: Dosby Kerman of the ISC, Luton Kerman of the CCHR, Bill Kerman, Shepson Kerman and Jebediah Kerman of the FSK. The plaques on their respective flags read “In Unity for all Kerbalkind†or some equally motivating phrase in the language of their respective nations. We think. (No one really bothered to check the translations before shoving them on the ship 70 days ago.) (Yes, I had to edit in the different flags in the persistence file. It'd be nice if KSP allowed us to choose the flags at planting, but I'm happy just to have them now.) The Dunan-X was my final 0.21 mission, bringing the Ninth Cycle to an end. There will be a short epilogue before I jump into .22. Thanks for reading!

It's going to require design changes for most of us. My primary landing craft design now has about a half centimeter clearance (on Duna) between the bottom of the engine and the ground.... A kerbal could walk under it before. To me, the biggest issue is with imported saves. The new landing legs use a "LadingLegModule" element in persistence files that doesn't exist in older vessels, but is generated when the ship loads. If you have bases that are being destroyed by retracted legs, you /might/ be able to copy and paste that element in. Tedious, a bit. I like the "Hack Gravity / Extend Legs / Unhack Gravity" solution. Too bad that doesn't work for dead craft (like Lunar descent stage debris).

Ah, so it wasn't just me. Thought I'd screwed something up with my save consolidation. Thankfully most of mine seem to have "landed" without breaking things, but the suspension in the landing legs is no longer enough to keep the engines in my reusable landers from dragging the surface.

From digging around in the persistence file it appears every experiment you conduct is recorded in the "Research and Development" scenario. Even the unsuccessful and untransmitted/unrecovered ones.