The Apollo Applications Program: 1.0 Edition

[Xeldrak]

Just something I realised; how do you include ballast on your test rockets? The nosecone and adapter are, IIRC, much lighter than a Mk1-2 capsule.

Well, it depends - the early missions, like Saturn I SA-2 had upper stages filled with water, so I'll simply add a tank.

Some missions like AS-101 had boilerplate command/service module - I'll add a simplified csm with a probe core hidden behind the LES.

However AS-203 (corresponds to the SO-203 album on the page before) simply didn't have ballast. It had only a nosecone and was used just to test the upgraded Saturn IB booster.

[Guest]

What I'm trying to say is: wikipedia.

^ Don't worry about that bit. The point is you did something creative with the names and I like that. Much better than my 'Project Mun' with a number after it.

[Xeldrak]

SO-202 - the second unkerballed, suborbital test flight of a fully funtiontional Odin CSM, launched with the Sleipnir IB launch vehicle.

This mission was postponed after some problems at the plant of the Odin CSM manufacturer. But this morning the Sleipnir IB cleared the pad an carried the Odin CSM on a suborbital trajectory into space.

At the 2 minute, 10 second mark the first stage seperated, retro und ullage engines firing. The improved S-IVB stage carried the craft to a 260km apoapsis. All stages of the rocket worked flawlessly.

Once in space, the CSM activated its engine an fired it repeatedly to test the engine and its refire-ability. The RCS was also activated and thoroughly tested. This was the first time the CSM relied on its fuel cells during flight. 17 Minutes, 37 seconds into the flight the spacecraft neared the Kerbin atmosphere again, so the service module is seperated and the reentry procedure started. The capsuled entered at a rather steep angle, testing the heat shield for future high speed reentries from transmunar trajectories.

The parachutes deployed as planned an the capsule splashed down 20 minutes and 48 seconds after launch, south-east of the Ubacia island.

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[_Augustus_]

Well, I'm doing my Apollo program right now. Currently I have finished Apollo 4 and Apollo 7. I did use Procedural Parts and a lot of mods, but I'm trying to accomplish as many challenges as possible, such as a Kerbal-Assisted Minmus Sample Return.

Here's the imgur album:

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[Xeldrak]

The Seer 2 probe touches down on the Mun!

Like it's predecessor the Seer 2 probe was sent on its way onboard a Naglfar-Logi booster. The probe did not enter a parking orbit but headed directly toward the Mun, accelerated by the Logi second stage. After a one day cruise phase, the Seer 2 was decelerated by the twin engines of the Logi stage above the target zone in the northern part of the East Crater. The last part of the decent was controlled by the probe itself.

A little over one day after liftoff, the probe touched down softly in its target area on the Mun.

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[_Augustus_]

Okay, I'm re-doing my Apollo Program now. This time I'm using some modified Skipper and Mainsail engines as F-1's and J-2's.

Here are all standard Apollo missions (2-21).

I replaced Apollo 4 with Apollo 2 and Apollo 6 test flights, doing a 3-day unmanned mission to test out a rocket is kinda boring.

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Spacelab:

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Ares:

[Coming soon!]

So far I have 0 points because I use Procedural Parts.

Edited August 6, 2015 by _Augustus_

[Guest]

My PM - 7 Mission (Apollo 10 analog) will be launching this weekend. This will be the final Munar Landing "dress rehearsal" before attempting the actual landing on PM - 8.

[Xeldrak]

My PM - 7 Mission (Apollo 10 analog) will be launching this weekend. This will be the final Munar Landing "dress rehearsal" before attempting the actual landing on PM - 8.

Well - good luck for your mission. You're almost there

---

I sadly have to announce the death of Jebediah Kerman, he died in a accident on the ground. Odin missions are suspeded until the CSM has been redesigned and new testing precedures are developed.

The Seer probe launches however are unaffected. Seer 3 just landed on the Mun after a perfect launch and an uneventfull cruise to the Mun. It landed in a small but prominent Midland Crater on the northern hemisphere of the Mun.

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[Guest]

I sadly have to announce the death of Jebediah Kerman, he died in a accident on the ground.

NO! I do believe that's the first casualty of anyone doing this challenge?

My Jeb almost died in an unrelated aircraft incident, when he finally landed back at base he was removed from the flight roster for a time. For safety.

[Xeldrak]

NO! I do believe that's the first casualty of anyone doing this challenge?

My Jeb almost died in an unrelated aircraft incident, when he finally landed back at base he was removed from the flight roster for a time. For safety.

Well, I am doing a recreation of the Apollo program. So I had to cover Apollo 1 - I recommend reading the wiki article if you haven't. I considered killing three generic kerbals. But that wouldn't do it justice. Jebs death however seemed...grim and shocking enough.

[Guest]

Well, I am doing a recreation of the Apollo program. So I had to cover Apollo 1 - I recommend reading the wiki article if you haven't. I considered killing three generic kerbals. But that wouldn't do it justice. Jebs death however seemed...grim and shocking enough.

I know all about Apollo 1, but simulating the fire wasn't technically part of the challenge, considering you lose points for killing a Kerbal.

I admire the dedication though, and I thought I was doing things hardcore!

[Xeldrak]

While the Odin program is still in crisis, the search for landing sites continues: Seer IV has just landed on the Mun!

This is the fourth time a Naglfar-Logi booster has carried one of the Seer probes to the Mun. A minor malfunction during engine seperation was the only problem during launch.

One day later the probe landed on the Mun. It touched down in a region called the "Northern Basin", right in middle of a impressive crater that can be seen in the transmitted images.

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[DBowman]

I've built and tested:

 

• Saturn V: 5-5-1 engines
• Saturn IB: 8-1 engines & second stage == Saturn V third stage (per actual vehicle)
• Saturn MLV variant: SRBs, 6-4-5 engines, 'stretched' propellant tanks

 

I intend to show them in use in missions.

I'm doing Stock + TAC Life Support.

So far I've flown:

Apollo 4

Apollo 4 album

• Unmanned Saturn V test with boilerplate CSM & Munar Module.
• Tested Munar Sub-Satellite release.
• Oops no probe in the capsule meant uncontrolled 'passive' re-entry. That went fine, except that the chutes could not be opened so the capsule was lost on splashdown at near 200 m/s. The Apollo 7 crew is confident the chutes would have opened if the cap was crewed - so we are counting this as a successful (enough) flight.

 

Apollo 7

Apollo 7 album

 

• Manned Saturn IB test with real CSM & boilerplate Munar Module.
• TAC means crew consumes electricity, one fuel cell cannot keep up with both SAS prograde and the crew. Will add one more.

 

Apollo 8

Apollo 8 album

 

• The free return did deliver the third stage and Munar Module to Kerbin re-entry without any burns. Tidy.

 

Next: Apollo 9 & 11 >>

Edited January 25, 2021 by DBowman
image fixes

[Xeldrak]

The Seer program continues - Seer V touches down in the Southwest Crater.

The Naglfar-Logi booster once again put the probe on a direct trajectory to the Mun. After a one day cruise, the Logi stage decellerated the probe close to the Munar surface before it was dropped. Using it's own enines, the Seer V then decended to the munar surface. This was the first probe to land on the Mun's southers hemisphere.

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[Guest]

PM-7 has flown.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/123221-Challenge-My-attempt-at-The-Apollo-Applications-Program-1-0-Edition?p=2126984&viewfull=1#post2126984

PM-8 is scheduled to attempt a Munar Landing at East Crater sometime this week.

Don't worry, I'm going to find some new music for the next video.

[Frozen_Heart]

Testing some ideas for this challenge atm. Havn't had the motivation for a challenge in ages but as I was making some Saturn vehicles anyway I may as well have a go.

First launch of a Saturn II I built. Test went perfectly.

[K3achas]

Apollo 4 is done (also, all launch vehcles and most spacecraft, but you'll see those later.

Apollo 5:

Apollo 7:

Apollo 8:

Apollo 9:

Want to work more on rondevous before doing Apollo 11.

Edited August 10, 2015 by K3achas

[Xeldrak]

Wernher von K.: 'Gene!'

Gene K.: 'Yes?'

Wernher von K.: 'GENE!'

Gene K.: 'Yes, Wernher what is it?'

Wernher von K.: 'It's boring! All zese probes. Zey go to ze Mun, zey land. Oh! Ve landed in a crater! Oh! Ve landed on a mountain!'

Gene K.: 'Well, Werher, in the case...'

Wernher von K.: 'Nozing explodes! No nu spaceships! No Kerbal ins space! So boring!'

Gene K.: 'Wernher.....the first Sleipnir V is on it's way to the KSC.'

Wernher von K.: 'VHAT? ZIS IS GREAT! OH, GENE! *runs out of the room* GUNTHER! ZE ROCKET IS COMMING! PREPARE ZE LAUNCHPAD!'

Today the penultimate Seer probe landed on the Mun: Seer VI

After a rather eventless journey to the Mun, the Logi stage decelleratet the probe one day and four hours after launch, so that it would decend to the surface. It touched down in the designated target area in the munar Midlands.

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[DBowman]

<< Previous Apollo 4, 7, & 8

Apollo 9

Apollo 9 album

• Kerbin Orbit Munar Module calls into question the use of battery power. The Luna Module plans originally called for Fuel Cells, so I'll go for that. Also for potential Duna etc missions batteries will for sure not cut it.

 

Apollo 11

Apollo 11 album

• On the Mun, for the briefest time. Next we need a rover, science, & Munar EScape System.

 

To complete the Apollo Luna Program I really only need to do an Apollo 18 'with all the fixings'. I'm not sure about Apollo 13, my lander will only hold 2. I'm thinking about doing it with one man outside at all time in a relay.

Next Apollo 18 >>

Edited January 25, 2021 by DBowman
image fixes

[Frozen_Heart]

Is the stock category purely stock parts? Or will using kerbal engineer while building discount me from the stock category?

[Yukon0009]

I'm still throwing around concepts, here's my WIP lander

[Frozen_Heart]

Here are some pics of the GP2 launcher series I plan to use for the challenges.

GP2-1: Not actually used for the challenge but just feels more complete having it around.

GP2-1B: Used for my Apollo 7 mission.

GP2-5: My Saturn V recreation. Show here with a payload fairing rather than the command and munar modules.

GP2-2: May use this in tier 2 of the challenge.

Edited August 13, 2015 by Frozen_Heart

[Xeldrak]

The first, unmanned test flight of the Sleipnir V launch vehicle: Odin IV

Shortly after sunrise the mighty engines of the Sleipnir V fired for the first time at the KSC. It was the maiden flight of the S-IC first stage and S-II second stage.

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The huge first stage fired for 1 minute and 20 seconds and lifted the rocket through the thickest part of the atmosphere. After first stage separation, the new S-II stage took over, lighting up it's five skipper engines. The S-II stages fired for another minute, easily lifting the craft into the vacuum of space. The allready tested S-IVB stage was then used to lift the apoapsis to incredible 11,000 km. This way the capsule can reenter at trans-munar speeds. To further approximate a reentry from the mun, the CSM's engine was activated near the apoapsis to lift the periapsis to 30 km. This happened about one day after launch. Another day later the craft was again close to Kerbin. The service module was shed and the capsule entered the atmosphere. Thanks to the heat shield and parachutes the capsule splashed down safely, two days and one hour after launch.

The test was a complete success - every system and subsytem of the booster and the Odin spacecraft worked just at intended.

[Bev7787]

Looks good! (Now I need to catch up, I can't find time for video recording)

[Guest]

PM-8 has flown, and we have successfully landed on the Mun!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/123221-Challenge-My-attempt-at-The-Apollo-Applications-Program-1-0-Edition?p=2134574&viewfull=1#post2134574

I really enjoyed the write up for this one. I don't write big posts very often, but I was suffused in the warm glow of victory! Is that the right word?