Aqua Space Program (current challenge: Apollo Applications)

[sdj64]

The Aqua Space Program will be my go-to mission report thread for completing forum challenges. This is being done on a new science save, but given just enough science to unlock the whole tech tree at the beginning. After finishing the tree in 1.0 career, it's easier not to have to worry about money anymore, but with the benefit of being able to do science experiments unlike in Sandbox. For a bit of backstory, the original four Kerbalnauts are older now, having served as astronauts in the Mercury/Gemini era.

Aqua Space Program's first challenge is the Apollo Applications Program.

"We choose to go to the Mun, not because it is easy, but because... well, it is easy. Compared to the rest of the planets. So that is why we're going there first!"

- President Ken Kerman, in his speech kicking off the Spring Tide program.

First up is the Spring Tide 1: ASP's first standardized lift rocket. It can lift about 15 tons to LKO, and its most important application, for now, is to test the upper stage and Eddy CSM that will be used in the Mun program.

The first scheduled test is a pad abort test. The LES performs flawlessly, carrying the pod off to the side and out of harm's way. The parachutes, however, didn't work the first time. It was determined that the protective cover must be not only separated from the pod, but split before opening the parachutes. This problem was quickly fixed, and the rocket was deemed safe for liftoff.

"Back in my day, we didn't have any of these fancy safety measures!" -Jeb, watching the test

ST-01: Spring Tide 1 and Eddy CSM first manned flight (Apollo 7 equivalent)

The Spring Tide 1 rocket lifts off with a three Kerbal crew: Sidely, Ronvin, and Virny. The rocket pushes them almost to orbit, and they circularize using the Service Module. After completing two orbits and testing that immcraft is functioning well, they retro-burn to land in the ocean off the shore of KSC. Their burn puts them a bit short of the ocean, just at the edge of the runway.

"Oof! This pod wasn't designed for a ground landing!" - Virny, upon touchdown

Photo album, this will contain all of the pictures from AAP. Starts with the pad abort test and ST-01.

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A new, larger rocket has been finished that ASP engineers say will have the power to take Kerbals to the Mun. The Spring Tide M stands on the pad ready for its first test, an unmanned test mission to LKO that will demonstrate the rocket's capability and reliability.

"Looks a bit expensive for a Mun rocket, don't you think?" -Bob

"Yeah, there were never any unmanned tests back when we were suiting up, were there? Jeb was fine with it, but for me..." -Bill

"We didn't exactly have probe cores back then, you couldn't get an unmanned test if you wanted one." -Bob

[Geschosskopf]

Oooo, pretty. I really like the use of interstage fairings there.

[sdj64]

More Spring Tide missions have been completed.

ST-02: Unmanned Test of the Spring Tide M

The rocket performed well, with more than enough power to lift off. It carried an operational CSM with unmanned capability, and a dummy lander for weight. The rocket boosted to LKO on the first and second stages, and the third stage performed the de-orbit burn. The stages separated shortly before re-entry, and before separation of the capsule, the unmanned core auto-deployed the parachutes (I set them to deploy at a certain altitude/air pressure and staged them with the service module, since the probe core is on the service module and not the capsule)

"Oh yeah, let the unmanned probe get a soft water landing, when I get bumped on land. I still have a bruise!" - Virny

"Relax, the engineers are getting better at re-entry trajectories every flight. Sorry you were on the first one." - Bill

ST-03: Manned launch of Spring Tide M to Munar orbit

This mission takes a CSM carrying three crew members: Dilwig, Maruki, and Ludgas, to Munar orbit. It carries the same dummy lander for weight purposes. The third stage proves more than adequate to boost the rocket to a Free Return trajectory to the Mun. After separation, the CSM establishes a Munar orbit and orbits five times before heading back to Kerbin. Re-entry from this higher altitude uses up more of the shield's ablator but is well within safe limits.

ST-04: (planned to be) LM test flight

This mission will be the first to carry the operational lander, and also the first night launch. The rocket is prepared for liftoff, but immediately upon engine ignition, the first stage explodes! The LES is used to carry the crew to safety. This was probably a kraken attack caused by the slight clipping of the first two stages and the larger number of parts on the finished rocket with the real lander.

"Oh no, we're gonna die! ... Wait, we lived?" - Milzie

ST-05: First Mun landing

Much to the objections of the ST-04 crew, their contract specifies one complete mission, so they have to fly this one. Much to the objections of the safety engineers, there weren't enough Spring Tide M rockets budgeted to use another one just to test the LM. Extensive simulator and ground testing have "proven" that the LM is ready to go for a Mun landing. The Spring Tide M first stage is hastily reinforced with additional struts. The crew lifts off without any problems this time, and the components of the mission all perform flawlessly, setting the lander down on the Mun in one piece. The rover and science package decouple and are pushed away from the lander's base. After taking a photo with the flag, the landing crew, Beriella and Lenbree, take a ride in the rover. Though a bit slow, it can climb the hill of the small crater they landed in. Just after pausing to take an overview picture of the crater, they go over a bump in the terrain, there is an explosion on the rover, and connection is lost with KSC.

"Come in, landing crew! Are you there? Milzie, can you talk to them?" - Gene

"Their comms are jammed at the last known frequency. I'm getting those last few seconds of audio over and over" - Milzie

"I told you that crew was cursed." - Jeb

"Stop being so insensitive! The first Kerbals on the Mun may very well be the first to die there!" - Val

"Add this to the ST-04 explosion, and Command may very well cut our funding. No more Mun landings..." - Bob

The photo album, updated with new pictures:

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This was some rover bug, I think. The kerbals on the rover are stuck in place, and returning to KSC kills them. Reverting to an earlier quicksave on the rover journey has the same stuck in place problem. I'm trying to save them. To be continued...

Edited June 7, 2015 by sdj64

[sdj64]

For all zero people holding your breath about the fate of the Kerbals on the Mun...

ST-05 continued:

"Looks like the explosion knocked out our comms. No parts seem to be broken." - Beriella

"Does this one work? Can you get a signal?" - Lengee

"Alright. We'll have to head back in the dark." - Beriella

Beriella and Lengee board the lander. The ascent stage blasts off from the Mun and they make it to orbit. One orbit later, they dock with Milzie, who was probably sobbing uncontrollably. She was always the melodramatic one on the mission (the other two might be BadS or just have high courage and stupidity). So, I fixed some NaN's in the persistent file and the rover was back, with no damage. They drove back down to the lander and left the Mun with no further issues. The crew of three safely made it back to Kerbin.

"Do they always come down literally 100 meters from the ocean?" - Milzie

ST-06: Kerbin Orbit Station

While the Kerbals were MIA, KSC hastily moved to cover their reputation. A launch into Kerbin orbit could utilize existing rocket hardware and distract the press from the (so they thought) disaster. The Spring Tide M rocket was prepared with the upper stage removed and the crewed craft replaced with a small space station and a telescope mount, based on the lander's upper stage, that could later use RCS to move itself to the side of the station. Unlike a certain space program in an alternate universe with higher delta-V requirements, this station deployed perfectly and is waiting in orbit for its first crew. The mission was hailed as saving the reputation of the Aqua Space Program, though it was really the news that the Kerbals on the Mun were safe. The station was named Kylab Station.

The photo album has been updated.

Future plans:

Since the Kerbals returned safely and put a Skylab in orbit, I've completed the basic requirements of the AAP challenge. I will probably do a MOLAB and another mission to it, since I've designed some base rovers for a colony that I was planning to put on Duna, and this should be a good test. Maybe also a mission to Minmus.

Edited June 8, 2015 by sdj64

[sdj64]

Apollo Applications Program completed!

ST-07: MOLAB Delivery

A large fairing was attached to the top of the Spring Tide M to carry a mobile laboratory to the surface of the Mun. It used the now standard takeoff and Mun orbit procedure, utilizing a free return trajectory, and the third stage of the rocket started the deorbit burn to the Mun's surface. The MOLAB separated and landed using its bottom mounted engine. It retains enough liquid fuel to make a short hop, but not to return to orbit.

"Looks like a high tech version of the RV my family used to have back in the day" - Bill

"I'm not at all surprised you had RV, Bill." - Jeb

ST-08: Mun landing near MOLAB

The new lander model was complete and free of bugs. Its top stage replaced the large lander cans with smaller but heavier Mk1 pods. The small rover was also upgraded, with a wider wheelbase. The crew chosen for this mission was Derus, Alnica, and Meldin. The ship made it to the Mun and braked into orbit. The lander crew plotted a course that would take them down over the MOLAB, which landed in the East Crater. They were off target by about 6 km, so their small rover was used to drive to the larger lab. They took a short drive in the MOLAB, complicated by the fact that the brakes action group wasn't working at all. The rover left the East Crater and stopped. The two crew then took out the LLES hovercraft in the MOLAB's rear compartment.

In a quicksave simulation, they rode it to orbit, to prove it was capable of rescuing them in case of a lander ascent stage malfunction. After reloading the quicksave, the Kerbals flew the hovercraft back to their lander, and autonomously piloted it back to the MOLAB. It docked and was able to refuel from its larger monopropellent tanks. The crew took off and met with Derus at the command module, and they all made it back home safely with a landing in the mountains.

"I swear, I go into space for a living, but I still think it's terrifying to have no brakes. Especially when you're about to go off a crater." - Meldin

"The hovercraft is fun, but jetpacking is easier and gives an even better flying feeling." - Alnica

As always, more pictures are in the album.

Bonus: Spring Tide MLV

Heavy lift vehicle with 4 solid boosters and an improved third stage, it can carry 110 tons to orbit.

Edited June 8, 2015 by sdj64