[Eaten by Kraken]

[Tex]

Hello, everybody! I'm here with this post as a continuation of my old mission report that I spent a bunch of time on, by the same name, and I felt like I'd try and continue what was perhaps my greatest journey into KSP thus far with a brand-new saga. In 1.0, no less.

As a sort of background knowledge thing, I have already unlocked most of the tech tree, and have landed on Minmus a total of 6 times now. It may seem like an odd place to start a mission report, after missions were completed, but I really don't want to start over again and risk losing interest as I have many times before. As it stands, I have grand plans already, and plan to try and find a balance between completing missions and reporting them here. Without further rambling, here we go!

ATTENTION: THE UNIVERSE HAS BEEN EATEN BY THE KRAKEN

=(A Spacetime Oddity)=

Crew Roster

=(Pilot Corps)= Tex Kerman Jebediah Kerman Valentina Kerman +Thompke Kerman+ Katline Kerman Halbrett Kerman Gerbella Kerman Jency Kerman Gertrid Kerman Hadny Kerman Gemanda Kerman

=(Engineer Corps)= Bill Kerman Kerler Kerman Milely Kerman

=(Scientist Corps)= Bob Kerman Jenda Kerman Hudberry Kerman Asdra Kerman Gusny Kerman Cortop Kerman

Blue Name = Assigned
Gray Name = Deceased
Green Name = New Hire
+Red Pluses+ = Member of the Orbital Rescue Team

 

Program Directory

=(Minmus Program)=
(Suspended)

The Minmus Program series of missions that are focused on Kerbin's second moon, Minmus, both in orbit around the body as well as manned and unmanned landings to the surface.

=(Project Overworld)=
(Initiated Feb. 25, 2016)

Project Overworld is a series of missions that are designed specifically to scan for deposits of Ore on celestial bodies, including Kerbin and its moons, and other planets in the solar system. Missions do not include mining missions, only orbital scanning.
-Link-

=(K-Prize Program)=
(Initiated Feb. 26, 2016)

The K-Prize Program is the Space Program's entry into the prestigious K-Prize contest. It is the first time this challenge has been undertaken by the Space Program, and the program will undergo several phases as designs evolve and the final K-Prize craft completed and submitted.

-Link-

=(Muna Program)=
(Initiated Feb. 27, 2016)

The Muna program is designed to be a series of missions that will be sent to study the innermost of Kerbin's two natural satellites, the Mun. This program encompasses such missions as Munar orbital study probes, joint missions with other programs to create Munar bases and space stations, and manned landings to the surface of the Mun.

-Link-

=(Shuttle Program)=
(Initiated Mar. 4, 2016)

The Shuttle Program is a very obviously named program that utilizes special crew shuttle spacecraft to carry Kosmonauts from one orbit to another so missions can be performed and crew transported without needing to launch unnecessary amounts of rockets.

-Link-

=(Duna Program)=
(Initiated Mar. 4, 2016)

The Duna program, as the name suggests, pertains to the series of missions, both manned and unmanned, that will take place around the planet Duna.

-Link-

=(+Orbital Rescue Team+)=
(Initiated Mar. 4, 2016)

The Orbital Rescue Team is a group of Kosmonauts, chosen as needed, that aim to fly to and rescue stranded Kosmonauts should their spacecraft become damaged or run out of propellant.

-Link-

Mission Chronology
The Mission Chronology is a list of all missions launched by the Kerbal Space Program in chronological order.
Failed missions are colored red, and missions that are in progress are colored blue. Missions with red asterisks by their names are missions that are intended to be submitted to challenges on the KSP Forum.

Minmus 1-6
Overworld 1
Overworld 2
Overworld 3
Muna 1
*KaX-97 Mk IV* 
Overworld 4
KOSt-350 Discovery
Muna 2
Mercury (S01)
Duna 1
KOR-17 Boxer "T"

-Newsflash!- Chronology
-Newsflash!- is the newspaper of the Kerbal Space Program, and reports on new developments.

March 2, 2016
March 5, 2016

Edited March 6, 2016 by Maximus97

[Geschosskopf]

Well, good luck with it.  I believe starting a career story near the end of the tech tree is a good idea.  I do that myself because by then I have the parts to do grandiose missions.  Besides, I lack the imagination to invent some radically new and different (and thus entertaining) way of doing the early career, so I figure I'll spare the readers the same old same old.

[Mister Dilsby]

Agreed. Starting from the very beginning it's easy to fall into YAML. Everyone has done those missions, likely in similar ways since the part list is so limited at start.

[McPoisoned]

Yeah, the options you have early into career and even science mode are just not enough imo.

[Just Jim]

2 hours ago, Geschosskopf said:

Well, good luck with it.  I believe starting a career story near the end of the tech tree is a good idea.  I do that myself because by then I have the parts to do grandiose missions.  Besides, I lack the imagination to invent some radically new and different (and thus entertaining) way of doing the early career, so I figure I'll spare the readers the same old same old.

 

2 hours ago, Kuzzter said:

Agreed. Starting from the very beginning it's easy to fall into YAML. Everyone has done those missions, likely in similar ways since the part list is so limited at start.

 

1 hour ago, McPoisoned said:

Yeah, the options you have early into career and even science mode are just not enough imo.

 

I also totally agree!!!  
I started mine about 5 years into the career for the same reasons.

I look forward to your Oddity... 

 

 

[Tex]

Thanks for all the support, guys! Hopefully it can garner the same sort of attention that Oddity I once did. Ah, those were the days.

[Mister Dilsby]

So hey, just one question cowboy--do you take your hat off when you put on your space helmet, or just kind of crush it down? Asking for a friend.

[Tex]

I proudly put it on top of my helmet. Nothing like riding a rocket in an external command seat and waving your hat into space.

[Mister Dilsby]

1 hour ago, Maximus97 said:

I proudly put it on top of my helmet. Nothing like riding a rocket in an external command seat and waving your hat into space.

I should have known.

 

[Tex]

=(Project Overworld)=

Project Overworld is a space program with the aim of placing orbital scanning satellites into polar orbits around celestial bodies such as Kerbin, the Mun, and many more. Ideally the program has a maximum mission number of 14 missions, one for each planet with surfaces that are possible to land on and explore.

Total Launches: 4
Failed Missions: 1
Program Success Rating: 75%

Overworld 1

Target Body: Kerbin
Orbit: 200 x 198km
Status: Success

Overworld 1 was a complete success. The probe was carried into polar orbit aboard a modified KR-26 "Explorer" lifter that was used during the Minmus program. Although it carried much less fuel than previously, there was still an entire stage that wasn't used at all. In its current state, adapted for use in Project Overworld, the booster should be able to perform missions to the Mun and Minmus without extensive modification.

Overworld 2

Target Body: the Mun
Orbit: 300 x 318km
Status: Success

Overworld 2 was also a complete success. The probe was carried aboard the same lifter that Overworld 1 was lifted with, and in fact there was still enough fuel left for the final stage to be completely unused. This time, the Mun was scanned for ore, and due to these discoveries, the locations for future Munar landings can be chosen. The only scuffle during the mission is during SRB separation, when a nosecone grazed an engine, which fortunately was unharmed.

 

Overworld 3

Target Body: Minmus
Orbit: 324 x 48,637km
Status: Failure

Overworld 3 is a frustrating failure. Apparently having SAS drain the batteries during the voyage to Minmus intercept kills the craft, and so now it's a hunk of junk in a highly elliptical orbit that will neither degrade nor be of any special use. Perhaps a target for retrieval and disposal later, but for now it's just the first failure of the program.

Overworld 4

Target Body: Minmus
Orbit: 100 x 78km
Status: Success

Overworld 4 was a success. The mission had no major problems, although the final orbit was a bit more elliptical than intended due to the strong separation of the final stage and the payload. Oh well.

 

Edited February 28, 2016 by Maximus97

[Tex]

=(K-Prize Program)=

The K-Prize Program, as the title suggests, is the Space Program's entry into the prestigious K-Prize challenge/contest. The SSTO that the Space Program will be developing will hopefully be able to generate media attention for the fledgling space agency, as well as providing unique opportunities to deliver payloads to orbit using a reliable and reusable system.

Total Designs: 6

The K-Prize Program has been an interesting and very fun project to work on. It only took me five designs before I realized that my engines weren't powerful enough in the atmosphere! A couple of the designs, I forget exactly which ones, took me out of the atmosphere, which was neat in itself, but wasn't enough to complete the K-Prize conditions.

 

Edited February 27, 2016 by Maximus97

[Tex]

=(Muna Program)=

The Muna Program is a series of missions that take place on the Mun and in Munar orbit. Missions range from orbital surveying, Munar space stations and surface bases, and of course manned landings.

Total Launches: 3
Failed Missions: 0
Program Success Rating: 100%

 

Muna 1

Crew: Pilots Jebediah and Thompke Kerman, Scientist Jenda Kerman
Status: Success

Muna 1 was a success, though it was not without its problems. The concept for Muna 1 was basically a test to see whether the KR-26 "Explorer" spacecraft, designed for Minmus missions and adapted for Project Overworld, could also be reused for Munar landing missions. Though the mission was successful in bringing the crew home, it did so literally on fumes, as in RCS propellant and finally the backpacks of the crew members.

The landing was a success and over 300 Science was gathered from experiments performed, but the fuel ran out after the spacecraft left Munar orbit. The RCS system was used as an emergency retrofire propulsion solution, but it ran out before the periapse was at a safe altitude. The crew was forced to use their RCS backpacks to also slow the spacecraft enough. But oh, that's not all!

As the crew was coming back, somebody at mission control was too busy looking at iFunny whilst watching the fuel readout on Jebediah Kerman's backpack, and he ran out of fuel. He was adrift and could no longer steer himself or get back inside the spacecraft to refuel or survive. It was up to Thompke Kerman, the other pilot on board, to perform an EVA and then clumsily bump Jebediah back towards the ladder, while also coordinating with Jenda Kerman and teaching her to position the craft so the ladder was in reach. It was several minutes of tense clumisness, but eventually the mission was salvaged and the crew returned home.

Oh yeah, and there was another bit of drama when the craft re-entered and came down over land. It appears that another parachute is required to slow the spacecraft down, as it was seriously damaged upon landing.

KOSt-350 Discovery

Crew: N/A
Status: Success
Final Orbit: 519 x 491km

Discovery was a successful launch, and notably the first of the program to feature aid in planning by our newest toy, KER. While the Space Program has utilized the tool in the past to design missions, this is the first time since the launch of the Oddity Initiative that the tool has been used.

Discovery is a space station with a Mobile Processing Lab as its core module (plus a cupola for excellent Munar photography), and as such will serve as the base of operations for future Munar missions. It is planned to add a communications and habitation module to the station, which will likely launch sometime after the next few Muna missions have been completed.

Muna 2

Crew: Pilots Jebediah Kerman, Scientist Bill Kerman
Status: Success

Muna 2's launch was successful and was completed with no real issues, apart from a scare involving the placement of solar panels for power generation. The engineers expressed concern that they had been forgotten, but it was discovered they were in place after all.

The mission is currently underway. Muna 2 has successfully rendezvoused with and docked to Discovery, and is awaiting the arrival of more fuel and oxidizer. While the math is showing that a Munar landing would be possible, mission planners are opting to wait to refuel the lander because its ascent/descent stage was used to rendezvous and dock with, an unforseen expenditure. On EVA, pilot Jebediah Kerman was able to send back one very nice photograph of the combined spacecraft.

Update - March 4, 2016

Muna 2 is still in progress. The lander was refuelled and landed in the Mun's East Crater successfully, and the crew of Muna 2 produced plenty of good science that will ultimately be docked to Discovery space station, refined, and then be sent back to Kerbin. However, there was a little snag.

The lander ran out of fuel just after attaining a safe orbit around the Mun, and the crew (Jebediah and Bill Kerman) are stuck there until a rescue mission can dock with the lander and give it the fuel it needs to safely dock with Discovery. In fact, due to recent fuel shortages, the next mission that is planned to be launched is a refueling module.

Two pictures were taken while the crew was on the Munar surface.

 

Edited March 5, 2016 by Maximus97

[Tex]

-Newsflash!-
March 2, 2016

Top administration from the Kerbal Space Program today announced the introduction of the mathemagical tool KER as a feature in constructing new spacecraft today. The Space Program has used the modification to its construction planning software in past initiatives, but KER was first used in the Oddity Initiative with the launch of Munar space station Discovery.

KOSt-350 Discovery was launched today as a base for expanding upon the Science reports gathered during future manned Munar missions, as well as Science gathered in Munar orbit. Onboard the station, Science samples can be further processed before being sent back to the Kerbal Space Center via radio transmission or by physically returning samples for recovery and analysis.

The Space Program has gained two powerful new tools for expanding upon its capabilities in constructing spacecraft and aircraft, and for conducting Science experiments on the Mun.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Maximus97

[Mister Dilsby]

18 hours ago, Maximus97 said:

Top administration from the Kerbal Space Program today announced the introduction of the mathemagical tool KER as a feature in constructing new spacecraft today.

Yeah, I figure I've done enough logarithms in my life--including looking them up in tables in the back of a textbook--to allow myself this very useful tool as well. Besides the handy dV calculations, I also find it invaluable for giving instantaneous thrust angle (you can tell how much you need to tweak engine thrust on a big, asymmetric ship to make it zero!), for separating horizontal and vertical velocity MUCH better than the little analog dial, and for putting a radar altimeter right on the HUD. Also telling you which biome you're in...ground slope... hang on, I gotta go click that "donate" button again.  

[Tex]

Yeah, it's really useful. I haven't used it in a while, and I've gotta say that while I'm building my rockets much more efficiently than usual, it's resulting in what I see as underbuilding. I need to refine my methods to get a good Delta-v budget so I can make sure I have enough fuel to do what I wanna do.

To quote Jeremy Clarkson: "SPEED AND POWER."

Edited March 3, 2016 by Maximus97

[Tex]

=(Shuttle Program)=

The Shuttle Program is a very obviously named program that utilizes special crew shuttle spacecraft to carry Kosmonauts from one orbit to another so missions can be performed and crew transported without needing to launch unnecessary amounts of rockets.

Total Launches: 1
Failed Missions: 0
Program Success Rating: 100%

 

KOSh-424 "Mercury"

Mercury 1
Crew: Pilots Valentina and Katline Kerman, Scientists Jenda and Hudberry Kerman
Status: Success

Mercury 1 was a success. The KOSh-424 name is going to be the only true spacecraft used in this program, however the name of the shuttle will change as the design changes and becomes more efficient. Mercury uses just a Rockomax "Poodle" engine as its primary propulsion system. It has a crew capacity of 4 Kerbals using a PPD-10 Hitchhiker Storage Container to transport its crew.

This particular mission, Mercury 1, docked to the Discovery space station in Munar orbit to bring crew to the station to operate the onboard science lab as well as help build future modules of the station. Two images were released from the mission, one taken by Hudberry Kerman of Valentina's joyous expression after a successful docking, and the other of an onboard camera, showing the space station.

 

[Tex]

=(Duna Program)=

The Muna Program is a series of missions that take place on the Mun and in Munar orbit. Missions range from orbital surveying, Munar space stations and surface bases, and of course manned landings.

Total Launches: 1
Failed Missions: 0
Program Success Rating: 100%

 

Duna 1
Status: In Progress

MDuna 1 has been launched and is currently headed for Dunar intercept successfully! It is a momentous mission because it marks the first time since the Oddity Initiative that the Kerbal Space Program has been to the red planet. 

The launch went (nearly) flawlessly. The only issues occured during booster separation, when the boosters grazed the "Twin-Boar" engine that formed the main engine for the 1st stage. Also, it turns out that the "Twin-Boar" likes to overheat, and it caused the RCS blocks on it to blow up, and very nearly cost the engine too. It ran out of fuel moments before also being destroyed. This tells us that radiator panels are a must.

The mission will be updated later on, and will include exciting Dunar photographs and reports of what we find there.

[Tex]

-Newsflash!-
March 5, 2016

Exciting news from the Mun today as the success of KOR-17 Boxer "T" has successfully recovered the crew and spacecraft of Muna 2 from its elliptical orbit around the Mun. The Discovery space station has also gained a new fuel module that will allow spacecraft to dock and refuel themselves in Munar orbit.

Muna 2 was the first of a series of reusable missions that would likely involve the same lander upon reviewed mission planning. On its first use, the lander made a successful landing, but ran out of fuel on its way to dock with the Discovery space station in Munar orbit to begin researching involving Munar science experiments. Thompke Kerman, the first and currently only member of the Kerbin Orbital Rescue team, flew a KOR-17 Boxer spacecraft and tugged Muna 2 back to Discovery, where both spacecraft refuelled themselves and are now docked to Discovery to await future missions. The Boxer spacecraft will likely remain docked until it is needed, while Muna 2 is expected to be given a new designation as it is a reusable lander.

Top administration also began planning further expansion of Discovery roughly 56 seconds ago, considering the possibility of having another science lab added to the station to increase its science-generating capabilities.

[Vanamonde]

Closed by OP's request. 

[Spaceception]

15 minutes ago, Vanamonde said:

Closed by OP's request. 

Not locked quite yet. Was there lag or something?

[Vanamonde]

Is too. 

This time. Don't know it didn't work last time.