SPACE SCHLEP! An approved Ussari tale of a grand... trek... to all the planets!

[CatastrophicFailure]

A long time from now, in a galaxy... well, actually pretty close as galaxies go, nevermind...

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Captainette's log, kerbdate: 10402.9

Our launch was a stunning success. Despite some trans-sonic instabilities, our groundbreaking craft is now safely in orbit. With the crew's approval, I have dubbed her the UUSS Determined Consternation. Because Righteous Indignation was already taken. Stupid rabbit. Now, the real work begins. Ahead of us, we have our shakedown space trials. We will proceed to Minmus, testing ship's systems as we go. Once there, we will scan the surface before landing and testing the ISRU equipment. This is the most crucial objective of our flight, if we are unable to refine our own fuel, the mission will be a failure. If that happens, I'll always be stuck as a Captainette. Time is short, we burn for Minmus in one hour.

 

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Captainette's log, kerbdate: 10403.2.

The trans-Minmus injection was a success! We are now on our way to that frigid little world. The crew is convinced there will be ice cream there, I remain skeptical. I will save the introductions for record-keeping for later. If this mission does not success, best if no one knows they were ever here.

 

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Captainette's log, kerbdate: 11001.5

Happy new year. Our celebrations were muted, there's not much room in here, but we continue to enjoy success. We arrived in a high Minmus orbit several days ago, and have now begun scanning the surface for ore. As soon as the Chief Engineer turns the ship around and actually points the equipment bay at Minmus. We've experienced our first setback, too. Despite the dizzying array of scanning and resource collection equipment, apparently someone forgot the orbital scanner. We can only know what is directly below us without forming a complete picture of the planet. This will complicate matters, but hopefully can be corrected upon our return to Kerbin. For now, we will spend several more weeks scanning and putting the ship through it's paces.

 

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Captainette's log, kerbdate: 11070.5.

We have finally begun our descent towards our target just outside the moonlet's north polar biome. We will rely on our advanced nuclear engines for as much of the landing as possible, we only have a limited supply of oxidizer for the chemical landing thrusters. Our Political Officer has assured us that pointing two high-output radiation generators directly at our intended landing site is completely safe. Far be it from one such as me to doubt his word. We will descend to within a kilometer of the surface like this, before beginning our final approach.

 

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Captainette's log, kerbdate: 11070.6.

We are now on the final approach. I probably should stop recording a log and pay attention to flying the ship.

 

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Success! We have successfully landed on the surface of Minmus. However, due to our lack of orbital scanning, we overshot our target zone. Our current landing site has a significantly lower concentration of ore. Hopefully, this will not lead to disaster. The crew have already begin deploying the drills. Also, the behavior of our landing gear seems a bit... odd..

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Captainette's log, kerbdate, 11070.9.

We continue make advances. Despite the low concentration of ore, the harvesters are working perfectly and filling the holding tank. Initial tests of the refining unit are also promising. Our radiators are really earning their keep, now, glowing red-hot in the dim polar light. Yet everything continues to work properly. Our main reactor has been running slightly above nominal temperature since the start of the mission, but at least it's stable. For now.

 

 

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Captainette's log, kerbdate, 11073.5.

I have gathered the crew on the surface for a celebratory photograph. Success is nearly within our grasp. In only a couple of days, we have managed to harvest, refine, and process enough ore to completely refill fuel, oxidizer, and monopropellant. Now, we prepare for our return home. As long as nothing else goes on, the return will be only temporary.

Hmm, the Political Officer is right... we all do sort of look alike...

 

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Captainette's log, kerbdate, 11073.9.

We have begun our return to Kerbin. With space trials complete, the ship will undergo a brief refitting to address some of the issues uncovered during our mission. Then, we shall target the Mün for a second shakedown flight. The higher gravity will provide a far more challenging landing environment, especially with the Laythe plane and it's ballast still attached. If that is successful, with full tanks we will push on to Dres, and from there, begin a journey of the solar system few have even dreamed of. Brave Kerbonauts, on a long trekking the stars. Perhaps I should use that as a title. No, that's a silly name. Once the novelty passes, this will be more of a schlep. I can feel it already.

Also, I seem to be glowing...?

 

 

[KAL 9000]

Who's the captain? Valentina after Whispers?

[UnusualAttitude]

Another Ussari Space Program thread! We are blessed. Glory to the Union!

Is this the stock system rather than 64K? Looks like it from the video. Awesome interplanetary behemoth, anyhow. The universe needs more MkIV parts, in my opinion.

 

 

[CatastrophicFailure]

Proper introductions will be coming in the next episode.  This is a stock(ish) sandbox distraction that (as usual) ballooned out of control. It started as a "quick and simple" (har har) jaunt to go explore the awesome stuff added by the Stock Visual Terrain mod (the BOULDERS are SOLID! ). Then I decided if I was going that far, I might as well do a full-up Jool 5 attempt, just need a couple extra landers after all, and if I'm going that far, well then I might as well make it a proper grand tour since I haven't done one in so long and this ship will should might if I'm lucky land anywhere airless except Tylo, and if I'm going that far, well then I might as well give it an Ussari flare and do a proper mission report thread about it.

This is a complete *ahem* work of fiction, any resemblance to persons living, dead, or living, then dead, then living again, then popping back & forth in time and spawning bizarre extemporaneous rebooted timelines, is completely unintentional.

It takes place in the "near" future, when all Kerbin is peacefully united under glorious Crimson Banner of Union!

[CSE]

4 hours ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

It takes place in the "near" future, when all Kerbin is peacefully united under glorious Crimson Banner of Union!

Urah!

[KAL 9000]

Glory to Artza... Arta... Arza... Forget it, I'll never spell it right. GLORY TO THE UNION!

[Shania_L]

That ascent from Minmus, with the sweet engine switch ... was a thing of beauty!

[CatastrophicFailure]

5 hours ago, KAL 9000 said:

Glory to Artza... Arta... Arza... Forget it, I'll never spell it right. 

S'ok, I can't either  

2 hours ago, Shania_L said:

That ascent from Minmus, with the sweet engine switch ... was a thing of beauty!

I am rather proud of that.  What you don't see is where the screaming starts cuz it's not gaining altitude and suddenly, a mountain. You can count on more of this in the future. The dramatic take offs, not the screaming. But probably that too. 

[Andem]

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Glory to the Union!

I am most proud to be citizen of most glorious imperium!

 

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What do you mean I didn't capitalize imperium? How would you even know that?

 

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Argh!--

 

[CatastrophicFailure]

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Captainette's log, kerbdate 11079.9,

Now that we've had some time to collect ourselves, a proper introduction is in order.

 

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Captainette Tansei Tiberius Kerman. Why no, my parents didn't like me, why do you ask? I have been awarded command of this important and dangerous mission due to my stellar record and documented respect for authority. I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with that whole business in Kerbelsk. Or Kelyabinsk. Or Kernobyl.

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Chief Engineer Milenna Kerman. Not sure why she's the chief, we only have one engineer. Has a thing for haggis. Though I'm still not sure how washing airplanes makes one qualified to be in charge of three massive fission reactors....

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Science Officer Virthy Kerman. Passed Remedial Science 101 on only her third try. Possesses the emotion quotient of warm borscht. Might have to tell her to do something about those eyebrows, they're getting a bit long.

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Junior Ensign Texie Kerman, also a science officer. Not sure why they sent two. Likes to wear red shirts. I gave her the bunk just across the hull from the main reactor, should be perfectly safe.

Why, no, we absolutely did not re-use the same portrait four times over to save on production costs, why would you think that?

 

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And this, is our ship. The finest in the fleet. She shall bring the Glorious Crimson Banner of the Ussari Union to all the planets in the kerbolar system. As long as we don't randomly explode. Or get attacked by alien cyborgs. Or zapped into another century. Come to think of it...

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Today, in Kerbin orbit the supply ship rendezvoused with us. It carries all the supplies we will need to refit the ship to address the the concerns of the ground-bound engineers. I'm absolutely certain they didn't forget anything.

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The Autonomous Mobile Cargo Module has disconnected, and will move about the ship to support the refit effort. But first, Chief Eingeer Milly will give a guided tour.

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The command center of our ship, and home for the next several years. They told me to tell you it's bigger on the inside. I don't quite get the reference. The Mark VI standard represents the absolute pinnacle of space technology. I'm sure after a few years it won't at all feel suffocating and claustrophobic. Smile, Milly.

Smile harder. That's better.

Always wanted to say that.

 

 

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All hail the Glorious Crimson Banner!

In union assembled, how glorious and mighty! So noble and grand something something what? They're telling me not to sing. Sound like a what? What's a startled RatSqirrelFish?

 

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The beating heart of our vessel. Producing over 300 ec/sec, it will have no trouble powering the thirsty ISRU equipment that will keep our mission going. They said lead was too heavy to put into space, so it's shielded with aluminum foil and political promises. Sounds perfectly safe. Milly, maybe you should move just a bit to the side. I think I can see your bones.

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This, as they say, is the business end. I have no idea what that means, or why they would say that. Being Ussari, we of course know nothing about this "business." Or "ends." 

Anyways, a pair of 2.5m-class LV-NX4 "Fat Mün" atomic thermal engines producing 250kN each. With a standard TWR of only .23 at current load out, landing on some of the larger moons should be... interesting.

 

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Our landing thrusters. Good ol' fashioned chemical rockets here, but they should give us enough thrust to land and hopefully blow away some of the irradiated regolith left by the Fat Müns. Our experience on Minmus has demonstrated that they're not quite powerful enough, however, largely due to the unbalanced layout. The supply ship contains upgrades. Also visible are the 17-tonne fuel-filled ballast tanks, to balance...

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Our Laythe lander. They're still working on a catchy name for it. Like the fuel tanks, for the time being it's just ballast. You might say, "Captainette, why schlep thirty-some tonnes halfway across the system when you'll only need them once?" in which case, I'll simply refer you to the title...

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Here, we see the business end of the Tylo lander. Again with this "business" business, but I digress...

Somehow, it ends up being only half the weight of the Laythe lander despite the much higher delta-V requirements. Hmmm...

Also, Milly, those radiators are hot, best not get too close like that...

 

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And finally, the lower equipment bay housing our ISRU hardware and ScanSat scanners. One of which was apparently left on. Remind me to talk to Texie. And by talk I mean throw out the airlock. No, I'm kidding. Probably. But seriously, red is not her color.

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I seem to be glowing again, must be time for my next dose of potassium iodide, so I shall conclude this log. My next entry will feature details of our refit, and departure to the Mün. With a TWR there of only 1.26 by my estimates, this should be one of those interesting landings. And by interesting I mean terrifying. And why do I have this nagging feeling like I've forgotten something?

What, Milly's still outside? Well who locked the PЦTIЙSКДУД door? You did? Texie, I was just kidding! Wait, come back! You can't stalk off like that, there's only one room. I can still see you. Oh for PЦTIЙ's sake!

Still think I'm forgetting something...

 

Edited September 25, 2016 by CatastrophicFailure

[CatastrophicFailure]

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Captainette's log, kerbdate 11080.3

They tell me details of our refit won't fit into their own episode, so I'm recording them here. Chief Engineer Milly has worked tirelessly preparing our ship. Perhaps I should let her back in soon...

 

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The primary purpose of the refit. This orbital scanner will allow us to gauge ore deposits across an entire body, and pinpoint our landing location to the ideal spot. However, it also reduces aesthetic efficiency by at least 67%. It also seems to me like it might not respond well to being pelted by rocks during takeoffs and landings, but what do I know? I'll leave that to the engineers. Still feel like we're forgetting something. Other than Milly...

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It was about this time that Mission Control realized they'd forgotten to send half the equipment they needed to. So we were back into a holding pattern while another refit ship was sent up. I inventoried all the boxes, still feel like we're forgetting something....

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Chief Milly has discovered that due to some strange arrangement of physics, flags absolutely will not remain attached to boxes once equipped. There are now four Glorious Banners flying in tight formation over Kerbin.

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Additional landing engine pods, and new landing gear that further reduce our aesthetic efficiency, but were deemed necessary after it was discovered the existing landing gear have an irritating tendency to instantly collapse once any weight is put on them.

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With refit and refueling complete, those ships depart for a fiery re-entry. Apparently they weren't breaking up quickly enough to suit the producers...

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At last, all is in readiness, and we prepare for departure to the Mün. This will be our most challenging objective yet. Which isn't saying much, since we haven't really had many objectives yet, but I digress. Landing will be a difficult proposition. Even now I feel like we've forgotten something. We let Milly back in, right?