Breaking the Barrier - A Realism Overhaul Story

[The Raging Sandwich]

A brief intro: this is a story (duh) about a space program (duh again) in Realism Overhaul (yet another duh). I'm using 1.1.3 for this due to any mods not compatible with the latest version. However, two features I don't have are the FASA parts and the real building time (there may be others I don't know about). Anyways, let's get right into this.

Chapter 1: First flights

After the space program was set in place on January 1 of 1951, the building team got right into work of their first rocket. Months of research had gone into it and it was finally ready. The Shockwave Mk1 was ready for flight on February 15.

Shockwave Mk1 Stats

2,340 funds

8 parts

0.345 tons

3.4 meters tall

1.4 meters wide

1.2 meters long

Engines: 1

Fuels: Aniline, IRFNA-III, Furfuryl

The events of the mission were broadcasted via radio all over the country. A launch countdown like those in the movies was made prior to launch. A radio commentator narrated every event of the launch. As the countdown timer reached 0, the small rocket launched with a loud boom.

"There it goes soaring into the atmosphere," said the commentator. "You may be able to hear it behind me." He refrained from speaking so the listeners could hear the rocket in flight. "It's rather loud but the sound is fading as it flies higher into the sky."

The rocket's tilted wings sent it into a quick spin to stabilize it, something that was learned using small sugar rockets back at the R&D. Before it reached 2 kilometers in the sky, it was already going faster than the speed of sound. Seemingly in an instant, the atmosphere was working against the rocket. Flames began to push against the rocket, but it kept onwards continuously faster and faster. Soon, the fuel ran out and the engine stopped firing. As it kept onwards even when the engine was deactivated, the flaming atmosphere produced drag on the rocket lowering the original apoapsis to about 48 kilometers. It still continued to spin, threatening to tear the rocket apart.

It then started falling down to the ground, picking up speed again. It crashed back at the ground about a kilometer North of the KSC.

Flight 1 Stats

Launch site: Cape Canaveral

February 15, 1951

5 min 32 sec

Max alt: 47,525 meters

Highest speed: 1,266 m/s

Distance covered: 138,838 meters

Highest g force: 11.1

Success

 

After the success of the mission, a low-budget news station came up with a plan to bring in more money. They would broadcast the next flight live on national television. They were approved for their opportunity to film the upcoming flight of another Shockwave Mk1 flight.

The launch day, March 6, rolled around sooner than anybody thought. The camera crew was waiting by the launchpad. Nobody except the employees at the space program knew what the rocket looke like, but now the whole country did.

The countdown was commenced and the rocket was prepped for launch.

Liftoff!

The atmospheric drag engufls the rocket in flames.

View from apoapsis in the upper atmosphere

The rocket is now plummeting towards the KSC, endangering the onlookers and employees.

The rocket crashes just to the right of the Hangar, causing a large crater in the asphalt. The flight was slightly shorter than the last due to its trajectory being more upright.

Flight 2 Stats

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

March 6, 1951

4 min 53 sec

Max alt: 43,975 m

Highest speed: 1,266 m/s

Distance covered: 122,482 m

Highest g force: 11.1 g

Success

 

The Kerbals watching the launch live loved what they were watching and demanded more of it. The newscasters were pleased with the income they were recieving from their broadcast and came up with a daring plan to recieve more by actually funding the space program. The Administrator agreed to the funding in return for a mission to send a Kerbal faster than the speed of sound. It sounded like a challenging task, something that the space program needed to gain more traction. Testing began for an experimental test plane to accomplish this goal.

In the meantime, a new rocket was being developed.

Shockwave Mk2 Stats

920 funds

7 parts

0.345 tons

5.1 meters tall

1.3 meters wide

1.2 meters long

Engines: 1

Fuels: Aniline, IRFNA-III, Furfuryl

Once again, the newscasters were ready to broadcast the launch. It was smaller in diameter to the Mk1, but this one included data readouts that could be transmitted. It was nicknamed the "Bluestreak".

The "Bluestreak" ready for launch on April 9.

Liftoff

The apoapsis of this rocket was a little less than 10 kilometers lower than the Mk1 because of the slightly less fuel it carried with it.

The rocket crashes into the ground at nearly Mach 1.

Flight 3 Stats

Launch site: Cape Canaveral

April 9, 1951

4 min 38 sec

Max alt: 39,118 m

Highest speed: 1,145 m/s

Distance covered: 99,569 m

Highest g force: 3.5 g

Success

The Kerbals across the country were again pleased with what they watched.

[The Raging Sandwich]

Chapter 2: Beyond the Atmosphere

After raking in nearly double of what they already had from broadcasting the rocket launches, the newscasters started to fund 75% of the supersonic plane program, or S-1. A static test rig had been built to test the engine that would propel the plane to such speeds. It was called the Derwent V.

Static Test 1

Part: Derwent V

April 22, 1951

White Sands

Funds: 4,020

Parts: 5

Units of fuel: 661.9

Burn time: 22 min 7 sec

Fuel burned per second: 2

Success

The rig was put onto the runway to be tested. It carried 661.9 units of fuel. The developers at the R&D would measure the time it took to burn all of the fuel and divide that time by the 661.9 fuel units. They fired up the engine remotely and with a loud shriek, it spewed hot air out of it. The test rig shook forwards at first, but it settled down as time went on. The test lasted a lot longer than the engineers thought, about 22 minutes.

The signal light went off in the observation stand to say that the engine had run out of fuel. "How long was that?"

"22 minutes and 7 seconds."

With some quick math, it was determined that the engine burned through about 2 whole fuel units per second. A successful test.

 

Shockwave Mk3 Stats

1,862 funds

10 parts

1.409 tons

6.2 meters tall

2.3 meters wide

2.3 meters long

Engines: 4

Fuels: Aniline, IRFNA-III, Furfuryl

It was time to go to space. The large rocket, larger than any of the other rockets made, was on the launchpad waiting to soar upwards. The news crew was ready. The countdown commenced and the Kerbals all aorund the country were waiting anxiously. More Kerbals all around the continent were listening in on their radios. Soon, Kerbals all around the world would be able to watch or listen as the footage could be brought over to all around the world.

Spoiler

The Shockwave Mk3 is ready for launch. It is slightly larger in diameter than the Mk1 but taller than all the rest.

The rocket launches and picks up a spin. Kerbals all over the country are at the edge of their seats.

The aerodynamic forces are too much for the nosecone and it explodes. The engine shuts down and the flames dissipate. The rocket will make it into space!

For the first time, stars are seen at daytime.

The rocket has now made it into space!

View from apogee.

The rocket then starts to fall back to Earth. Flames build up around it as it enters the upper atmosphere but it isn't anything too major. It crashes back into the ground about 5 kilometers away from the KSC.

Flight 4 Stats

Launch site: Cape Canaveral

May 11, 1951

12 min 11 sec

Max alt: 331,511 m

Highest speed: 2,614 m/s

Distance covered: 947,334 m

Highest g force: 26.6 g

Success