Skylon's Career

[Skylon]

Here I will post mission reports from my new career, in a story style. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1

Spoiler

Jebuary 2nd, 1526
This is Skyla Kerman, director of Kelpogart Aerospace Technologies.

Spaceflight is dead. Sure, you may get the occasional homemade rocket shooting a few kilometres high, but nothing comes close to space. After a few major explosions of Kerbin’s most unreliable rockets and a few financial crises, budgets were cut and space programs were cancelled. Even aircraft were deemed unsafe, and now you only see the occasional drone reconnaissance missions. And Flat Kerbin Parties sprouted up around the globe (They even use the term ‘globe’ to describe the spread of their followers. Personally I find this quite amusing.)

That’s where I come in. You see, private spaceflight has not been disallowed yet. And if I ever want to put a kerbals back in space, I need my own space program. I’ve made the first few steps: gathered a few friends and colleagues, even an ex-KSP engineer. It’s going well. My team (5 other people and I) have got a few designs going for a small sounding rocket (that’s all my savings can pay for). We’re also developing solar panels as a side project, along with wheels. That should allow us to build rovers for civilian use.

Jebuary 3rd, 1526
We’ve finally settled on a design. It has a small solid rocket motor at the base with spin-stabilising fins, with an avionics/science package and parachute nosecone at the top. We’re calling it Runa Mk1, Latin for dart.

Unfortunately we are delayed on getting the solar panels developed. Mike Kerman, a colleague of mine, says ‘we don’t have enough science’. Whatever that means. While our recreational rovers will be delayed, at least the Runa program will be accelerated. I’ve got a couple of software designers working on the avionics programs, while Mike, another engineer called Bill and I work on the Runa 1 Solid Rocket Motor. Of course we’ll want to recover the avionics and science experiments. Bob (a scientist) is out testing the parachute deployment systems.

We’ve still yet to buy a proper launch site and assembly area; right now we’re working in an old hangar with a dirt runaway.

Jebuary 5th, 1526
Bob’s finished with the parachute testing, and Greg and Graham have finished with the avionics. Now they’re working on a game, which they’re trying to pass off as a simulation device. I’ve finished the cardboard tube and release mechanism (timed explosion) for the Runa 1 SRM, and we’ve got the whole team packing explosives into the back. Good times.

Jebuary 9th, 1526
We were going to do a static test fire of the Runa 1, but we decided instead to add fins and mate the Avionics/Parachute unit and the Runa 1 together for launch in a few days, weather permitting. 6 days to put a rocket together. Not bad. Cardboard tube full of explosives? What could possibly go wrong?

 

Edited May 13, 2017 by Skylon

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

Jebuary! I love it!

[Skylon]

39 minutes ago, OrbitalBuzzsaw said:

Jebuary! I love it!

Actually from the Kerbal Calendar thread, but thanks!

[Laythe Squid]

We can into space again!

[Skylon]

Chapter 2

Spoiler

Jebuary 12^th, 1526
Bad weather caused the launch to be postponed, but instead of waiting around or inspecting the rocket (who does that?) we decided to practise with water powered rockets. We did some tests with different nozzles and learnt a lot about the optimum shape. For a water rocket, that is. Who knows when it comes to nozzles for anything else. Anyhow, the weather looks good for tomorrow so we'll try to launch then.

Oh, and we hired an intern. No, we don’t have enough money. But who wants to have to go to the kitchen to get snacks? Not me, that’s for sure. His name’s Jerbod, and he seems pretty nice, but a bit clumsy. Within the first few minutes of meeting him outside the hangar, he tripped over my shoe, a rock, and his own shoe which he somehow managed to lose. Okay, maybe he’s more than a bit clumsy.

Jerbuary 13^th, 1526
It’s launch day. I can’t wait. Jerbod, who seems to be a rather superstitious fellow, keeps complaining that something will go wrong because it’s the thirteenth day of Jebuary. Duct tape proves to be very useful in this industry. Once the dark clouds overhead pass by, we will launch.

The skies were clear as the final inspections of the Runa Mk1 were completed. It was late in the day, but light levels were still high. The rocket stood at the charred launch site.  The two engineers withdrew to the safe distance, while back at the quickly put together flight control, Skyla was checking the systems of her first rocket.

“Guidance?”

“Go” said Mike, at one of the four screens available

“Telemetry?”

“Go” said Greg

“Scientific instruments?”

“Go” said Bob, excited to get his hands on some fresh science

“Sensors?”

“Go” said Graham

“Launch Initiator?”

“Go!” exclaimed Jerbod as he flipped open the glass case covering the big red button

“Who put Jerbod on Launch Initiation? I thought that was my job…” wailed Bill

“Yeah, me too, but we will just roll with it for now. Jerbod, remember, don’t press the button until the countdown hits zero, okay?”

“Okay!” piped Jerbod

“Okay then… T minus 10, 9, 8…” Skyla counted down as Jerbod’s finger hovered above the button,

“…7, 6, 5” Jerbod was trembling with excitement,

“4, 3…” Jerbod pressed the button, and Bill watched his monitor as the Runa Mk1 rocketed skywards.

“Jerbod!”

Skyla rushed outside to see the launch, and she glimpsed the stage separation while the rocket was still spinning to keep stable. Meanwhile, pressure and temperature readings from apogee were being stored in the rocket’s hard drive.

As the rocket began to accelerate downwards, the parachute deployed, slowing the craft to a safe landing speed.

“Time to do some research” said Bob.

 

[StupidAndy]

looks interesting! you've got me hooked!