Beyond: Kerbalkind's History of Space Exploration

[Kerbalsaurus]

I know what you're thinking, "hasn't this been in like, all of your What did You do in KSP Today posts?" Yes, actually, it has. But, what you saw was a different iteration. There have been three iterations of this save file. The first one was my very first save file, and then there was the second one, where I did an oopsie and kinda sorta corrupted thew whole save file, and lost a month of progress. So now I'm redoing it, but this time I will document it. No more destroying my hard drive with screenshots, now I will destroy internet servers with them! For legal purposes, that was a joke.

YEAR 1, DAY 1

Head Administrator of the United Kerbin Administration (UKA) Sernad Kerman has just signed an act to create a brand new space program, called Beyond! The public is abuzz with this news! Thoughts fly through Kerbals’ heads. Is this a good thing? Is this a waste of time? What did I have for dessert yesterday? All 3 questions can be answered with 3 simple answers: Yes, no, and chocolate cheesecake. So, how will things pan out? First, the famed pilot Jebediah Kerman will test the Terror Bird plane, and be the first Kerbal to break the sound barrier. Next, 3 satellites will be launched: Kerbnik 1, 2, and 3. After that, the goal will be to put the first Kerbals into space. If all goes well, we may see a Kerbal on the Mun by Day 100! A lot of our money is going into this, so it better be worth our damn taxes.

***

MISSION LIST

ONGOING MISSIONS

Explorer 2: Orbit Ike

Pioneer 2: Orbit Gilly

Expedition 5: Continue Kerballed Presence aboard Kerman Station

Expedition 6: Continue Kerballed Presence aboard Kerman Station

 

SPACE STATIONS

KERMAN STATION:

EXPEDITION 5:

• COMMANDER: Seefield Kerman
• SCIENTIST: Jedsted Kerman
• FLIGHT ENGINEER: Dalong Kerman

EXPEDITION 6:

• COMMANDER: Hergan Kerman
• SCIENTIST: Jasel Kerman
• FLIGHT ENGINEER: Coremy Kerman

Edited March 25 by Kerbalsaurus
Edited Mission List

[Kerbalsaurus]

TERROR BIRD TEST FLIGHT: YEAR 1, DAY 5

A humble beginning...

CREW

• Pilot: Jebediah Kerman

Beyond is tasked with a fairly small mission: to break the sound barrier. The Air-Kerbals Company has so kindly lended us their plane that, in theory, could reach mach 1. It's called the Terror Bird. It's highly maneuverable, highly efficient, and fairly cheap. Jebediah Kerman has volunteered to fly the (largely untested) plane. Who is this Jeb you ask? Well, how can you not know! He’s the most famous pilot who ever lived! Put him in any plane, and he will fly it. He is known to be rather... egotistic at times though. Being renowned as the greatest pilot who ever lived will definitely get to your head. At 5:03 in the afternoon, UT, the Terror bird is taxied onto the runway, and Jeb prepares for liftoff.

The Terror Bird gaining speed on the Runway.

Takeoff!

FLIGHT VERBAL LOG:

JEBEDIAH KERMAN: Hey, this thing flies pretty easily. Maybe if I-

BOLIN KERMAN: Jeb, I swear to the kracken, if you pull off any stunts and break this plane, I WILL KILL YOU.

Engine switched to wet mode.

Mach 1 achieved!

FLIGHT VERBAL LOG:

JEBEDIAH KERMAN: Alright, our goals been reached. Preforming a high-G turn.

BOLIN KERMAN: Be careful.

Heading in for landing.

And he sticks the land- and there goes the wing. Jeb flew in a little fast, speeding into his landing at about 200 meters per second. At this speed, he was going to fly straight off the runway. Not thinking, he started to turn the plane in a desperate attempt to save it. However,  he ended up destroying the right wing. Miraculously, he survived. After all, he is, you know, Jebediah Kerman! Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, I suppose.

Edited January 14 by Kerbalsaurus
Fixed phrasing

[Kerbalsaurus]

KERBNIK 1: YEAR 1, DAY 1O

Beep, beep, beep...

MISSION OBJECTIVE: Launch Kerbin's first artificial satellite

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Astro Rocket

 

With Beyond's first goal covered, it now  prepares its next goal: launch Kerbin's first artificial satellite. What is this satellite called? Kerbnik 1. It's a small, scientific probe that will be launched a circular orbit about 75km above Kerbin. The rocket is the world’s first orbit capable rocket, the Astro Rocket.

The world sits in wait for Kerbalkind’s first voyage into space. Kerbnik is not a very important looking satellite, though. Our engineers refer to it as "the flying trash can". It's a ball on top of a disk, with 4 antennae, 2 science experiments, 4 solar panels, and 4 batteries, which gives it just enough power to transmit it's science back to scientists on Kerbin. Many drool at the thought of science from space. It's rolled out onto the pad, and awaits launch.

Kerbnik 1 on the pad.

Engine ignition!

Liftoff!

Stage 2 ignition.

Kerbnik in all of its glory. Appears we ran low on glory.

Orbital insertion burn!

Stage 2 separation.

Mission control erupts into frenzy of cheering, crying, and mosh pits! Kerbnik 1 is in a successful, stable Low Kerbin Orbit (LKO)! It gives us valuable science. Temperature readings suggest that space has massive temperature fluctuations without an atmosphere. At pressure readings indicate that space does not have an atmosphere, just as was expected! However, it's flooded with radiation. Tons of it. A Kerbal would have to be wary of this. Our insurance doesn't cover khemotherapy.

Edited January 14 by Kerbalsaurus
Fixed phrasing.

[Kerbalsaurus]

TERROR BIRD TEST FLIGHT: YEAR 1, DAY15

Take 2...

CREW

• PILOT: Valentina Kerman

 

After Jeb so generously destroyed the Terror Bird, the Air-Kerbals Company had to make a few repairs and modifications to the plane. Now there's a reaction wheel behind the cockpit for better control in case of a stall, and also a new has been attached. Infamous pilot Valentina Kerman has also asked to fly this much better tested plane... that's still at high risk of blowing up on the runway. Now why would we call Valentina infamous? Well, while Jeb's very up his own... backside, Val's straight up insane. Many a plane have been lost at the hand of her. When asked about what she did as a civilian pilot, most Kerbals run off screaming in terror. Runway staff, very hesitantly, taxi the aircraft onto the runway.

Engine startup

Takeoff!

Terror Bird speeding at Mach 1!

FLIGHT VERBAL LOG

VALENTINA KERMAN: Looking at the planes parameters, I think I can land and the abandoned airfield, and return back to the KSC.

BOLIN KERMAN: You sure? I know you do have a... reputation with landings.

VALENTINA KERMAN: It's worth a shot.

High-G turn to change course. About 10Gs of force was put upon her.

Landing success!

Successful landing at the KSC!

And Valentina returns with the plane completely unscathed! And the wings are still attached! The plane may soon  be available for public consumption. But who would want to buy such a plane? Maybe it's better to not ask questions.

Edited January 14 by Kerbalsaurus
You know by now

[Kerbalsaurus]

KERBNIK 2 - YEAR 1, DAY 20

MISSION OBJECTIVE: Gather more data from orbit

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Astro Rocket

 

The second Kerbnik satellite is rolled out to the launch pad, and readied for, well, launch. Kerbnik 2 is literally the same as Kerbnik 1. Same launch vehicle, no modifications. But the mission profile is different. Instead of flying right above the atmosphere, it will be flying several kilometers higher. Well, only 10 km. Kerbnik 2's orbit is going to be an 85km circular orbit. All experiements performed with be the same as Kerbnik, but maybe we will get back something new this time.

Liftoff on Kerbnik 2!

Go for orbit

***

KERBNIK 3- YEAR 1, DAY 30

MISSION OBJECTIVE: Gather more data from orbit

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Astro Rocket

 

Now it's time for the final Kerbnik mission, Kerbnik 3. You know the drill. Same science and probe. But the altitude that is will fly to this time is 100km above Kerbin's surface. This is the altitude we plan to put Kerbals at during the Astro Missions. Kerbin 3 will send back data about radiation levels up there, and figure out if it's a safe place for Kerbals to go or not.

Liftoff on Kerbnik 3!

Stage 2 Ignition

Kerbnik 3 has entered orbit!

And the Kerbnik Program has been completed! Now, Beyond moves on to its next goal: to put Kerbals in space. This next program, or the Astro Program, will be the proving ground for all spaceflights to come. While the mission may be simple, the implications will be grand.

Edited January 14 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

 

ASTRO 1: YEAR 1, DAY 40

With all of the Kerbnik's now in orbit, Beyond has proven they are capable of launching orbital craft. And with that, Sernaf Kerman has given Beyond the go ahead to launch the first Kerbals into space. Today, Jebediah takes nervous steps to the capsule. The rocket that will lift the spacecraft is the Aegyptiacus Rocket. Well, the Aegyptiacus 0 Rocket, as our engineers call it. This is because the actual Aegyptiacus is still in development. Therefore, we literally just stuck an extra fuel tank onto an Astro Rocket and hoped for the best. Jeb reports he feeling fine, and that they should launch this ------- ----.

All of Kerbin watches as Astro 1 sits on the pad.

We have ignition, and we have liftoff! Liftoff on Astro 1! (I get I've used a shot very similar to this shut up.)

Roll program going fine.

Getting a little hot around the capsule. A warning light appears at mission control, saying that the heat outside the craft is stripping ablator off of the heat shield. It's deemed a minor disruption, and the mission continues.

Astro 1 is now in a successful Kerbin orbit! Jebediah Kerman has become the first Kerbal in space!

FLIGHT VERBAL LOG:

JEBEDIAH KERMAN: Fantastic view up here! There's zero gravity around me, but I can still see and breathe, despite what we expected.

GENE KERMAN: We bet it looks good too, and we're glad to here that you can see it!

JEBEDIAH KERMAN: Roger, thanks. Preparing for EVA.

Jeb stepping out of the capsule. The sight leaves Jeb's jaw dropped.

Jeb's spacewalk from his point of view.

Jeb moves about 100m away from Astro 1 during his spacewalk, which lasts 5 minutes.

Astro 1 on re-entry. The lost ablator had no effect on the re-entry.

Parachute deployed.

Touchdown on Kerbin's surface!

Jebediah Kerman has made history! Beyond has proven that they can put a Kerbal in space! Who Knows what the future entails!

Edited November 18, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

ASTRO 2&3: YEAR 1, DAY 50-60

ASTRO 2

Bob, being Bob as ever, has tried his best to get off of this flight. He's invented fake medical conditions, tried to convince us he's crazy, and several other things. Point being, no matter what he wants, we're sending him to space. The Aegyptiacus Rocket finally has it's own design. While it's still very similar to the Astro Rocket, it's payload capacity is much better than the Astro's, and is what we want to carry Kerbals to orbit.

Spoiler

ASTRO 3

Bill Kerman takes the stage for the flight of Astro 3. Nothing real significant, just a Kerbal, going into orbit, doing kracken know what. The usual. At this point, public interest is dwindling. While the last flight was a test to see if experiments are reusable, which is big at least in the scientific community, Kerbals across the planet are just losing interest in something they've seen several times before. However, they'll have to suck it up and deal with it, since Beyond's still given the green light to continue with the rest of the program. Let's fly.

Spoiler

[Kerbalsaurus]

ASTRO 4&5: YEAR 1, DAY 70-80

The Astro program is about to wrap up, with the launches of Valentina and Virsen to be the last up. But their flight will be interesting ones. Both of their spaceflight are going to be in orbit for about 1 day. This is important for missions to the Mun, as this is an experiment on long term exposure to zero-g on a Kerbal. A round Mun trip takes about 2 or so days, so this will give a valuable insight. An Aegypticus Rocket is rolled out to the launch pad, with Valentina sitting atop it.

ASTRO 5

Spoiler

ASTRO 6

Spoiler

Moving out of the whole roleplay thing, I tried to get direct landing at the KSC. No, not like land on the VAB kind of direct, but at least a landing on the actual cape. This is because I eventually want to use reusable first stages. Make SSTO rockets and all that. I got frustratingly close, as you can see. I landed in the hills right behind the KSC. Better luck next time.

Virsen's VERY close landing to the KSC. She reports that she can see it right out of her window.

Frustratingly close landing. Also, that's a very sharp mountain peak.

And with that, the Astro program comes to a close. It's only a 20 or so minute trip to bring Virsen back to the space center. An hour Virsen's landing, Munmun 1, a Munar flyby spacecraft, will launch to, you guessed it, the Mun.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

A teaser of things to come.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNMUN 1: YEAR 1, DAY 81

Excuse me while I float on by.

With  the Astro program over, it's time we expand the arm of Kerbalkind beyond LKO. Today, Beyond is launching Munmun 1 of to the Mun (duh). As exciting as an orbiter would be, we don't exactly have the math yet to make an orbiter. So we'll instead be using a flyby spacecraft. It has three experiments on it: a thermometer, a barometer, and the Mystery Goo. It's going to flyby at an altitude of 15km, the altitude which we want to put an orbiter at. We're going to launch it atop an Aeygypticus rocket, but we still had to add an engine on the spacecraft to give it enough fuel to get to the Mun. Mid-afternoon on day 81, Munmun 1 is ready for liftoff.

Come on, we've all seen a liftoff before.

Spoiler

After Munmun 1 inserts itself in LKO, it completes 1 orbit before Trans-Munar Injection (TMI) and has its systems checked.

Go for TMI!

Stage separation! (Though you can barely see it.)

Coasting period begins.

Munmun 1 coasts for 1 day towards the Mun. Nothing much happens on the way. There's nothing but empty space. Thoug it doesn't take long until Munmun feels the pull of the Mun's gravity.

Munar approach.

Closest approach to the surface.

Flying away from the Mun.

Munmun 1 is going to remain in a highly elliptical orbit, staying there forever. It will still remain in contact, but it's pretty much useless at this point.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNMUN 2: YEAR 1, DAY 100

What a show off!

With the Mun in another optimal position for communications to be supplied to a flyby mission, Beyond will be launching Munmun 2, our second munar flyby mission. We're kinda just keeping the public occupied as we make our munar orbiter, Munmun 3. In the late morning, it's readied and rolled out to the launch pad.

Spoiler

With orbit achieved, systems are checked to see if Munmun 2 is good for TMI. With nothing out of the ordinary, it's given the go ahead.

TMI burn.

Coasting period begins.

Closest approach to the Mun (sorry it's so dark).

Flying away from the Mun

Cameras are able to catch this very scenic shot of Kerbin and the Mun. Minmus is behind the spacecraft I believe.

With Munmun 2 complete, Munmun 3 will take the stage. The challenge is great, as we're placing something into orbit of another celestial body. Our scientists think what we need to do is burn retrograde instead of prograde, which will slow down the spacecraft into low munar orbit. Munmun 3 will launch in 18-25 days (I forgor when it'll launch ).

Edited November 27, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNMUN 3: YEAR 1, DAY 119

Lovely views!

It's time for the amazing, the wonderful, the [INSERT POSITIVE WORD HERE] launch of Munmun 3, our first munar orbiter! It has state of the art communications to relay our findings back to Kerbin, and better, more high res camera for taking pictures of the Mun in detail. Orbiting the Mun is an important step on the road of putting a Kerbal on the Mun. The Aegypticus is sadly not powerful enough to launch a munar orbiter, so it'll instead be launched atop a Kitten 2 rocket (I originally wanted to call is Kitan, but N9 Gaming took that name in For All Kerbalkind). The Kitten is perhaps the most powerful rocket built to date, and will be used to launch heavy payloads until the currently called "Universal Launch Vehicle" is built and launnched. R.I.P. Aegypticus Rocket. Your service is not in vain.

I apologize that there aren't any good views of the rocket. You'll see it in more detail in the ext launch

Spoiler

Probe thingy thing-o-mo-bob I'm very tired.

I'm realizing now that the probe looks a lot like Mariner, which annoys me because I realized I could've used this for an interplanetary probe.

TMI burn

Munar Insertion Burn

And Munmun 3 is now in a successful munar orbit! It transmits some very interesting data about the Mun, as it may NOT be made of cheese. Our scientists are outraged, as their source for infinite snacks may have been ruined. A lander mission is readied, Munmun 4, to disprove this very disappointing discovery. Damn gray dust...

This pic goes hard. Feel free to screenshot.

Edited November 27, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

I'm currently FAR ahead of this thread in my save, and I'm at the point of launching the first probe to Minmus. Only issue is, I don't have a name. Does anyone have a suggestion? The only idea I have are the chip probes, like mint chip ice cream which is 100% what Minmus is made of.

Edited November 26, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNMUN 4: YEAR 1, DAY 140

Is the Mun made of cheese?

With Munmun 3's discovery that the Mun may not be made out of cheese, Beyond prepares to launch their lander Munmun 4 to see if this shocking discovery is real. Also, prove that we can land something on the Mun I guess I dunno. Munmun 4 will also launch atop a Kitten 2 rocket, which is still the only rocket powerful enough to put something into a low munar orbit. The actual lander itself will do the de-orbit burn and suicide burn.

Spoiler

TMI burn.

Munar approach.

Munar orbital insertion burn.

Munar sunrise.

Munmun 4 going in for it's landing in the kinda big crater.

Just a bit closer...

Successful landing!

We've done it! We actually have something on the munar surface! It's not coming back, sadly, but still. From it's onboard cameras, we can sadly see that there's no cheese in sight. Rocks and boring gray dust. Science brought back though is still interesting. The Mun is a dead object, and has major temperature fluctuations between the day and night side, due to it's lack of atmosphere. Obviously there's atmospheric pressure. Our materials apparently... glow. The mystery goo also appears to like this environment, seeming to slosh around with joy. With a lander on the Mun's surface, we've proven that it's possible to put something on it's surface. with a rocket and vehicle already prepared, we have readied ourselves for the next great adventure: a Kerbal on the surface of the Mun.

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNAR 1: YEAR 1, DAY 159

Munshot

This mission will be two parts, because I got a teeny tiny bit carried away with the screenshots. As such this will be two parts. This part is the actual transfer to the Mun, and the second part is the landing and return to Kerbin. This is, quite obviously, the first part.

Crew: Jebediah, Bob, Valentina

All of Kerbin sits in front of their television sets with anticipation, as Kerbalkind is about to launch their way to the Mun. Jebediah has been picked to take the famous first step on the surface, followed b Valentina and last but not least, Bob. They'll be launched atop a Tendagurensis Rocket, the most powerful rocket ever built. Powered by a mighty Mammoth Engine and 8 Kickback Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), it literally blows up it's launch on launch. The landing craft itself is a direct ascent. Docking technology was proposed, but that would require many more missions, and end up with a Mun landing a longer time away then what we want. The rocket is rolled out to launchpad in mid morning, as the crew anxiously waits atop the rocket.

Munar 1 on the launch pad.

T- 10, 9, 8, 7 ,6 ignition sequence start...

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, liftoff! Liftoff on Munar 1!

Starting roll sequence.

Booster separation.

Stage 1 separation.

Orbital insertion burn into a 100x100 km orbit.

Orbit confirmed.

FLIGHT VERBAL LOG

JEBEDIAH KERMAN: It's been a long time since we've been up here mission control. The view never gets old though.

GENE KERMAN: Glad to here, Munar 1. Valentina, do you report any difficulties that could halt the flight at all?

VALENTINA KERMAN: No CAPCOM, I report nothing. Systems look good. What's our trajectory going to look like for TMI?

GENE KERMAN: I don't know, ask Bob. He's the numbers guy.

BOB KERMAN: Really? You're calling on me? Ugh, fine. What we want to do is predict when the Mun is just over the horizon, and start burning there, with a few little adjustments to fine tune it. Mission control can take hand of that.

GENE KERMAN: Yeah, were uh... 100% up to date on what we need to do.

BOB KERMAN: Then why did you ask me how to- wait, you don't know how to do this?! Our lives are in your hands and you don't know how to this operation?! When I come back I'm going to rip out yo- pei- and-

The transmission appears to have just mysteriously cut out for non-censorship reasons. Oh well, I'm sure audiences will understand that they were simply trash talking. I think. Uhh...

TMI burn.

Stage 2 separation.

Bob does a little EVA about half to the Mun, preforming various science experiments. As he's floating in aptly named "space chair", he states "This not a typical lawn chair view, I think". Wise words.

Munar 1 makes it's way to the Mun over the course of one day. They snack, play board games they brought along, and sleep in perhaps the most uncomfortable sleeping conditions ever. The capsule is very tiny, and three Kerbals is a lot Kerbals to be stuffed into a tiny capsule. They do have a lot of room to move about inside though. I guess floating around up there, they have their... ups and downs. Get it? Not funny? Okay, I'll stop.

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNAR 1: YEAR 1, DAY 159

Munshot

This mission will be two parts, because I got a teeny tiny bit carried away with the screenshots. As such this will be two parts. This part is the actual transfer to the Mun, and the second part is the landing and return to Kerbin. This is the second part.

Crew: Jebediah, Bob, Valentina

The crew report that they can now quite clearly see the Mun now. As they approach, Bob does another EVA to collect more science experiments, which really excites the scientists back home. The crew say that, while it is a bring gray rock, it's one of the most beautiful boring gray rocks they've ever seen. The view of Kerbin reminds them of how fragile their planet is, so they tell the people of Kerbin, "Stop draining Kerbin's resources! There's a perfectly fine body right here to drain!".

Munar braking burn.

Orbit achieved.

EVA in munar low space.

De-orbit burn to the Mun's surface.

Final engine puffs.

Successful touch down!

Munar 1 is now standing upright on the munar surface! Mission control bursts into cheers, as Kerbals are now sitting on the surface of another world. From their window they report they can barely see Kerbin, as most of is shrouded in darkness. However, they see a very alien sight. A crescent Kerbin. Valentina states "I can see everyone from here, but I can't see what they're doing? What a bust." Jebediah, Valentina, and Bob all prepare for EVA, or the Munwalk. They put on their helmets and turn on their oxygen tanks, depressurize the capsule, and open the hatch.

Jebediah taking it all in as he steps down the ladder.

Jebediah has become the first Kerbal to walk on the surface of the Mun!

Valentina stepping down the ladder, from Jebediah's point of view.

After Bob steps off the ladder, all of the crew talk about what they should do. If they should return, or continue surface excursions. They pick the latter.

The crew pose in front of the flag. Well, Bob does anyways. What would you even call that?

Riveting words on the plaque.

Bob, disguising it as a science experiment, shows off his golfing skills to Jebediah and Valentina.

CREW VERBAL LOG

GENE KERMAN: How's it going up there?

JEBEDIAH KERMAN: Very finely. The Munwalk has gone to plan so far, besides Bob showing us his golf skills.

GENE KERMAN: How were they?

VALENTINA KERMAN: Oh, they sucked balls. Golf balls, to be precise. He miss swung 3 times before Jeb actually showed him how to do it.

GENE KERMAN: Bob, how was this a science experiment?

BOB KERMAN: It showed the ball arching in the low gravity. It was basically a little test on velocity in a different force of gravity, and see how gravity effects it.

VALENTINA KERMAN: You can't get much valuable data if you can't hit the ball, can you?

BOB KERMAN: Hey!

VALENTINA KERMAN: You can't get mad at me for simply saying the truth.

As Valentina puts up lights around the landing site, specifically at the flag and lander, Bob goes off and explores the Munar surface to try and find a rock to get samples of.

No rocks worthy of study, but he did find a pretty big rock.

Jeb had a tiny bit less luck finding a rock, as he accidentally hit one in the process.

It was a glorious 30 minutes on the Mun's surface, but all good things must come to an end. Jebediah, Bob, and Valentina board the Munar 1 lander.

Liftoff from the munar surface.

Orbital insertion burn.

Burn back to Kerbin.

Munar 1 flew into the atmosphere at a speed near 3,000 m/s. A huge fireball appeared around the whole capsule.

Parachutes deployed.

Splashdown!

The crew have successfully returned from the munar surface, bringing back a ton of science and surface samples. The dust got all over their suits, and they have no idea how to get it out. They decide the best thing to do is to simply bear the crap out of suits, thereby beating the dust out. The only issue is, we don't know if the dust if toxic or not. So we don't know if beating the suits is a good idea. The kerbonauts will also be put into quarantine, in case they brought back a Mun disease. We don't want the corny movies to be real. The crew themselves are expecting several boxes of chocolates, and R&D has agreed to give each crew member ONE Mun rock. If you lose it, you don't get another. Already though, the space center gets ready to launch the next Mun mission, Munar 2, in 20 days. Obviously, we move in predictable patterns, but we run on a very tight schedule here.

Edited December 3, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

I apologize for the long hold on this thread, I just haven't been in much of a Kerbal mood recently. I'll try my best to keep to a daily update schedule.

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNAR 2: YEAR 1, DAY 178

There and back again... again.

Crew: Lebro, Virsen, Bill

Beyond once again prepares for another Mun landing. The mission profile is the same, go there, land, and return, but the launch vehicle has been updated... barely. All we did was just add preparations where there weren't any. The crew is comprised of our engineer, Bill Kerman, who is veteran kerbonaut, Virsen, who is also a veteran, and Lebro, who's a rookie kerbonaut, eagerly awaiting to get her boots covered in Mun dust.

Spoiler

Stage 2 separation and ignition.

Orbital insertion burn.

Coasting period after TMI.

High-space EVA.

Munar braking burn.

So long, stage 2.

Munar 2's landing portion is now free to go down to the surface. while doing it's 1 orbit of the Mun, a landing site is picked out. It's on the western hemisphere, far from any crater. It fires its engines on the morning part of the Mun.

De-orbit burn.

Touchdown of Munar 2.

Lebro Kerman has set foot on the Mun.

Ceremonial flag planting, and one of my favorite screenshots.

Historic

Space golf! This time it's actually for science.

CREW VERBAL LOG

LEBRO KERMAN: All right, Bill. You get the lights, and deploy them about the landing. I want the flag and ship illuminated. Virsen, I want you to go find find Mun rocks we can pick up. Everyone understand?

BILL KERMAN: Wait where do want them?

VIRSEN KERMAN: She said she wants them at the flag and the ship.

BILL KERMAN: Well that's not a nice word to say.

LEBRO KERMAN: Flag and the SHIP you idiot!

VIRSEN KERMAN: I vote we leave Bill on the Mun. Does anyone second?

LEBRRO KERMAN: ME!

GENE KERMAN: As tempting as it is to give that the green light, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. It's against protocol.

Mun stone found.

As Virsen goes off to find a mun rock to collect, Bill puts up lights around the landing site. Once he's done, he too decides to go out and explore the Munar surface. While not a big one, the crew did land by a crater, and he decides to go explore it.

Flying into the crater.

Surface shenanigans.

After another 30 minute excursion, the crew get back on board Munar 2, activate the engine, and prepare for liftoff from the Munar surface. I forgot to get screenshots of the actual process of leaving the Mun, but really that part's not all that important to begin with.

Munar 2 headed in on re-entry.

Parachutes deployed.

Recovery crews a very quickly sent out to pick up Munar 2. The crew report that from what they saw, the Mun's far side is not a lava covered, mountainous hellscape that everyone thought it was. It's decided that Munar 3 will be a farside landing mission.

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNAR 3: YEAR 1, DAY 200

Mysterious as the dark side of the mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!

Crew: Debo, Danfal, Albert

Beyond has decided to do one the riskiest landing possible: a landing on the munar far side. With no communications back to Kerbin, Mission control will have no idea what the crew are doing. If something goes wrong, they won't be able to know at all. This will leave all of Kerbin on the edge on their seats, as well as the crew on board. The mission will otherwsie be the same as all the others, an equatorial landing, but on the far side. If all goes well, the crew of this flight will be the first Kerbals to land on the far side of the Mun. This could be important for interplanetary travel, when comms blackouts will become a regular with the rotation of planets.

Spoiler

 

After Munar 3 enters LKO, the crew and mission control talk amongst themselves as to what the best course of action for the flight should be, and where they should land. It's decided that they will land in a giant crater on the Mun's far side. The farside crater, as it's called. We know it's there, as pictures of it have been taken of it from Munmun 3. The crew will prform normal EVA activities on the surface, and to tell if there was possibly an accident on the surface, the crew must regain contact around a designated time. With evrything decided, a course for the Mun is plotted out, and the crew sit back for all that awaits them.

 

Spoiler

TMI burn.

Munar insertion burn.

Munar de-orbit burn.

As the crew descend to the Mun's surface, contact with the KSC is lost. Mission control can now do nothing but hope for the best. Meanwhile, the crew a seeing a sight more alien than seeing Kerbin from the Mun: not seeing Kerbin at all. Descent goes smoothly, and before the crew know it, their vessel is standing on the surface of the Mun.

Wow, the narrator isn't kidding!

Debo standing on the Mun's farside surface. She says after the flight that it's eerily silent without constant blabbering from mission control.

Danfal is now also on the Mun's surface.

All of the crew posing for the flag shot. And yes, Albert is a woman. Maybe she's trans?

Standard surface practices.

Liftoff from the munar surface.

Munar orbital insertion burn.

As connection is re-established with the KSC, mission control bursts into cheers. Beyond has proven that thet can put something on the Mun's farside, without the need for relay. Will we do it again? Probably not, but also we're running out of room to place flags on the Mun's surface. With the mission over, the crew prepare to head home, where a fairly nice gift basket is waiting for them.

Re-entry into Kerbin's atmosphere.

Parachutes deployed.

Splashdown!

Munar 3 has returned home! The crew say that the Mun's farside is nothing to write home about. There's no alien civilizations, no magical forests of unicorns, and no giant supermarket filled to the brim with snacks (we wanted the snacks one). No, it's just the same gray surface. Still, the feeling of being out of contact on the surface of another world is exhilarating, and several other crews want to go there as well. Beyond is talking about maybe having Munar 6 be another farside, as that would be a good way to end the Munar Program with a bang (hopefully not literally), but we still have yet to talk about that. For now, the crew of Munar 3 will hold the glory of being the only Kerbals on the Mun's farside.

Edited December 10, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

MINMIN 1: YEAR 1, DAY 203

Where no ice cream has gone before!

After several weeks of work, Beyond is ready to launch the first spacecraft to Minmus. After a failed public outreach attempt to get a name for our Minmus probe, our engineers have decided to call it the Minmin program, similar to Munmun. Minmin 1 isn't very extravagant, it's just an orbiter. The rocket that will be used will be the Kitten II rocket, as it's the only rocket powerful enough to lift a payload to a low Minmus orbit. Even so, there's still an engine on the probe itself (though that's also for various maneuvers too). The reason we don't want to send a lander just yet is because Kerbin's very best and brightest believe that Minmus is made out of ice cream, and that a spacecraft would just sink into the surface. However, we thought the Mun was made of cheese, and that was disproven.  So maybe Minmus is made out of Mint rocks. Oh, but we want the ice cream! Point is, probe, send it, get science. Les go.

Minmin 1, sitting on the pad.

LKO confirmed.

After Minmin 1 enters it's parking orbit, Mission control decides what to do next. Should they de-orbit, or should they go to Minmus? Minmin 1 is given the go for it's mission to Minmus. However, it will have to do certain maneuvers before hand. It'll have to do an inclination change to get onto Minmus's plain, making the Trans-Minmus Injection (TMI) burn much more efficient.

Inclination change.

After another orbit, Minmin 1 is go for TMI.

Minmus approach.

We've done it! We now have something in orbit of Minmus! Radio transmissions are coming back... it appears Minmus is very cold, backing up the ice cream hypothesis. Though it also appears to have a thin "atmosphere" of sorts. Dust, wait no, water vapor appears to be rising from it's surface. Wait, water? Water on Minmus? This may require further investigation. Until then though, mission control can sit back, relax, and celebrate the farthest thing from Kerbin at this point in time. Well, at least until the next Mun mission.

[Kerbalsaurus]

K-PLANE PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

It’s like X with K!

Beyond is proud to announce the K-Plane program! Our goal with this program is to construct high speed, high altitude planes to eventually get to our goal of launching an SSTO spaceplane: takes off like a plane, lands like a plane, without any other stages or dropped tanks. This will of course take several flights, and take course over several years, as we work on more conventional rocket flight. The first flight is predicted to take place at the end of year, as the current plane design is still going under intense research. In the meantime, Beyond will continue to launch crewed missions to the Mun, as well as keep developing the Jebini and Minmin programs.

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNAR 4: YEAR 1, DAY 222

Nothin' Special

Crew: Ronvin, Malgard, Janby

There's really nothing to see with this mission. Just your standard, run of the mill Mun mission. We land, we return. No ground-breaking discoveries, no record-shattering mission profile, just a mission. We don't why we're sitting here talking, we guess it's just more part of the formula by now.

LKO is achieved.

With an orbit achieved, Munar 4 sits as systems are checked. After 1 orbit of Kerbin, it fires it's engines for the TMI burn.

Munar orbit achieved.

After Munar orbit is confirmed, mission control and the crew try to decide the best spot to land at. They find an area in the midlands that seems to be flat, and shortly after they fire their engines for descent.

Decsent to the Munar surface.

Ronvin is now standing on the munar surface!

Ceremonial flag planting.

Beachgoers get a lovely surprise.

Mission success! Munar 4 has returned from the Mun! I've also managed to one up NASA, by putting 12 Kerbals on the Mun in 4 missions, rather than NASA's dinky little Apollo Program, putting 12 people on the Moon in 6. However, the Munar program's time is limited, as only 2 more missions remain in the program. However, the Jebini program will prove the technology for a Minmus landing. And not to mention, we still have yet to go those little dots orbiting Kerbol...

Edited December 12, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

EXPLORER 1: YEAR 1, DAY 231

Is there life on Duna?

It's finally time. With a Duna transfer window finally here, Beyond prepares to launch their first interplanetary probe: Explorer 1. This little probe is a Duna orbiter. It'll give us images of Duna's surface, test how cold it is by Duna, and preform several experiments in general. It's launched atop our new Universal Launch Vehicle, the Eve I. The first rocket in the Eve series. It can lift 6.8 tons to LKO, and while that's nothing compared to the Tendagerensis Rocket, it's still something. Kerbin sits and waits for Kerbalkind's first shot ever into space beyond Kerbin.

As Kerbol sets behind the foothills of the KSC, Explorer 1 sits ready and waiting for its months long journey.

Orbit achieved.

Stage 2 separation.

With the Eve I serving its launching purpose, the probe and propulsion module are free to float about. The probe itself seems fine. No visible damages. Solar arrays and comms units are deployed, and Explorer 1 prepared for its maiden voyage to Duna.

Trans-Duna Injection (TDI) burn.

The coasting period now begins , and the Explorer team now sit back as the probe coasts its way to Duna. Half way there, a mid course correction burn will take place, to put it's encounter equatorial and at 70km, taking advantage of the oberth effect. Until then, we wish Explorer 1 good luck on its mission to Duna!

[Kerbalsaurus]

MUNAR 5: YEAR 1, DAY 242

Where's Santa Claus?

Crew: Stamon, Adburry, Wensy

With the Munar vehicle proving to be a very successful one, Beyond decides to launch it to a very risky area: the Munar South Pole. The poles of the Mun are very mountainous, as shown in pictures taken from Munmun 1&2. Therefore, Beyond will have to be extra careful when landing. It's decided a cater landing would be best, as craters are very flat. Surface samples will be collected from the poles, and the crew, in theory , should be able to see a Kerbin sitting upright in the sky. Well, upside down, but a Kerbin that's not sideways.

Orbit achieved.

Mid-course correction burn.

Contact!

As we said, Kerbin in theory should've been in the sky. Sadly though, the crew reports that it was covered up by mountains. The crew now get ready to go on an EVA.

The stay on the surface though, to the crew, seems much too short, as before they no it they have to get back on board the lander and head back home. It'd still be better than being trapped here, though.

After a total of 3 days in space (the longest spaceflight yet), the crew are definitely... a little dazed. valuable surface samples are picked up though, and the crew say, contrary to popular belief, the Munar south pole is not super cold. In fact, it's the same temperature as the rest of the Mun. And, despite a certain analogue horror film, there are no "rock crabs" there either.

[Kerbalsaurus]

I apologize to those whole follow this thread. I haven't been in much of Kerbal mood recently. First off, I lost my mouse so I couldn't get my mediocre cinematic shots, and also I got Mars Horizon for Christmas so I've been playing a lot of that recently (and I've done quite well too). But I have found my mouse, and I AM in Kerbal mood now, so expect the next post tomorrow. Jebini will fly! Well, that's a few posts away, but something will fly!

Edited December 28, 2022 by Kerbalsaurus