Beyond: Kerbalkind's History of Space Exploration

[Kimera Industries]

If it's a science probe you want, then it's a science probe you're gonna get! Presenting, the

FEDORU-1

Advanced Ore Scanner and Surveyor

(Artist's rendering)

The FEDORU-1 boasts a wide range of science capabilities, including, but not limited to, 

• Ore Mapping
• Anomaly Scanning
• Science Gathering

(Artist's rendering)

The FEDORU-1 can be adapted for a wide range of environments, as the science parts are easily swappable. You can send it anywhere in the solar system! (Warranty void if sent out of range of KerbNet. May require extra antennas, sold separately. Warranty void if non-Kimera Industries brand antennas are attached to vessel.)

Not to fear, its compact form factor and advanced Extendy Bits^TM technology let it fit in budget-sized payload fairings!

(Artist's rendering)

FEDORU-1 on KerbalX.

Edited January 30 by Kimera Industries
New page for the new probe!

[Kerbalsaurus]

KIWISAT-G2 - YEAR 3, DAY 11

He returns with no style...

MISSION OBJECTIVE: Launch Kiwisat-G into a Keosynchronous orbit

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Apteryx-9B

"T- 10 minutes until launch, all systems are go at this time." - Klifford Kerman (Flight Controller)

A few days ago, the Apteryx-9B and Kiwisat-G2 arrived at the KSC, pretty much flight ready. Just a bit of integration, tweaking, and fueling, and the rocket was rolled out to the launchpad. The goal of this flight is pretty simple, really. The satellite just has to be put into it's correct orbit, and control will be handed off to KT&T, allowing global access to the internet. After all systems are triple checked, flight control is sure that everything is in a good flight ready condition.

"T- 10, 9, 8 , 7, 6, ignition sequence start, 4, 3, 2, 1..." - Klifford Kerman

"Liftoff on Kiwisat-G2!" - Klifford Kerman

"Continuing coast to orbit." - Klifford Kerman

"We are go for orbital insertion burn." - Klifford Kerman

"Roger that, startup on LV-909." - Chris Kerman (Engines)

"Orbital entry is established." - Klifford Kerman

And phase one of the mission is complete! Now it's time to complete the main goal of the mission, which is phase two. The satellite completes one more orbit of Kerbin, as mission control checks all of the spacecraft's systems and sets up the spacecraft's maneuvers. Once everything is confirmed go, Kiwisat-G2 fires up its engines once again for its intended orbit.

"And a clean re-ignition of the LV-909!" - Chris Kerman (Engines)

And now... we wait. It'll take a little over an hour until Kiwisat reaches its apoapsis. So, uh, does anybody have any cards?

An hour isn't too long though, and before you know it we're ready to go Keosynchronous! Mission control gives the green light for it's final orbital insertion.

"Burn proceeding smoothly." - Klifford Kerman

"Kiwisat-G2 is now in its intended orbit!" - Klifford Kerman

Success! The mission goes perfectly! Shortly after entering keosynchronous orbit, control of the satellite is handed off to KT&T, and control of the second stage is handed off to EDL teams. The second stage fires its engines, and begins climbing down into the atmosphere.

Another mission for the history books (or report, in this case). All of Kerbin now has access to the internet, or at least those who pay for KT&T. And congratulations to @Royalswissarmyknife Kerman and everyone at KiwiTech on another successful flight of the Apteryx-9B!

[Royalswissarmyknife]

Another very successful mission for the Apteryx-9B! 

In anticipation of larger payloads we have developed a variant of the Apteryx-9B with a expanded fairing.

KerbalX - Apteryx-9B-EF

 

 

[Kerbalsaurus]

MLO TOURIST ANNOUNCED - YEAR 4, DAY 12

FROM THE DESK OF KERBALSAURUS

 

From left to right is Kerbalsaurus Kerman, DunasOnlyMoon Kerman, and Marsha Kerman

Ladies and gentlekerbs, meet the latest Winter Owl customer, Marsha Kerman! In a just a few weeks, she will board an MLO spacecraft and head off for a ten day mission to Kerman Station. She's been practically everywhere on Kerbin, from the biggest cities to the most unknown farm towns. There's nowhere left to go but up. Congratulations to Marsha Kerman for being the best pick for this flight, and thank you to @Dunas Only Moon Kerman and Winter Owl for continuing to be major partners with Beyond!

"The press may now feel free to ask questions." - Kerbalsaurus Kerman (Director)

[Kerbalsaurus]

EMBARK - YEAR 4, DAY 19

Commercialism galore...

MISSION OBJECTIVE: Study Kerbin's Magnetosphere

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Apteryx-9B

Once again the Apteryx-9B is flying, but this time with quite an exciting payload. On board is NAC's EMBARK spacecraft! The probe is outfitted with three magnetometer booms, which will collect data on Kerbin's magnetosphere and transmit its finding to scientists on Kerbin. In order to get as close as possible to the magnetosphere, the probe will be launch into a 250x250km orbit, at the very edge of high space.

"Liftoff on the Apteryx-9B, carrying EMBARK!" - Gene Kerman (Flight Controller)

The Apteryx-9B lifts off into the night sky, with a smokeless electric flame following it. This rocket is starting to become quite a familiar sight at the KSC.

"Successful stage 2 ignition confirmed." - Chris Kerman (Engines)

Once instruments report that the spacecraft's apoapsis is at the required height, the second stage engine is cut and the spacecraft begins coasting up. After about 15 minutes, the second stage is started up and the spacecraft burns for orbit.

"Successful startup on stage 2 engine." - Chris Kerman

"Roger that Chris, we are go for orbital insertion." - Gene Kerman

"Orbital entry is established!" - Gene Kerman

EMBARK is now is a stable high Kerbin orbit! Congratulations to @Hypersonic Was Taken Again Kerman and everyone at NAC for their first collaboration with Beyond, and we hope to work closely with you all in the future! Oh, and OORT-1 should also fly soon.

[Hypersonic Was Taken Again]

Nice! Glad to see the launch went well!

[TwoCalories]

Congratulations to @Hypersonic Was Taken Again and the successful launch of their EMBARK satellite! By the way, is the CS-38 Talon going to make any flights soon?

[Kerbalsaurus]

7 hours ago, TwoCalories said:

By the way, is the CS-38 Talon going to make any flights soon?

Just a few more missions away!

[Royalswissarmyknife]

We are very excited (and relieved) about the successful launch of EMBARK.

This is the start of a new era for Kiwi Tech and all of spaceflight!

 

 

[Kerbalsaurus]

I apologize for the lack of an update. Part of it is KSP burnout, and another part is writer’s block. I have no idea what to write down and how to go forward to the next post.

[Hypersonic Was Taken Again]

Perhaps interplanetary probes? It's a bit of a stopgap as writing for them gets repetitive after a while, but a few here or there can't hurt!

[Kimera Industries]

Maybe the rest of the commercial payloads, or another of your craft fulfilling a similar duty?

[SkyFall2489]

Perhaps it may even be time for a crewed interplanetary mission. An Eve flyby could be a good place to start.

[Kerbalsaurus]

17 hours ago, Hypersonic Was Taken Again said:

Perhaps interplanetary probes? It's a bit of a stopgap as writing for them gets repetitive after a while, but a few here or there can't hurt!

I have two en route already. In an update or two, we should be at Ike!

17 hours ago, Kimera Industries said:

Maybe the rest of the commercial payloads, or another of your craft fulfilling a similar duty?

I have to admit that commercial payloads are kind of the problem. Everybody's submitting massive rockets, advanced crew craft, and huge habitats, and I feel awful turning them down. One thing with it is that it just seems like people don't think I know how to play the game or that I'm playing it incorrectly. Another thing is that I seem more like a median for other people, and it feels like I'm playing the game for them, not for myself.

1 hour ago, SkyFall2489 said:

Perhaps it may even be time for a crewed interplanetary mission. An Eve flyby could be a good place to start.

I thought about it, but I feel like it doesn't fit into the story to just suddenly drop a random interplanetary mission.

[Hypersonic Was Taken Again]

Do you have SpaceDust or a similar mod? If so, then you could launch a space telescope! Lots of lore (and images) to be had with that.

[Kerbalsaurus]

It's been a long time, eh? For the made up people in my head that wondered where I went, I was just facing a bit of KSP burnout, and Cities: Skylines will always drags me in deep. However, I'm back! With a mission I flew... over a month ago.

***

KAPSTONE - YEAR 4, DAY 37

MISSION OBJECTIVE: Launch Kapstone into a Low Munar Orbit

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Apteryx-9B

"T- 15 minutes to launch, please clear launch area." - Bobak Kerman (Flight Director)

You gotta be kidding me, another Apteryx-9B launch? Yes, we're definitely seeing a lot of this guy recently. However, this mission isn't some standard satellite run. No, this mission is a irregular satellite run to the Mun! Yes, KiwiTech's Kapstone probe is being launched today, heading up to explore an orbit for a future space station, as well as scan the surface of the Mun for potential locations for a surface base. The probe itself is fairly simple, a small box with a solar panel and cameras onboard. But it's design is just what makes the probe more convenient.

"Stage 1 ignition." - Bobak Kerman

"Liftoff on Kapstone!" - Bobak Kerman

"Stage 2 startup... and ignition!" - Chris Kerman (Engines)

"Go for orbital insertion burn!" - Bobak Kerman

Now in orbit, Kapstone begins to deploy its various systems, while mission control checks for any bugs that may arise in the computer. With none to speak of, the spacecraft is ready to head off for the Mun.

"Kapstone is go TMI!" - Bobak Kerman

And with that, the spacecraft begins its journey to the Mun. So goodbye, Kerbin...

...hello Mun! for the next hour or so, mission control waits for Kapstone to drift down to it maneuver point.

"MOI burn proceeding smoothly." - Bobak Kerman

"Orbit confirmed on Kapstone!" - Bobak Kerman

Kapstone is now in munar orbit! The orbit picked for it is a 30kmx30km orbit, which is perfect for a space station. It's far enough from the Mun that a rendezvous burn would be efficient, but close enough that the crew would be able to perform observations of the Mun's surface. This confirms an orbit for the space station, so now we have to find a good place for a surface base. Unfortunately, on a place that covered in craters, flat land ain't exactly common. The inside of crates might be some good flat land though. We'll get back to ya'll on that.

Edited March 7 by Kerbalsaurus

[Kerbalsaurus]

CS-38 TALON - YEAR 4, DAY 37

CREW

• Pilot: Jebediah Kerman

Finally ready, the brand new CalSpace CS-38 Talon rolls out to the runway! This flight will be more than just a small test flight, as the plane will also be dropping a scientific payload over the mountains behind the KSC. Although, the payload is not meant to recovered. It will transmit the data it's supposed to transmit, and then be destroyed. But enough about the science stuff, let's get to the plane itself.

The CS-38 is the cutting edge of plane technology. Yes, it was a competitor to the Terror Bird, but modifications have been made over time to fit the changing plane market. The plane is fast, controllable, and marketed to us as a breeze to fly.

Flying this mission will of course be the one, the only, Jebediah Kerman. He's now widely regarded as one of the greatest pilots of all time on Kerbin, having being the first to pretty much every crewed milestone in aerospace thus far. Now, enough yap. Let's get flying!

"Alright, throttling up engines... WOAH what a jolt!" - Jebediah Kerman

"Really, Jeb? Not even at full altitude and you start stunting?" - Boston Kerman (ATC)

"Hey, that's what planes are meant for!" - Jebediah Kerman

"Alright, heading towards marked location." - Jebediah Kerman

"Roger that, maintain altitude 5.0km." - Boston Kerman

"Payload deployed! Transmitting now!" - Jebediah Kerman

"Roger that, we're getting a clear stream back here too!" - Boston Kerman

"Alright KSC, starting to make my way back." - Jebediah Kerman

"Roger that, runway's clear so you should be good to land too." - Boston Kerman

The Talon makes it back home, and in one piece too! However, there were a few flaws while flying it. For example, Jeb reported it was hard to keep the spacecraft under control when the payload was on the wing. Maybe two scientific drop units would work better? All in all though, the flight was a rousing success! Congratulations to CalSpace on this outstanding mission, and thank you to @TwoCalories and his engineers for this fantastic plane!

[TwoCalories]

All the engineers, scientists, and pilots at CalSpace are very happy that the CS-38 Talon survived performed almost flawlessly in its first flight! We uhh... haven't really done much more work into the other science payloads, like the cruise missile science glider. We'll get to it, though!

Once again, we are overjoyed to be a part of Beyond's endeavours!

[Kerbalsaurus]

KERMAN STATION AND AURORA PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT - YEAR 4, DAY 39

We need shorter names for these things...

FROM THE DESK OF KERBALSAURUS KERMAN

 

While Beyond has been making a racket with commercial flights, behind the scenes we've been busy. Very busy. Everyday spaceflight technology is getting more and more advanced. We have to keep up, or even be ahead of the curve. Today, we're about to show you our newest feats of technology, with some things the commercial market hasn't even thought of yet. Well, enough yapping, let's get to showing. First, our expansion plans for Kerman Station.

After assesing our previous expansion plans, Kongress decided to say that it was too outrageous and expensive to build something that big on such a tiny space station. So instead, a new proposal was made that will add expansions to Kerman Station in small little increments of one or two modules. The first expansion will add Kimera Industries Celestial Lounge Module, as well as an experimental idea for an inflatable module. The design may prove useful in future interplanetary flights.

Next up, the Aurora Program, and the arguably more exciting news. After quite a long time of trying to agree on a design, the Aurora Task Group finally has something to show us. A brand new Munar Space Station!

Extremely exciting! The station is, yes, quite expensive, but will work out in the long term. Multiple docking ports are included which will allow for fuel tanks, landers, and crewed spacecraft to dock to the space station, making it a bustling hub of space activity. Exciting times are ahead for Beyond, and we can't watch it all unfold with you!

 

-Kerbalsaurus K.

Edited March 9 by Kerbalsaurus
We do not speak of the old name.

[Kimera Industries]

1 hour ago, Kerbalsaurus said:

A brand new Munar Space Station!

Lunar Gateway, anyone?

1 hour ago, Kerbalsaurus said:

Neat graphic! How do you get a png of the craft like that?

[Kerbalsaurus]

5 minutes ago, Kimera Industries said:

Neat graphic! How do you get a png of the craft like that?

Thank you! I used Kronal Vessel Viewer for the actual picture of the spacecraft, and then made the graphic on Google Drawings. Yes, crappy photo editor, but I’ve used it so much over the years I’m quite used to all of the tools.

Anyways, Kronal Vessel Viewer:

 

[Kimera Industries]

33 minutes ago, Kerbalsaurus said:

Kronal Vessel Viewer:

Odd, in all my searching for a vessel blueprint maker, I never stumbled across this. Time to pull out CKAN again.

[Kerbalsaurus]

KIWISAT-G3 - YEAR 4, DAY 43

MISSION OBJECTIVE: Launch Kiwisat into a Keosynchronous Orbit for a Private Customer

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Apteryx-9B

Yes, once again an Apteryx-9B launch. We're seeing a lot of this guy, aren't we? The mission it's flying is yet another satellite run. Just a Kiwisat launch for a private company. Not much to really say. No special modifications to either the rocket or satellite. Why am I even sitting here talking?

"Liftoff on Kiwisat-G3!" - Gene Kerman (Flight Controller)

"Orbit confirmed on Kiwisat-G3." - Gene Kerman

Next up is the maneuver to put the satellite into a Keosynchronous orbit. However, this is all routine by now so there isn't much to say about it.

"Beginning coasting period." - Gene Kerman

"Final orbit achieved on Kiwisat-G3." - Gene Kerman

Once in it's intended orbit, all control of the satellite is handed over to it's paying customer. Beyond gets a fat wad of cash, and they get... I don't know, more internet? I'm not really familiar with this whole networking thing.

[Royalswissarmyknife]

KIWI TECH UPDATE

We are very excited about the Success of our latest satelites! they both are working exceptionally thanks to our Apetryx-9.

I also have another major announcement to share with you today. we are now changing from name from Kiwi Tech to  Royal Tech! 

[Kerbalsaurus]

After a suggestion from @Hypersonic Was Taken Again, I decided to download Spacedust! The mod looks cool, the parts are kind of limited and not all too unique, but telescopes people! Space telescopes! How cool is that?!