The Icarus Program (Chapter 17, Part 5)

[Drethon]

Chapter 17 Part 4

    As the rescue rockets maneuvered to rendezvous with the stranded Kerbals, Bob noticed one more rocket moving to the pad.
    “Gene,” asked Bob curiously. “What is the rocket arriving at the pad now?”
    “Oh, just a little something I wanted to launch,” grinned Gene. “Our Minmus science return probe has enough range to go out and visit Kebol’s SOI. Let us see what is out there.”
    Bob’s eyes widened with excitement as realization dawned. “You mean... you’re launching a mission beyond Kerbin’s SOI?”
    Gene nodded. “That’s right.”
    “Awesome!” Bob exclaimed, with atypical enthusiasm.

    “Jeb,” said Gene. “Please launch our Kerbol science rocket.”
    “On it,” Jebediah had barely had time to catch his breath after the final stranded Kerbal had reentered Kerbin, but he was never too tired to fly a rocket. Exhausted or not, Jebediah sent the commands with practiced precision and the rocket roared off the pad.
    “Such a tiny little probe, and a big TWR,” Bill grinned as the rocket accelerated upward. “That thing has TWR of 3 just sitting there on the pad, climbing to 5… 6, 7.5 at burnout. Faster than a holiday firework!”
    “Jeb,” said Gene as Jebediah focused on the controls. “You know how you normally complete the gravity turn to get the highest orbital velocity at an apoapsis just above the atmosphere.”
    “Yeah?” asked Jebediah as he prepared to start to circularize the orbit.
    “We don’t need to orbit this probe,” said Gene with a small grin. “Just point the rocket prograde and keep the throttle firewalled.”
    Jeb paused to glance at Gene. “Full throttle all the way up?”
    “Yep,” grinned Gene.
    “We have plenty of thrust on this rocket,” said Bob with a smile of his own. “We just need to build up enough velocity relative to Kerbin.”
    Jebeidah turned back with a broad smile as he held the rocket on its course, throttled to full. “No holding back, this is my kind of launch!”
    “That rockets going up like it's got something to prove!” whistled Bill. “No hesitation, nearly orbital velocity and still breathing atmosphere!”
    “The rocket is glowing like a rocket on reentry,” Bob squinted at the screen. “The probe core would melt down if the atmosphere was not thinning.”

    A minute later and the rocket’s apoapsis was outside of Kerbin orbit, aimed squarely for Kerbol’s SOI.
    “Two minutes and forty five seconds,” Gene noted from the mission control clock. “And just twelve days before the probe leaves Kerbin orbit. So little time for such a large distance.”
    “That is how you go somewhere in a hurry,” Jebediah leaned back in his seat, satisfied with a job well done.

Edited Sunday at 08:44 PM by Drethon

[Drethon]

Chapter 17 - Part 5
    This is Walter Kerman reporting. Today, the Icarus Program faced yet another busy and eventful day, yet again yet again working tirelessly to recover stranded Kerbalnauts scattered across Kerbin orbit. The day started with anticipation of the Rockomax Conglomerate and Goliath National Products latest large space expedition, following their previous success to orbit the Mun after their first attempt led to the Icarus Program’s first large rescue effort. The excitement quickly turned to major concern at the unexpected failure of a second Rockomax/GNP mission, again stranding multiple Kerbalnauts. Icarus program rescue rockets were launched in rapid succession, with meticulous coordination to rendezvous with each of the stranded Kerbalnauts.
    Unlike the previous, more complicated recovery effort, this latest incident did not result in any Kerbals being stranded beyond Kerbin's orbit, making today’s recovery operations relatively straightforward in comparison. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Icarus Program, every stranded Kerbalnaut was brought home safely.
    As a result of the successful rescues, the Icarus Program has enjoyed the addition of another new group of recruits to its ranks. The added expertise of these Kerbals is expected to drastically expand the capabilities of the Icarus Program. Allow me to introduce the newest addition to the Icarus Program:

Melfal Kerman: A skilled lander pilot, Milfal led Rockomax’s efforts in development of moon landers. Her expertise will be instrumental in allowing the Icarus Program to further refine its lander designs, and spearhead the development of lander advancements.
Megdas Kerman: A renowned mineral scientist with a passion for exploration, Megdas brings a wealth of knowledge to the program. Her ongoing research into orbital mineral scanners is expected to unlock new possibilities for resource identification and extraction.

Maberry Kerman: As a seasoned field geologist, Maberry’s sharp eye and experience with geological collection will be a major boost to the Icarus Program’s science gathering efforts. She is excited to pass on her knowledge to the Icarus Program’s team of Kerbalnauts.
Seanory Kerman: Actively pursuing the latest research in atmospheric physics and stellar observations. Seanory will help the Icarus Program with improvements in atmospheric flight and deep space navigation.
    Upon arrival at the KSC, the new recruits were swiftly debriefed and given time to recover from their harrowing experiences in space. Soon after, each was presented with their own, high-performance KT-38 trainer aircraft. These sleek, trainer aircraft will aid the new recruits in their duties, which include visiting various supplier sites to develop and integrate new hardware for the space program. The recruits wasted no time in taking to the skies for a series of test flights, demonstrating both their skills and eagerness to contribute to the Icarus Program’s mission.

    Meanwhile, sources within Rockomax Conglomerate have informed this reporter of a significant shift in the aerospace giant’s operational strategy. Following the recent costly failures, leading to the need for rescues by the Icarus Program, the Rockomax Conglomerate and Global National Produces partnership plans to scale back its ambitious multi-Kerbal missions. They aim to prioritize single-Kerbal missions in the near future, a calculated move to minimize risk and potential setbacks.
    This decision appears to be a direct response to the growing trend of rescued Kerbals joining the Icarus Program, often humorously referred to as “recruitment missions” by the KSC team. While the day’s rescue operations were another resounding success for the Icarus Program, questions linger about the growing frequency of these rescue missions and the long-term sustainability of the Rockmax Conglomerate and Goliath National Products space operations, even with their planned shift in strategy.
    Until next time, this was a Walter Kerman report.

 
    A little while after the day’s rescue operations had wrapped up, mission control had settled into an uncharacteristic calm. The room which had been bustling with activity only hours earlier was now a quiet haven. Most of the team had cleared out, eager to catch some much needed sleep after the grueling efforts. Since the rescue operation was flown with empty probe-operated capsules, CAPCOM’s role had been minimal during the operation, allowing Bobak Kerman to rest earlier. Now refreshed, Bobak was in charge of the skeleton crew monitoring systems in mission control.
    The dimly lit room was filled with the low hum of monitors and the occasional beeping of status alerts. With little activity on the ground, Bobak had spent much of the shift chatting with Julul, stationed aboard the KSS Ranger, currently in low Kerbin orbit. The conversation was a welcome relief from the previous intensity within mission control.
    “Are you keeping in shape,” asked Bobak as he scanned over the indicators on the console before him. The Ranger was the only active mission at the moment, so there was very little status to monitor. “I hear that floating around in space is fun, but does not help much with maintaining muscles.”
    “We have a treadmill and an exercise bike on board to keep us in shape,” Julul’s voice responded. “I’ve mostly been using the bike, but let me tell you, it’s not the same as biking in gravity.”
    “How’s that?” Bobak was curious.
“The bike comes with a harness to keep us from floating away while we pedal,” Julul’s tone had a slight grimace. “It does the job, but the thing gives me sore muscles in places I’ve never felt from biking on Kerbin.”
    “Sounds like a design by Bob, does the job but does not account for ease of use,” Bobak frowned. “Though what alternative do you have to use the bike?”
    “We’ve got cleats that lock into the pedals and the ceiling is close enough to balance with our hands, making the harness unnecessary,” Julul’s voice sounded amused. “Quite often I do the opposite, use my hands to pedal and push against the ceiling with my feet. It wasn’t in the user manual but whatever works. Looks ridiculous though.”*
    “So you really have to rethink how you do everything up there?” Bobak smiled at the mental image.

    “Yeah,” Julul’s voice shifted to slight annoyance. “Just putting on socks up here is a workout. Any motion of sitting or bending over while putting them on is worse than doing situps in full gravity.”**
    “Sounds like a lot to put up with.” Bobak wondered if being up in space was worth all the trouble. “Ever feel like it isn’t worth the hassle?”
    “No,” Julul responded quickly and firmly, but with an unmistakable warmth. “All just minor annoyances, really. Floating around up here in the microgravity, playing zero-g games, there is nothing like it.         And the view…” a note of awe crept into her voice. “The view up here is incredible. I wish you could be up here to share it with me. The stars are brighter and sharper than anything you’ve ever seen, and Kerbin is spread out, moving along below us. You really see how lucky we are with Kerbin as our home. I would not trade this experience for anything, even if I will be happy to walk on grass again.”
    Bobak smiled, her words painting a vivid picture in his mind. “Sounds like you’re having the time of your life up there.”
    “I am,” Julul said softly, and for a moment, the quiet hum of mission control seemed to fade away as Bobak shared in her wonder.

    * Pete Conrad liked pedaling on the bicycle ergometer on Skylab with his hands. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19840017669/downloads/19840017669.pdf pages 300, 301.
    ** Astronauts on skylab reported straining stomach muscles while on Skylab. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19840017669/downloads/19840017669.pdf 322.
 

OOC: So in spite of being pretty busy with everything, I seem to be getting inspired with writing ideas.  So you all will get a few parts that were planned to be posted separately compressed together.