On the Road to the Stars: A Kerbalism Career Playthrough

[TwoCalories]

Alright, you've waited long enough...

On the Road to the Stars:

A KSP Mission Report

On the Road to the Stars is a "reboot" of my old mission report, The Sky is Not the Limit. It is about the Kerbal Aeronautics and Space Administration (KASA), a space program founded in the Federated States of Vankadia to counter the Telosteni Union's space program. If it all goes to plan, one day this space program will blossom into Kerbalkind's top space program, spearheading the way into the cosmos.

The save settings will be a custom difficulty with no Kerbal respawns, G-force limits, plasma blackout, and 1.5x science rewards. There are also a large number of mods, including Kerbalism, Outer Planets Mod, and Exploration Plus. The full list is below.

Modlist (Updated 9-7-24)

Spoiler

Table of Contents:

Spoiler

Chapter One: Clear Skies (in OP)

Chapter Two: Reaching New Heights

The Vexal City Times: We Choose to Go

It's definitely been a while since the last update for The Sky is Not the Limit (a bit under two months), but I'm really optimistic that I can finally do what I dreamed of doing in the original report with this one. My modlist is drastically reduced, the forums are stabilized again, and I'm in a Kerbal mood again. There's no point doing any more procrastination.

Before we start, I'd like to thank some people. I know, it's a bit cringe and cliche but I really want to give some credit out.

@Kerbalsaurus, for giving me help planning the new report as a fellow mission report writer and reader.

@Toaster355, for giving me tips on how to improve the visuals and photography of the report, and even lending me his superb TUFX profile.

And finally, to @Kerb24, @Maria Sirona, @Kimera Industries, @dsplaisted, @Watermel00n, @Royalswissarmyknife, and @Venturer2Space, for being supporters of the report since its beginning.

But I don't want to keep you waiting any longer. So, let's jump right in...

***

Volume 1: Race for Space - Objective: Land a Kerbonaut on the Mun and return them safely to Kerbin.

Chapter One: Clear Skies

Spoiler

The morning of October 4th, 1985, in Vexal City, Vankadia was calm. Even after both the Post-Impact wars, the Vankadian capital remained peaceful. The winds of war had not reached there. However, that was all to change. Within minutes of the morning news, the streets were filled with people running with excitement, fear, or both. It wasn't just this city either. The whole world was shocked by what they saw on the news that day.

That morning, on the news, the government of the Confederated Telosteni Union announced that they had successfully put a Kerbal in space. And Vankadian foreign intelligence found it was true. Using a modified ICBM, the newly formed Telostenti Space Program sent one of their top pilots into space. This caused some unsettlement among Vankadia. If they could put a capsule in space, what stopped them from putting weapons up there?

Tensions between Telosten and the Federated States of Vankadia remained at an all-time high ever since the previous war. Within the Vankadian Congress, there were many who pushed for the creation of the Vankadian space program. Space programs had existed in the past, and the satellites they placed in orbit are still in service to this day. But certain... events had put space exploration on a low priority as funds were transferred to national defense all around the globe. The Kerbal Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which had been shut down for years, was reformed as the Kerbal Aeronautics and Space Administration, the new agency made to the counter the Telosteni space program and to conduct science and research of the cosmos they reside in.

The official KASA insignia.

KASA would be stationed on Cape Kernaveral Air Defense Base. Formally the KACA space center, then an ICBM launch site and airfield for the Vankadian Air Defense Force, and now once again a spaceport, the newly christened Kerbal Space Center would serve as Vankadia's jumping off point into space for the foreseeable future. Obviously, modifications to the degrading facilities would be made over time, but time is of the essence. With some of the brightest minds in the country, the most precise engineers, and the best, cherrypicked pilots in the military roster (Jebediah Kerman, Valentina Koch, Bill Kirk, and Bob Kelly), KASA was in business.

Uhm... Eh... Well, it's not much. Just a capsule attached to a small SRB with fins and some science experiment pods containing some sort of algae or slime... I'm not all too sure. But the point of this mission wasn't to break records or get to space, but just to test the equipment that will be sent to space in the future. The pilot is none other than Captain Jebediah Kerman, one of the Vankadian Maritime Defense Force's top aces in the Global War.

KASA MISSION LOG - OCTOBER 14, 1985 - JUMPING FLEA 1

KSC: Kernaveral to Jumping Flea. How's the ride?

JF1: A bit bumpy. But that's to be expected.

KSC: Very well. You're approaching your apogee. Begin descent checklist.

"The Mun's quite nice looking up here! Hmm..." -Jebediah Kerman

JF1: Kernaveral, I'm seeing good chute deployment. The science kits are still sending data.

KSC: Good work Jeb. The recovery vessel is waiting.

JF1: Tell Bill he owes me ten bucks!

KSC: Acknowledged, Jumping Flea.

***

Jumping Flea 1 was a success in KASA's book, but the press was pretty unimpressed. Now it's time to get real work done...

Roughly two weeks later, Lieutenant Valentina Koch was on the launchpad at the controls of Pathfinder 1. Pathfinder 1 is a similarly modeled capsule with a service bay and heatshield, atop a repurposed small IRBM. This flight would go suborbital, finally bringing a Vankadian Kerbonaut to space.

"We have liftoff! Woo hoo!" -Valentina Koch

The SRB first stage would give Pathfinder 1 a kickoff from the pad, before the more efficient LFO stage took over.

KASA MISSION LOG - OCTOBER 30 - PATHFINDER 1

PF1: Good staging. LFO is on.

KSC: Roger that, Pathfinder. Stay on trajectory.

"The blue sky is disappearing now... I see space above me." -Valentina Koch

PF1: Okay, LFO depleted. Staging second stage.

KSC: You've just crossed the Kerman Line. You're in space!

KSC: How's it feel?

PF1: The view from here... you wouldn't believe how beautiful it is.

PF1: Okay, back to business. Deploying science.

***

KSC: Val, you're coming up on reentry. Begin the procedures.

PF1: Roger, I'm on it. Closing up deployed sciences.

"Plasma blackout imminent." -Valentina Koch

KSC: Pathfinder 1, your reentry plasma's faded off now. Comms should be restored, how copy?

PF1: Five by five. Chute is looking good. I'm coming down for a sea landing, as planned.

The mission control center erupted with cheers. They put a Kerbal in space, late to be sure, but it was still a massive accomplishment. Plus, it showed the world that KASA was capable of doing things and was just as capable as the Telostenis at this business.

***

PF1: Splashdown! We're home!

KSC: Excellent flying, Val. The recovery vessel will pick you up shortly. They've got hot coffee waiting.

***

KASA's first missions were a great first step forward, but they were still in a race. A race they intended on winning. And a race where? Well, it wasn't official, but within each nation, the Kerbonauts already knew it. The celestial body closest to Kerbin, always looking over, illuminating the night: the Mun.

The space race had just begun. And as far as KASA was concerned, these missions the public is racing about are just the curtain rise of the space age.

Author's note:

Spoiler

I'm feeling a lot more refreshed now that I've taken a long break from playing KSP, but now I'm ready to start this new save. I'm hoping the 1.5x Science will help reduce the early game grind and let me focus more on the story. Also, as of now, my schedule is pretty busy, so except updates once every week or two, or if I'm especially motivated, two updates in a week. I've got a storyline all laid out this time, with less plot holes, reasons for retcons, and pacing, so here's hoping this will be a much better retelling of Sky's Not the Limit.

I've been waiting so long to say this: We're back in business!

 

Edited September 28 by TwoCalories
Updated chapter list, etc.

[TheKspEngineer]

I'm very happy to see this report continueing and I really hope that the CIA/secret service part will be in it too

[Kerbalsaurus]

YESSS it's back! The Sky is Not the Limit was one of my favorite mission reports on the forums. It was already super well written, and if you say this one will be better, I can't wait to see where it goes! Good luck TwoCal!

[TwoCalories]

11 hours ago, TheKspEngineer said:

I'm very happy to see this report continueing and I really hope that the CIA/secret service part will be in it too

What do you mean, "CIA/Secret Service" part? There was never any secret space program. The only space program endorsed by the Federated States of Vankadia is KASA. I will not be excepting any more questions involving this nonsense.

1 hour ago, Kerbalsaurus said:

YESSS it's back! The Sky is Not the Limit was one of my favorite mission reports on the forums. It was already super well written, and if you say this one will be better, I can't wait to see where it goes! Good luck TwoCal!

Thanks! I've put extra thought into the storyline and lore this time, so I hope it'll be a more cohesive story than the previous one.

***

In other news, I'm updating my KerbalX with the two craft shown in Chapter 1. I'll be adding crafts as the report goes on. The first two are pretty much identical to Pathfinders 0 and 1 from Sky's Not the Limit but craft will be more different from here on out, although probably with similar names.

[Lonelykermit]

Its so good to see this series back again! Wishing you the best of luck with the rest.

[Venturer2Space]

Amazing to see this series return 

[TwoCalories]

Chapter Two: Reaching New Heights

Spoiler

It has now been over a month since the beginning of the space race. As it stands, the Telosteni space program, which we have found is named "Kerbcosmos", have taken the lead in the race by a long shot. They placed the first Kerbal in space, which unlike KASA's mission, was an orbital flight to begin with. They've also placed the first satellite in orbit for the last over twenty years, and a second orbital flight had another Kerbonaut conduct the world's first off planet EVA. Vankadian intelligence also revealed there are more larger scale missions being planned by Telosten. KASA, being extremely late to the party, hasn't done nearly as many missions. The odds aren't looking so good for this space race... wherever this race is supposed to go anyway.

Pathfinder 2 was launched. It was just a second suborbital flight, this time with Jeb piloting. He was assigned for KASA's first orbit, so the KSC Administration decided he could use the extra flying time. It also gathered more data to allow us to research bigger rocket parts.

In the background you can see the upgraded Launchpad and Tracking Station.

By November 19th, KASA had finished construction of Pathfinder 3, their first orbital rocket. This rocket is quite beefy, with three SRBs and a LFO engine. The newly researched Terrier engine will carry the orbital stage to a circular orbit of Kerbin. Due to limited battery supply, only one orbit will be made. It's so large that it barely made the VAB's part limit, so no launch tower could be included this time.

KASA MISSION LOG - NOVEMBER 19TH, 1985 - PATHFINDER 3

OBJECTIVE: ORBIT KERBIN AND RETURN

PF3: Liftoff confirmed! Woo!

KSC: Roger that.

PF3: Kernaveral, I felt some vibration behind me.

KSC: The SRBs collided as they separated. It won't affect your craft. Continue with mission.

PF3: Roger.

"Good staging. We might just make it, KSC!" -Jebediah Kerman

After reaching beyond the atmosphere, Pathfinder 3 cruised for some time until reaching its apogee. From there, Jeb conducted his orbital insertion to raise his perigee into a stable Low Kerbin Orbit. In the meantime, he opened up the science bay to start running experiments.

KSC: Alright, tracking data confirms you're in a stable orbit! Nicely done, Jeb.

PF3: Roger that, Kernaveral.

PF3: The view is incredible up here.

Deorbiting over the dark side of Kerbin.

Jettisoning the Service Module prior to reentry.

Regrettably, due to a faulty navigation computer, Pathfinder 3 touched down at a desert and not the ocean as planned. While the craft didn't sustain damage on landing, it was kind of a headache to have to divert our recovery vehicles to the desert.

Jeb steps outside to get some fresh air while waiting for the chopper (ignore broken suit).

All told, the mission was still a success, despite some complications. And the science data we gathered from it was invaluable. This will allow us to pave the way for future missions. In other news, Vankadian Congress is starting to see the opportunity generated by KASA. Funding to the agency is increasing with each new first we make. We've been able to modify our aged facilities for bigger vessels and bigger projects. Notably, we've added new wings to the Kerbonaut Complex, where we can get more hirers and train them for Extra-Vehicular Activities.

***

Three days later, at the KSC Administration Building-

"Our early missions have been successful," Gene Kernan discussed before the other administrators. "The press is starting to take notice."

"Thanks to the improved reputation..." PR Director Walt began.

"Congress has been authorizing us more funding," Mortimer finished.

"And our science data has been allowing us to research larger parts for bigger missions," Wernher von Keraun added.

"Exactly," the KASA Director said. "Now, it's time for our next steps."

"The President called. We discussed many things, specifically an ultimate goal of this 'space race'. Somewhere we can reach in a reasonable amount of time, but also something that will capture the minds of the world. And of course, give us the most invaluable scientific data."

"And?" Gene asked. "What did you decide on?"

"It was a lot of discussing," the Director continued, "and to carry through with this plan, the President needs the views of all the administrators. If we agree, he'll announce it at an address to Congress. He has his eyes set on the one celestial body closest to Kerbin. One that shines in the night sky and worked its way into nearly every culture on the planet. After all, what a better way to start a new era of Kerbalkind than to set foot upon the place that has captured the minds of every stargazing Kerb in the world?"

"You don't mean..."

"The President wants us to land a Kerbal on the Mun."

"..."

 

[Kimera Industries]

14 hours ago, TwoCalories said:

"The President wants us to land a Kerbal on the Mun."

"We choose to go to the Mun, not because it is easy, but because it is- well, it's actually pretty easy, we just need to learn how."

[TwoCalories]

The Vexal City Times: We Choose to Go

Spoiler

VANKADIAN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES GOAL TO LAND KERBAL ON MUN

Yesterday on November 21st of 1985, President John Fitz Gerald announced at a joint session of the Vankadian Congress of his goal to land a Kerbal on the Mun and return them safely to Kerbin. This goal is part of the newly established Kerbal Aeronautics and Space Administration and the space race against the Telosteni Union. In the address, he stated "I believe this nation should commit itself to acheving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a Kerb on the Moon and returning him safely to Kerbin." Supporters of Gerald strongly support this new intiative, but many opposers feel that this goal is not only unrealistic but will be a waste of money that can be going to supporting the people of Vankadia and helping to rebuild and maintain world order following the Global War. (Continue page 3)

JOINT ECA AND KASC EXERCISE ON THE TELOSTENI BORDER

Last week, Kerbin Allied Security Command forces completed the last of the yearly training exercise with the Echelahn Continental Alliance at the Telosteni border. This exercise involved deployments of infantry, aircraft, and a Vankadian carrier strike group. This year's exercise was the largest in the history of the KASC due to rising tensions felt worldwide by the Vankadian-Telosteni Cold War. (Continue page 6)

FIFTEENTH DETECTION OF SPUDNIK 3 BY HAM RADIO OPERATORS THIS WEEK

Ham radio operators have been tracking Telosteni satellites ever since they had their first models launched. The newest one, Spudnik 3, has been tracked more than fifteen times by amateur radio operators in Vankadia, with over 20 more instances in Echelahnian countries. Many operators noted the signals were significantly more powerful than any other Spudniks, leading to speculation that Kerbcosmos has been steadily making better technology, leading to some worry. Telosteni state authorities have stated several times that Kerbcosmos does not intend to work towards building orbital warheads or spy satellites, but paranoia is still rampant.

Just a quick update this week

Edited September 28 by TwoCalories

[TwoCalories]

Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been playing a lot of other games recently (mainly Project Wingman) but I'll try to get a real chapter out by next week.

[TwoCalories]

That had me scared for a second there. Very glad the forums are back even if it's more unstable than ever. The next chapter will come soon as long as I can write it without getting spammed with 502's.

[Uhb0t]

YO THIS IS SICK, IGNORE THE NEWS I CAN SIT DOWN AND DRINK COFFEE TO THIS NOVEL OF A PLAYTHROUGH