Project Torch: MISSION FAILURE. Project Midway: Ongoing.

[stephensmat]

Final Report: Confidential

Dear Sir,

As you know, Project Torch was a failure. But there's unquestionably a way to spin this as a win.  Believe me, if there's anyone who knows how to remain gainfully employed despite failures, economic upheaval, and the occasional armed mob at your door, it's me. On that score, thank you for getting me out of prison, by the way.

But then, of course, there were setbacks to our 'secret program'. The Fresnell Drive was constructed in secret, and was meant to carry the Construction Station to Laythe orbit; for purposes of a new colony.

But on arrival, it turned out the unnaturally efficient drive had a flaw. The TWR was so low that there was simply no way to slow down in time to get the SS Bova into Laythe orbit. I'm told my crew was at the mercy of gravity for a long time, but the only way to get them anywhere was to change the destination. Yes, the 'old Space' guard are crowing at the failure of imagination. This, from the people who are trying to keep up with slide rules.

With enormous difficulty, it appears that the SS Bova jettisoned their drive section, and used their manoeuvring engines to get themselves into orbit around Pol. The outermost moon of Jool, it had similar gravity and ore resources to Minmus, where the 'confidential' side of this project Began. With the Construction line both on Pol, and in orbit, they could build a craft to colonize the next moon, and the next, until they reached all the moons of Jool, including Laythe.

So, as the order came down to 'take back what was ours', I was directed to put the Resources of Morra Base at your disposal to build a craft that could get to Laythe first, and lay claim to it before the crew at Morra Base could get there.

An antimatter engine was simply not an option for Morra Base. It has the TWR needed to make a direct flight to Jool orbit. But there's a reason we didn't build one at Morra: Antimatter is hard.

Making Antimatter is a blast, as several of your slide-rule wielding roadblocks to progress found out-ahem. I digress. I wasn't allowed to use my first draft at the funeral.

The Construction Line at Morra Base was sufficient to put an Antimatter Engine into Orbit of Minmus. It took all the science facilities on your payroll to fill the antimatter tank by a fifth. Actually, we developed more of that, but it turned out the harder part was getting Antimatter into orbit. Solar remains the power source of choice, and being in the shadow of Kerbin meant the batteries couldn't last long enough. The antimatter containment ran dry, and we created a second sun in the night sky for all of three seconds. Unquestionably the most expensive fireworks show in history.

A larger capacitor, and a higher orbit kept the final fuel launch intact long enough to dock it with the Antimatter Drive, (AKA Project 'Torch') Flying her from Minmus orbit to high Kerbin orbit was enough for proof-of-concept; and we awaited the coming of the transfer window.

And right about here, was where the Slide Rules got their revenge.

The ultimate goal was to gain a steady supply of Antimatter without blowing up large sections of Kerbin civilization. That meant harvesting antimatter and Deuterium in-situ. Jool and Laythe orbit are the only places that have a natural supply. So, we decided to leave the tank at 1/5th full. The Antimatter Reaction is efficient enough that we can get to Jool on a small tank. But if we use that launch to send a particle Scoop, then we have the only renewable supply.

And so, the SS Torch made it's first interplanetary transfer to Jool.

It was decided that if the 'Blanket' solar panels would be enough to run an orbital construction line out at Jool, as the Bova crew have done at Pol, despite a seventeen day night, then it would probably be enough to power an Antimatter Containment field.

The assumption was incorrect. Watching the power feed lower as the ship got further from the sun was... less fun than I would have thought, given it got all the surviving Slide Rule Junkies fired. Still, I won the pool on how long the craft lasted before detonation.

I know, I know. I promised you that this was also a win. Here's how.

We've confirmed for a fact that a fusion level (or higher) power source is needed for deep space missions. And the Construction Colony on Pol knows that now. We know the independent citizens of Pol can construct anything they want, and you gave them a good, long look at your design. If they can use a conventional booster to get it from Pol orbit to Laythe Orbit, then they get an unlimited supply of Antimatter, and the means to build as many ships and engines as they need.

Oh, don't look at me like that. The politicians and military have been salivating since they saw the antimatter explosions. You really think Kerbin will survive long-term, with antimatter being made on the ground?

But we're spreading out into the outer system at last, and need nothing from Kerbin any more. I consider that a win.