A new game, a new name, a new flag... Same dodgy rocket building.

[Milkshakefiend]

In honour of .21 I decided to RP it up a little and make my own aerospace company. Ladies and Kermen, I present to you Delta Aerospace! My mission: Explore the Kerbol system, establish extraterrestrial outposts, Do Science and most importantly - leave no Kerbal behind.

No time was wasted in 'designing' a rocket, and finding a crew to man took no time at all - Jeb threatened to flush the keys to the rocket down the toilet if he, Bill and Bob didn't get to go first.

The flight recorder went down during takeoff, however it did reestablish connection in time to catch the splendor of the new Münar surface from orbit

Landing was broadly textbook - the new SAS really makes gently touchdowns with zero surface velocity a breeze. The computer upgrades were kept secret to Jeb - he just thinks all the video games have given him superkerbal reflexes.

In spite of the crews protests, an remote-controlled rover scouted the surroundings before letting the crew set foot on the new Mün

Jeb thought he had found proof of extraberbestrial life, however mission control informed him it was part of the rocket they landed in and that no, it wouldn't fit in the soil sample cargo hold.

Having declared the surface free of tripping hazards and collected a few samples, the rover returned and redocked

Having broken the handheld camera and exhausted the allotted oxygen supply for this leg of the mission, the crew returned and set a course for Kerbin. Fate was against them though, as a miscalculation left the triumphant trio stranded in an elliptic orbit around Kerbin, With electrical systems running low on charge and oxygen dwindling, it was up to Team 2 to rescue the veterans.

Although the view up here was fantastic, the standby team were keen to rendezvous with the Mun lander

Closing to within visual distance, the rescue team radioed the Mun team "Hows the air up there? Thick with CO2 yet?"

As commander, Jeb is last out of the ship. The rest of the team joke about Jeb stranding them through his refusal to stop and radio for directions and debate closing the airlock

As the rescue ship departs, no tears are shed for the dying vessel as it is left to drift for eternity

Bill and Bob look slightly worried as the resue craft reenters - in the rush to get a rescue team to them, little thought was paid to the higher weight of the return craft and the ramifications this would have on the parachutes...

...Massive success! The untested double-layer parachute deploys and slows the craft.

In the debrief the standby team are given commendations for the first successful orbital rescue. Jeb is given a slap for not listening during initial briefings.

Work commences on Mun Lander MK II - more efficient engines, a larger fuel tank and a larger oxygen supply are fitted as a result of the first failed mission.

Munar touchdown is gentle. Bill confirms green lights across the board - lack of power, fuel or electricity won't stop the team this time. After several vicious rounds of rock paper scissors lizard Spock, Bill descends to the virginal soil

He marvels at the desolate grandeur as he plants the mission flag

The others disembark and look upon the stark wasteland

Having (finally) successfully completed the initial phase of the mission the trio return to their cramped vessel. Bill waves goodbye as the rockets throttle up - he'll be returning soon with a more spacious vessel, but he misses the alien landscape already.

Today was a busy day:- A semi-successful Mün landing, a subsequent stranding during return, followed by my first rescue mission and finally a successful landing and return. Planning has begun for a larger lander capable of unlimited time on the Mun as well as the supply missions to keep the mission going.

For those interested, below are the company logo, Mun and Minmus mission flags I designed. I used Inkscape which was remarkably simple. Any tips from people used to workin with vector art would be greatly appreciated.

Company logo

Mun and Minmus mission flags

Thanks for reading - I'll update the post when the next phase of the mission goes ahead!

~M

[DesertWolf]

Awesome. I like your flags, simple yet elegant.

Edit: Btw, what were you using for mods, especially rover storage.

[Milkshakefiend]

Awesome. I like your flags, simple yet elegant.

Edit: Btw, what were you using for mods, especially rover storage.

Thanks very much. I was shooting for simple - elegant is a bonus!

The rover storage was from ST Spacetech - Spaceport Link - but I also use bits from NovaPunch, KW, AIES, IonCross, etc.

Beware though - that rover storage is a pain. It's quite difficult to design a rover that can actually fit through the doorway. Smaller wheels would help alot here - something I haven't got in the myriad mods I use lol.