Tales of the Kerbal: Munar Prospector [Pic-Heavy]

[SuperWeegee4000]

Following Jebediah Kerman's historical Minmus landing, the KSC set its sights on the Mun (which some hold, to this day, is what they should have done first). The Equatorial Engineers got to work designing a modified, unmanned Minmush MEL that could (hopefully) land on the Mun and do some science in preparation for an eventual manned expedition.

The KSC had already reached Munar orbit, and surveyed its heavily cratered surface. Now, they were ready to put something on that surface. So in late August, just a few weeks after Jeb's landing, the KSC completed the Munar Prospector and strapped it atop a Minmush I launch vehicle.

The launch went smoothly, though the orbital burn was sketchy at first, and soon the Munar Prospector was preparing to burn for the Mun. It was fortunate they had included an RTG in the payload's design, because it was a night launch.

That's where we're headed....

The lander-probe was not only a scientific instrument, but also a testbed, to see if the Minmush MEL could land on the Mun and return safely. The Prospector began its burn to the Mun....

Captured.

So long, Kerbin....

The braking burn into Munar orbit went just as planned.

The final, very circular orbit, with the lower-orbiting Numar I.

Some beauty shots, to please the eye.

But enough of that. It was time to land. Mission Control set the deorbit course using the 3/4-spent orbit/transfer stage (the Minmush I is a very respectable rocket). Once the burn was completed, the O/TS was dropped to impact the surface. At that point, the controllers opened up the satellite dish and turned on the scientific instruments. If the Prospector crashed, it would at least relay some useful data back before going kaput.

But nobody really wanted to think about that.

The landing legs (jokingly dubbed the "Optimistic-Class Landing Struts" by the junior staff) were lowered, and the Munar Prospector began its descent to the surface.

The craft began slowing itself a couple of kilometers up. This landing had never been attempted, and although the scientists had calculated and assured them as best they could, the question on everyone's minds was: Had they begun braking too late?

Closer... closer... the legs hit! The Prospector tipped, first left, then right, having landed on a nearly 30-degree slope. But then it settled. Touchdown!

After cheering and enjoying complimentary donuts, the Mission Controllers checked to see if everything was working correctly. They started receiving valuable telemetry and data from the lander-probe.

The dish fired off transmission after transmission, feeding the KSC database the data that would be used on the next great mission....

[SuperWeegee4000]

Any thoughts?

[BostLabs]

I'm like the mission so far.