VAT Aerospace - Starting from scratch

[Vat]

Since I've picked up KSP again, and pretty much had to start from scratch with my old saves proving incompatible (yeah, they were a while ago), thought I'd kick off a thread as a running mission diary.

As a background, I use MechJeb for piloting purposes, as my enjoyment of the game comes more from construction and mission planning, as well as planning in-mission maneuvering. I also use the ISA mapping mod as I think it adds a great 'science' element of the game as you can launch genuinely exploratory missions to check out landing sites ahead of manned landings. I try to build my own rockets, and part of this logging process is to try to developing lessons from each mission. Failed missions are seen more as tests - I will regress those flights back to the assembly building and attempt to address the problem.

[Vat]

The first priority of VAT Aerospace was to develop a platform for our first probe and manned missions. The Alpha launch platform was created, which launches initially with two small solid boosters which are then dumped, with power then taken over by two side mounted liquid fuel boosters, which are then dropped to the final stage, a single liquid fueled engine which is used to finalise the probe's orbit and then dumped. The probe is equipped with an ion engine for subsequent small maneuvers.

The first mission, KSA Science 1M (M for mapping) launched faultlessly, took up a highly inclined orbit (as per the thread http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/27999-ISA-Mapsat-Ideal-and-Non-Ideal-Altitudes) and commenced mapping operations, identifying numerous anomalies. The mission is ongoing.

Given the ease with which the Alpha platform launched the satellite, the decision was taken to fit the platform to a single crew capsule, perform four orbits and return the capsule, via parachute, to the KSC.

[Vat]

KSA's first manned mission involved fitting a manned capsule to the successfully deployed Alpha launch platform.

Pre-flight simulations saw the capsule fitted with a larger fuel tank than was initially installed (the original unit was not sufficient to allow a re-entry burn) and also the fitting of an electrical power source (a small, cheap solar panel) to allow longer term operation of the space craft.

In this final configuration, Jebediah Kerbal was launched on flight KSA Orbital 1, completed five orbits including a number of EVAs, and was successfully return to the KSC.

VAT Aerospace took note that sufficient fuel supply to return home, and adequate electricity generation be fitted to subsequent missions.

[Vat]

Originally planned as KSA Science 2, with a modified version of the Alpha launch platform putting a probe into orbit around the Mun, the success of the first two missions inspired VAT Aeronautics to attempt a Mun orbit with return mission with a manned craft.

This initially provided challenging, with uprated versions of the Alpha platform initially proving unable to cope with the heavier three person capsule, and then with uprating to four Jumbo64 tanks and Mainsail engines, stability and oscillation problems saw development through to the third version finally managing to take off and achieve orbit successfully. Engineering saw their annual bonuses disappear with the expense, but fortunately in each case failures took place high enough to allow the capsules to be returned to Kerbin safely, albeit with heavily soiled spacesuits.

The third version of the uprated launch platform, christened the Alpha A-4s (the s is for Steve...in marketing), proved robust enough with bracing and the crew took the vessel to an initial 150km orbit. Sufficient fuel reserves remained to allow the ship to move to a 300km orbit, then a 500km orbit, then a 1500km orbit, and finally a Mun equivalent orbit (11,400km). The vessel was successfully deorbited from this height and landed uneventfully close to the KSC.

The Alpha A-4s platform was adopted for future Mum orbit and return missions for heavy craft, with potential for revision for heavier vehicles.

[Vat]

With the Alpha A-4s, this mission's aim was to orbit the Mun with a three person capsule. The vehicle was successfully placed in a 25km orbit around the Mun, with the crew performing EVA during orbiting.

Whilst orbiting the Mun, KSA Orbital 4M was launched, seeing two manned KSA capsules orbiting the Mun at the same time.

The flight was uneventfully returned from Mun orbit to a safe landing adjacent to the KSC.

[Vat]

This mission was launched on the Alpha A-4s platform, with a three man crew assigned with performing mapping duties to identify anomalies and potential landing areas ahead of future landings. Additionally, with KSA Orbital 3 already orbiting the Mun, the chance for KSA to show off its ability to manage two crews orbiting the Mun at the same time seemed pretty cool.

Good quality mapping was obtained of the near equatorial levels of the Mun, and the crew was returned to the KSC without incident.

[Vat]

Note that with the success of KSA Orbital 2, KSA Science 2 was cancelled and the decision taken to retire the mission number.

[Vat]

Ahead of planned probe and manned landings of the Mun and Minmus, the opportunity to upgrade the Alpha platform to Alpha + status (essentially larger solid boosters and more fuel capacity) was taken and mapping probes were successfully launched into ideal mapping orbits of the Mun and Minmus. High quality maps of both were obtained and KSA/Vat Aerospace will be going through the maps identifying anomalies for future landing, and possible base locations.

The Alpha + platform performed well and will be used for future Kerbin space work.

Both probes remain in orbit around their respective moons.

[Vat]

Investigation of recent disappearances of Alpha 4-S platforms uncovered a secret KSA/VAT Aerospace operation to launch space station bodies into Kerbin orbit. It was discovered two launches had taken place, designated KSA Skunkworks SSA1 and SSA2, which lead to confessions that both stations had run out of fuel (but were powered!), and the relevant staff had no idea how to get the pair of two man crews home.

Two Alpha 4-S platforms used for the KSA Orbital 3 and 4M missions were modified to allow docking with the stations and set upwith a single crew member, so two seats were spare for the two kerbanauts to be rescued.

After some trials and tribulations, KSA Rescue 1 successfully docked with SSA2 (as SSA2 had a more stable orbit), and buoyed by the success, KSA Rescue 2 was launched and successfully docked with SSA1.

As the SSA1 crew had been aloft for quite some time, and included hero Jebediah Kerbal, the decision was taken to bring this crew home first. At this point, it was further discovered that the docking system used by KSA Skunkworks was not able to be used to transfer Kerbals, necessitating EVA's by the two stranded crew members to get to KSA Rescue 2. After a fairly fraught journey using the jetpacks for the first time, both crew members boarded and the rescue vessel undocked, damaging one of SSA1's solar panels as it left.

KSA Rescue 2 deorbited uneventfully and returned to the KSC Space Centre.

KSA Rescue 1 remains docked with SSA2, as after the rescue of the crew of SSA1 the crew members are "feeling a lot more relaxed about things" and "taking the time to enjoy the view".

Relevant employees have had their pays docked to cover the cost of 'borrowed' hardware.

[Vat]

Okay, wow - been a month! Been busy with work, uni, training etc, but the KSA program has been progressing well. Crews were successfully recovered from SSA1 and SSA2 and the stations await their next crews.

Further work with the Alpha+ platform saw Kerbollo 1 successfully land a three man crew on the surface of the Mun, with plenty of fuel for a return home. Sadly, the lone crew member (two other crew members remained onboard the first permanent settlement subsequently delivered by a new launch platform) was killed on re-entry due to poor time management by the Space Centre (i.e. didn't come off accelerated time quickly enough). The Alpha+ platform has been retained for Mun shuttle missions to Mun bases, and testing will be performed to see if the Alpha+ can perform shuttle missions to Minmus. If so, a single Alpha+ platform will be used for all manned ferrying activity in near-Kerbin space.

Whilst that crew explored their surroundings, VAT Aerospace worked on a new very large launch platform, due to concerns over the Alpha platform's tendency to 'spin up' during launches and difficulties in carrying 'wider' payloads. Development began on the X-Wing series, so called due to its distinctive X shape, with engines located at the end of structural framework. Development of this platform has been very successful, with the proof of concept placing a probe in orbit around Jool, and a lander placed on Eeloo. Much to KSA's frustration, we have been unable to successfully land probes on Duna (crashed), Eve (landed in ocean) and Gilly (lack of power whilst searching for flat landing space) or Moho (current upper stage package appears to have insufficient delta V to arrive in controlled fashion) but these are doubtless due to upper stage packaging rather than the platform.

The X-Wing has been put into service for the manned program and this has seen permanent settlements landed at the Mun (at the Kerbollo 1 landing site, which offers excellent terrain for safe landings) and, with the excellent performance of the package during the Mun delivery, the first manned landing on Minmus was achieved with the same permanent settlement delivery package. A manned rover was developed around the Space Station cupola part, and a skycrane developed and tested for delivery. This system successfully delivered a manned rover to the Kerbollo 1 Base. Concerns about performance of the rover in low gravity missions mean further development will need to be done for adaptation to Minmus (and other lower gravity environments).

Current development is focussing on whether to further develop the X Wing platform for even heavier lift missions, or to develop techniques to assemble vessels in orbit, so as to allow manned exploration of the Kerbol system. With science packages announced as part of 0.22, the probe based science part of the KSA program has been put on hold for the moment, although given the short attention span of the department it is likely further missions will be attempted.