MunDust II: my first manned Mun landing with hardmode-with accident and soundtrack!

[thescientist]

Hi everyone. I want to narrate a story. If you want to read it, sit down and have fun! - Thescientist

ENTRY 1-GO FOR ORBIT

Let's start! That's the rocket, the MunLight I:

Ready for liftoff!

Now I need something to listen. something like...

Booooorn in the USA

Booooorn in the USA...

I'm ready. Jeb, Bob, Bill, are you ready? Yes? Ok! Countdown...10...9...8...7...

6...5...ignition sequence started...3...2...1...LIFTOFF!

Booster exausted. Jettison them, Mechjeb!

quiet ascend...

Suddendly

AAAAAAAAAARGH:0.0:! I lost the main engine due to a stuctural failure! What I can do? Abort? What...

STOP. Think. Free gimbal, first. Second, change the ascent path. Then... tranfer fuel? No, it's too much dangerous. I can only hope that the second stage is able to solve this problem...

Ok, second stage...

Annnnnnnd.....YES [looooooooooong breath]! The well-designed second stage solved the problem of the ugly first one, and still with a lot of fuel (around 1/5). I'm going to remember that during the MunLight II project. I need a better first stage, or my kerbonauts will never see agein their sweet home.

Finally, the orbit and the end of the second stage. Thank you so much, you saved the whole mission! I'll never teminate your debris!

Then? Wait, reader. Stay tuned for the next entry and have a good day!

P.s. I forgot to say two things: first, write everything you think about the rocket, the mission and all the suggestion that you belive that may be useful (yeah, I mean suggestions); second, I'm not the best writer, so let me know what mistakes I've done...I hope to learn something!

Edited August 26, 2013 by thescientist

[thescientist]

I've some spare minutes, so..

ENTRY 2-TWO BURNS FOR THE MUN

Here we go!

Now a trasfer-burn is what we need to go inside the Mun orbit, something around 8-850 m/s of Delta V

Well done! See you later home sweet home! (note: it's kinda a perfect gravity assist, don't you think?)

Ok! It's time to show the payload and to free it from his areodinamic container; as usal Jebediah is the only one that think that this dangerous manouvre is quite fun...

Errr...she's not so sexy, but I hope it work enought to bring my crew back to home. After the CSM, it's time to free also the landing module. Althougt, before we need to practise a little with docking...

Bill has some doubts about the lander that he will pilot, evaluating her by a look throught the small window...Come on, Bill! Where is your courage?

Away from the third stage

Ok crew! are you ready for the braking burn?

Mun Eternal Beauty

Well done! It's exactly what Iwas looking for

Stay tuned for news and have a good day!

Edited August 28, 2013 by thescientist

[thescientist]

ENTRY 3-MUN&FUN

Hi there! It's time to visit the Mun, Don't you think?

Don't worry Bob! You aren't going to be alone for a long time!

Mun surface approach...listening to "Scream and shout"...wait a moment, Bill ISN'T screaming 'n' shouting! Is he becomeing a little brave or does he suffer the 0G effects?

LANDED!

The flag and his plague. I hope to set enought flags to remember the names of all the space heroes, so...

Having fun

Now, however, it's time to go home: here you can see the ascent stage (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the take-off)

Cheer up, Bob! we are coming!

The LM pirotecnical jettison manouvre and the last image from the CM

Bob said <<Are we ready to go back to Kerbin?>>. Nobody asked. Jeb and Bill were still thinking that they have gone where nothing has gone before.

Stay tuned, reader! The end of the flight there will be in the next post. have a good day!

[Camarada Anonimo]

Exelent for you, Mun is just the beginning

[thescientist]

Thanks Anonimo!

now it'stime for the last one, the most important, the most risky (hardmode means Deadly Reentry), the

ENTRY 4-GO HOME, BRAVE KERBALS!

Here we go!

Bob ignited the engines again and performed a Mun escape

Then he lowered the periapsis till around 28 Km, to perform a quite fast reentry without bonce or several reentry with an orbit that is much similar to an aerocapture manouvre

The SM jettison manouvre, just a little before the rentry, to preserve the heatshield from the void and its hazards

Bill's last look

Reentry fire!

Toasting the heat shield...Bob! It's NOT edible!

Parachutes! Look at the heatshield, it's totally worned out!

...as usual Jeb is not worried about a 4-5 Gs deceleration...

More comfly speed

Will parachute work?

YES!

Over the Kerbin ground. Landed, at least!

The crew...wait a moment, it's a SMILEING BOB? AM I DREAMING?

Welcome back, brave astronauts!

Hey! I've gone on the moon before the end of the week! (Click the following link to understand)

http://www.kerbalcomics.com/2013/04/01/episode-23-multipurpose/

Epilogue: a week later

Jeb, Bob and Bill are ready for a new mission. Who am I to negate them another trip?

Where everything is started. Where everything is starting. Where everything will start

Have a good day reader! Next mission will arrive quickly!

Thanks to have read this story!

Greeting from the KSC team!

Edited August 31, 2013 by thescientist

[Wayfare]

Recovering from a first stage structural failure like that means two things - first, you're a pretty steely-eyed missile man, and second, you've ridiculously over-engineered your second stage

Great job!

[thescientist]

Recovering from a first stage structural failure like that means two things - first, you're a pretty steely-eyed missile man, and second, you've ridiculously over-engineered your second stage

Great job!

First: thanks!

Second: you are right. It is designed to put into orbit the around 50-60 tons while the payload weight around 36 (LH-LOX is a very light mixture, more than expected), but I decided to use it because I thought that the first stage wasn't very safe. There is a second reason: I'm planning a mission to Duna...