Munaya 5 - KASA Constellation: to the Mun and beyond! [plenty of 1600x900 images]

[ANWRocketMan]

I've been in love with NASA's Constellation pogram ever since its conception. i decided to do it in KSP, considering it was cancelled. This is the first such mission. I am planning to make this a short series, including a short sample video for each new mission/set of missions. I cannot make videos currently though as my graphics card is a low-mid range card from 5 generations back(GT240). It cannot exactly handle KSP properly, never mind a recording of KSP. This might come in the next 1-2 months though.

Munaya 5

Mission to the Moon ~ The first deployment of the Constellation Pogram

Mission Specs:

Launches: 2

Crew: 3

Crewed Duration: 24 hours

Notes:

• Data bound to the first section of the mission was lost. We suspect whomever did it.
  

Mission Report:

The lander and Kerion-DP crew vehicle are placed into Munar orbit at 22kmx25km.

The crew transfers to the Lander and undocks the two spacecraft. The RCS system is used to separate them further to avoid collisions during the de-orbiting burn.

The Lander lands on the Mun's surface at a comfortable 2.6m/s.

The cargo is deployed. In this case two open-top long range rovers. One of the rovers is used as a backup power source for the Lander on longer duration missions. It was not used on this short hop.

The base camp is set up. A science station is constructed and activated, the flag is planted and the crew readies to explore the surface.

1 Crew member leaves the base behind to explore two small craters to the South. The other crew members conclude science experiments at the landing site.

Nice rocks.

The Ascent Module lifts off from the surface. The rovers are designed to be autonomously/remotely controlled from Kerbin to expand the scientific and exploratory value of the mission. One rover will head South towards the pole. The other will explore to the West to search for curiosities and possible colonization locations.

The Ascent Module flips to a 10 degree pitch for the orbital insertion maneuver. The ascent computer encountered an error and didn't activate the RCS system early enough resulting in wasted fuel.

Rendezvous with the Kerion-DP occurs on the second orbit right above the landing site.

The crew proceed with docking maneuvers. The Kerion-DP seems to be out of control.

After docking, the crew transfers to the Kerion-DP and move across all science experiments and samples. The Ascent Module is emptied and all major systems turned off. It is then undocked from the Kerion.

A separation burn allows the distance between the spacecraft to separate. The Ascent Module is consequently de-orbited and crashed into the Munar surface at a different location than the Transfer stage. The data is recorded.

The transfer burn of 282m/s is executed.

The service module is jettisoned shortly before re-entry.

A parachute malfunction causes one parachute to open preliminarily.

Based on our past service record, we protected the parachute with a special coating of Carbon and Indestructum.

A jovial crew disembarks from the capsule on the surface of Kerbin's grasslands.

"Don't tell me that man doesn't belong out there. Man belongs wherever he wants to go - and he'll do plenty well when he gets there."

 Dr. Wernher von Braun, in 'Time' magazine, 17 February 1958

Edited October 29, 2013 by ANWRocketMan