The Rover Incident

[Kialar]

The rocket was assembled and the Munar Test Rover "Daisy Runner I" was set firmly on its nose.

Test engineer (on approval) TE (oa) Neilcan Kerman checked the last technical issues. His colleague Friedrich Wilhelm Kerman, rocket scientist, sat ready for test mission control.

"Daisy Runner I" was designed as a 4 wheeled munar vehicle with extensive scientific instrumentation, a broad windowed cockpit and a small habitation module for extended stay in hostile environments.

TE (oa) N. Kerman and RS F. W. Kerman did chose a 3-Staged Murania IV rocket for the test flight, with a probe controlled landing stage for the stability test. Primary goal was to figure out flight stability

and achieve LKO (low kerbin orbit) with the construction. Lift off was planned for 23:16 local time.

I designed a rover for exploration on Mun. To get it off ground I attached a intermediate probe controlled stage and a three staged Saturn V like rocket. To test the design, I intended to do a unmanned flight just to achieve orbit, then discard the vessel.

TE(oa): Friedrich, all systems nominal.

Mission Control: Copy, Neil, ignition procedure initiated.

TE(oa): SAS enabled, vents open, fuel flow nominal.

Mission Control: Ignition in, 10..., 9..., 8..., 7..., 6..., 5..., 4..., 3..., 2..., 1..., Ignition

The rumble of the 5 mainsails let Neils coffee cup hop around slightly.

Mission Control: Lift off, Daisy Runner I on its way. Tipping south by 2, rolling at 0.5 per minute, speed 15..., 29..., 30..., 42..., 71...

TE(oa): Vessel stable, heading 92, horizon at 87, height 2275 and increasing.

Mission Control: Acceleration nominal, struts nominal, structure nominal, speed 145..., 175..., 190...

TE(oa): Remaining stage 1 burn time, 20..., 18..., 16..., 14...

Mission Control: Height 12450, heading 91, horizon at 45, speed 245

TE(oa): Stage 1 burnout in 5..., 4..., 3..., 2..., 1... Mainsails off.

Mission Control: Separation - check. Ignition Stage 2 -check. Heading 90, height 15561, horizon at 43, speed 282 and increasing.

Jebediah: WOOOOOOOHooooooOOOOOOO!!!!

On staging to the 2nd, I realized, that I forgot to remove Jeb from the crew list in VAB. Great job, Kia. For a second, I really thought, oh ****, what have I done. The whole design was totally untested, I didn't know, if fuel was enough, dV was OK, staging was correct and so on. It was a TEST in career mode. And now Jeb was on board.

TE(oa): Erm. What?

Mission Control: Was tht Jeb?

Jebediah: YEEEEEHaaaAAAAAA!

TE(oa): JEB! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN YOUR QUARTERS SLEEPING!

Mission Control: Heigth 22k, horizon at 25, speed 440 over surface and increasing.

TE(oa): Abort! Abort!

Mission Control: Aborting...

Jebediah: Sirs, abort sequence aborted. *giggling*

Mission Control: Aborting is red.

TE(oa): Wait! Wait! WAIT, WAIT WAIT!

Jebediah: Oh! I love the stars. Really.

Mission Control: Height 40254, speed 651, heading 90, horizon 2, burnout stage 2 in 34

Jebediah: More throttle!

TE(oa): Need a snack...

Mission Control: Leaving Atmo in 15..., 10..., 5..., 4..., 3..., 2..., 1...

TE(oa): Oh no.

Jebediah: Can someone stop rolling? I want to have a look on this island.

TE(oa): He is just crazy...

Mission control: Stage 2 separated, ignition of stage 3...

Jebediah: Whaaaam!

TE(oa): Mission Control, do we have orbit? Do we? Please orbit somehow?

Mission Control: Orbit 102.320 in 7..., 5..., 3..., 2..., 1... Orbit check. Engine shutdown - check.

TE(oa): Jeb?

Jebediah: I can see the mun!

TE(oa) JEB? What are you doing?

At this point I decided to go for it. Jeb was on board, in Orbit, I had fuel left, and the Mun was in a quite good position for transfer. So no risk, no fun.

Mission control: Daisy Runner is changing heading.

TE(oa): I. Can. See. This. Jeb, what are you doing, copy?

Jebediah: To the Mun!

Mission control: This is going to be troubles with the director. For sure.

Jebediah: Engine activated... throttle... YEAH! Cool machine, you made there Neilcan!

TE(oa): Please Jeb, no.

Mission control: Daisy Runner is doing a maneuver for a free munar return trajectory.

TE(oa): The director is going to beat me through the recruiting centre...

Mission control: Trajectory in 27 seconds.

Jeb: There is something shaking. Where is the duct tape?

TE(oa): In the Hitchiker.

Jeb: OK

TE(oa): YOU will not EVA while in acceleration!

Jeb: *bsssssss...chsssssskkksssss...ssssssss*

Mission control: This guy is dangerous.

OK. It was evening, it was a long day. So I tested the ladder configuration right in the middle of the acceleration phase to the mun. I just didn't think about throttling down.

Jeb: Back in again. I think the engine's running hot. It is glowing.

TE(oa): *sound of a head hitting a desk*

Mission control: Engine is nominal, Jeb.

Jeb: Great. I am just going to fix this strut.

Mission control: can you give me back vessel control? Maybe you are not able to shutdown trajectory burn on time, because you EVAed.

Jeb: No problem. EVA progress nominal. *sounds of joy*

TE(oa): *sounds of crying*

Mission control: *sic*

I ended Jebs EVA just in time to end the transfer burn. I overshot only slightly and set a course to a 63k PE on the mun's far side.

Some hours later.

Mission control: This is KSC for Daisy Runner I. Copy?

Jeb: Jep.

Mission control: Jebediah, the director is not amused.

Jeb: I am.

Mission control: We decided, that you land at the anomaly at the munar equator. You would ignore other orders anyway. Copy?

Jeb: WOOOOHOOOO! Yes, Sir, copy, Sir.

Mission control: We are now sending the data for deceleration burn, descent burn and staging information. Copy?

Jeb: Okidoki. Start sending.

Mission control: Start transmission.... now.

Jeb: Data is coming in.... more data.... even more.... and more.... more more... transmission done.

Mission control: You will be on the far side in 3 minutes. You are on your own until middle of descent. Good luck.

Jeb: See you!

Director: Jebediah Kerman, we will talk about that, when you are back!

Jeb: Thank you for the trust in my skills, Sir!

Mission Control: *sic*

I started with the deceleration burn using the last fuel of the transfer stage. After that I staged to the descent stage and did fall towards the mun.

On 5.000 I ignited the support thrusters on the rover to get rid of the relatively high speed. 15 Meters above ground I separated the descent stage and

got the rover down with the support thrusters. I staged away the landing fuel and support thrusters shortly before touchdown.

Jeb: *bsssssss...chsssssskkksssss...ssssssss*

Mission control: Daisy Runner I for KSC?

Jeb: *ssskchkkssssss...chkksssss...bbssbbssssss*

Mission control: Daisy Runner, copy?

Jeb: Hi there!

Mission control: Would Mr. Jebediah Kerman please extend the antenna, for that we puny mission controllers may read the status?

Jeb: Erm. OK.

Mission control: Thank you....

TE(oa): Are you fine, Jeb?

Jeb: Yes, Neil. Activating motors...

Mission control: Jeb, Daisy Runner is nominal.

Jeb: Of course it is. I landed it.

Mission control: The arch crater is at 103 from your current position. Less than 5000.

Jeb: I am on my way. Cool rover, Neil... very... cool... and..... fast....

TE(oa): I out.

Director: Well constructed, Neilcan.

Mission control: Jeb, 24 meters per second are maybe a little to fast....

Jeb: WHOOOOOOHOOOOoooOOOOO!

Finally, I managed to get the daisy runner near the arch. And there Jeb did some science. Now he is waiting for a return ship. Totally unintended, but very successful mission.

[wminsing]

Great story! Sometimes those unintended missions are the best.

-Will

[Kialar]

The rocket

And the rocket from above

And the Daisy Runner I

And proud Jebediah posing on his "stolen" rover

Interesting thing is the coevolution of Daisy Runner with this design at another place:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24533-Show-off-your-awesome-KSP-pictures!?p=752861&viewfull=1#post752861

The design of spacetortoise1 and mine are a quite similar approach.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Kialar