Successful Lander Tests Mean Resumption of Munshot Program

[SlowThought]

Dateline: KSC, Cape Kerman

Kurt Kerman, KASA spokesman, made the following statement today:

"Following the stranding of Bill Kerman on the Mun, we at KASA have been working day and night to research any flaws in the Munar Lander design, and to perfect Lander piloting procedures and techniques. We are confident that we are ready to return to the Mun. Munshot Eta 4 will depart shortly. Hold on, Bill. We're coming."

KNN will of course cover the launch.

[SlowThought]

Hello, this is Bret Kurman, and you're watching KNN. I have breaking news in the continuing Munshot crisis. Zeb Kurman has successfully landed on the Mun.

That's right he has successfully landed, but if you look closely in the photo, you can see that the ascent engine, the rocket normally attached to the middle fuel tank, is missing. It was apparently lost in the crash, er landing. Zeb has no way of getting home. This is ironic because Zeb's original mission was to rescue Bill Kerman, as noted in my last story.

Wait, wait, I'm told that we have a live radio link with Zeb on the Mun. Can you hear me, Zeb?

I hear you, Bret. I'll tell you what's ironic. That I was sent up here to rescue somebody who's already dead, and now I need rescuing.

Did I hear you correctly? "Mild" Bill is dead?

That's right. They say it was a jetpack accident, but I think Bill just couldn't stand working for a nutty outfit like KASA anymore, and chose to go out creatively.

I notice, Zeb, that you only have a one man capsule. Could it be that KASA knew Bill was dead before you left?

Yeah, I guess. I suppose I should have noticed that before liftoff.

Alright, thank you for talking to us Zeb, and the best of luck to you.

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Either a colossal government screwup, or a colossal government plot to justify further spending and risking more Kerbals' lives. Either way, we'll be here to bring you the story.

[SlowThought]

Dateline: KSC, Cape Kerman

Kurt Kerman, KASA spokesman, made the following statement today:

"We at KASA strongly deny accusations of incompetence that have recently appeared in the press. We are good stewards of the people's money in the pursuit of science. As proof, we present today our latest Munar lander:"

"Note the incorporation of a larger fuel tank for the ascent stage, improving fuel margin and ensuring a return trip, of our new RCS system for better control during the landing phase, and extra landing legs for an extra springy touchdown.

Of course, these improvements have driven up the mass of the lander, requiring the development of a new launch vehicle, which will be the Theta model in the Munshot series. In addition, to avoid tragedies like "Mild" Bill's, we are instituting a psychiatric research and screening program for future kerbonauts. If Congress will ony authorize a few more billion dollars, there is an excellent chance that Zebediah Kerman may eventually be recovered from the Mun."

[Zylark]

Looks good for the job - if a bit top heavy. So when you do go to land, pick a nice flat spot or it might just topple over. For landers, I always go for a three or four-way symmetry with as low a center of gravity as possible to ensure stability even if landing on rough terrain.

Another thing, since this is a "one-shot-to-the-mun" mission, no docking involved, you strictly speaking don't need RCS. A Reaction Wheel or Advanced Stabilizer is more than enough to keep your craft tilted in the right direction. What you will need though, which I can't see on your design, is a couple of small batteries and solar-cell panels. Run out of electricity, and your craft becomes a derelict you can't control - at all.

One last tip, Zeb isn't entirely lost on the Mun. Yes, his middle engine is out and I'm guessing the two outer fuel-tanks are empty whereas the middle one still got some juice. Now, you can transfer fuel from the middle one to the outer ones by first right-clicking the middle tank, then hold down the alt key (on PC) and right click one of the outer fuel tanks. Then send about half of what remains in the middle tank to the one outer tank you selected. Repeat the process with the other outer tank.

Good luck and happy landings

[SlowThought]

One last tip, Zeb isn't entirely lost on the Mun. Yes, his middle engine is out and I'm guessing the two outer fuel-tanks are empty whereas the middle one still got some juice. Now, you can transfer fuel from the middle one to the outer ones by first right-clicking the middle tank, then hold down the alt key (on PC) and right click one of the outer fuel tanks. Then send about half of what remains in the middle tank to the one outer tank you selected. Repeat the process with the other outer tank.

Exactly right on the original fuel plan. Thanks for the the tip about fuel transfer!

[SlowThought]

Dateline: KSC, Cape Kerman

KASA has just released this picture of the new Theta vehicle:

KASA spokesman Kurt Kerman remarked that:

"We are very happy to announce the imminent launch of Munshot Theta. I would like to point out that the speculation in the press that the liberal use of solid rocket boosters in the Theta vehicle has something to do with the presence of an SRB factory in Senator Kerman's home town is just that, speculation."

[SlowThought]

Hello, this is Bret Kurman, and you're watching KNN. More news from KASA on the Theta Munar mission. Zeb Kurman has successfully landed on the Mun, touching down less than 8km from the Eta 4 site.

Given the state of the Theta lander, it's a good thing Eta 4 is so close. Wait, I'm told we again have radio contact with Zeb. Can you hear me, Zeb?

I hear you, Bret. Looks like I'm going for a little walk. Probably shouldn't have gone for the night landing.

Well, live and learn, Zeb. Do you think Eta 4 can get you home?

It depends on how much fuel is left. Worst case, I walk back like last time.

As always, best of luck to you, Zeb. This is Bret Kerman, and you're watching KNN.

[SlowThought]

Jebediah Kerman after landing Eta 4

Bret: Hi, I'm Bret Kerman, and this is KNN. Our guest today is Kerbonaut Jebediah Kerman, safely returned from the Mun. Hello Jeb, welcome home.

Jeb: Thank you, Bret, it's good to be here.

Bret: Yours is a remarkable story. You land Munshot Eta 4 on the Mun, but are stranded. You mysteriously return to mount your own rescue mission in Munshot Theta, only to be stranded again. Then you WALK to the site of Eta 4, repair it, and safely fly home.

Jeb: Well, I didn't walk the WHOLE way. I did use my jetpack for most of it. I have learned a few tricks of the trade, you know.

Bret: And what has KASA learned from this whole series of events?

Jeb: A few things, Bret. First off, the Eta lander was much more robust than expected. With proper fuel management, it can easily serve as KASA's primary landing vehicle. That means that the Theta launcher is probably a bit of overkill. That may get scaled down and tweaked a little bit for future missions.

Bret: But wait, you glossed over your mysterious first return from the Mun, from the Eta 4 mission, without benefit of rocket.

Jeb: What can I say, Bret? Space is a strange place.