Haphazard - BTSM Career Mode

[Taleric]

Minmus, Ike & Gilly Labs

The Mun lab had to be shut down and an identical flight lab sent with a properly oriented airlock...

The follow on labs well on an upgraded lift vehicle. Ike was close on fuel while the low gravity Gilly killed the monopropellant. A few day/night cycles were run on all labs and the energy returns look right to support the life support, Kerbal and study.

Now mission control prays that time does no degrade/destroy the labs before use. The numbers look good as the life support slow creeps up. KHS continues to tick along and now to pick a separate large endeavor to get the claw or wait out the first study.

[Taleric]

KHS, K-Lab, Azure & Labs Update

Doh! I should have known better, after a long slow period in the program the KHS study finalized with zero yield... Undaunted mission control chalk it up to practice and launch K-Lab into orbit where Munfal starts his study.

Checking in with Mun Lab all is still intact. Initially shocked by the life support value, it is realized that not only were the number of Kegs reduced for the generation level of life support over 5 years but to minimize delivery weight as well... The labs will not be ready for roughly another 10 years! Fortunately the amount of life support looks on target to complete a study once initiated.

Also during the period mission control has been cooking up an Eve program named Azure. Only in the initial stages, a station will be built in orbit to support a surface recovery mission. The completion on Azure and the K-Lab study will open up the claw to work till the labs are ready.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Taleric

[Taleric]

K-Lab & Cork I

Munfal did it! (After a quick recycler addition) Whew what a relief, this helps to reassure the labs will work correctly. The claw is unlocked and Cork I is launched towards EFM-003.

Very interesting during the long term study, asteroids were observed obtaining their own Kerbin orbit?! Mission control will have to keep a sharp eye out now that we have the capability to work with the asteroids.

EFM-003 is the first asteroid ever to be worked with in any of my programs. Selected for its' promising encounter mission control was initially baffled on the best method to rendezvous. Ultimately Cork I departed Kerbin SOI and made an interesting linkup. Upon capture Cork I still had amazing maneuverability and will now move to further process EFM-003.

The first of the labs should be ready soon. Mission control is looking to repurpose K-Lab to project Azure and find a larger asteroid.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Taleric

[Taleric]

Recovery & Cork II

The science collected off the type A asteroid is 500, not bad. Gilwin heads up on a quick recovery mission to return Munfal for a break before he starts his Mun study. (Gilwin has had his pilots license revoked after a terrible near miss with K-Lab sheering off the solar panels!) Meanwhile mission control sends out Cork II towards another asteroid that makes a close 6 million kilometer approach to Kerbin, VHL-841.

This asteroid is a class D and mission control is hopeful Cork II on the old conquest+ lifter can get capture. With the lessons of Cork I the intercept is much easier. The complication is in understanding the center of mass. After poking around and swinging VHL-841 wildly mission control figures out that they are able to target the center of mass just prior to claw impact and can ensure proper targeting. Now it will be up to Cork III to bring VHL-841 into close orbit for study, wow that is a ton of resources!

Edited May 15, 2014 by Taleric

[Taleric]

Cork III & IV

The class D asteroid is serious business! Mission control has to launch two identical missions to bring VHL-841 closer to Kerbin for a fair payout (I was expecting more?) The true value might be in the resources the asteroids hold. Working with this size might not be ideal with all the issues maintaining orientation for burns. Another few months and the labs begin. (Taking just too long!)

[Taleric]

Limo I & II

It is happening! The labs have started to send signals they are ready. Munfal and Gilwin saddle up to begin their studies. Mission control really hopes the science payout is enough to get the next level generators. As a fail safe Dres or Moho might have to be attempted in the meantime.

It will take a bit longer for Limo III and IV to make Ike and Gilly. The Limo with various launch vehicles does well with maybe a bit more monopropellant on the lander. Additional considerations will have to be taken on the other labs to ensure the Kerbals can make it back once complete.

Mission control is so glad the labs survived and Munfal initiates the study, Gilwin waves while flying by to start his own.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Taleric

[Taleric]

Limo III & IV

Seezer and Robin make it to their labs uneventfully but for a terrible landing by Seezer. Fingers still crossed this pays out or else time to start working on Moho/Dres.

[Taleric]

Mun & Minmus Lab, Recovery II & Azure

Alright! Munfal and Gilwin made it the five long years. It is quickly obvious we will be thousands of science short. A Moho mission will have to be done.

Munfal gets stuck on exit between the orange tanks and a spot light! Luckily the lab probe was able to decouple the lab structure. Munfal is relieved the lander fires up and links up with Recovery II. Time to get Munfal prepared for Moho.

Gilwin links up with his return vehicle also lacking chutes..... but has a recycler and plenty of life support to get home.

Azure Lab is launched in haste for Eve. The plan is to start the study right after Gilly lab to avoid sending additional pilots out. The lab is fully loaded so it needs a robust launch but will just orbit Eve so capture is all that is needed.

*Looks like I will be doing .24 vanilla KSP after this program, I am going to set the difficulty as high as possible to get the fun of economic considerations. Tons of shortfalls I already see

[Taleric]

Time to let the program go. The Gilly lab pays for starting early by being days short of able to complete the study. With Azure on deck around Eve it would just be a matter to hop over there to start again.

From here I would have completed Ike and Duna. Moho just would have been a matter of multiple life support and vehicle flights.

I need the "by the skin of my teeth" feeling to keep at it so this is where we leave for now. Incredible fun and I look forward to BTSM on .24. My next program will be vanilla .24 hoping there is some challenge or it will be right back to BTSM. Thank you for giving my reports a look! o/

Edited July 15, 2014 by Taleric