The Royal Alexandria, a research mission to Jool

[bobcook]

After many successful missions to Mun and Minmus, and the recent highly successful orbiter-lander mission to Duna, the mission planners at KSC have designed a new ambitious deep space mission to explore Jool and its five moons. The recent discovery of Kethane will make the mission economical enough to attempt with only a moderate sized ship and crew.

Mission parameters:

• depart from Kerbin low orbit in one single ship
  
• conduct significant scientific research of Jool and its moons
  
• land on the surface of each moon for additional science opportunities
  
• test a variety of new rover and remote probe technologies
  
• utilize the successful orbiter-lander ship model
  
• mine Kethane to make fuel along the way
  

This mission conforms to the Jool-5 Kethane challenge profile, and utilizes the mods Kethane, MechJeb, Kerbal Alarm Clock, RealChutes, and TAC Fuel Balancer.

The lander vehicle is named Royal Alexandria and is capable of multiple science experiments, Kethane mining, crewed by two Kerbals. A small impactor science probe for planetary research at Jool is attached. To carry the lander between various bodies the Karnak Automaton vehicle carries fuel plus nuclear engines for propulsion as well as science facilities and crew quarters for an additional six Kerbals. It also carries six orbital probes and six rovers that will provide additional science opportunities.

Three launches and several rendezvous has readied the mission vehicle in low Kerbin orbit, at a height of 250km. The mission cost to date is 1,147,341 funds.

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[bobcook]

Werner von Kerman asked for a full review of the J-5K mission plan while the crew made their final preparations in orbit. The first step in the mission plan was orbital assembly (completed) and the second step was a training mission at Minmus prior to departure for the Jool system. Upon review, and checking the math with a fully working calculator (this time with the batteries connected properly) it was decided that the vehicle was lacking sufficient fuel for the second step. Jeb concurred with this new analysis and ordered up more boosters to be sent to orbit. Fortunately the KSC controllers were smarter than Jeb and decided to simply add more fuel to the existing vehicle.

After this additional launch and rendezvous the total mission cost has risen to 1,232,672 funds. The accounting department is beside themselves with shock and grief, and has declared the runway lights at KSC should be only turned on at night in order to save enough funds to keep the J-5K mission running.

J-5K Challenge Report Card:

• 8 Kerbals departing in a single ship from LKO (+40)
  
• a Mobile Lab is included (+10)
  
• nuclear engines are used in the vehicle design (-100)
  
• 90 tons on departure from LKO (-90)
  

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Edited September 7, 2014 by bobcook

[bobcook]

The training mission at Minmus went very smoothly for the crew of the Royal Alexandria lander and the Karnak Automaton cruise vehicle. Orbital maneuvers, docking, landing, and Kethane mining were all practiced. With Jeb and Sherman at the controls the lander made several landings as well as rendezvous and docking.

Kethane mining can be tricky, but with guidance from the KSC controllers as well as the science crew in orbit the operation was successful and the crew felt good about validating their training. Testing of the resource conversion unit also proved successful, and by the end of the mission Werner von Kerman gave his thumbs up for the mission to proceed. The accounting department is glad nothing broke, there just isn't funds for replacements right now.

Next phase of the mission will be to depart Minmus SOI and achieve a stable parking orbit around Kerbin just outside the Minmus orbit. The crew will then prepare the vehicles and themselves for the long trip to Jool.

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[bobcook]

After approval from the mission controllers at KSC the crew begins the next phase of the mission: transfer to the Jool system. After departing Minmus and establishing a parking orbit around 55 million km from Kerbin, the spacecraft is prepared for the long burn required to transfer orbit for a Jool intercept. Bob and Bill replaced Jeb and Sherman at the controls for the interplanetary transfer.

After a nearly three year voyage across open space the Royal Alexandria lander and the carrier vehicle Karnak Automaton arrived for intercept at Jool. During the journey many small maneuvers were performed to achieve a very good intercept. The aerobrake in Jool's atmosphere not only reduced velocity enough to achieve a stable orbit, the ship lined up a decent intercept at Laythe that only required a small maneuver burn to bring the spacecraft into a position for a second aerobrake.

Before reaching Laythe the crew prepared the Jool Impactor science probe. After checkout it was released. Its automatic controls took over and the probe departed on its one-way mission that will eventually take it deep into the Jool atmosphere.

So far the science plan for the mission has netted 1,008 points from the space above Jool. The science probe hasn't yet reached Jool, and the science plan for Laythe hasn't yet been started. Those aspects of the mission are part of the next phase. The KSC accounting department expects that the contracts for science should offset the mission cost.

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[bobcook]

The crew had deployed the Jool Science Probe before entering Laythe orbit, and it continued to safely orbit Jool in anticipation of its mission. Since the probe is utilizing the latest in automation technology it can perform its mission without remote guidance from the crew at Laythe or by the mission controllers back at KSC. A few orbital maneuvers with rocket motors plus aerobraking brought the probe into the atmosphere at Jool in a position where it could be observed. This mission was a success, allowing science experiments from deep within Jool. The transmission of the results back to KSC as quite successful.

After the success with the science probe it was time for the crew to deploy a second automated satellite to survey the surface of Laythe for Kethane. This step is crucial in the planning for the landing phase of the mission. Its important to pinpoint a safe landing zone that also has rich resources, as the lander will need to refuel from mined Kethane. Sherman performed a systems diagnostic on the probe and found everything in perfect working order. The docking clamps were released and the survey probe departed on its mission exactly as planned. After many orbits two candidate sites were selected for further review by the KSC mission controllers, and planning for the descent and landing were begun.

J-5K Challenge Report Card:

• Jool impactor probe (+20)
  
• mapping/communications satellite at Laythe (+10)
  

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