Kerbin Astrotech Mission Repository

[Tivec]

OOC note: This log repository may or may not follow the canon. Instead I will make a good attempt at telling a story of a space agency and its growth. This is my first attempt at writing a detailed role play AAR for Kerbal Space Program. Please be gentle The mod list for this playthrough is quite extensive, but I will try to credit the mods as I use them.

Introduction

Years ago, a war raged on Kerbin. Not a war where Kerbal souls were put against each other in combat, but a war of technology and production, a war of superiority without the use of weapons. Oh, the war had consequences, and the world tethered on the brink of full out conflict should this fragile status quo would be broken. This spurred technicians and scientists all over the planet to work their hardest to produce machinery, they worked hard to gain the advantage over the other side.

The war has been over for many years. Not a single shot was fired. In the period succeeding the conflict, known as the Great Calm, many technological advances were made available for the common folk and companies. Ground vehicles, ships, airplanes and helicopters were constructed and improved.

It was near the end of the Great Calm, before the Age of Spacefaring begun for real, that a small company was founded with the goal of conquering the stars: Kerbin Astrotech.

The Pledge

… I look out over this assembly of people and see pioneers. I see explorers. I see scientists and technicians. I see brave Kerbals willing to risk their life for a great future.

We will enter into a new era. We will launch into the vast emptiness of space with the goal of building a new future for Kerbalkind. We, Kerbin Astrotech, are pledged to this mission.

Stand with me as we officially open the doors to the most advanced space center ever built. Welcome to Kerbin Astrotech!

- From the speech made by Kersted Kerman at the opening of the Kerbin Astrotech space center.

Table of Contents

• Staff and Kerbonaut list
  
• Chapter I - Something New
  
  • Osgor I
    
  • Osgor II
    

Edited August 30, 2014 by Tivec

[Tivec]

Staff & Kerbonaut List

Administration

Kersted Kerman - Chief Executive Officer

Charismatic and well liked CEO of Kerbin Astrotech. Has a background in aviation management, having been the CEO for one of the major airlines on Kerbin.

Lankan Kerman - Chief Brand Officer

Also known As Lank, he's in charge of public relations and is known for his excellent marketing skills. He was given the position as CBO to ensure that Kerbin Astrotech would have access to a myriad of sponsors and investors to help fund the expensive program.

Project Osgor

Project Lead: Halwig Kerman

Senior Science Officer: Matly Kerman

Senior Technical Officer: Adlas Kerman

Pilot: Gilbar Kerman

Pilot: Caller Kerman

Engineer: Erwell Kerman

Medic: Lodry Kerman

Edited August 28, 2014 by Tivec

[Tivec]

Chapter 1: Something New

Kersted threw himself into the recliner in his office, looking out over the space center. This day had been busy. First the inauguration speech, then the countless meetings and inspections, thanking staff for their hard work over the last couple of months leading up to opening of the space center. And now, he could relax. For a few hours at least.

"Sir?" The voice was that of Lankan Kerman, the Chief Brand Officer. Kersted turned the chair to look at the old man. "Kerbin World-Firsts Record-Keeping Society has contacted us. They want us to send a vessel into space and prove our worth. They will pay us fairly well if we manage to get out of the atmosphere," said Lankan.

Kersted nodded. "Did you contact Halwig? He should have a team ready to get started."

"Yes, he estimates that they will be ready by the end of the week."

"Excellent. Tell him he has the good to go."

Lankan turned to go but Kersted spoke, "Lank, make sure that the World-Firsts pay us well. We are about to enter the history books."

Project Osgor

Caller Kerman (left) and Gilbar Kerman posing on the launchpad

"Excellent work, everyone. We will be airborne in no time!" Adlas Kerman, project Osgor's senior technical officer dismissed the group and waved to Gilbar Kerman, the test pilot that was hired for the job, to come over. The project had been established earlier that month and was dubbed "the experimental project". The administration gave the loosely set goal to "establish enough knowledge about space to reach toward the Mün", and Adlas suspected that he would be busy for a long time.

"Gilbar, tomorrow is a big day. Are you happy with what you saw here today?"

"Yes, sir. I have looked forward to this for a long time! Only thing I ask is that you let me do some piloting."

"Oh, you will do some flying - at least in these early flights. After that, we expect our launches to be fully automated." Adlas had a notion of what would be coming next as he spoke those words.

"I can accept that, but I need to know how this handles when flown manually, just in case the automation fails. I am a pilot, after all."

"Yes, Gilbar, I understand. There will be plenty of time for this, both in the simulators as well as in the real thing."

[Tivec]

Osgor I

Osgor I on the launchpad, ready for takeoff.

"Simulations of this craft gave some really disturbing results," Gilbar said, frowning at the vessel on the launchpad. "Are you sure this thing will be stable?"

"You should expect some stability issues, that is part of your job." Matly Kerman did not seem impressed with the complaints from Gilbar. "Just get into the craft and get ready for launch. You have your mission assignment - get the craft off of the launchpad, aim for the sky, and land safely in the water."

Osgor I instrument panel.

Gilbar sighed and boarded the vessel, checking that the instruments were in order. Putting on the headset, he spoke in a clear voice. "Osgor I, mission control."

"Go ahead, Osgor I." The voice was that of Halwig Kerman, the project lead.

"We are ready for launch. You may initiate countdown."

"Roger that, Osgor I. Initiate countdown procedure. Guidance?"

"Go."

"Systems?"

"Go."

"Recovery?"

"Go."

"Begin countdown. T-20.. 19.. 18.."

2.. 1.. And we have liftoff of Osgor I, the first of our craft to leave the surface of Kerbin!

"5 degree turn, keep this attitude." Gilbar Kerman tilted over slightly to put some distance between himself and the launchpad.

"At least the photographers had a great time," Gilbar was heard saying during the press debrief when shown this picture.

"Go for abort. Parachute armed." The remote command from mission control was sent as the rocket failed to achieve any altitude.

Unfortunately, the craft broke on impact with the water surface. Here is a picture from the rescue team as Gilbar is approaching the goo canister to collect valuable data from it.

While the launch only gave a little bit of data for the scientists to work with, it still represented a great step for the space program. The LV-909 rocket engine was proven to work quite well for a smaller stage. With the scientific progress from the data recovered, a larger scale test would be attempted within short time.

Edited August 28, 2014 by Tivec

[Tivec]

Osgor II

Matly Kerman sat in position at the mission control. Within moments, they would launch Osgor II, the newest version of the Osgor series of craft. They had learned from previous mistakes, and this craft was longer, heavier, more powerful. Simulations had shown that placing fins at the bottom of the lower stage would help some with the control difficulties, and this launch would tell if that would be true.

The goo capsules that were previously down on the hull of the rocket had been moved up on to the capsule itself. It'd help with recovery and lessen the risk that the craft breaks apart upon landing. Matly was proud to be the senior science officer for this mission. The state of the art gimballing engine, a WildCat-V, was used as the main thruster in this two-stage craft, and he had been instrumental in the design of this engine.

What worried him, however, wasn't his ability to design a rocket engine. He knew he was more than capable. What did worry him was if it would be enough. The engine was basically untested and because of the pace the space program was going, he felt it had been rushed. But the time had come and the countdown was nearing liftoff, there was nothing left to do.

He started reading off the checklist…

Osgor II on the launchpad, ready for launch.

Liftoff!

Burning for a low orbit at 80km

MECO and separation, everything looking great so far

Final burn to raise the periapsis to the target altitude.

And the circularization burn.

As Osgor II entered orbit, a round of applause rose from the assembly of people at mission control. Matly heaved a sigh of relief and scanned the telemetry data on his screen. Everything was looking great.

"Mission control?" The voice of Caller Kerman crackled in the loudspeakers.

"Go ahead, Cal." Matly's heart started racing. Had something gone wrong? Was Caller okay up there?

"I think I am going to go outside for a while."

Absolute silence settled in the control room.

"Mission control, did you copy?"

"Yes, control here. We copy. Are you sure?"

"What's the worst that could happen? I trust the engineers to have built a good enough suit for me."

"Just be careful out there. You're in uncharted territory now." Matly leaned back in his chair, this was new. Nobody had ever been outside before. Well, nobody had been in space before either, so he guessed that it would be fine. Simulations had shown that it would, but nobody really knew.

"Mission control, Kerbin is really beautiful from up here."

Testing the space suit directional controls, Caller Kerman floated away a bit from the vessel before returning.

Later, Caller would write in his memoirs about this moment. First Kerbal in space. First Kerbal outside in space.

After making some orbits around Kerbin and several EVA's later, Caller initiated the retrograde manoeuvre and burn to begin the descent to Kerbin. He would make an attempt to land near the space center.

Just prior the descent burn.

Passing over the deserts.

Separation with the space center on the horizon.

Speed and altitude a tad high to land exactly at the center.

Overshot!

With parachute deployed, the pod slowed down quickly.

Nearing splashdown some twenty kilometers out.

Splashdown just as the sun sets.

The scientific gain for the mission was significant, and with this progress, Matly was sure they would be able to reach the Mün in no time. Perhaps not on the next flight, but there was already a project group being put together to work on options. Matly had not been chosen for this team. His place was with the Osgor team, he would guide the new pilots and crew on their first steps into space.