[Pic Heavy]Budding Space Program

[Taki117]

So, with my Previous Playthrough Complete I've decided to do it again! Except this time I'm using 64-bit and Stock parts.

LATEST MISSION

Let's lay down some ground rules (Subject to Change):

1. No Space Debris. If it goes up it must come down.
   
2. Iron Kerbal (All settings disabled)
   
3. All Tech Nodes of the current Tier must be unlocked before progressing to the next tier.
   
4. After any Failed Launch/Landing involving a Kerbal a minimum of 3 successful unmanned launches must be completed before the next Kerballed launch.
   
5. If a Kerbal Dies during a launch/landing due to failed equipment a minimum of 5 successful launches must be completed prior to the next Kerballed Launch.
   
6. Must provide additional living space for at least an additional 1/2 crew capacity
   
7. Nuclear Devices are not to be fired in, or disposed of on Kerbin/Earth.
   
8. Must provide additional living space for at least an additional 1/2 crew capacity for Missions outside Kerbin/Earth SoI.
   
9. No Fuel is to be stored on any crewed station or base
   

Now that we have that, let's jump right in!

"Jeb! We're running out of money! We can't afford to keep building rockets anymore!" Bob cried as he ran into Jebediah's office at the junkyard. Jeb nods sadly and heaves a sigh. "Guess it's time to hang up our hats and let the young guns take over."

First Flight

Missile Modifications!

First Kerbal to Orbit!

Edited September 15, 2014 by Taki117

[Taki117]

With Bill, Bob, and Jeb out of the picture the launch sight sits abandoned. That is, until two young Kerbals have the bright idea that it would be a good idea to steal a missile from the local Navy base. Quickly they rush the missile to their work shop, which is little more than a shed in the middle of nowhere and get to work making several modifications to the explosive payload. "I can't believe we're doing this." one of them says as he carefully installs it's replacement. The other just smiles as he finishes wiring the control circuits. "Oh come on. With Jeb, Bill and Bob out of the picture we can finally take over!" he said, a little more loudly than he had intended.

Soon they had finished their work and were headed to the abandoned launch site. Their mischief wouldn't be noticed till morning, and by then they wouldn't be able to be stopped. Once they had gotten to the launch pad and set up the missile. Once they had gotten it settled and everything set up it the sun was cresting over the horizon. "Hurry up man. They'll be here any minute!" the kerbal uttered nervously as he continued running the wires for the ignition circuits. "We'll be fine." The other replied as the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. "Showtime." he continued before retreating into the bunker and beginning the countdown.

Suddenly the door to their makeshift bunker burst open and several armed soldiers swarmed in. "DROP THE BUTTON!" one of them shouted while pointing a gun at the pair. "Not on your life." came the reply as the kerbal holding the button pressed it as hard as he could, and a moment later smiled with glee as the sound of rocket ignition filled the air.

Everyone rushed outside to investigate. The mischievous kerbal pair smiling wickedly, while the soldiers stood there dumbfounded as what appeared to be the stolen missile shot out from the cloud of smoke that had formed on the pad. "Note to self: Install launch suppression system." the ringleader uttered as he watched the missile ascend skywards. The commander ordered binoculars brought up and once they had arrived he followed the rocket until he couldn't see it anymore. "You boys have really done it this time." he uttered as the rocket disappeared from sight.

Higher it climbed, with it's military programming still intact. Following the ascent path that had been hastily programmed in the rocket soared skywards, reaching an altitude of 400km before the engine finally shut off.

After it had reached its apoapsis it oriented itself so that it's "warhead" would impact its target. Of course this payload had been replaced by a parachute that was designed to arrest the ascent to allow the vessel to be recovered later. Of course the mischievous pair were unsure if the parachute housing would protect the parachute during reentry, especially since neither of them expected the missile to reach such an altitude.

The missile slammed into the upper atmosphere and began to heat up. Soon the compressed air in front of the parachute began to ignite and turn into raging hot plasma as the missile continued to descend. Eventually the flames subsided as the rocket continued on it's descent, the parachutes opening right when they were supposed to, and flipping the rocket around so that the egine would take the brunt of what would be a water landing.

[Taki117]

With the successful launch of their ill-gotten missile the Mischievous Duo were of course broke. Hensy had an idea. "Why don't we call up the Kerbin World-Firsts Record-Keeping Society and see if they will help us out?" he asked his partner Sidsen. Nodding Sidsen picked up the phone and started dialing. After a few minutes he beamed at Hensy. "They want us to put a rocket into orbit. And they'll even pay us!" he shouted excitedly. Soon the duo got to work fixing up their old rocket, and adding a second stage so that it could make it into orbit.

Once they had completed wiring everything a small crowed had gathered at the launch site. Most of the observers were from the Kerbin World-Firsts Record-Keeping Society there to observe the launch and ensure that the craft did actually make a stable orbit around the planet. Hensy began the countdown as everyone looked on. At zero he hit the large red button marked "Launch" and watched as the engine ignited and the rocket shot skywards.

The pair watched as the rocket pitched over, it's military programming taking hold. "We really need to fix that." Sidsen uttered as he watched the telemetry. The rocket continued to climb, gaining both speed and altitude as everyone moved inside to follow the telemetry.

"SRB burnout. 3...2...1...Jettiosn and clear. Second Stage ignition looks good." Hensy said so that everyone could hear. Hensy and Sidsen continued to stare at the monitors as they switched their focus from the craft to it's orbit. Slowly the periapsis began to rise. A cheer went through the control room as the robit circularized and the engine shut down. They were the first ones to put anything into orbit, and they even had enough fuel to bring it back.

After the members of the eacord-Keeping Society were satisfied that the duo had in fact made orbit they left the pair to their own devices. "Alright, let's bring it home." Hensy said as the probe passed over India, where it fired up it's engine to lower the periapsis back into the atmosphere. They then reoriented the space craft nose first for reentry, but once it hit the upper atmosphere there was an issue.

"She's turning. Too much drag on the nose. I can't keep it pointed straight!" Sidsen shouted as he watched the rocket tumble helplessly. It settled engine first as the heat of reentry began to ignight the air around the contraption. "Let's hope she holds." Hensy said as they watched helplessly. The fuel tank overheated and exploded, the engine falling away from the rest of the ship as it continued to fall. The probe core survived, as did the parachute, which meant that they would be able to at least collect and reuse that piece.

[Taki117]

"But I don't want to go!" Hensy whined as the continued debating who would be the first kerbal in space. "The Society wants one of us to go into space." Sidsen replied as they pair continued working on modifying the orbital missile to carry a kerbal. "Besides, the capsule doesn't way much more than the guidance computer, it's not like you're going to get stuck." Sidsen continued mindlessly fixing wiring. "Not to mention that you'll have a heat shield to protect you." he continued before moving into the capsule to finish wiring the controls. "Fine, I'll go." Hensy replied with a heavy sigh as he closed up the panel he had been working in. Soon they had finished their work and Hensy clambered into the capsule and sealed the door. The rocket was then set up onto the pad.

"Stand-by for launch. You're going to feel a jolt, and then you're probably not going to be able to move much." Sidesn said into the headset. "Roger that, just hit the button." Hensy replied, as he held on to whatever he could and waited for the initial shock of liftoff. "As you wish." Sidsen replied before igniting the solid rocket booster that would shoot Hensy skywards.

"Jool!" Hensy shouted as he shot off the pad. With a great effort he reached for the controls and activated the pitch over maneuver that would put him on a sub-orbital trajectory. IT took everything he had to pitch the ship enough so that the guidance computer could take over and keep him on course. The rocket continued to climb ever higher.

Hensy slammed forwards as the solid rocket booster he was sitting atop shut off. After checking his altitude, and his apoapsis he jettisoned the launch escape system. From here he had enough delta-V to make it to orbit. In truth he had enough delta-V for an abort to orbit for a while now, but this was the first chance he could lift his arms without much effort. Once the LES was clear he jettisoned the Solid Rocket Booster and ignited his orbital insertion engine.

"You should see the view!" Hensy said as he pod rotated around over Austrailia. "I'm sure I'll get to see it soon enough." Sidsen uttered as he watched the telemetry of the capsule. "Alright, the Society says their good to go, you can come home now." Sidsen said as the members of the Records Keeping Society filed out of the bunker. "Roger that. I'll be home in time for lunch." Hensy replied before igniting his engine once more to lower his periapsis into the atmosphere.

Once the ship had hit the upper atmosphere the service module was jettisoned and the parachute armed. This exposed the heat shield, and should Hensy meet a grim fate the science inside the capsule would survive. As the pod continued to fall through the atmosphere the air began to compress and heat around it, the heat shield absorbing and deflecting a large portion of the heat away from the capsule.

Suddenly Hensy was jolted forwards as his paracute opened far sooner than expected and began slowing him down far higher than he was supposed to. "This is going to be a long fall." he uttered as he waited until the ship finally came to res in the ocean.