Kerbal Space Administration - to the Mun and Beyond

[Zedwardson]

The war was over, both the long cold war and the occasional hot war was ended, Kerbin was rebuilding, with many of the old weapons being converted to scrap. Battleships made into cars, bombers into cans of Kerbal-Cola, however one of the most difficult issues facing the new Kerbal administration was what to do with the large rocket forces that existed and also how to support the high tech jobs offered by the rocket programs. Soon it was decided, the Kerbal Space Administration (KSA) would be formed, taking possession of the rocket forces and given funding to keep some key production lines open. It was time for the Kerbals to look to the stars. the KSA had three commandments.

1. Use and thus dispose of former weapons of war.

2. Develop technology to send robots and Kerbals into space

3. Gain scientific know how and knowledge

[Note: Playing in sandbox mode: This is for fun and not going to get bothered by funding or such, but I am playing it real, mission failures are mission failures and will show the failures. I am playing with the Kethane and SCANsat mods, Mecjeb2, and the mod that gives Kerbals ribbons for what they have achieved to help me keep track of who is who. Also I will sometimes have odd missions like a odd suborbital flight to simulate the KSA expending in creative ways old military rockets. While I am not playing with funding, I am going to build a family of rockets and launch and use the correct rocket. Also I plan to start with probes even if I am starting out with a kerbalnut program.

The Kerbal Space Administration (KSA) is proud to announce the first class of Kerbalnuts.

1. Jebediah "Jeb" Kerman

2. Bill Kerman

3. Bob Kerman

4. Henski Kerman

5. Endos Kerman

6. Lenney Kerman

7. Richald Kerman

8. Keirrim Kerman

These eight (8) kerbalnuts have been selected as Class One of the KSA program to put Kerbals into space. Jeb, Bill, and Bob are founding pilots of the KSA, while the other five where selected after extensive research by placing a ad in the New Kerbal Times. All eight will begin training while rocket and capsule research and production is underway.

When asked about the chance to fly in space, the answers ranged from lifelong dream from Endos, to proving himself from Henski, to "It beats mopping floors" as quoted by Kirrim.

[Zedwardson]

Able Series tests

The Able series tests consists of four (4) tests based off the RT-10 Solid rocket booster. The KSA has a large number of these rockets due to the extensive use of this open source design by a number of former Kerbal military forces.

The Able series of tests was to determine the categories of design that the RT-10 surplus booster could be used for the KSA.

Launch Name: Able-1 Test

Mission Goal: Test launch pad and tracking equipment for KSA

Mission Result: Success

Notes: Rocket took off and followed ballistic path. Altitude achieved was 30,000 meters. as expected, rocket and instrumentation was lost on impact.

Launch Name: Able-2 Test

Mission Goal: Test Parachute package and break height record set by Able-1 test.

Mission Result: Success

Notes: Flown in less ballistic path. Altitude achieved was 35,000 meters. Parachute package is a success and has been approved for flight status.

Launch Name: Able-3 Test

Mission Goal: Test staging and double stacked RT-10s. Break 100,000 meters

Mission result: Success

Notes: Altitude achieved was 150,000 meters. Important data about extent of atmosphere determined. Difficulty in launch caused development of separation ring.

Launch Name: Able-4 Test

Mission Goal: Separation ring testing,

Mission result: Success

Notes: Altitude achieved was over 300,000 meters. Last of RT-10 Able series testing.

Last image is a rendering of Able-4 on its suborbital mission.

[Zedwardson]

Kosmos-1 First attempt to orbit.

Launch Name: Kosmos-1

Mission Goal: Launch Satellite into orbit.

Mission Result: Failure*

Notes: The launch was planned for orbital insertion of a scientific package and to test the comm system to obtain science. Orbit was not achieved as the package was launched into a heliocentric orbit.

The mission was not a complete failure, as science was received by the probe. It detected a flaw in the amount of battery power installed on the probe, however science was collected and while unable to enter into the gravitational effect of the mun, it was able to carry out some imagining of the nearest body.

While unable to carry out the mission goals, it was not a complete failure, and now is orbiting the sun, however its communication gear is was not installed for long range transmission of science. It does not have any on-board fuel so it is cataloged but is deemed lost.

Due to this launch failure it was deemed to move the liquid fueled rocket, and the kerbaled manned program forward with the Hermes project, with the idea that the Hermes launcher developed in this program could be also mass produced for probes.

[Zedwardson]

As a note: I have already flown the Hermes missions - Nine missions, one unmanned, 8 manned (one for each kerbal in my space program) and while all lived, some nice failures too. Don't want to spam with all nine launches at once so I will spread them out even as I go into the next stage of the space program.

[Zedwardson]

And the Kraken killed my save

Thus ended this short tale