Kron series (Kron 6 end of mission) - temporary halt of program

[lajoswinkler]

The main module has been launched using a pretty heavy rocket with three KR-2L engines and three liquid fuel boosters.

Docking was surprisingly easy.

Aligning was not even tried. This was all done without Kerbals. The most important thing was to join the parts into one vessel.

Next launch will bring up the propulsion module, and then the ship will autonomously dock with it.

[lajoswinkler]

Kerbal engineers stumbled upon an enormous problem - putting the collosal propulsion unit into a low Kerbin orbit. Unlike with Kron 3, this propulsion unit is much more heavier when it's full. If a rocket is ought to be simple, it would need to be taller than VAB. Complex rockets would have an insane amount of parts.

So it was decided to launch the thing almost completely empty and use a three stage vehicle with boosters. First stage is a cluster of mainsails on a conical fuel tank with four liquid fuel boosters.

Behold, the launch.

The first stage did initially experience minor issues with one of the boosters getting too hot and partially exploding, but the rocket is so heavy it didn't pose a problem.

Sepratrons firing upon booster separation caused the first stage to explode, though.

Second stage was ignited without problems.

Enormous fairings fall off, revealing the propulsion unit.

Circularization was established using more than half of the third stage.

As it is a rather bulky object, it was not maneuvered, but simply approached by the ship and then docked to.

Kron 4 is now assembled, but lacks the fuel. Bill Kerman will lead several missions where he will strut the ship and deliver pure liquid fuel for the nuclear engines.

Edited June 9, 2015 by lajoswinkler

[Zaddy23]

Nice to see how things have progressed quickly! You are inspiring me to start up my own mission report series.

[Yukon0009]

Actually, angling the boosters reduces TWR.

[lajoswinkler]

Indeed it does, but the angle is very small. The launch vehicle was a bit overpowered so there were no significant problems.

[Nicholander]

Ah, I've just found this thread again, and you're doing Kron 4 now! Great!

Also, have you ever heard of 'tumbling pigeons'? It's a kind of centrifugal gravity that doesn't need a dedicated centrifuge thing on the ship, this image will explain it much better than I can:

See? With this, by spinning the spacecraft end-over-end, you create centrifugal gravity without the centrifuge which can snap you're ship in half. So you can spin you're already constructed Kron 4 like this! (Yes, I know that it's kind of useless, but it still looks cool though, so maybe you could try doing this.)

[lajoswinkler]

Yeah, that is a neat method, but turning Kron 4 like that... ugh. That's a lot of mass to be flipped around.

[lajoswinkler]

First delivery of liquid fuel.

Bill soon realized he forgot to bring his drill so the team had to go back.

After that he brought his handy dandy 3D glasses and a full glass helmet.

Less than one silver tank was filled. Ministry is not satisfied.

[Mister Dilsby]

I don't play with any of these parts so it's hard to get a feel for Kron-- but I do have a soft spot for Bill, and those glasses are spectacular! Ministry will just have to deal with it.

[lajoswinkler]

Well the Ministry has asked for an accelerated refueling so a larger supply vessel was provided capable of delivering almost three silver tank worth of liquid fuel (almost 11 000 units).

As usual, haste does not bring much good. Latest refueling mission ended right before the sunset and at the moment of unplugging the fuel pipe, the whole frontal part of the ship was blown off. Apparently Jeb and Val were busy doing something else and the ships were slightly touching.

Kron 4 command module and supply ship's capsule were destroyed (Jeb and Val were killed), main heatshield has been blown off like a coin and the lander was thrown away.

Bill has escaped the explosion and has boarded Kron 4, being unable to return home.

Stay tuned for more developing news on the disaster.

[Mister Dilsby]

Noooooo!!! I suppose F9 is out of the question?

[Yukon0009]

Uh oh, that is not good.

[SemiaCloud]

Not good.

[lajoswinkler]

special news

- Kerbal biomedical scientists are working hard on cloning Jebediah and Valentina.

- Wernher von Kerman has ordered a new frontal portion of the ship to be made and launched as soon as possible.

- Mortimer Kerman threatens to burn down the KSC flag and protests in front of the Administration building because of huge additional expenses.

- Bill was saved by an autonomous Mk1 vehicle. He landed and was recovered by the ground crew.

Walt Kerman, Public relations of the MONBTTD

[Yukon0009]

ahh, cloning works everytime.

[technerd89]

Well I am sorry to hear about the untimely accidents. Admittedly it makes me feel a little bit less of a plebe to hear that you shared a similar difficulty in launching your drive section while full.

*Edit: While completing the merger of my pressurized and drive sections (if its not clear this thread has inspired me to build a Kron-alike), and strengthening the structural integrity with KAS/KIS struts, my vessel suffered a rapid unplanned dis-assembly. I think it was a wonky physics thing caused by strutting two hard-docked vessels together? Its possible that some kind of weird KAS bug was what destroyed Kron 4-Alpha.*

Edited June 11, 2015 by technerd89
Additional feedback

[VASMIR]

My first thought was"DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE INNER HATCH."

ALso, what website do you use to post pictures

[lajoswinkler]

ahh, cloning works everytime.

Verterion spatial conductulators are working at 120% nominal power just to make things go smooth.

Well I am sorry to hear about the untimely accidents. Admittedly it makes me feel a little bit less of a plebe to hear that you shared a similar difficulty in launching your drive section while full.

*Edit: While completing the merger of my pressurized and drive sections (if its not clear this thread has inspired me to build a Kron-alike), and strengthening the structural integrity with KAS/KIS struts, my vessel suffered a rapid unplanned dis-assembly. I think it was a wonky physics thing caused by strutting two hard-docked vessels together? Its possible that some kind of weird KAS bug was what destroyed Kron 4-Alpha.*

Indeed, this was a KAS bug. Vessel command pods were touching and it's possible Kron 4 struts were passing through the refueling vessel. Upon severing the pipeline, something glitched and kaboom.

My first thought was"DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE INNER HATCH."

ALso, what website do you use to post pictures

Yup, I've shared a similar thought. The explosion was spectacular, with tiny bits flying and tumbling everywhere.

I use this site.

Edited June 11, 2015 by lajoswinkler
typo

[Mister Dilsby]

I use this site.

Not that you should change sites on my account of course, but interestingly I can't see your excellent KRON pictures from behind the corporate firewall at work--I have to wait to get home to view them. Work does not mind imgur, and even lets me post to it.

[Zaddy23]

Oh dear, something like this was bound to happen.

[lajoswinkler]

The ship is repaired and refueling has continued. Jebediah and Valentina don't remember any accident has ever happened, although there are rumors some smooching was what caused the accident.

This rocket's whole upper white part is pure liquid fuel. Three more launches at most, and the ship will be filled up and ready to go.

(Check out the shadow on the VAB.)

[GabrielG.A.B.Fonseca]

Love the Kron Missions! I should do a mission report series myself, this is so cool!

By the way... Be careful with such claims. There are many dormant shippers lurking this forum...

[lajoswinkler]

Thanks. What claims?

[Rath]

I think it was the jeb+Val smooching

- - - Updated - - -

Personally, I either find that disturbing or regular depending on which of my saves I played last. In one of them my head canon is that jeb bill and bob are triplets and val I their kid sister. In the other Kerman is a title meaning that you are part of the space program and not a last name, and that jeb and Val are in a thing.

[lajoswinkler]

The last refueling mission was flown by Jebediah, Bill and Bob, who had to make sure Kron 4 was ready to do some science.

Blue tank was a delivery of pure oxidizer. Also, some additional monopropellant was brought along. The ship is ready. It's filled to the top.

Mission control is testing Kerty, the onboard computer while the crew is enjoying their last days on Kerbin before they head to Urlum.

Edited June 14, 2015 by lajoswinkler