First Manned Flight
It looks like the best contract at this point is to have a manned vehicle pass the Karman line (100km). I think we could do much better than that. The Mercury Redstone test was a success so having a manned version of that should be a winner. I want to be honest to the failures so I do need an escape system in place, so I need to add that.
Jeb Kerman will be the first to make space. There will not be an orbit but a suborbital high altitude flight (probably above 300 km) and recovery. I can add some science to this, but I think I want to hold on that a bit and get this mission accomplished.
Mercury Redstone 1
March 12, 1954
Jebediah Kerman (pilot)
A planned suborbital mission. First manned mission to break into space.
408,676 km altitude reached.
First manned mission!
<Mercury Redstone 1>
Testing the Mercury Atlas
Test to drop the boosters @ 1:50. (Turn on RCS at 1:40)
Set ascent profile to 1000 km and 5deg, 50%. Change to 0 deg when you hit 190km. Do not disengage (or it will shut off the engine and there is only one ignition).
You MUST pre ignite the engines.
Engine shutdown LR105-NA-3 (failure)
Change the booster release to 1:55. Change to 10deg until 190. (Turn off sim failure for now)
I had to turn to 5deg as it got too close, but I did make a low orbit (236x172). So it was partially successful.
I think another test is to leave it at 10deg, than change to 5 after the booster drop, than 0 at 190.
I may do this last 'test' as an actual launch of an unmanned mission so I can improve the data research on the engine as well.
(Maybe drop at 1:54)
Mercury Atlas Test 1
May 9, 1954
No crew.
First orbital test of the Mercury Atlas rocket. Going for a successful recovery and a bit of low orbit science.
Booster separated at 1:54. Changed to 5deg at 150 km.
Hit apoasis with 53 seconds left (stayed at 5 deg).
Engine failure at 6:05. Short of orbit (184x-3000).
Emergency return of capsule.
[It does appear that I reached enough velocity to fulfill the contract though]
So, the engine did fail but hopefully the research will improve the next one. In the meanwhile, I did get the contract fulfilled so this was a partial success.
<Mercury Atlas Test 1>
Some interesting missions coming up. Another crewed suborbital and then a crewed orbital. I also should see about doing the Lunar flyby. In the meanwhile, however, taking a break.