Kerbals in Space!
Well, this is it! The first Kerbal mission to space! The craft is tested, the pilot is ready!
Vostok 1
Valentina Kerman
Launch into orbit and return safely.
The goal is an 125 km orbit. Going with a 15 deg 50% turn.
First Kerbal in Space!
Congratulations Valentina!!!!!!
<Vostok 1>
I now see the Freedom 7 contract for the first US kerballed mission. Jeb will be the US pilot. Also, some Kerbal Academy has shown up for Valentina. That cannot use the Vostok craft (reuires a 45 deg incline) so I need to create a separate craft that uses Kerbal stock items to handle these missions.
Freedom 7 (3224 dV)
Jebediah Kerman
Suborbital flight. Safe return.
I will handle this manually since MJ doesn't do these flights well.
Great and clean flight.
<Freedom 7>
Created Pepper craft for the incline change Kerbal Academy mission.
Hold to 20 m/s accel until solids drop.
<Valentina Training>
Vostok 2 (4798 dV)
Tamphia Kerman
This is a 6-hour orbital mission. Make orbit, hang out and return. The first longevity mission.
125km 15 deg orbit leaves 1062 dV once in orbit. Plenty for a higher orbit or more.
This mission requires solar panels for TAC life support otherwise Tamphia dies after the air sours when the power goes out. I may also need to add battery but I can try it with just the panels.
Slight adjustment due to new profile. The orbit now leaves 1055 dV. Very little change.
87.4 reentry burn required.
Trajectories is a bit off. It was accurate before. I need to look if I have the settings off.
<Vostok 2>
Built my first Cact Eye scope. Putting into a specific orbit and it will satisfy a couple contracts.
Got the cope into orbit and completed the contracts.
<OSO 1>
The next mission is Mariner 1 to Eve. I really over-designed the first rocket (it probably could go to the outer system). I cut back a bit after and now I think it is a better setup.
A little unstable (because it is short and the wings are a little high up). Limit to 20 m/s until releasing the boosters 1:15 into the flight. I can even do a faster transfer to Eve as well with the fuel I have.
It will get there before Venera 1. Go Mariner!
<Mariner 2 Underway>
Setting up the 3 Lo Res Scan Missions
<Kerbin Lo Res>
<Mun Lo Res>
<Minmus Lo Res>
Now, I can do the Telstar satellite and then go adjust Mariner on its Eve journey.
The Telstar should be limited to 30 m.s until it reached 40km altitude. It is a stubby craft but it works fine for small system probes since it also operated the 3 Lo Res Scan missions. I should probably name this base craft and use it as a launcher.
<Telstar 1>
We are 8 days away from the Mariner 2 adjustment so I will go ahead and get that done.
<Mariner 2 Adjust>
Two geosynchronous missions were done, Syncom 2 and Syncom 3. I used a weather satellite (it looked similar) and set them in orbit at an altitude of 2863 km (or near that). Both missions succeeded, although I was not able to get either one above KSC because I misjudged the rotation!
<Syncom 3>
Next up is Vostok 6. I may send Jeb because he has not actually made orbit yet and this is a 3 day duration mission.
To make it go a bit quicker, I plan on a 250km orbit to have a faster warp available. I need the solar panels on the Vostok craft (which I have) and I also need to make sure the base level supplies are good enough.
868 dV in 250km orbit. Will re-entry be too hot? Coming in at 20km periapsis, so shallow.
Solid landing.
<Vostok 6>
Got most of the scan science. Needed to adjust Minmus to get the whole surface. Will revisit later.
Voskhod sim test appeared to go smoothly. It has a fuel cell for power and the food/water situation is fine for a day. I went to 125km but I think I can go to 200km with return using the retro on top. Maybe should test that?