Tag Archive: Kerbin

Apr 24 2015

Kerbin Satellites – 4/24/15

It’s been a few months since we last took a look at what’s in orbit around Kerbin. Here is a video of the various objects along their orbital paths, sped up 300x normal speed.

Apr 15 2015

#061: Buzzing Minmus

The third and final ComSat to orbit Minmus was successfully launched into LKO, where it transferred without issue to Minmus and detached from its transfer stage in orbit around the moon, leaving it to drift until we re-activate it for use as an impactor. In order to slot the satellite into position between the two existing ones, an aggressive maneuver was plotted to send the craft whipping past Minmus as low as 15km, after which it would rise up to complete the constellation of communication satellites.

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Feb 17 2015

Kerbin Rise from Mun

Munar Orbiter III coming around the day side of Mun watches the horizon for Kerbin to rise. Wait for it. Waaaait for it….

Music credits go to Sam Hulick – “I Was Lost Without You” (Mass Effect 3 OST Extended Cut)

Feb 14 2015

#054: Back In Bizness – ComSat Minmus I

After over a month of repairs required to get the launch pad back to operational status after being nearly destroyed by 2.5m rocket launches, the KSA is finally ready to really kick off 2015 operations. We are starting small, however, to ensure the pad repairs have been adequate. The ComSat Minmus I satellite will be the first to orbit the second moon of Kerbin and will be the start of another triple-constellation around the equator that will provide complete omni network coverage for future craft. We plan to make Minmus an important way station for future kerbed space flight so this investment in communications infrastructure will pay off down the road. This mission would also go on to uncover a serious flaw in our mission planning software that would affect another planned launch.

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Jan 27 2015

#053: Kethane Refinement

For months now the R&D branch of the KSA has been working tirelessly to turn kethane, an abundant mineral found both here on Kerbin and in spectra on other bodies in the solar system, into rocket fuel. Not only would this greatly reduce our dependency on other sources of propellant, it would allow us to refuel in-situ, saving costs and weight on future missions to the surface of other planets and moons. The road was long but eventually scientists were able to deploy and test a drill and converter unit here on Kerbin.

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Jan 21 2015

Orbital Sunrise

Travel along with one of our satellites as its onboard camera captures the sun rising over Kerbin from 350km. The video has been sped up to 2x normal speed for a better sense of motion, despite the fact that the craft is traveling at 1.9km/s!

Music by Kevin Macleod

Jan 05 2015

#052: Can You Hear Me Now?

Despite some recent launch failures the KSA was looking forward to taking their next big step in space exploration – landing a probe on Mun. This mission, dubbed Mun II, was also paving the way for an eventual rover landing as well – the lander for this mission is carrying a science bay but is weighted and designed similar to the lander that will be delivering a rover onto the surface. This rocket is also the first 2.5/1.25m hybrid, launching on the larger diameter and traveling to Mun on the smaller. Unfortunately, the mission was plagued with communications issues and an investigation of the launch pad turned up an even more serious problem for the Agency.

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Dec 19 2014

#051: Decimal Point Destruction

One of the longer-running R&D programs has been work on docking ports for spacecraft to join up in orbit and transfer crew and materiel. The program was begun after orbital rendezvous of spacecraft was proven to be not only possible but capable by astronauts fresh out of the Academy. The ability to join craft via fuel lines is extremely limited for long-term space operations and the eventual construction of a space station. For the first docking, a kerbed craft will rendezvous and couple with an un-kerbed craft launched into orbit ahead of time. This is mainly due to our current small astronaut corps and the unwillingness, at this stage in our program, to have two kerbed flights in orbit at the same time.

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Dec 17 2014

#050: Mun I – Mun or… bust?

Ever since the historic first orbit of Kerbin by Cmdr Jebediah Kerman, kerbals have only ever repeatedly visited Low-Kerbin Orbit (LKO), with some forays out to Mid-Kerbin Orbit (MKO). The KSA has been planning for months to send a kerbal into orbit around Mun, but only now has the chance come to do so after many tests of new technologies, including a whole new 2.5m rocket system. The mission is planned to also service the various satellites that are in orbit around Mun to further expand the Agency’s scientific knowledge and long-range communication capabilities. On the cusp of yet another historic moment, the KSA aims to meet and surmount the inevitable challenges ahead.

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Dec 16 2014

#049: Automated RCS Maneuver Testing

The KSA has been aware for some time of a limitation with their remote operation system, which is capable of pointing the rocket and performing burns with an engine when not in contact with mission control (assuming these commands were programmed while contact was established). What it is *not* capable of is controlling the RCS system. Since most of our small probes rely solely on RCS to perform maneuvers, this has been a small problem for operations around Kerbin, and only becomes a larger one when conducting maneuvers on probes outside the system. The solution is finally at hand with some new software, but to test it the Agency needs to loft a probe up into LKO, after which it was planned to be de-orbited once the software is confirmed operational.

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