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Feb 14 2015

#055: Duna I (Part 2/2)

The planning, development, construction, launch and transfer burn of Duna I were covered back in Dispatch #48 and we now pick up the story from when the craft exited the Kerbin system. 71 days of transit later after a mid-course correction burn it was due to finally arrive at Duna, becoming the first space craft to travel to another planet.

WlutNBg.pnga crowd here in the Duna I mission control room as we approach the boundary of interplanetary space 1peRCJU.png Duna I has left the Kerbin system!! Huge milestone for the KSA, congrats to all involved in the mission yQBjSH3.png no optical zoom, here is a shot looking back towards Kerbin. We've barely begun traveling away and already - so small aMVzZSe.png 0lbufin.png our current Duna orbit injection (left) will be corrected by a burn in ~35 days (center) for the proper orbit (right) 39D72vV.png ysXSuVu.png CgY5hjC.png vSZOOiy.png KJNoHh9.png hE8QKbh.png cybL6Ix.png Ad7SIdj.png hN599Ks.png hyeWduO.png k5xqlFt.png 6GeZ4E5.png 39Pj7I2.png 6vba5dZ.png this is full optical zoom from Duna I, Kerbin is already barely visible as a planet. Soon just another dot in the sky K2C3bNr.png xTDurgE.png mb6eQib.png 756,674km from Kerbin (center of image), now looking like a blue star amongst the vastness of space tnysnrl.png Y0DlItd.png PY75EUn.png here's the view back towards Kerbin from 1,106,419km away 7XMSBty.png Here's Duna I's current mission status, the craft is currently 1,372,182km from Kerbin, up to 18s signal delay DhBkkbb.png DDdNzsi.png wwwkhLN.png while awaiting news on asteroid DGG, we'd like to note that this just happened. Onwards!! G7u8fix.png GMVVReF.png jAMU1LU.png QiYSAIb.png uU9IvPn.png q8TbSrw.png 8qQo3Yz.png 2lWbyGc.png 4kFqse5.png 9ZeDAKW.png although we're closer to Duna than Kerbin, at 5,431Mm Duna at max zoom is still just a red speck in a sea of stars uxeHhLL.png g2M2PiX.png Avh2wWb.png EmVxxN4.png FuV9Fdi.png dZCOscJ.png ZoHmSvi.png burn was successful! We will be heading straight for our target orbit, 749km 78° inclined on 2/14 @ 03:14 UTC dGpwvWc.png uBaMET3.png 1D5IjQN.png w1tkwHT.png nXrmUDb.png evra2Cz.png VZqxuUD.png 9pi6l8h.png wBGUbrI.png JHdNfqS.png uCj9UFh.png QYsliqe.png 8dgi7hT.png wWNz6rM.png Duna & Jool from Duna I, now close enough to resolve moons at max optical zoom hLlIyc2.png PvbhNxY.png FZgWHll.png LGaNsH6.png NEjy4hY.png OeaX9fU.png BkiN740.png zsmPnvk.png we're now 2 weeks from Duna SOI/OIB and at 3x optical zoom you can make out Ike just above Duna (Jool to the left) DMl3uio.png mN0RqGX.png jWWUEqt.png U8gpslG.png aLqW4SA.png tmWh6at.png qj9nhTw.png h5nx8y7.png 7sb5SRJ.png jOpp2b1.png ClbXjno.png f8w7rEU.png 356,777km from Duna, we can just barely see ice caps in this hi-res image. Ike is above, Jool to the left Geg7q0w.png DZq96fJ.png UfDi1yA.png DjqP2vs.png what's happening tomorrow? We're arriving a Duna! Here's a timeline of the first two major upcoming events: SOI & OIB vH2kPVv.png another crowded mission control room :) We're less than one hour to Duna SOI! a65mvnL.png a better look at what's being shown on the big screen. Ike in front of Duna, Jool off to the left S6jrSJ4.png lVx6b1Q.png bvpiUcZ.png RPmBIJD.png NF4Ge1H.png YFRF08a.png VVvEkiY.png CExN1jA.png UxMTdTb.png aef3pqx.png bGvDobI.png PqC4KKM.png PjQyoMk.png rIs7EMe.png zipping past Ike on our way to meet with Duna! Less than 45 minutes now until burn gcWmn1g.png cbicndS.png H3jePaL.png Cj9E5Yl.png dcIIfQU.png here we go! Passing 755.5km over the northern ice caps of Duna, with Ike in the background. Beautiful. DEpBtXy.png

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