Kerbal Space Program: Gilly Landing

Mission: Land a Kerbal on Gilly and return to Kerbin.

Gilly: Captured Asteroid
Eve: Venus Analog

Orbital transfer from Kerbin to Eve.

Lemfry Kerbin was awoken from his sleep inside the Pancake 2 when Mission Control alerted him he would be departing for the Eve planetary system. The Pancake 2 had been parked in an orbit approximately 100,000 kilometers above the surface of Kerbin. An orbital transfer window was opening and, without hesitation, Lemfry ignited the engines and soared towards Eve.

Lemfry exploring outside the Pancake 2 near Eve.

This was not the first time we had visited Eve. Prior to the discovery of documentation, a satellite had been positioned around Eve and a small rover landed on the surface. Furthermore, when Gerlo had commandeered the Dresollo 1, the craft performed a gravity assist with the purple giant on its way to Moho. Nonetheless, this was the first officially sanctioned kerballed expedition to the Eve system. It may surprising then that the target was not the planet itself, but rather the asteroid Gilly, which was captured in Eve's gravitational influence.

Orbiting Gilly.

While the planet Eve would have made for many interesting discoveries, the gravity of the planet is too high and the atmosphere too thick to escape from the planet after landing. Any Eve landing would surely be a one way voyage. Nonetheless, Gilly is interesting in its own right. The captured asteroid is extremely small compared to any other known moon in the Kerbol system. The consequence of this is that a landing feels like a docking maneuver with a very large object.

Landing on Gilly.

Lemfry entered the Eve system and obtained a reasonably circular orbit a handful kilometers above the surface of Gilly. The landing craft was separated from the Pancake 2's nuclear engines and was directed towards the surface of Gilly. This required Lemfry to point the rocket towards Gilly's surface and fire the engines, creating a collision course with the popcorn-shaped asteroid. This procedure was reverse as the craft neared the surface and the lander appeared to silently float in place. The RCS boosters were activated and the lander was pushed against the surface to ensure it wouldn't accidentally bounce back towards space.

Lemfry floating above the surface of Gilly.

Once confident that the landing craft was reasonably stationary, Lemfry stepped onto the surface of Gilly. Lemfry claims he uttered something profound about Kerbalkind's place in the universe, but it was subsequently lost in a radio chatter argument between Gerlo and the Kerbals active at the Mun Base. Nonetheless, Lemfry collected a number of samples and experimented with Gilly's extremely minimal gravity. When jumping, Lemfry discovered he could send himself several kilometers away from the surface. It was fortunate Lemfry was equipped with RCS boosters which could direct him back towards the landing craft.

Pancake 2 rendezvoused and returning to Kerbin.

The return trip was largely uneventful and without error. Lemfry departed from the surface of Gilly and rendezvoused with the orbiting nuclear engines he had separated from when preparing to land. The Pancake 2 craft was reassembled in orbit around Gilly and Lemfry prepared the craft for the next orbital transfer window. When the window appeared, Lemfry departed from Gilly into Eve's gravitational influence, corrected his orbital plane around Eve, and finally departed from Eve towards Kerbin. Lemfry returned to Kerbin and seperated the landing craft from the nuclear engines. The parachutes were activated and Lemfry landed on Kerbin without any difficulties.

Kerbal Space Program: Status Report

Kerbal Space Program Status Report

Kerbin Space Station

Kerbin Space Station

Status: Operational - Fueled

Crew:

• Jedman (Commander)
• Shermin
• Geofzer

Vehicles:

•   Space Station Lobster

Details:

The Kerbin Space Station was our first attempt at a space station. We have no records of the station participating in any missions. This is primarily because the station's polar orbit makes rendezvous cumbersome and missions can be conducted from the Kerbal Space Center. Nonetheless, the station has been in operation for an incredible 121 years.

Duna Space Station

Duna Space Station

Status: Operational - Low Fuel

Missions:

• Duna Space Station
• Ike Rescue
• Duna Landing
• Duna to Kerbin

Crew:

• Burman (Commander)
• Camoly
• Herler

Vehicles:

• Dunollo 1 [1] [2]
• Duna Lander
• Space Shuttle

Details:

With a massive 90 years in operation, the Duna Space Station remains the crowning jewel of the Kerbal Space Program. The station orbits roughly over the equator of Duna and is synchronized with the orbital plane of Ike. It is the furthest permanent point of operations from Kerbin.

Mun Base

Mun Base

Status: Operational - Fueled

Missions:

• Munner Craft
• Exploration
• Mun Space Station

Crew:

• Ronmon (Commander) [1][2][3]
• Ribdos
• Samsby [1][2]
• Bill [1][2]

Vehicles:

• Moon Lobster
• Beans 3 [1][2]
• Beans 4 [1][2]

Details:

The Mun Base has been in operation for a total of 63 years. The base is located roughly on the equator and was established after the construction of the Duna Space Station. The Mun Base is positioned such that Kerbin remains fixed in the sky at all times, a friendly reminder to those operating in the base.

Mun Space Station

Mun Space Station

Status: Operational - Fueled 

Missions:

• Mun Space Station

Crew:

• Jebediah (Commander) [1]
• Burburry

Vehicles:

• Space Shuttle M3

Details:

The Mun Space Station has been in operation for under one year. The station was designed to work in concert with the Mun Base and orbits Mun such that it passes over the base regularly.

Pancake 2

Pancake 2 Interplanetary Craft

Status: Awaiting Instructions - Fueled

(Similar) Missions:

• Vall Landing

Crew:

• Lemfry Kerman [1][2]

Details:

The Pancake 2 was placed into orbit around the equator of Kerbin in anticipation of future interplanetary missions. The likely targets for such missions would be Gilly, Pol, or Bop.

Mohollo 1

Mohollo 1

Status: Stranded - Low Fuel

Missions:

• To Dres.. or Moho!

Crew:

• Gerlo (Commander) [1][2][3][4]
• Dudbald
• Ribdon [1][2]

Details:

The Mohollo 1 is an embarrassment to all of Kerbalkind. What had begun as a mission to Dres, the Mohollo 1 travelled to Moho after being hijacked by Gerlo Kerman. The Kerbals have been left stranded on Moho in part because of lack of sympathy from Mission Control, but also because of the difficulty of reaching Moho. Gerlo is legend among Kerbalkind for his insanity and there are fears for the safety of Kerbalkind should he return.

Kerbal Space Program: Mun Base - Mun Space Station

Mission: Construct a Mun Space Station to operate in concert with the Mun Base.

A Mun Space Station was constructed in low Kerbin orbit using many of the components from the Duna Space Station. The Mun Space Station was not designed to be initially as large and complex as its Duna counterpart, but rather provide a simple starting point that could be expanded upon in the future. The station utilized four nuclear engines, numerous fuel tanks of varying sizes, and a command module which contained enough room to accommodate up to five Kerbals. The station was equipped with a small ion-powered vessel for possible future station-to-station transfers.

Mun Space Station

The Mun Space Station departed from low Kerbin orbit and obtained an approximately circular orbit 100 KM above the equator of Mun. The Kerbals at the Mun Base were informed of the station becoming operational. Jebediah Kerman was placed as commander of the Mun Space Station and instructed to use the new Beans 4 transport craft to transfer from the base to the station. Jebediah boarded the craft and straightforwardly obtained an orbit around the Mun's equator.

Jebediah Departing for the Mun Space Station

After a terrible docking experience and arriving at the station, Jebediah ordered supplies be sent to the station. The supplies consisted primarily of liquid and RCS fuel, but also a variety of small ship parts, such as RCS thrusters and batteries. The Kerbals launched the requested supplies and docked them with the station without any troubles.

Mun Space Station Supply

Ronmon Kerman was instructed to install an RCS fuel tank and four RCS thruster blocks on the Beans 4 transport craft. The intention was to assist with docking maneuvers in the future. Ronmon performed EVA outside the station; removing the parts from the docked supply ship and upgrading Beans 4.

Ronmon Kerman Upgrading the Beans 4

Ronmon was then instructed by Jebediah to replace him at the Mun Base. A number of small tests and simulations were performed to ensure the transport craft remained functioning after it's upgrades. With three out of eight tests passing, Jebediah was confident about craft's capabilities. Ronmon boarded Beans 4 and departed from the Mun Space Station.

Ronmon Departs for the Mun Base

Ronmon arrived at the Mun Base with a great deal of difficulty. The added weight and reduced symmetry from having a outwardly facing RCS fuel tank resulted in the transport craft tilting during acceleration. All maneuvers needed to be completed very slowly and far in advance. Having become frustrated with Beans 4 introduced inefficiency, Ronmon spent the rest of the day removing the RCS components from the spacecraft. Mission Control was informed that a Beans 5 transport may be required in the near future!

Mun Base

Kerbal Space Program: Mun Base - Exploration

Mission: Mun Exploration

The Kerbals insisted on a more ambitious Mun exploration mission. The regions around the Mun equator had been navigated to some extent, and one of the more northern craters had been visited, but otherwise Mun was unexplored. Mission Control developed a mission plan that involved the Beans 3 Munner exploration craft orbiting Mun longitudally. Since the height of the tallest mountain on Mun was approximately 7 KM, an orbit slightly higher would allow for uninterrupted exploration of the Munner surface. Such a polar orbit, combined with Mun's rotation, would result in a gradual traversal of the entirety of Mun.

Mun Crater

Samsby Kerman volunteered to be the first Kerbalnaut to fly over the entirety of Mun. Samsby boarded Beans 3, ascended vertically, and began a combination of orbital maneuvers required to achieve an orbit with a height of 7 KM. Samsby traversed the surface of Mun at a speed of nearly half a kilometer per second, taking photographs and remarking on surface details. The expedition required many weeks before the craft was once again repositioned nearly above the Mun Base and a descent maneuver could be executed.

Exploring Mun

Samsby observed that Munner features could be categorized broadly into three categories: featureless plains, impact craters, and sharply pointed mountains located at the poles. The pointed mountains were the most surprising, as a lack of erosion might suggest tectonic movement or volcanic activity. The impact craters were most probably a result of asteroid collisions and the plains a consequence of millions of years of erosion. Samsby remarked that at a height of 7 KM, it was too difficult to distinguish finer details.

Beans 4 Transport Craft

Upon returning to the Mun Base, Samsby was informed of mission plans to establish a Mun Space Station which would operate in concert with the Mun Base. A new transportation craft could be found outside of the base. The Beans 4 transportation vehicle had been designed with the capability of docking with orbital craft. Unfortunately, the craft lacked RCS thrusters and docking maneuvers would be extremely challenging. Nonetheless, the mission moved forward as planned!

Kerbal Space Program: Mun Base - Munner Craft

Mission: Design a craft to improve on the Beans 2 Munner craft.

Mun: Moon

Mission Control was busy designing an improved Munner transport and exploration craft. The craft needed to be very lightweight, contain solar panels and batteries, and have sufficient fuel in as few tanks as possible. The final result was the Beans 3 Munner craft.

Beans 3

The Beans 3 craft was a (reasonably) horizontally symmetric Munner craft equipped with 90 units of liquid fuel in two fuel tanks. The Kerbal Mun Base was capable of storing 1440 units of fuel, which would allow for at least 16 full missions. A small light was attached to the front of the vehicle to assist with night landings and a refueling port was placed in the rear.

Beans 3 was shuttled to Mun and landed directly at Bill Kerman's location. Bill boarded the craft and began traveling towards the Mun Base.

Mun Base Being Refueled

Meanwhile, a delivery of fuel was sent from Kerbin to the Mun Base. The Kerbals were fortunate to design a refueling landing craft capable of landing completely full of fuel. Samsby Kermin performed an EVA, connected the two spacecraft, and refueled the Mun Base entirely.

Beans 3 Refueling

Bill arrived soon after at the Mun Base and Samsby assisted with refueling Beans 3. With the spacecraft refueled, Bill plotted a leisurely flight to the northern craters of Mun. The flight was a distance approximately 1/4 the way around Mun. Bill completed the voyage and returned without much difficulty. The Kerbals were overjoyed with their new Munner toy.

A Munner Voyage

Kerbal Space Program: Mun Base - Vehicle Failures

Mission: Develop and test new vehicles for operation at the Mun Base.

Mun: Moon

The Kerbal Space Program was missing variety in their selection of vehicles designed for terrestrial transportation and exploration. We had conquered the challenges of landing and returning from a variety of planets and moons, but realized much later that poking at rocks on the surface might be worthwhile. The -ollo landers were capable of landing Kerbals and the Lobster rovers provided very stable movement around the surface, but neither were sufficient for traveling long distances quickly and regularly. It was decided that Mun would once again prove to be a useful testing location for our new vehicles. A variety of prototypes were created and tested.

Rover A Prototype

The Rover A prototype was designed to be as flat and light as possible. The intent was to allow it to travel as fast as possible with very little danger of flipping when a small bump was encountered. Initially testing revealed that it was near-impossible to flip the rover. However, the rover was unable to turn effectively and the design was scrapped.

Rover B Prototype

The Rover B prototype attempted to improve on the turning efficiency of the Rover A. The size of the rover was reduced and the wheels brought closer together. The Rover B was capable of turning relatively efficiently and was reasonably stable when traveling at high speeds. The design was scrapped when further iterations revealed that, when fully equipped, the improvements over the Lobster design were minimal and not pressing.

Beans 1

The Kerbals instead decided to design a small, liquid-fuel based landing craft capable of traveling large distances on Mun, touching down, and returning to the Mun Base. The craft needed to be as light as possible. It was meaningful to design the vehicle to use extremely little fuel so that fewer entire Mun Base refueling trips would be required over time. The Beans 1 craft was tested on the surface of Kerbal and then shuttled to Mun. It wasn't until the craft was landed that the Kerbals realized it lacked solar panels and batteries; the control mechanisms were ineffective.

Beans 2

As an improvement over Beans 1, the Beans 2 Munner craft was equipped with solar panels and additional fuel tanks. The vehicle was capable of traversing small distances very quickly while being able to return to the Mun Base to refuel. Unfortunately, the Kerbals had no patience to fill each of the twelve fuel tanks individually and simulations discovered that the craft was not capable of rescuing a 70-year-stranded Bill Kerman. The vehicle was destroyed by the Kerbals in a fit of frustration and an order for a Beans 3 Munner craft was placed with Mission Control.