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Saturday, 14 June 2014

Kerbal Space Program: Joolian Moons - Pol

Mission: Land a Kerbal on Laythe, Pol, and Bop in a single trip and return to Kerbin.

Part 1 - Laythe

Approaching Pol with the interplanetary transport.

After a successful first mission stage, Lemfry departed from Jool's innermost moon, Laythe, and rendezvoused with Jool's outermost moon. As the Pancake 3 spacecraft approached the small moon of Pol, the rugged features and coloured landscape of the alien world became distinguishable. The landing was expected to require very little fuel and consequently most of the fuel was removed from the lander and placed into the interplanetary transport. Lemfry placed the craft into low-orbit around the moon, separated the lander, and prepared for descent.

Landing on Pol. Various large rocks cover the surface.

The Pancake 3 lander descended by first removing all horizontal velocity and then performing a two-stage burn while descending. Lemfry feared the spacecraft might land directly on top one of the many spiraling rocks which peppered the Polian surface. However, these rocks were avoided as Lemfry touched down on the side of a gently rolling hill; a half-dozen meters away from one such rock.

The Pol landing site. A sharp rock was narrowly avoided!

Lemfry performed a variety of scientific experiments and collected samples which would be analyzed on Kerbin. There were many questions which needed to be answered about the obscurity of the moon. How did the landscape become so rugged on a moon with no atmosphere? What was the origin of the spiraling rocks? Was the moon volcanically active? The scientists on Kerbin would hope to find answers. In the meantime, Lemfry boarded the Pancake 3 lander, ascended from the moon, and docked with the interplanetary transport. Lemfry set a course of another of Jool's moons and alleged home of the infamous deep-space kraken.

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