Captain Jebediah and Commander Valentina, with meteorologist Katgan, deploy dropsonde probes over a developing storm system out in the Kerblantic for the Kerbin Weather Service
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
although the Kerbin Weather Service called us, hoping to have a storm over the plains north of KSC investigated, the Deuce is ironically grounded due to unfavorable weather over KSC as well
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
the Kerbin Weather Service will soon be providing us with dropsondes that can be mounted to the wings of the Deuce. These will allow for much more detailed data recording of the various layers of storms as they descend, something the aircraft had to do itself in prior missions
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
released from under the wing at 7km, the small probe can actually travel a fair distance as it falls, using its tail fins for stability. Alternately the fins can be removed and the chute immediately deployed for it to fall slowly & over a smaller area
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Jeb is taking it easy this weekend to recover from the strain of centrifuge training while Val has also come down with a head cold, meaning we have no active crew to answer the KWS call for a storm flight. They are starting to get a bit miffed at our "lack of cooperation". Srsly?
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
great to get a space mission off the ground this month! A bit of Mk1 preliminary analysis along with additional details for other major events this past week await your attention in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10336 have a relaxing weekend, everyone
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Val is back from Kravass, where she spent the last three days training a second KWS air crew for weather flight operations in the area. We will now only investigate storms that build up out over the Kerblantic, a less common occurrence than the ones inland
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
there was also discussion of renting out our Deuce to a third KWS aircrew for the Kerblantic flights but experienced pilots capable of flying in and around severe weather are still hard to come by, so it remains up to Val & Jeb when they are available
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Jeb & Bob are both in quarantine, sequestered in the Astronaut Complex and visited only by the medical staff, who are collecting baseline readings and making sure both remain in good health and are getting enough rest. They haven't taken away any of Jeb's games yet tho
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Kerbin Weather Society called for a flight to investigate a gathering storm out on the Kerblantic but with Jeb in quarantine and no additional flight crew to assist Val we had to tell them to send the crew out from Sheltered Rock instead. Good thing we own our aircraft...
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
we're finally able to take action on a call from the KWS to investigate a storm over the Kerblantic reported by the Maritime Service. Aircraft crew is being briefed and forming a flight plan for departure later today at 3rd sunset while HAB readies Deuce w/dropsondes for rollout
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
flight crew have the Deuce fired up, preflighted and ready for departure. Val has radioed Flight Control for clearance to taxi & takeoff, which was granted for runway 27. Jeb is pilot in command for the flight out to the storm's location & Kat will monitor the weather data
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
no problems on departure, the extra 832kg carried under the wings is well-within the aircraft's limits with reduced fuel onboard (yet still enough for an alternate airport). Climbing through 800m Jeb has cleaned up the aircraft and begun to turn on course back towards the ocean
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
both the sun and the aircraft have set over opposite horizons. Here is a sunset photo from ~10min ago as the Deuce climbed through 4km for initial cruise altitude of 5km, which is the ideal altitude from which to deploy the dropsonde probes
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
flight crew should be over the storm by now & deploying dropsondes. Burning fuel, aircraft would have risen higher, giving the probes time to freefall before their chutes are deployed for a ~15min descent to the water. Data is beamed back to the aircraft, they are not recovered
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
after Jeb got back in touch with us 8mins ago Flight Control gave Val vectors to line up for a straight-in approach to Rwy27. All 4 dropsondes were deployed without issue - despite mass shift of dropping one at a time, aileron trim was able to hold wings level
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Val is going around after calling a missed approach. When applying power to slow the aircraft on short final the blades were not reversed so with speed increasing she had no choice but to climb back out and give her and Jeb time to assess the problem
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
doing some quick troubleshooting on the downwind leg the crew discovered the lever needed to really be jammed open to get the reversers to engage. Val is now beginning her base leg turn for another landing attempt
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
smooth landing and roll out, Deuce is now taxiing back to the HAB. Kat is eager to get her data offloaded and further analyzed while mechanics are standing by to have a close look at the propeller governors
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
updates on the review progress for our rocketry programs as well as a recap of operations from the past two weeks can be found in the Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10886
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
rather than repair the faulty prop governors that gave the Deuce issues last mission the engines are in the process of being overhauled completely - aircraft is due for servicing anyways after flying over 50 hours. Will end up saving mass with newer, lighter components
