Our first rocket launch! Excitement mixed with a bit of fear – what will happen? A big explosion?
As the first mission of a new vehicle, this dispatch includes all the design and development leading up to launch. To skip to the launch, click here.
Kerbal Space Agency
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one week until ops begin! First full meeting of department heads held onsite today. Simon doesn't like sitting down
Kerbal Space Agency
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great day for employee orientation! Here's the main KSC causeway kerbs will be arriving from. Welcome, everyone 🙂
Kerbal Space Agency
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the time has come at last - it is Day One of KSA operations; our staff are all pretty much settled in and ready to get going. Exciting!
Kerbal Space Agency
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and we're going to kick things right off with our Progenitor Program announcement - bit.ly/ProgenitorPR1
Kerbal Space Agency
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the Progeny Mk1 final design review is unfortunately behind schedule but we expect approval by the end of the week according to Drew & Simon
Kerbal Space Agency
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who are Drew & Simon you ask? Find out and meet the rest of our talented staff leaders here at the KSA - bit.ly/KSA-Staff
Kerbal Space Agency
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never fear, the rocket launches will be coming soon - word is that Progeny Mk1 design approval will definitely be coming tomorrow!
Kerbal Space Agency
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Drew, Simon and Wernher have all gathered in the main meeting room at R&D to go over the final Progeny Mk1 design. Expecting news this AM
Kerbal Space Agency
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2nd sunrise is here, deliberations continue within the R&D building, seen here with the VAB & tracking station
Kerbal Space Agency
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final design approval for the Progeny Mk1 craft are in! Looking forward to seeing these rockets take flight next wk
Kerbal Space Agency
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you can find a full-size blueprint and more information at our updated press release for the Progenitor program: bit.ly/ProgenitorPR1
Kerbal Space Agency
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craft page is online for bit.ly/ProgenyMk1-A, you can get a closer look at the parts that make up this rocket
Kerbal Space Agency
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labor laws prevent Simon and his crew from starting work on the Mk1-A tonight as they would like to, but everything is ready for tomorrow
Kerbal Space Agency
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rocket parts are all stacked from yesterday and ready to start assembly today! And all this is only the big stuff
Kerbal Space Agency
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what's the easiest way to test a parachute? Toss it off the top of the VAB, of course. Payload landed intact. Nice!
Kerbal Space Agency
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a good days work! 1st Mk1-A assembly coming along nicely, will wrap up tomorrow and launch base is all ready to go
Kerbal Space Agency
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today Simon & his crew plan to complete assembly of the first Mk1-A, which will then need at least a full day of integration testing
Kerbal Space Agency
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the 1st Mk1-A is ready for integration testing to ensure everything got put together properly. This will be started today, finished on Mon
Kerbal Space Agency
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forget to check twitter? Did you miss anything important this week? We have you covered - bit.ly/OpsSummary9-16-…
Kerbal Space Agency
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we could be firing off our first rocket next Thur! Will confirm next week after testing. Explode? Fly high? Either way it should be awesome!
Kerbal Space Agency
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everyone wants to work through the weekend, but time must be made for family and recreation - even tho many consider their job to be rec!
Kerbal Space Agency
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final integration testing continues today for the Mk1-A for Simon & crew while Wernher & Cheranne inspect a new shipment from KerBalloons
Kerbal Space Agency
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Lanalye is back from her ASA conference & getting launch control setup for this week's launch, meeting controllers
Kerbal Space Agency
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the first media team from KNN was granted access to our campus today, expect a report w/staff & crew interviews on the evening news!
Kerbal Space Agency
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it's looking like our first launch from KSC won't be a rocket. To test Progenitor payload instruments we've partnered up with KerBalloons
Kerbal Space Agency
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Wernher & Cheranne have 2 payload instruments to test, don't want to wait for Progeny Mk2. More details here: bit.ly/KerBalloonPR
Kerbal Space Agency
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Progeny Mk1-A integration testing was successful today! Procedure is locked in, Simon & crew ready to assemble a 2nd rocket over next 2 days
Kerbal Space Agency
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launch of our first rocket is currently set for 9/22 @ 15:30 UTC! More details on the launch & second rocket: bit.ly/ProgenitorPR2
Kerbal Space Agency
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VAB super busy today getting the 2nd Mk1-A fully assembled & rdy for testing while also getting started with working on the KerBalloon probe
Kerbal Space Agency
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KerBalloon probe will use several existing parts from the Progeny Mk1 rockets - hopefully we can re-use them after!
Kerbal Space Agency
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everything except the batteries can be re-used if recovered intact. The batteries we'll have to order more of now. They are not rechargeable
Kerbal Space Agency
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that photo was taken earlier today, probe is already assembled and undergoing integration testing. Progeny Mk1-A assembly going well also
Kerbal Space Agency
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VAB workers had to put in a little OT but are on sched. Balloon will launch early tomorrow, Progeny Mk1-As still looking good for Thurs
Kerbal Space Agency
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2nd sunrise on its way as the KerBalloon probe sits out on the lawn in front of the VAB, rdy for the cmd to inflate
Kerbal Space Agency
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Flight Director Lanalye is using this "soft launch" as a test for her team & procedures prior to the "hard launch" of Progeny Mk1-A tomorrow
Kerbal Space Agency
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Lanalye says she is pleased with how the launch team performed today, has finished review with controllers. They're all set for tomorrow!
Kerbal Space Agency
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2nd Mk1-A passed integration testing w/flying colors, both rockets cleared for launch tomorrow, 1st is shooting off @ 15:30 UTC. Psyched!
Kerbal Space Agency
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today the tracking station also completed its trials, will be rdy to receive basic telemetry data streams from the Progeny rockets tomorrow
Kerbal Space Agency
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getting ready - 700kg launch base has been hauled out to the pad and is all set for tomorrow morning's rocket mount
Kerbal Space Agency
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we're not capable of weather forecasting yet, so our Wx team just keeps an eye on conditions outside. So far looking good for launches 2day
Kerbal Space Agency
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we have 2 video cameras watching over these launches: tracking cam on launch control roof & stationary cam closer off to the side of the pad
Kerbal Space Agency
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L-2hrs: Flight Director Lanalye has all her controllers assembled for preflight briefing. Simon & crew prepping to haul out the 298kg rocket
Kerbal Space Agency
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our four astronauts were all in launch control until Lanalye kicked them out for arguing over who was going to get to push the launch button
Kerbal Space Agency
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she says none of them would have been given the opportunity anyway - she's keeping all launch protocol within her team of controllers
Kerbal Space Agency
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bit.ly/ProgenyMk1-A is out on the pad & mounted. Check out its Flight Tracker page for additional info on its status before/after launch
Kerbal Space Agency
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L-1hr: launch control continuing preflight checks while the tracking station ensures comm signal is good to receive Tlm in case of disaster
Kerbal Space Agency
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sun is up, here's the Progeny Mk1-A. Rocket is 4.1m high. Mounted, it stands 7.1m high. Pad crew clearing out now
Kerbal Space Agency
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L-30min: preflight complete, launch rehearsal underway at launch control. Tracking station reports ready. Weather still looks good outside
Kerbal Space Agency
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astronauts have found a new place to hang out - right next to the launch pad of course! Bill took this photo as Val waves. L-15min!
Kerbal Space Agency
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L-5min: Launch ctrl is GO. Tracking station is GO. Wx is GO. Range safety is GO (hunker down out there crew!). Progeny is GO. Flight is GO!
Kerbal Space Agency
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L-2min: flight time will be measured in seconds, we will report back when we have a chute sighted or... if something... else... happens...
Kerbal Space Agency
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launch was successful! Chute popped at 500m by launch control & payload is under controlled descent. It seems to be coming down a bit fast
Kerbal Space Agency
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our recovery team has reached the payload 607m from the pad near the runway and report it is in a small hole & mangled beyond recognition :/
Kerbal Space Agency
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booster landed south of the payload 790m from the pad. Fins & eng bell took the impact. It will also be recovered for post-flight analysis
Kerbal Space Agency
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we'll be reviewing the basic Tlm received during flight, Simon & crew will be taking another look at 2nd Mk1-A's chute this afternoon
Kerbal Space Agency
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RT @DKerman_KSA: a few Flight Tracker bugs & DB errors as expected, but overall this launch went really well! A shame we couldn't recover the payload tho :/
Kerbal Space Agency
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launch still from the camera near the pad. Whoosh! Up into the clouds! Astronauts say the launch was "AWESOMAZING!"
Kerbal Space Agency
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and here is from Bill's camera again outside the bunker as they were watching the payload descend under its chute
Kerbal Space Agency
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.@rsparkyc yes, chute did deploy however it would seem not fully for some reason. We are investigating & dbl-checking chute on 2nd rocket
Kerbal Space Agency
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Simon says they can't find anything wrong with the 2nd Mk1-A chute. 1st will undergo thorough study but 2nd launch is still on later 2day!
Kerbal Space Agency
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L-15min: things will happen fast again for this flight at L-0. Here's a look at the previous launch events in MET
Kerbal Space Agency
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bit.ly/ProgenyMk1-B1 assembly & launches(?) will be next wk while the Mk1-A flight data is fully analyzed. Maybe some video posted on Mon
Kerbal Space Agency
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Cheranne & teams were studying 48 mits of KerBalloon data today, we expect a report tomorrow. Delayed ops start to make up for late day 2day
Kerbal Space Agency
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RT @justhereforksa: Up we go again / To pierce that sky above us / Now with less crashing.
Kerbal Space Agency
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everyone is arriving for work and anxious to go about their business. Many smiles on faces. Still excited for the success yesterday
Kerbal Space Agency
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really success or failure the emotions would have been about the same, since launching rockets alone is just real cool & these were our 1st!
Kerbal Space Agency
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lots of detailed telemetry data from the second (recovered) Mk1-A data unit our engineers are still analyzing
Kerbal Space Agency
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first Mk1-A flight gathered only basic data thru lo-gain downlink & is still useful to compare major points of performance during the ascent
Kerbal Space Agency
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engineers working thru Tlm data have noticed a weird signal noise detected in the Tlm beamed down to the tracking station. No theories yet
Kerbal Space Agency
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side profile of trajectories for the Mk1-A flights shows the non-spinning rocket reaching a slightly higher apokee
Kerbal Space Agency
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spin of first rocket clearly unbalanced, slewing trajectory as it wobbled about its center axis during ascent
Kerbal Space Agency
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engineers say a full report should be coming tomorrow or Friday on the performance of the Mk1-A based on all the data gathered & analyzed
Kerbal Space Agency
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we've concluded the unbalanced Mk1-A1 caused a minor deployment malfunction of the chute, which failed to return the payload safely
Kerbal Space Agency
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the chute itself was fine; we've already starting working w/ USI to develop a better deployment sys that can handle uncharacteristic G-load
Kerbal Space Agency
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whoops, things got busy this week & we forgot to upload a Mk1-A launch video. Still busy, so just a quickie youtu.be/J27zYba093E
Kerbal Space Agency
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we hope everyone has a great weekend! Here's what you may have missed this past week: bit.ly/OpsSummary9-26…
Kerbal Space Agency
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we hear the KSC grounds keepers are grumbling about the mess we're making of the lawn around the launchpad - mainly the boosters "landing"
