Specialists Bob & Bill make their longest overland journey yet over 400km north towards Kravass to release a pressure-monitoring balloon over Site GLE-F8 for Experimental Engineering
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
bit.ly/KerBalloonProg… has signed off on its first contracts for the year, heading north by land and by sea. Both missions will set out at the start of next week
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
all 3 utility task vehicles have been checked over for their first mission of the year next week, traveling 400km+ north to get to the launch site (bit.ly/Site_GLE-F8) Bob & Bill are both eager for the adventurous overland trek
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Bill & Bob have set off with their team in 3 UTVs for bit.ly/Site_GLE-F8 as crews finish rolling out the Deuce for Jeb & Val to preflight after they finish their briefing. Weather bad for flying but ground trials can proceed no problem as long as it doesn't rain...
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
KerBalloon crew have made camp for the night cycle, covered just over 200km but this was the easiest leg. Heading up into the highlands will slow their pace but they still hope to make the launch site late today for release tomorrow
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
another check-in from KerBalloon team via airship en-route from Umbarg to Kravass, they are just ~70km shy of their launch site after dealing with some treacherous slopes this past day cycle. Will report in tomorrow ready to release if weather is suitable
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
KB crew are in touch with us through Kravass, report extremely windy conditions that could endanger the balloon during early ascent by blowing it into a mountainside. Will standby and hope things improve later in the day cycle
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
KerBalloon team are ready to give it another go after failing to get good release conditions last day cycle. Winds have died down and they are standing ready waiting for skies to clear up some
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
skies have cleared nicely up north and the balloon has been released, rising in sight of Kravass at just over 600m. Crew had their comm balloon deployed as well and sent through this photo before packing up for tracking. Kravass is hidden just behind the ridge in the distance
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
balloon telemetry shows we have envelope failure just shy of max 24.9km altitude & payload is now plummeting back towards Kerbin for the UTV team to recover. We'll hear word after they have reached the landing site
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
KB team tracked the payload well and are already onsite and report the chutes brought everything back down safely. Once they are packed up they will head to Kravass to refuel and resupply, a little less than 100km to their northwest
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
after camping out another night cycle the KB team finally made it to the eastern Kravass caverns. They'll set out for KSC tomorrow and drop Bob off along the way to launch a low-altitude balloon from bit.ly/Zone_9-LM7
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
UTVs have dropped off Bob along the shore to board MSV Tongjess, which set sail from Umbarg back on Monday with the low-altitude KerBalloon aboard. They will head out and release after 3rd sunrise, UTVs continuing on the remainder of their ~350km journey back to KSC
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
driving through the familiar landscape around KSC, Bill lead the UTVs into the night on their last leg and have just arrived back with the high-altitude payload for delivery to Experimental Engineering
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
the lack of a rocket launch has made this past week no less exciting, that's for sure. Catch up on all that happened along with additional information via bit.ly/OpsSummary1-15…
