Monolith Timeline

at this time we do not know the nature of the threat or the time frame, but given that we have suffered an attack in the past (kerbalspace.agency/?p=9965) we have no choice but to take this seriously & deal with the relatively minor inconvenience compared to a potential loss of life

gov't & religous leaders are still deadlocked over a response to the attack on the Lost Tribe expedition last month but have deployed security forces to the Kongo base - they refuse to comment on whether this is a precaution or reaction to some credible threat

Bombed by explosives flung from we know not what. They’ve used ranged weapons in past encounters as well twitter.com/SkyhookPaints/…

progress on getting the foundations laid out for our first surface colony Narskeim are proceeding surprisingly well in collaboration with the Monolithic oversight committee and the project could be back on schedule by mid-2021. The port is expected to open first in late 2021

it's been 2 weeks of waiting and searching but the lost tribe expedition reports they have found several entrances to caverns that appear to have seen frequent and recent use. Still no contact whatsoever although the team is pretty sure their presence is known

reminder to all visitors coming to see the launch today that extra security measures are in place, we apologize for any inconvenience & make sure you arrive early. This is due to protests over the search for the exiled/lost tribe, apparently we share blame for that somehow

the expedition in search of the lost/exiled tribe have stumbled across a temple built within the past 200 years and visited recently. They will be setting up base camp here in hopes contact can be made while smaller teams continue to actively search out any nearby caverns

although the goal is to establish peaceful contact, they are prepared to defend themselves if necessary as previous contact was hostile. Kerbin II will be used in support of this endeavor as well so critical decisions will not have to be made autonomously by expedition leaders

rapid discharge is necessary to keep the crystals from exploding, which is why we still need batteries for on-demand use. Still, instead of cramming 40 batteries onto a spacecraft, now 4 batteries and 10 capacitors could provide the same amount of usable energy

gov't has now come around to the idea & is backing the pvt effort. Expedition to contact or search out the Great Desert tribe will depart in Dec. Religious leaders remain opposed. Given the attack on us, we are glad to see this moving forward. If a threat exists, good to know

scientists were recently allowed a period of access to the Monolith, which has been closed to investigation & used by worshipers only since early 2019. They report no changes since measurements were last taken. We continue to hope it decides to remain dormant

Monolithic followers will now have a more direct hand in building the new colony which means there will likely be a lot more friction during the process but at least progress is being made. No one is completely happy about the outcome which indicates it is a good compromise

recap the details of this week's launch, learn about the current status of Kerbin II & how its mission will progress. Catch up on any other big stories you may have missed these past two weeks in our Ops Summary. Weekend shifts in Mission Control begin! kerbalspace.agency/?p=11280

construction on Narskeim already halted due to a sit-in protest from Monolithic followers who believe further sullying of the surface will bring the wrath of the Monolith builders down up on us all. They've setup camp altho how well they can stay supplied is up to question

Narskeim will be more than just a place to live above ground, serving as a more accessible port (goods will be flown to Ockr and Sheltered Rock via aircraft), expansive agriculture and most importantly for us the testing and development of kerbolar power

another privately-funded & organized expedition has been working to get off the ground as the gov't continues to stall on the issue of the lost/exiled tribe. Mostly cause popular opinion remains that if they clearly want to be left alone, they should be twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

most are still waiting after a month, because of course the fear is that as soon as they leave it will come. Whether it does or not, we will continue normal operations because either way it's not like we can do anything about it if they are that advanced twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

ever since Chikelu reportedly vanished, increased traffic to the Monolith temple has been linked to the belief that it was really a disguised alien vessel and that The Mothership is finally soon to arrive and take away the True Believers to their new home in the stars

events late last week postponed our bi-weekly Ops Summary to allow us to share better details, unfortunately the news from USI is not good & has temporarily suspended Progeny launches. Ascension looking better, but still behind sched. More details: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10993

with speculation running rampant about Chikelu, a large influx of pilgrims have arrived to worship at the Monolith temple. We remind everyone that KSC campus is off-limits and security has been increased. Tour buses and temple buses are clearly marked at the Support Village!

things will be slowing down for a while, but we do expect to clear out the backlog quickly starting Jun/Jul to remain as close as possible to our projections made at the start of the year. We waited to hear of more Chikelu news but nothing yet kerbalspace.agency/?p=10850

[L-2h55m] we have a GO for tanking ops. Flight computer is online and Monolith chilldown was performed earlier today to withhold the formation of storms. FD Lanalye is making sure no one is treating these operations as "routine", so soon from last time. Complacency is dangerous!

there's also the lack of orbital updates from the ATN, which observes the moonlet each perikee pass. Last one was 2/28. There should have been an update around 3/11. Still no word either from Arekibo on the lack of radar images. If KAS lying about it being there, doing a poor job

[L-2h55m] we have a GO to begin tanking operations. Monolith chilldown in effect, no change to atmospheric pressure. Launch Escape System is armed & Jeb actually knows from past experience that if the tank happens to blow up he'll be safe from harm

hrm that tweet came across a bit sensationalist. Our bad. Arekibo is performing some delicate radio observations and thus we cannot use the ground station, but thankfully no need for this mission. They still maintain contact via the ground cable, but refuse to speak about Chikelu twitter.com/Bookz2232/stat…

the peace mission sent to make contact with the exiled tribe has returned with news that no contact was made in the known areas. They were not equipped to actually go in search of them and now the discussion among political & religious leaders is whether or not anyone should

the government & religious leaders have announced a new peace mission will be sent later this month to attempt to re-open relations with the exiled tribe. In the months since the attack on KSC all their supply lines have been cut and no word has been received from the region

the expedition that was sent to check out the UNG-312(C) impact site returned with ~75kg of meteorite pieces dug out of a small crater, lots more was strewn around but they just grabbed the biggest chunks before heading back out - exiled tribe was only ~60km to the southwest

let us mention politics briefly to congratulate Presider Theonard on his re-election! His administration helped to establish the KSA & his defeat of pro-Monolithic and anti-space candidates sends a clear message that the kerbs of Kerbin want to venture to the stars 🚀✨

heading into the weekend with a good report from Lead Engineer Simon that the rocket has passed load checks and will undergo final closeouts at the start of next week. That and more that went down this past week in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10164

these kerbs went missing months ago but the link between them and the exiles was not made until after recent events, and they will likely be able to give up more associates in the ring of religious followers who initially re-established contact with the exiles

ASA has forbade flights around asteroid grazes but perhaps some pilots allowed themselves to be exorbitantly bribed. If so, none have been caught. Also no kerbs have been noted missing. No doubt any who tried & failed to be taken simply told themselves they had to be more pious

today the ASA put into effect new procedures & regulations to strictly monitor all flights via airship & aircraft to/from the Kongo River research station. Anyone trying to divert & supply the exiled cultists will find their mission to be a lot harder now

early end to the week, everyone is ready to kick back for the weekend after the successful end to the first Kerbal Sounding Project launch campaign. 2 more next month! Also the ASA report was released today & we have all the details in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10060

any Monolithic followers in league with the Great Desert extremists that have not already been arrested appear to be keeping low profiles however this of course does not mean security measures at KSC and our corporate HQ in Umbarg will be relaxed in any way

the Air Safety Administration has confirmed it completed its investigation into the Deuce crash but has more work to do with law enforcement officials before the report can be released - hopefully by the end of this week

arrests have been made as the investigation into the attack on our launch pad continues to move forward. Those accused of collaborating with the exiled radicals will be offered plea bargains for cooperation in shutting down their local support network

we gave into some light speculation on the news about the Deuce aircraft and also have some more info on future Ascension plans now that the pad repair process can begin. That and more which transpired this week in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10044

we have no official statement to give in response - we have cooperated with the ASA in giving them access to the aircraft debris from the launch pad but that is the extent of our involvement. Lots of questions tied to this revelation will certainly take more time to answer

Re: lack of violent protests

We see it as a good sign whatever support the extremists have is in the minority twitter.com/Zvedagrad/stat…

despite the cooperation of religious leaders and the fact that no protests have turned violent in the days since the attack, the government continues to refuse access to the Monolith until the entire KSC is ready to be opened to the general public again

the radome has been completed on the tall hills west of KSC and will be hooked up to the Tracking Station by tomorrow, which means we can return to KSC next week! Due to security, it's tough working remotely for engineering and R&D teams w/o full file access

KSC remains shut down but a team is onsite this week collecting debris from the launch pad so the ASA can begin to determine the origins of the aircraft based on the parts that are recovered. A lot remains intact, including the cabin & body of the unidentified pilot

we would define this as a slippery slope and are currently not considering anything like this to be an option. Woe be the day we should change our minds twitter.com/rocketbeing/st…

.@mrtagnan there's no radar coverage until the tracking vessel comes on station later in the count. We've only cared about range issues for a rocket going up & hitting something, not the other way around. They chose their window of attack wisely. This is why we are now building our own radar station

developments from yesterday have led to the government rounding up & deporting Monolithic followers from Umbarg. All went peacefully. KSC & the Support Village will remain empty until new security measures can be put into place, hopefully by next week. KSA HQ remains operational

our founder and Operations Director @DKerman_KSA has already gone on record via a short interview with KNN saying "we will not in any way be deterred by such a heinous action as occurred today and we shall cooperate fully with a joint investigation"

all launch readiness reports have been reviewed and signed off on by Operations Director @DKerman_KSA which means we are GO for launch attempt tomorrow! Jeb says he probably won't sleep much. Bob agrees, but not for the same reasons. Prelaunch ops kick off @ 13:25 UTC

reports from a recent surface expedition claim to have found the crash site of the missing Deuce aircraft - or at least, evidence of a crash site because the plane itself has still not been found. The news will report anything these days it seems, and this is still a hot story

the Monolith remains tame - putting out an EM field of only 50m, not raising up storms when chilled, not attempting crystal regrowth. It remains off limits to scientists and under control of the Monolithic followers, who continue to cooperate with KSC as needed

#OTD in 2016 we got our first hint that the Monolith would be trying to cause us trouble, although we had no idea at the time it was the cause or just how much trouble it would turn out to be twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

the mysterious disappearance of a Deuce back at the end of May has actually increased enrollment in ASA flight school - kerbs have realized more than ever just how big the surface world is & how much there is to explore, which airplanes can do well. Plus some are still searching

[L-2h55m] Monolith chilldown was begun earlier today and weather desk reports atmospheric pressure is stable. Rocket is configured for tanking and pad crew has the fuel truck hooked to the service towers. GO has been given to begin propellant onload

[L-3h10m] we are GO from the weather desk to continue into pre-flight, although conditions remain iffy. Monolith temple is cleared out for general safety but no longer chilled down for unkerbed missions. Controllers are on console waking up the rocket & onloading flight software

pilgrims continue to flock regularly to the Monolith temple for "cleansing" as the belief holds that the EM field is imparting healing energies (since it healed the Monolith). Now only 50m in radius, it shrunk from 150m earlier this year when the storms began forming

a year later, this still happens. Still also not much we can do about it but annoying nonetheless. We've tried to learn who pays for these but to no avail - not to bring suit against them or anything, just to understand why *sigh* twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

after almost a year of R&D, Wernher has just announced his team had a breakthrough with Monolith crystal, getting stable energy storage without any heat radiation. Now they just have to figure out how to slowly release the energy without the crystal blowing up violently

security patrol intercepted 2 kerbs attempting to sneak onto KSC from the Monolith temple complex to the north. They had possession of spray paint. Security has increased since kerbed missions began so take this as an example. Don't try anything. You will be caught & prosecuted

we are working hard towards our next rocket launches - check our Ops Summary to see what we did this week towards that end and get a preview of the next three Ascension missions: kerbed Mk1, unkerbed Mk1 and unkerbed Mk2 kerbalspace.agency/?p=9483

even orbiting near us, a smaller planet than Dres could have been missed back before astronomy was a thing prior to the impact. Main gaps in the theory called out by detractors are 1) where are the other big chunks besides the one that hit us & 2) how could it have broken apart?

thankfully the airship did not come under continuous attack - a few warning shots went almost unnoticed & before they could begin turning back one of their gas chambers was punctured. After that though they were able to retreat without being further accosted & limp back to Umbarg

ignition sequence was nominal & WE 👏 HAVE 👏 LIFT OFF!! The first kerbed rocket is ascending to carry Specialist Bill up into the black void of space! Rocket will clear the tower in ~3 seconds and then begin to head downrange at nearly full throttle. GO ASCENSION! GO BILL!! 🚀✨

updated forecast for tomorrow shows improved chances of 80% favorable weather, with potentially high surface winds being the only concern. Bill says he's looking forward to no longer being stuck inside. Pre-launch operations will commence at 14:52 UTC

all re-submitted readiness reports have been reviewed & approved - once again we are 🚀 GO FOR LAUNCH 🚀. However we'd like everyone to manage expectations as the current forecast is only 40% favorable. Launch ops will begin at 14:28 UTC if forecast improves

new Monolith direct cooling system has been rigged and Wernher's team have begun their testing to see whether or not it will work. We'll know for sure by the end of tomorrow when launch readiness reviews are submitted

TL;DR - original theory of Monolith storm was because Mk6-II broke through the magnetosphere. However the next flight just happened to include kerbal tissue samples for exposure to space. Monolith must have thought we were launching a crewed mission, despite small samples

still nothing. Nothing!? What is even going on here? We have a rocket powered up on the pad and no storms are forming, even with the Monolith temple heating back up to outside air temperatures. Until we can figure this out, launch remains delayed

all readiness reports have been submitted, reviewed and approved by @DKerman_KSA - which means we are 🚀 GO FOR LAUNCH! 🚀 launch pad has been reconfigured and is ready to receive the rocket AND CREW tomorrow after rollout. Pre-launch ops begin @ 14:11 UTC

Support Village lodging is already at capacity due to the Presider's presence requiring a security buffer and Monolith pilgrims looking to get in a visit before the temple is shut down prior to launch day. Anyone attending the launch viewing should plan to arrive on the day of

#OTD back in 2017 we were still recovering from the massive outburst unleashed by the Monolith after first reaching space. You can read about it all here: kerbalspace.agency/?p=4567 - the Monolith continues its battle to keep us planetside to this day

at this time there are no direct threats to the astronauts but we have had to cancel a few media events outside of KSC over the past month. It's disappointing to see some kerbs that don't want us to succeed in our quest to explore the Kerbol system and beyond

[L-3h27m] weather desk has come back with a forecast update of 95% favorable - as usual we can't predict upper-level atmospheric conditions but surface conditions should be perfect. Monolith temple is chilled and the rocket is being powered up to receive flight instructions

the comet has indeed been located, not quite where astronomers expected it to be but within a respectable margin of error. This bodes well for future deep space missions that will rely on Jool for gravitational assists that will fly much closer to the massive planet

the current Presider is running for a second term - he has neither interfered nor directly supported us but has acknowledged our potential for the advancement of kerbal society several times. A third candidate has been for some reason dodgy when asked about us

[L-4h10m] Monolith is chilled, weather is good, team is briefed and we are GO to begin preflight! Pad crew is heading out to prep for fueling while controllers wake up the rocket to onload flight instructions and configure systems ops.kerbalspace.agency/?vessel=progen…

make sure you know all that happened this week and learn more details via our Ops Summary - kerbalspace.agency/?p=9247

not everyone has given up the search, but even the area the plane was thought to have been found in hasn't been fully covered and expanding the search to an even wider area only means more time will be needed to uncover any possible signs of wreckage

learn more details about what went down this past week, including extra information on the new Mobile Launch Platform, in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9183 what are everyone's plans for the weekend?

Congratulations to Specialist Bob Kerman - the first kerbal selected to head up into space!! ✨🎉🎊

The following crew rotation is:
Bill
Val
Jeb

You can review the selection process here: youtube.com/watch?v=g_6LoH…

[L-3h15m] rocket is fully woke, weather remains stable and GO has been given to begin fueling, adding 7t of liquid propellant. The lifter stage will simply burn out and crash back onto the surface after the capsule separates. Look out below!

[L-4h10m] launch operations are kicking off! Monolith temple was closed to begin chilldown several hours earlier and is nearing sub-zero temperatures. All teams are assembling to begin their readiness checklists. We'll have updates at these major milestones:

the launch control team have submitted their readiness report, Ops Director @DKerman_KSA has reviewed and signed off on all of them - we are 🚀 GO FOR LAUNCH 🚀 tomorrow! Weather is forecast to be 75% favorable and pre-launch operations will kick off at 12:30 UTC

[L-3h30m] launch team is rdy, Monolith temple is chilled & we have a GO from the weather desk to begin preflight by waking up the rocket to prepare for tanking operations. Capsule is fully-automated - when kerbed it will simply be more resilient to failure via manual operation

final readiness review is complete, Ops Dir @DKerman_KSA has signed off the paperwork and we are 🚀 GO FOR LAUNCH 🚀!! Weather is looking great with over 95% chance of favorable conditions. Pre-launch operations will kick off tomorrow at 15:42 UTC. Get hype!!

still, there are cases (like the incident back in 2017 which remains unsolved) which remind us our security plans at KSC still need to include contingencies for disruption of operational events like launches. Hopefully someday that will no longer be needed twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

thankfully no one was seriously injured by the rocks they were pelted with. We have a writeup on the site to provide more info on what happened: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8922 the government is currently discussing what actions, if any, should be taken to contact these isolated kerbs

30 minutes to pad abort test. Rocket was rolled out and mounted the previous day cycle, Monolith is chilled and capsule is powered up. FD Lanalye and her team are beginning their system checks while pad crews close out and pull back to prep for recovery operations

sun is rising and preparations are underway to begin powering up the capsule and run through pre-test checks. Monolith chilldown was begun earlier and while we still have some time buffered in to account for any serious weather, we don't expect any

safe travels to the high-altitude KB team setting out today for bit.ly/Area_23-KTB. They will be releasing two separate payloads to see how each one meanders across the mountains. They'll be gone for about 2 weeks

high-altitude KerBalloon crew have sealed the deal on a contract today to head out to the Great Desert next week and explore air patterns over a complex keographic feature of mountainous terrain along with a keological team expedition

test complete! That - did not quite go exactly as planned. FD Lanalye is still having her team do a quick review of video & telemetry data to determine exactly what went wrong but at least we can report the capsule appears to have somewhat survived

through apokee now, the rocket has begun its descent back towards Kerbin. Already 179km downrange, it will be traveling far further than we anticipated, even based on previous launches. MSV Lymun should already be moving to intercept. All systems remain nominal

all hands on deck today as the Progeny Mk6 preps for rollout and launch readiness reviews are completed across the campus. Monolith temple A/C has already begun to chill down the interior to below freezing

recap and learn more about the events from this past week via our Ops Summary, including the return of a Desk Note now that @DKerman_KSA is back from his trip to Sheltered Rock kerbalspace.agency/?p=8811

monolith temple A/C install was completed over the weekend however the system broke down shortly after it was turned on. Contractor has looked into the issue and says it will take the remainder of the week to repair. New L-0 for next launch is now 3/12 @ 18:10 UTC

our week of operations has concluded, be sure to check out our Weekly Ops Report to get all the information on what has transpired: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8769 (BTW new altitude record is 8.683km ASL)

heavy-duty A/C for the Monolith temple wasn't as hard a sell as feared - pilgrims also didn't like the storms & have already agreed to keep the temple clear during launch operations anyways so no one cares if it gets super chilly in there. Hopefully it will be rdy by next launch

weather patterns in the area have gradually returned to normal since last weekend and overall the facilities came out of it okay, although that one freak hailstorm dropping 10-12cm diameter chunks of ice on us did crack some glass in HAB skylights

the idea is that if the Monolith was fooled by the warmer temple interior into thinking more energy existed for a storm, then making the inside cold will cause it to think not enough energy exists to try forming a storm in the first place

we've been dealing with all kinds of wacky weather as the area stabilizes back to normal after the Monolith's meddling. Thankfully no launch or aircraft operations are currently on the table for the next several days, by which time hopefully things will have calmed down

✨🎉 KERZZAH!! 🎉✨ MSV Hoodall has commed in from the recovery site and reports the rocket is aboard and they are headed back to port. Everybody happy this mission turned out alright despite all the adversity we faced getting it launched 🥂

decision has been made to attempt another launch tomorrow after the teams get some rest. Full details on how the storms have affected the launch and what will be transpiring over the next 11-12 hours to set a new launch time: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8594

next launch attempt is ready for operations to begin tomorrow @ 13:08 UTC - 🚀 GO PROGENY! 🚀 catch up on everything else that happened this past week and also learn more about the strange weather from yesterday: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8592

storm has cleared and crews are unmounting the rocket while most of the visitors have stuck around to help clean up. We don't expect to hear from the VAB on the rocket's condition until sometime tomorrow at the earliest

altho she fought hard against it, today Lead Scientist Cheranne was forced to remove all monitoring instruments from inside the Monolith dome, now officially a temple & under direct control of religious leaders. Guess who also recently announced a bid for re-election this year?

the government has restricted further direct scientific research of the Monolith, deeming it a potential hazard. It will continue to be monitored remotely. The dome and close surrounding area will be converted into a temple for Monolithic followers

2018 operations have officially ceased! We will resume operations on Jan 2nd, 2019. We are very pleased we were able to squeeze in so much this final week, here is one last Ops Summary to close out the year: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8189

the 150m radius is a bubble, so it would also exclude airspace above the dome however the airspace floor over KSC is 1km so that would not be an issue. Could affect future runway placement but otherwise will not pose any problems for future KSA operations at KSC

EM field remains stable at 150m, no other outward activity detected from the Monolith. Pilgrims still holding vigil, awaiting "spiritual deliverance" according to those in charge

EM field status remains unchanged. Researchers are just hoping there is still some internal work that needs to be done within the crystal structure that makes up the base before the Monolith has no further reason to keep the field active

EM field remains stable. Lead Scientist Cheranne is out in the field but the researchers she assigned to monitor the Monolith are keeping a nonstop watch on its status. If any change occurs, we will know immediately. No other activity from the Monolith has yet been reported

we are now just 2 days from projected closure of the bore hole into the crystal base of the Monolith. EM field remains stable - scientists were hoping to see it begin to reduce by now. A large influx of pilgrims has begun to arrive for what they believe will be an event this wknd

we and the rest of the scientific community are not pleased to see religious leaders failing to condemn the actions of the kerbs that waited on the surface for "deliverance". They are saying their "souls are traveling the stars". We respect their choice but don't believe in it

we consider this to be a very sad result of all the absurd theories that sprung up after the passage of bit.ly/Pilirani, where many Monolithic followers believed it was really an alien space ship that had come through to take away the True Believers 🙁

the grasslands are burning on the outskirts of the airburst area, several minor impact craters have been found. Researchers'll have to wait for the conflagration to die down bfore they can pick thru the area for meteorite samples, which could take a day or 2 depending on weather

at 2.6 kilotons it's actually quite light for a Class-C, meaning there's a good chance it's a loose rubble pile that will break up on entry. Still, everyone is preparing for the worst. This is the closest entry point to date near a populated area since twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

crystal base of the Monolith continues to heal at its constant pace, which will see the bore hole closed over by 11/17. EM field remains constant as well. No growth reported on either crystal stubs of the veins that were severed and no power issues in Kravass or Umbarg

Monolith update: still looking at mid-Nov for bore hole to finish healing, we should have an exact date next week. Chipping off just a few small crystal samples to analyze activated the sonic defense for about 3 hours. The edifice is certainly not tolerating further interference

after nearly a month of digging, drift tunneling along the crystal veins leading from the Monolith to Kravass and Umbarg was halted today. No further branches were discovered. The past 2wks scientists have installed seismic sensors to monitor the rest of the vein lengths

we're getting weekly status reports from Lead Scientist Cheranne's surface team monitoring the Monolith's healing progress. Bore hole closure rate remains constant, as does the EM field. Sonic defenses remain inert even on close approach

with cessation of major science studies KNN has also reported that religious leaders have begun talks with scientists and government officials on the possibility of converting the Monolith dome into a temple along with a more permanent settlement in the immediate vicinity

bore hole measurements made yesterday show it continues to close at a rate that will see it healed up by mid-Nov. We still have to see whether the EM field drops or further reduces its size but if able to resume surface ops, would work towards Jan '19 Ascension & Progeny launches

KSA HQ back online, upgrades went well according to our IT kerbs. Surface team assigned to monitoring the Monolith will be making new measurements tomorrow on the bore hole to confirm the rate of closure is holding steady since last week

KSA HQ will be offline tomorrow through the weekend for networking infrastructure upgrades, but we've given the ATN kerbs account access so any incoming asteroids will still be reported

a branch has been found and severed leading off to Kravass from the main trunk of crystal, reports KNN. The drift along the Umbarg vein has still turned up nothing. Discussion on whether to continue attempts to penetrate beneath the Monolith are ongoing

latest reports from KNN say no new branches found yet as digging continues around the clock. No new reports of power outages either. Keologists have been studying seismic data around Sheltered Rock & Ockr, saying no obvious sign of crystal growths seen near the caverns

surface instruments at KSC recorded no change in the size or strength of the EM field either. Leading assumption is that the energy was used to power greater crystal growth elsewhere, likely new filaments towards Umbarg & Kravass

KNN reports power authorities are going to start drifting underground back along the two veins they cut to look for branches. As ideal as it would be to just sever things closer to the source, at greater distances the Monolith should be able to do less to impede them

astronomers have confirmed UIX-921(C) will be coming down over the water south of KSC. Should present little to no danger - it will occur at low tide which places us nearly 70m above sea level. Still, those still on the surface have been warned (pilgrims too)

spending the last few days probing the area of last week's temblor with ground penetrating radar, keologists have enough evidence to suggest a new crystal vein is being grown towards Kravass. Perhaps Umbarg too? Power authorities are considering what actions to take

latest report from the surface is the ultrasonic defenses have stopped again but no decision has been made to resume drilling. Unrest among the pilgrims in the area also growing as they feel they should join in on the Monolith's act of defense & keep gov't teams out of the area

latest KNN report from the drilling is that better-than-expected progress is being made. The shaft has already surpassed the point where it was before the EM field kicked in and ground level could be reached sometime late this weekend or early next week

although several arrests were made, authorities were able to give researchers access to the Monolith site without sparking violence over the weekend so equipment could be hauled in. Researchers now say they plan to begin drilling later this week

efforts to get a mechanical drilling rig setup this week have been mostly unsuccessful due to the number of pilgrims in the area protesting the actions and not allowing equipment into the site. Tensions are beginning to rise again as gov't threatens forced removal

Head of R&D Wernher & his dept still working on Extremis science instruments, Lead Scientist Cheranne has her field team deployed at KSC to help work with Monolith researchers, Lead Engineer Simon is assisting with our TBA jet engine program

the effort is underway to setup a mechanical drilling system and see if the reduced healing rate of the Monolith can allow researchers to bore further upwards and still possibly reach the underside at ground level, as mentioned in our last report

it seems KSC security has more to deal with than Monolith pilgrims (who have not been a problem, by the way - just a potential one). Two daredevils managed to sneak on campus, break into the VAB and parachute down from the roof. They were apprehended after landing

report from KNN on the pilgrims surrounding the Monolith talks about how many feel "cleansed" and rejuvenated. We can assure you there is no scientific research being done right now on any health benefits from EM field immersion

we now know the EM field is still active because the bore hole is in fact continuing to fill, just at a pace now only measurable in days. New estimates say it could take as long as 3 months to heal. Here is an updated report for the past 2 weeks: kerbalspace.agency/?p=7933

still, everyone agrees it's too early to say that this will remain constant. The rapid field collapse could mean it has enough energy reserved now only for days or weeks of continued projection. No one still knows why the field remains if crystal growth has ceased

latest surface update reports field size remains stable at 2.5km and still strong enough to generate dangerously high levels of current in active electronics. Crystal growth at severed vein sites appears to have stopped, same with drill hole. Unknown why EM field is still up then

we have confirmation from KNN the Umbarg vein has been broken. Still no apparent response from the Monolith nor has the EM field size changed even the slightest. Researchers at the Monolith site say the bore hole continues to be filled at the same pace also

we're very happy to see this cause frankly things were getting super tense between all 3 factions over the past several months & hopefully this will help appease everyone to some degree, calm things back down afterwards. We would hate to have to deal with fighting in our backyard

of course the field has no effect on any kerbal, believer or not, and government security forces have already begun their own operations to move in and remove anyone that comes within the 10km quarantine zone they setup the day after the Monolith activated

it's impossible to also monitor all the conduits all the time, so if new crystals do decide to grow & attach themselves we probably won't know until a blackout or brownout occurs. The government & power authorities say they are working on a more permanent solution

Lead Scientist Cheranne is leading a team back to KSC to setup monitoring equipment over this weekend so we can keep track of the EM field's size and strength over time, as well as continue to monitor for signs of toxins or radiation

high-level KSA staff meeting will be held tomorrow to work up a full assessment of the current situation and decide what steps will be taken moving forward over the next several days. We will have details in our Ops Summary

Kravass felt a slight temblor earlier today that has since been rated a magnitude 4.8 and scientists have now ruled out possibility that it might be linked to activity from the Monolith. Epicenter was along a known fault line nearby with no crystal veins leading towards it

Civvie has flown off back to the north. Thankfully it's about an hour flight from Kravass so they don't have much time to spend here over KSC. They kept proper altitude and distance so we can't file any sort of complaint with the ASA - tho we are more amused than angry about it

project scientists are monitoring the Monolith for any signs of its old subsonic/EM disturbances as well as the crystal veins locally and off in Kravass & Umbarg for any electrical activity. So far, all signs point to the Monolith remaining inactive

excavations around the Monolith have finally reached the bottom of the crystal network immediately beneath the edifice. Researchers will now begin to carefully work a small bore hole up through the crystal, hoping they can somehow access the interior through the bottom

turns out the ATN impact location for CNQ-846(C) was incorrect. They are still investigating how the error occurred so that it will hopefully not happen again - we would hate to get flattened by a rock we should have seen coming!

ocean has calmed and waves have receded. Thankfully it was also low tide, but although an asteroid was predicted to impact today it was supposed to land in water on the opposite side of our landmass. ATN is investigating

several days since launch now and still no outwards signs of activity from the Monolith, according to researchers. New plans are still being drawn up to attempt to get access to the inside

Monolith researchers have been continuing to monitor the edifice closely as we approach full launch readiness. There is still no outwards signs of activity but concern remains (mostly among the public) that bringing a bigger rocket out to the launch pad could have some effect

let's wrap up this week with bit.ly/OpSummary5-28-… - learn more about our new recruits and why female flight instructor Helta turned down our request to join the Agency

the offices remain closed as a continued effort by the government to get someone to give up a lead as to who organized the attack on the premises late last year. The case remains cold, but this new spark could be related? (That's our own conjecture)

the discovery of a break in the vein explains why both caverns did not receive deadly energy discharges. It definitely appears the Monolith had malicious intent towards populated areas but scientists still don't think we're seeing the whole picture

our most extensive bit.ly/OpSummary5-7-18 yet contains everything you might have missed this week along with extra details too verbose for tweets. With the latest Progeny launch campaign completed, truly a relaxing weekend ahead!

as to why only he ended up attempting it, he couldn't say. He suspects they all either got cold feet due to fewer # attending or had thought he was joking. We've blacklisted them all from future launches but have no real charges to bring against them that would stick in court

time to call it a week! Catch up on anything you may have missed and/or learn additional details via bit.ly/OpSummary4-30-…

the Monolith remains impenetrable as ever. The latest attempt using a high-powered laser cutter tried so hard they actually took down electrical power for the entire campus. It has just been restored and researchers are already puzzling over what to try next

it turns out the Presider knew the Monolithic followers were gearing up for an all-out political battle when he sidestepped the Assembly in our favor. Yesterday was the first time any of the fallout that has followed (and is still going on) has directly affected us

KSC security just finished rounding up a group of Monolith pilgrims attempting to use the cover of darkness to reach the site for prayers after crossing the Grasslands on foot from Umbarg. FYI - It remains off limits to non-research personnel and the area is regularly patrolled

KSC will re-open for operations this week! We will endeavor to show the Presider that his potential "sacrifice" will not be in vain and we thank him immensely for his support. Read more on the operations restart here: kerbalspace.agency/?p=7024

we are one step closer to getting operations back underway at KSC. That and more in bit.ly/OpSummary3-26-… - we hope everyone enjoys a relaxing weekend!

find out more about the Ascension Mk1 designs released earlier this week via bit.ly/OpSummary3-12-… and tell us - are you doing anything sciencey this weekend?

remote sensors remain active around the Monolith to alert scientists if any changes occur in its inertness, although some researchers are still wary and prefer to say it is dormant

the fight to resume surface operations continues, get additional information on that and more via bit.ly/OpSummary3-5-18 - a relaxing weekend is wished upon all

fortunately we expect to have majority support in the Assembly as well as the backing of the Presider so hopes are high we can get all this ratified in a matter of weeks instead. Still - well played, Monolithic followers. Well played.

bit.ly/OpSummary2-26-… is posted in case you managed to miss anything this week. There wasn't much but we're making what progress we can. Join the rally in Sheltered Rock over the weekend to march in protest on the shut down!

today we completed our 5th orbit 'round the sun since the KSA began operations back in late 2016. Happy Kerbol anniversary! Jeb & Val also returned to Umbarg via airship after spending more time with the advanced training unit

before pulling out, scientists working on the Monolith project confirmed the burn scar will remain around the research site as the ground has fused together to practically form rock up to 30m below the surface

if you have still not yet received a refund for your KSC visitor pass, you can contact KSA HQ in Umbarg. Passes cannot be held until KSC re-opens, you must purchase them again once they are available

yes, there will still be bit.ly/OpSummary2-19-… at the end of each week, we'll just have a little less to talk about than we would like. We're still not 100% sure of the servers so if the site is down, try again later & sorry for the inconvenience

sunset from the Umbarg access tunnel as we end our last day of operations at KSC for at least the next 2-3 weeks. The last of onsite staff will be departing tomorrow after final equipment shutdowns are complete

we are in the process of "winding down" operations at KSC and in doing so managed to put the provisional finishing touches on the K2-X engine test stand, so it will be ready when we return!

the government has continued to refuse to re-open the permit office for Monolithic followers to apply for visitation to the edifice, saying the area will remain off limits until after further attempts to penetrate the surface are carried out this month

a look at the tip of a small peninsula (bit.ly/Area_WP-VK) that is being considered as the location for the establishment of the first surface colony in over 200 years. If approved, construction could begin sometime in the 2020s. Other sites are being looked at as well

KNN reports a concerted effort by the Monolithic community has turned up no leads to help authorities track down who attacked the permit office last year, leading many to speculate an entirely unknown rogue faction of zealots may be responsible. Not a comfortable thought...

there have still been no arrests in the case of the attack against the Monolith Permit Office last month. Gov't says as long as case remains open site will be closed to visitors, obviously hoping for leads from Monolithic followers

fare thee well 2017!! Kerbal Space Agency signing off for the year! If you hear from us before the 1st of next month it's probably going to be nothing good. We still have one last bit.ly/OpsSummary12-1… for you all. Safe holidays everyone!

in the wake of the violence earlier this week (still an ongoing investigation) the government has kept its promise & released what information they have on the Monolith study, which is also ongoing: kerbalspace.agency/?p=6250

government reaction to yesterday's attack was swift - pilgrims currently around the Monolith have been rounded up and taken back to Umbarg then released. The site is once again off limits to all but research team members

@ajp70 many kerbs have found faith in the belief that we're going to be taken up into the stars by an advanced civilization and thus oppose any attempt at reaching space ourselves - there are slightly varying viewpoints on the details but that's largely the gist of it

Umbarg keothermal plant is back to 100% output after this past weekend's final round of intensive repairs, although it will be a few months still before everyone relaxes

power has been restored to KSC, what could be done today by daylight & temporary lighting has still been significant across the campus. We expect no delays in Mk5 assembly as long as Umbarg power repairs remain permanent as planned

Umbarg keothermal plant is undergoing emergency maintenance this weekend starting ~30min from now, still recovering from extensive damage due to the Monolith Incident. All efforts to avoid a major outage have prevailed until now. We hope to receive power again by Monday

a Monolith pilgrim that came down with Surface Sickness (reaction to airborne tree pollen) was treated successfully at our Med Center. We are glad to be able to help any and all kerbals in need

Presider has released a statement confirming the government is committed to a full report on Monolith investigations sometime this year

an incredible rocket launch, some fancy pattern flying & new moonlet! Get all the details kerbalspace.agency/?p=5953

we are working with the gov't to ensure the safety of pilgrims during launch/flight ops. KSC public tours will still not include Monolith

research into the events of that day still continue under wraps. No one impatient yet but we all hope gov't keeps promise to release report

word is they will not be formally charged with any offense - Presider is said to be considering loosening restrictions on Monolith visits

post-launch ops complete & we are all wrapped up for this week of operations. Get all the details here: bit.ly/OpsSummary10-9…

winds are still up, so far 2 tents have broken loose & went tumbling across the north field being chased by kerbs. Swear we aren't laughing

pilgrims say they are content to sit outside their tents & pray w/o approaching the dome. We'll have to just wait & see how gov't reacts