Progeny Mk6 Timeline

a bunch of stats about the career of the Progeny Mk6 and more details from these past two weeks await you in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=11574 we hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

the bit.ly/Progeny_Mk6 is now officially retired after 3 years of service - our longest-working rocket so far. It has an overall success rate of 71% across 21 missions (avg overall success rate is 62% so not bad). The time has come to move fully away from unguided rockets

telemetry data from yesterday's flight has been made available: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d… the slightly elevated rads experienced were possibly the residual effects of the belt sweeping through that area of space earlier

HOWEVER, to say that we did not succeed in maybe learning something new would be incorrect. The fact that we had <1° inclination and did not hit the belt lends credence to scientist's theory that the belt itself is inclined to match the tilt of Kerbin's magnetic pole!

and that's that. Chute may deploy (it's on there for payload recovery in the event of ascent abort) but no recovery of the rocket is planned. Because we did not encounter at least the inner radiation belt, the mission objectives were not met so this flight was a failure

we have confirmation rocket is remaining on for re-entry, which should be occurring as you read this. Unfortunately we were not surprised by a belt transit on the way down, rads dropped back to normal background levels sometime between 219-319km

we are through apokee and rad levels have not increased. In fact they are very slightly decreasing. 1min hibernation cycle continues, rocket remains ready to stay active & record high rad region but if we didn't hit it on the way up, unlikely it would happen on the way down...

rad levels continue to hold steady, rocket continues regular 1min check-ins. Once it detects a large increase it will remain awake for the belt transit. Rocket is >750km tho and no models of the belts predict that the inner one should be this far out or further, even on nite side

radiation levels have elevated slightly beyond normal background ranges, increasing from 1.428mrad/hr to 3.657mrad/hr but this is nowhere near the 10rad/hr levels we should be getting from inside the belt and they do not seem to be increasing any further

here is the mission timeline with estimates for belt passage based on data from the similar flight in 2019. Could be off by a min or so both ways. Apokee & re-entry however are known times. Apokee might be slightly outside inner belt? Time to wait and see!

rocket is coasting, has begun its hibernation sequence. It will wake up to check its surroundings & report back to us every min. 805km apokee means it will not reach the outer radiation belt but it will get almost fully through the inner belt to satisfy mission objectives

overall, flight nominal with clean staging. Rocket as expected is not moving as fast as previous flights although how much apokee loss this translates to depends on more than just speed given it is unguided and can pitch/roll/yaw to various degrees in addition to winds

core booster ignition, radial boosters ignition and we have LIFT OFF! The final Progeny Mk6 screams skywards into the night. The kick of the radials will last only 6s before they are dumped, core booster will burn for an additional 28s before staging occurs

[T-1m] EC draw nominal, RF comms 5x5, final readiness poll coming up at T-30s and if all is well the Ops Tracker will switch over shortly afterwards to begin streaming live telemetry & vehicle status updates so tune in now! ops.kerbalspace.agency

[T-2m] AFCS has taken over control of the rocket, ground cables have been pulled to leave the vehicle on internal power and RF comms, both of which will be checked over the next min. Excitement on the faces of the students in LC whose projects are about to be launched a 2nd time

[L-5m] Wx? GO! Range? GO! Tracking? GO! Flight? GO! Ops Director @DKerman_KSA has given permission to launch - 🚀 GO PROGENY! 🚀 Flight Termination System was activated & engines armed back at L-15min (FTS now internal), now preparing for Terminal Count to begin with AFCS startup

however we do allow registered & approved private aircraft to fly in and park on the public tarmac, from where they can still get a great view and experience the launch. Some actually just landed in the last hour - Rwy 03/21 is able to stay open during launch operations https://t.co/SxT9HX3UGK

night launches like this used to attract a fair amount of air traffic but with the extended restricted airspace around KSC after the 2019 aircraft attack it's not possible to circle close enough out to the west to really get a good view anymore twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

[L-15m] Range Safety Officer has closed off access to the pad and surrounding airspace/waters. Any incursion will produce a countdown hold. Visitors leaving designated areas will not immediately hold the count but will be immediately escorted off the premises

[L-30m] updated surface weather forecast shows we remain GO for launch, moving us into the final countdown sequence, the furthest point we would roll back to if a hold is called without scrubbing. Upper-level conditions will be revised for the final general poll @ L-5min

[L-45m] launch team has begun rehearsal to ensure all systems and consoles are properly configured and ready for flight. The actual command cabling is taken out of the control loop so no accidental firing can occur and simulated data is fed into the system

photo from the pad crew a few minutes ago before they all drove off, sun just beginning to set behind the VAB into hazy skies. Weather was actually pretty crummy earlier today and we are glad to see it improving as forecast. Minmus & Mun are also hanging out together up above

[L-1h20m] surface conditions remain within limits but the upper-atmosphere is less well-studied and understood so a second balloon is on its way up to get us more up-to-date information and confirm that conditions remain good for flight

[L-1h30m] we have a healthy rocket ready for flight! Final close out underway at the pad while launch controllers prepare for rehearsal protocols and range officers work to ensure skies and seas remain clear along our planned ascent corridor

one of the reasons we haven't had to deal with many technical holds during our launches is in fact the ability to work directly on the rocket throughout the entire preflight checkout sequence and solve problems quickly to not have to extend the countdown

a common misunderstanding about the QRT: they are not there to prevent the rocket from catching fire or anything like that. If some issue needs physical handling or looking over, they can get to the rocket quickly to address the problem but also back to shelter fast if needed

[L-2h10m] pre-flight going good, no issues being worked. Preparing now to check out the 7 engines that will take the rocket up into space. Quick Response Team sheltering in the nearby bunker as rest of crew clears pad. 7 engines is the most we've had on any rocket - until the Mk8

we've had an Automated Flight Control System core update to v1.2.1 to fix some issues in the boot program and also have updated code for today's mission. All this can be perused on our public repository: github.com/KSAMissionCtrl…

[L-3h] we are GO from the weather desk to begin pre-launch ops. Flight team getting on console to wake the rocket, onload instructions and begin system checks. Pad crew on their way out to remove flight safety hardware & check rocket is how they left it yesterday

[L-3h25m] launch team Bravo is assembling in Launch Control for Flight Director Lanalye to conduct the final mission briefing. Slight modification to ascent profile with no coast between stage 1 and 2 to maintain velocity as payload is heaviest yet flown on the Mk6-II

[L-3h55m] our first weather balloon is already well on its way up, resident meteorologist Katgan & her team are compiling today's forecast and teams are assembling across campus to begin getting ready for pre-launch activities. We will update on major events along this timeline:

we have so many KerBalloon crew reassigned to Progenitor/Ascension duties that Bob & Bill volunteered to help out with today's weather balloon deployments. Both are veterans of the program, as their first assignment when joining the KSA they each participated in over 40 missions

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

1/20
#2🌄07:33:50 🌅09:44:16
#3🌄13:34:41 !!🚀!! 🌅15:45:07
#4🌄19:35:32 🌅21:45:58

1/21
#1🌄01:36:23 🌅03:46:49

the Mk6-II is all loaded up & secure, rdy for the trip out to the pad from the HAB. It'll be hooked up to ground power/comms then filled with liquid propellants for a full system check. bit.ly/Ops_Tracker will carry updates on its progress as we work toward launch readiness

HAB has the Progeny Mk6-II integrated with its new lower stage boosters, having replaced two of the 0.35m radials, the 0.625m 2nd and 0.35m third stage. It's now stacked vertical to undergo load checks over the weekend. Launch remains on sched for next week!

even though overall launch count was down from last year, the missions were much more complex, including our first ever orbital missions launched from the Ascension Mk2 and getting the rest of our crew up into space via the Mk1. Lots of failures means we learned a lot as well

could have been worse, but thanks to another safety protocol of not carrying more fuel than needed in the tanker truck, explosion was not large. Still, full inspection of the pad & towers will be undertaken over the operational break. Progeny Mk6 launch base as well

good news: GSE was at fault, rocket was not cause of the explosion (RIP tanker truck). Bad news: rocket is still heavily damaged and will not be able to fly this week before yearly operations come to a close. Launch will need to be postponed until early next year

emergency crews have been dispatched & are at the launch pad. There was an issue during tanking resulting in an explosion. Fire is under control, no crew were on the pad at the time as per our safety protocols. We'll update when we know more about the condition of the rocket

rollout & mounting of the Progeny Mk6-II were completed earlier today without issue, we are now tanking up the 3rd stage with liquid fuels to prepare for wet dress rehearsal as launch readiness checks continue. Definitely hoping for better weather tomorrow, but it does look nice

telemetry data from yesterday's flight up to plasma blackout is now available. Once again we apologize to the students/mentors affected by the mission failure, even worse this time as they have no hope of a reflight :/ docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

MSV Aldeny was told to suspend search ops & return to port. Altho we had data xmit during spaceflight, majority of science was to be recovered with the rocket so we have to chalk this mission up as a failure. Hopefully final mission next week can close out 2020 with success!

we gave it our all, but by now locator beacon battery would have expired. We can't know if rocket survived and is just floating out there somewhere on the vast ocean or broke up and is on the bottom of the sea or got swamped by the storm - such is the way things go sometimes :/

no news at previous comm checks, this most recent one also. By now main power would be dead but locator beacon has its own 10hr power source. Winds & currents could have carried payload a good distance in time it took the Aldeny to reach the area. Search continues

we just concluded our first comm window with MSV Aldeny since it reached the projected splashdown area about 30mins ago. So far, no beacon detected and seas are much rougher as this area is apparently closer to a storm system. Next comm windows are 2355-0004 UTC & 0039-0049 UTC

also if Kerbin II had been overhead during this early re-entry it wouldn't have mattered as rocket can't talk directly to it. It's used as a relay between KSC and MSV Aldeny, which has to receive the telemetry direct from the rocket

the Aldeny is ~80km away from the new recovery area and will not be on station to begin search & recovery operations for another ~3-4hrs. In the meantime post-launch operations here at KSC well underway while everyone hopes for the best. Fingers crossed!!

news from MSV Aldeny not great - rocket signal was not picked up again after plasma blackout. Only hope is that rocket would have been *just* above the horizon around time of plasma blackout ending and could have dropped below before signal received by the Aldeny

rocket should now be under chute descending gently towards the water, we still have ~5min before we can make contact with MSV Aldeny and find out what telemetry data they received. Tracking Station confirmed 1st & 2nd stages impacted downrange within ascent corridor as planned

just over a min to re-entry, telemetry showing rocket's precession has laid it out pretty flat, which is worrisome but has helped more than hurt on some past missions so we just have to wait & see. Kerbin II not yet in position so we won't be able to follow re-entry events live

passing through apokee now, rocket will be coming down much earlier than expected and Kerbin II will not be in position to relay re-entry events. MSV Aldeny would have by now plotted its course and begun to move north to get closer to the new area it will be coming down

unfortunately it seems the Ops Tracker is not properly processing telemetry data and showing real-time positioning along the sub-orbital trajectory for the rocket. We did not get the chance to test this on the previous flight. We hope to have it working for the next one

good news is we reached space, better news is that there will be enough time spent in space to satisfy the needs of the payload instruments - barely! You can continue to view the rocket's position update in the Ops Tracker as it coasts through its sub-orbital arc

sub-optimal 1st stage separation put a bit of wobble into the rocket that had to be checked by controllers to ensure stability before 2nd stage could be fired. This slight delay will impact overall apokee somewhat but bigger worry is rocket's precession causing additional drag

LIFT OFF! First stage SRB will provide up to 68kN of thrust for initial 5s of ascent before tapering off to reduce load and continue to do so for 30s then detach and 2nd stage will ignite after nose drops 1.5°. Rocket goes from 0-27m/s in just over 1s with a force of 4Gs

[T-1m] final poll at T-30s to confirm good AFCS startup, rocket power and comms. If all well telemetry will load in Ops Tracker. If ascent good this time we will try again to provide real-time trajectory updates until re-entry. Tune in now! ops.kerbalspace.agency

[T-2m] we have entered the Terminal Count, when the Automated Flight Control System takes over command of the rocket. Ground cables have been retracted from the launch base, rocket is now on internal power & RF comms, both of which are undergoing final checks

[L-5m] all stations GO in final general polling, @DKerman_KSA has given launch permission and made sure the students/mentors here in launch control are ready to head up onto the launch control roof for the best view as their payloads shoot off into space

[L-15m] we just had a comm pass with MSV Aldeny: captain reports on station, sea conditions are a bit rough but within recovery limits, they are standing by. RSO has confirmed range is clear, rocket is now ARMED, Flight Termination System is ACTIVE. Safety perimeter established

[L-30m] 3rd sunrise approaches. Wx remains green, winds are encroaching on our constraints but not gusting. Final countdown sequence is GO - any hold longer than 5min will delay the launch, rolling back the clock to this point until next Kerbin II comm window after 4th sunrise

[L-45m] pad is clear, crews remain ready at safe distance to assist if any problems arise during launch rehearsal. Although disconnected from the rocket, problems can still be encountered during the simulation that could require physical action at the pad

[L-1h20m] a second high-altitude KerBalloon has begun its ascent to 18km+ to give us an update on local surface and upper-level weather conditions. Surface update will inform L-30min go/no-go & balloon will be high enough by L-5min for final general polling

[L-1h30m] no issues on the board, rocket is ready for flight! Controllers now setting up for rehearsal while pad crew moves back in for final checks, removal of safety hardware, etc. Range Safety Officer making contact with all boats & aircraft in vicinity to assure awareness

[L-1h55m] pad crew reports rocket is just as they left it yesterday, now pulling back to a safe distance so controllers can run checks on the 3 motors, which includes sending a tiny electrical pulse to confirm all igniter connections, which should not actually ignite anything...

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

[L-2h45m] we have GO from the weather desk with conditions improving to 60% favorable, with upper-level winds higher than anticipated. Pad crew heading out to the rocket while launch controllers get on console to wake the flight computer. Mission code: github.com/KSAMissionCtrl…

rocket could also launch north to avoid inner radiation belt (science payload requirement) but coming down over land is too iffy when dealing with an unguided rocket and we run the risk of chute failure if it needs to deploy higher and sooner due to mountainous terrain

[L-3h10m] FD Lanalye has her launch team assembled for final briefing, rocket is a few kilos heavier than #4 which launched on this trajectory following 150° azimuth back in 2018 but we still expect a similar profile with an apokee of ~470km & total mission time ~20min

[L-3h40m] launch countdown procedures have officially begun with Katgan's small team of meteorologists working to assemble a new weather report for our 5min launch window later today. Main concern remains winds. Expect updates at these major milestones in the count:

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

12/8
#2🌅07:17:56 🌄11:08:26
#3🌅13:18:47 !!🚀!! 🌄17:09:17
#4🌅19:19:38 🌄23:10:08

12/9
#1🌅01:20:29 🌄05:10:59

final reports on launch readiness submitted by Lead Engineer Simon & Flight Director Lanalye have been reviewed & approved by Ops Director @DKerman_KSA - we are GO FOR LAUNCH attempt tomorrow. Wind constraints tightened, forecast 40% favorable but winds tough to predict still

launch prep continuing on sched. Original launch time, decided by our 45min past sunrise rule, actually almost nearly perfectly coincides with a Kerbin II comm window. We will move launch up 2min (19:02 UTC) to give the re-entry ~18min into the mission more time inside the window

the Progeny Mk6-I is on its way out to the launch pad from the HAB for mounting, followed later today by fueling for wet dress rehearsal protocols in final preparation for launch readiness. Updates on its status will be carried by the Ops Tracker: ops.kerbalspace.agency

MSV Aldeny has departed from port in Umbarg to sail ~291km into the south Kerblantic for recovery operations. Seas down here can be rough more often than not so we're thankful that we can check via Kerbin II prior to launch to have the best chances at recovery

while the investigation into the failure of the Progeny Mk6 2nd stage booster from last month's mission is still underway, no obvious issue was detected in the one for next week's launch, which remains on schedule for Tues. Rocket is undergoing final checkouts today

telemetry data from yesterday's aborted flight is now available: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d… rocket was off nominal ascent performance it turns out (pitched over further than anticipated due to wind), so it is probably better off re-flying in better conditions anyways!

post-launch ops are wrapping up & we have profusely apologized to the student/mentor team for the loss of their mission. Although fault may or may not be directly from us, we still take responsibility. The payload instruments could still be recoverable with 3rd stage however

recovery boat is on its way, should be at the splashdown area in ~2hrs with mild sea swells. While we would also like to recover the second stage, even from the bottom of the ocean, radar tracking showed it impacting at 227m/s so there's not really much of anything to recover

acquisition of signal with Kerbin II here at KSC right on schedule. While we no longer need it to monitor the rocket's re-entry we can still at least use it to bounce a signal to MSV Aldeny in a few mins, let them know why they never saw it clear their horizon & to head back home

we are cutting telemetry at full chute deploy as signal will likely be lost soon anyways - rocket is juuuust above the horizon. Good to know however that it will be coming down intact! Our small recovery ship is on the way down to be put into the water & head out

full chute deployment coming up - as the rocket fell valves were opened so tanks could be drained of LF/O as otherwise the extra mass could cause too much stress on the chute when it opens fully from its current reefed state

decision was to abort ascent entirely - just getting to space isn't enough & rocket can't make it to inner rad belt on 3rd stage only. It would then also fall downrange beyond easy recovery from KSC and prior to easy recovery from MSV Aldeny. It's already on its way back down

well that was an exciting minute! Rocket is still coasting up - flight computer has aborted ascent but controllers can choose to command it resume with ignition of the 3rd stage engine. Every second delayed however means a lower apokee as velocity bleeds off

good SRB ignition and LIFT OFF - the 16th Progeny Mk6 Block I heads up towards space & the inner radiation belt carrying two student designed/built experiments to study it further. 1st stage will burn for 34s followed by 2nd stage coast until nose drops 1.5°

[T-1m] coming up on one last confirmation rocket power, comms, etc are in good shape at T-30s and if so, Ops Tracker will automatically refresh to prepare to stream launch telemetry data so tune in now if you are not already! ops.kerbalspace.agency

[T-2m] terminal count has now begun, cables at the launch base have been pulled back, leaving the rocket on internal power and RF comms. EC drain & transmission rates now being checked. Automated Flight Control System now has full command of the rocket

[L-5m] final polling complete and all stations are GO for launch! Here in launch control to watch are the students and mentors that built the experiments flying on this rocket. Ops Director @DKerman_KSA shook all their hands after granting FD Lanalye final launch permission

[L-15m] RSO confirms range is clear, rocket is now ARMED for ignition with flight termination system ACTIVE. While the Progeny blast radius is really 300m, the 500m safety radius is now standard for any rockets launched from this pad

[L-30m] Final countdown! Updated weather forecast has us still GO for launch, altho winds are picking up a bit more than expected. With the rocket unguided, getting pushed off course is a real possibility. Winds will continue to be monitored closely up to launch

[L-45m] launch controllers are now running a simulated mission to ensure all consoles are properly configured for flight and everyone sitting at them know their jobs. Pad crew are packing up and preparing to move back to a safe distance, but on call if needed

[L-1h20m] high-altitude KerBalloon has been released to begin ascent, it will reach the upper atmosphere in time for winds data to be analyzed for final L-5min polls. It will also be high enough to help with updated forecast by the L-30min final countdown point

[L-1h30m] rocket is all checked out, ready to go! Pad crews moving back in for final removal of launch safety hardware and a last check of the pad/launch base condition to ensure all is ready for ignition. Range Safety Officer ensuring boats/aircraft are clear of launch corridor

[L-1h55m] preliminary preflight has completed to ensure the rocket is fully operational and talking properly to launch control. All systems have been checked except engines, which is a potential safety hazard so waiting for pad crew to clear back after also finishing their tasks

because the payloads themselves are autonomous and do not require direct control from the flight computer we can use the same operations code as the launches from last year, found here in the AFCS repo: github.com/KSAMissionCtrl…

[L-2h45m] weather update shows conditions will remain favorable for launch later today & according to recent KWS Deuce flight storm out to sea is veering away from recovery zone so we have a GO to begin prepping the rocket and the launch base for action

this launch & moving forwards we also have an update to our tracking system that will allow the Ops Tracker to display the rocket's sub-orbital trajectory - it will now only go static during the re-entry period. So from launch up until then you'll see exactly where the rocket is!

[L-3h10m] Flight Director Lanalye is gathering her team of Progeny launch controllers for final mission briefing. Based on performance of the two final flights last year that massed the same, the rocket should pierce the inner radiation belt with an apokee ~460km

[L-3h40m] countdown procedures remain unchanged from last year, expect updates at these major milestones as we work towards launch. Katgan and her small team of meteorologists are working to gather new weather data, including a potential sea storm that could affect recovery ops

launch day! Here is a view from the pad taken just minutes ago. The clouds off in the distance are expected to roll in next day cycle but should not be high enough to pose a threat during ascent. The rocket remains fueled and ready for preflight checks

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

11/25
#2🌄10:24:15
#3🌅12:34:35 !!🚀!! 🌄16:25:06
#4🌅18:35:26 🌄22:25:57

11/26
#1🌅00:36:17 🌄04:26:48
#2🌅06:37:08

launch preparation continues on schedule and tomorrow's launch time has been adjusted to allow for Kerbin II to be in contact with MSV Aldeny for telemetry data relay during the final phase of the mission. New L-0 is 18:40 UTC, re-entry is expected to occur ~18min after launch

launch crews are preparing to truck the Progeny MK6-I from the HAB to the launch pad, where it will be mounted and fueled for wet dress rehearsal. The Ops Tracker will carry updates for these events throughout the day - ops.kerbalspace.agency

MSV Aldeny has left port in Umbarg so it has plenty of time to leisurely make its way to the recovery zone, just south of where the final two Mk6-I rockets came down last year. This week's Mk6-I will mass the same and is expected to also land in this area

final checkouts have been completed and the Progeny Mk6-I rocket for next week has been laid back horizontal so the experiments can be loaded up and payload bays sealed. It will then be put on the carry vehicle to be rolled out to the pad on Tues for wet dress rehearsal

we've met w/@LucioleSpace CEO Wellbur Kerman & formalized our partnership. They are absorbing USI, which means we will still have access to Progeny Mk6 parts, including the single-segment SRBs should the Boosterton II's fail to be certified by the time Ascension Mk3 is rdy to fly

check it out - 2019 was the first full calendar year that saw continuous operations! We did take a few hits this year that reduced our operational capacity but KSC was not shut down for any extended period of time. Here's looking to a stronger 2020!

rocket launches were up from last year, which only had 11, and we put 2 kerbals into space! That lineup could increase to as many as 6+ rockets by the end of next year with continued development of the Progeny Mk7 along with debut of the Ascension Mk2 & Mk3

a final routine flight analysis after quick review of telemetry data from this week's mission turned up no issues. Congrats to the rocketry teams for closing out 2019 on a high note! Maybe more KSP launches at the end of 2020? It's already being discussed kerbalspace.agency/?p=10208

post-launch ops finishing up. Still no word from MSV Aldeny. Hopefully they are on their way back already & just can't make contact yet. Launch base is being moved back to storage in the Support Village - no more Mk6-I flights in the schedule at this time

everything looked good going into re-entry with the rocket stable & engine taking the brunt of the heat. Comms lost shortly afterward and rocket is now below the horizon - hopefully under chute for a gentle descent into shallow waters just off the far shore. MSV Aldeny ETA <1hr

through apokee, now for the fall back down. Science instruments remain occupied, power levels good, data drives are filling up. Rocket's spin is keeping it upright like a top so it's now pointing radial-out & will be aimed retrograde by the time it enters the atmosphere in ~8min

you can use this link to view where the rocket will be traveling. On page load you will see the current location but it will not automatically update after that. Trajectory is calculated and not exact but close enough for the scale shown kerbalspace.agency/Tracker/tracke…

aaaand MECO-3 just before space, rocket is now coasting up these next ~7.5min to an apokee only 2km lower than last week's at 460km, but this shouldn't translate into any huge difference in downrange travel. MSV Aldeny should already be moving to get under it

nominal flight continues as the 3rd stage burns for space. Timeline so far is within milliseconds of the previous rocket, which is to be expected since they mass the same & we are not dealing with any weather near flight limits. Burn baby, burn! Into space!

up, up & AWAY!! Rocket has shot off atop the flame of its lower 0.625m booster, which will accelerate it at up to 4Gs over the next 34s to push up above 13km and beyond 600m/s. It will then drop the booster & coast until the nose drops 1.5° before igniting the 2nd stage

[T-1m] final health check coming up at T-30s & if all remains well you'll see the Ops Tracker switch over to live telemetry data so tune in now if you haven't already! ops.kerbalspace.agency. Manual hold still good up to T-0 tho

[T-2m] Terminal launch sequence has begun as the Automated Flight Control System takes over control to manage the final steps leading up to engine ignition. Rocket is on internal power & comms, which are now being checked for drain rate & signal reception respectively

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking: GO; Ops Director: Launch permission granted! 🚀 GO PROGENY 🚀 FTS transitioning to its own internal power source, rocket itself will come off ground power at terminal count in 3min

all quiet inside Launch Control - a good sign. As usual the students/mentors responsible for this rocket's payload are here to watch, they'll head outside shortly. Controllers giving their systems one last good look for any issues to call out at final general polls in a few mins

[L-15m] range is clear, rocket is ARMED for ignition & Flight Termination System is ACTIVE. We are glad to hear reports kerbs had no problems getting through security to their launch viewing locations. Please remain within marked areas or you will be removed

[L-30m] weather desk reports surface winds are behaving, storm appears to be lingering out to sea. The last ground crew members are leaving the launch site & we have GO to begin final countdown procedures. Controllers switching back to the live rocket to reset from rehearsal

[L-45m] inside an hour now, Team A under command of Flight Director Lanalye begins launch rehearsal to perform one final all around check and ensure all consoles & systems are properly configured for the upcoming launch as well as all operators knowing their roles

[L-1h20m] crew out in the grasslands just west of KSC have released a weather balloon that will float up >18km into the upper atmosphere while drifting over the launch corridor and informing us before L-5min polls of any dangerous wind shear conditions

[L-1h30m] preflight is complete which means the rocket is ready to go. Ground crews are securing the launch site while Range Safety Officer begins to take full stock of the airspace and waters around KSC via the Tracking Station to ensure no incursions are taking place

[L-1h55m] rocket remains well-behaved, no issues reported so far. Ground crew clearing back from the launch site for safety while controllers give the engines & ignition systems a thorough checkout and wrap up preflight

[L-2h45m] weather remains a GO with 75% favorable launch conditions, down from 90% yesterday because there is a small chance the storm will arrive sooner than expected. Rocket is now being initialized. No changes to bit.ly/AFCS_KSA other than launch time update

[L-3h10m] nothing new here if you've been paying attention to the past few launches. Progeny Mk6-I missions are pretty standard now. We like that though, easier to manage! The major flight phases don't have L+ times as the rocket is unguided but should be similar to last flight

[L-3h40m] weather desk has determined storm will be of low to no threat - we will actually fly over it. We are proceeding with launch procedures, now to see if any change needs to be made to the favorable local forecast made yesterday. Expect further updates at these times

after a smooth approach and landing the Deuce has taxied back to the HAB, here's a shot of it coming in from atop Launch Control. Weather data will be analyzed & we will have a conditions update when launch procedures are scheduled to begin later today @ 18:57 UTC

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

12/18
#2🌄09:00:36 🌅11:10:57
#3🌄15:01:27 🌅17:11:48 ??🚀??
#4🌄21:02:18 🌅23:12:39

12/19
#1🌄03:03:09 🌅05:13:30

MSV Aldeny set sail earlier today for the recovery zone 325km to the east and has contacted us through Sheltered Rock to report ships passing them headed for Umbarg say a storm is working westwards & could affect recovery or launch tomorrow (not actual sail route)

for obvious security reasons we were not allowed to mention that issues were being resolved with our ground radar system the last few days. SkyWatch team reports they are now ready to support the upcoming launch, we thank them for working overtime to get things patched up!

once again the convoy is heading out to the North Field to begin mounting operations, which will be directly followed by tanking operations which will set up for a wet dress rehearsal that will allow for a condensed launch timeline tomorrow - if all goes well

shortest flight analysis ever? Well there wasn't anything that wasn't routine about the last mission but if you would like a recap we have it here: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10192 - final mission coming up this week should be a solid close out to 2019 ops!

MSV Aldeny was towed into port at Umbarg earlier today and the rocket has been returned to KSC. Telemetry data has been posted while the science data will be passed along to the students & their collaborators for analysis docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

post-launch ops finishing up. Without needing a MSV offshore to monitor the range anymore, has anyone wondered how we release or recover weather balloons out to sea? We've always had our own small boat that can handle this task when needed

✨🎉KERZZAH!!🎊✨ Another successful mission - MSV Aldeny reports they had no trouble homing in on the rocket's beacon and fished it intact out of shallow waters ~3km offshore. They'll have it back to us early tomorrow. Congrats to all the rocketry teams!

the rocket has re-entered and by now should have deployed its chutes for splashdown. MSV Aldeny was stationed only about an hour away and should already be making best speed for the recovery location so we should have a report shortly

rocket is through apokee and on its way back down for re-entry. Power remains steady, telemetry looking good, orientation on target for coming down engine-first, onboard data drives continue to fill up with sciency science. Also, here's a launch video 🚀 Whooosh!!

you can use this link to view where the rocket will be traveling. On page load you will see the current location but it will not automatically update after that. Trajectory is calculated and not exact but close enough for the scale shown kerbalspace.agency/Tracker/tracke…

rocket is coasting up to a 462km apokee over the next ~8min, amazing what a difference 20kg makes (payloads for these last two rockets are lighter than the first two). Onboard experiments have already begun to gather data

as just described, ascent continues nominally with the 3rd stage showing a good burn as it finishes the push out of the atmosphere, terminating just prior to reaching space. Was good to hear the shouts & claps of the crowds outside again

good ignition and LIFT OFF! Rocket is zooming away under 67kN of thrust for initial ascent up to ~13km before the 1st stage drops away. 2nd stage will coast and light off when nose drops 1.5°. After it is expended 3rd stage will hot fire. All within the next minute!

[T-1m] all eyes in Launch Control glued to monitors as just the seconds tick down now. With only 30 left a final poll will be conducted and if all remains GO the Ops Tracker will set up for live telemetry: ops.kerbalspace.agency stand by!

[T-2m] ground cables have been pulled back from the launch base leaving the rocket on battery power and RF comms. Automated Flight Control System is now in command of the final launch procedures while battery drain rates are monitored and comm checks carried out

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking: GO; Ops Director: Launch permission granted! 🚀 GO PROGENY 🚀 FTS transitioning to its own separate internal power source, rocket itself will come off ground power at terminal count

as with previous launches, all the student members and their mentors who participated in designing and building the two experiments being launched today are with us here in Launch Control. Outside, actually - the view from inside really isn't that great

[L-15m] RSO has closed the range and launch site, Flight Termination System is ACTIVE and all rocket motors have been ARMED for ignition. All visitors must remain within assigned viewing locations

[L-30m] launch controllers resetting after a good rehearsal, ground crew packing up and heading out from the launch site - weather kerbs confirm conditions remain green across the board and we are GO for final countdown!

[L-45m] final rehearsal underway in Launch Control to ensure all systems and team members are setup & ready to go. FD Lanalye also sometimes likes to throw in an issue or two as one last exercise

[L-1h20m] weather balloon has begun its ascent towards the upper atmosphere, timed to arrive just prior to L-5min final polls so weather desk can get the latest data for analyzing upper-level wind conditions that could pose a potential hazard to the flight of the Mk6-I

[L-1h30m] issues board remains empty as preflight closes out. Ground crews moving back in to secure the launch site & remove final hold downs. Sky Watch team at the Tracking Station working with Range Safety Officer to ensure airspace & waters are clear

[L-1h55m] all systems looking good, fuel has remained stable @ proper tank levels since yesterday. Ground crews clearing the launch site so controllers can begin testing ignition systems for the 3 engines. A few mins ago 1st visitor shuttles began heading over the causeway

[L-2h45m] we are GO for preflight, launch controllers sending out power along the ground cables to wake up the rocket and re-initializing software. Launch forecast is 90% favorable. No new changes to bit.ly/AFCS_KSA flight code except L-0 update

[L-3h10m] Flight Director Lanalye has gathered her team for pre-launch briefing. Since Ascension missions are on hold, the A team will fire these last two launches while B team is held in reserve. As usual, basic Mk6-I mission plan will be in use

[L-3h40m] launch countdown has begun! All launch teams have assembled on campus to begin setting up for pre-launch operations while the weather team in Launch Control begin to put together an updated forecast. Expect further updates at these milestones in the count:

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

12/10
#2🌄08:33:24 🌅10:43:45 !!🚀!!
#3🌄14:34:15 🌅16:44:36
#4🌄20:35:06 🌅22:45:27

12/11
#1🌄02:35:57 🌅04:46:18

rocket has been mounted, tanked and stands ready for the wet dress rehearsal to confirm all systems are ready for launch and allow us to perform a condensed countdown tomorrow. Tracking Station has confirmed its maintenance & calibration the past 2wks has been completed properly

our recovery vessel MSV Aldeny has left port in Umbarg to sail out to the recovery zone in the eastern Kerblantic ~325km downrange. It travels 32km/h at best speed, so it will be on station by tomorrow & hopefully storm from yesterday has fizzled out like Kat predicted

rocket carry vehicle, mounting vehicle, tanker and crew shuttle head for the launch site to get the rocket placed on the launch base. Site inspection was carried out at the end of last week to ensure the base remains level - it was moved a few meters to firmer ground

CFO Mortimer is happy that we managed to squeeze out a slight profit last month! Thanks as always to our bit.ly/KSA_Patreon supporters for their help as well, with a new record for donations this month docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

the 4 KSP experiments that will ride aboard the next two Progeny Mk6-I launches next month have arrived for final processing in the VAB, which is basically attaching them to the payload truss and flight computer. All other testing is done offsite as they are built

✨KERZZAH!✨ today we get to celebrate our 11th trip around Kerbol on space ship Kerbin since the KSA began operations back in 2016. That brings our celestial odometer up to 939,011,983.1456km or nearly 1 light hour. Here's to another 106.5 day trip around the sun 🥂

post-launch operations are wrapping up and we have recently been contacted by MSV Aldeny through the Sheltered Rock aerial to confirm they have recovered the payload intact 315.383km downrange! ✨🎉 KERZZAH! 🎊✨ bring home that sweet, sweet science data!

comms lost initially due to plasma heating but were not regained before the rocket fell over the horizon. Last telemetry data shows a nominal descent into the upper atmosphere so there should be a payload for MSV Aldeny to pick up when it arrives in the area

we're at the top of the atmosphere now just seconds from the start of re-entry. Rocket is coming down about 45km to the north of where MSV Aldeny positioned itself which puts it around 1.5hrs away at best speed. It should already be well underway by now

about to pass through apokee all systems remain nominal and the rocket is remaining upright slowly re-orienting through natural motion to point its engine retrograde by the time it reaches the atmosphere 7min from now. Onboard drives are filling up with science data

you can use this link to view where the rocket will be traveling. On page load you will see the current location but it will not automatically update after that. Trajectory is calculated and not exact but close enough for the scale shown kerbalspace.agency/Tracker/tracke…

MECO-3 just before entering space now has the rocket coasting up to an apokee of 376km over the next ~6min - much closer to what was expected the first flight given the extra payload mass. By now MSV Aldeny should be receiving its telemetry as well to plot the landing zone

nominal ascent so far, good staging from 2nd to 3rd booster has rocket flying straight and true, pitch is good. Apokee is already out of the atmosphere and less than 30s remain in the final push as the LF/O engine puts out 12kN of thrust through the thinning air

Lift off! 0.625m lower SRB has ignited to push the rocket off the launch base with 67.2kN of force. It will burn out after 34s, carrying the rocket above 13km and in excess of 600m/s. The rocket will then coast, once its nose drops 1.5° the 2nd stage booster will ignite

[T-1m] final primary stations poll coming up at T-30s to confirm comms & drain rates, among other things, and then the show begins! Tune in now to the Ops Tracker if you have not already for live ascent telemetry: ops.kerbalspace.agency

[T-2m] rocket is switching to internal power and RF comms as the Automated Flight Control System takes command during the terminal count to handle the myriad tasks prior to launch. Battery drain monitoring & comms check is the focus of launch controllers now

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking: GO; Ops Director: Launch permission granted! 🚀 GO PROGENY 🚀 FTS transitioning to internal power ahead of terminal count as it relies on an independent power source from main batteries

[L-15m] RSO has confirmed the range is clear, rocket is now ARMED and Flight Termination System ACTIVE. Once again the only non-KSC staff spectating the launch are those students & their mentors directly involved with the two experiments launching on this flight

[L-30m] final countdown procedures are GO after thumbs up from the weather desk, although they are keeping a close eye on winds coming out of the west. Too strong and they will push the rocket over into a flat trajectory & possibly cause the same issues as last launch

[L-45m] controllers have begun a launch rehearsal to ensure all systems are properly setup for flight. Here is a photo from one of the crew vans as they loaded up to move everyone outside the blast radius about 20 minutes ago after the launch site was secured

[L-1h20m] high-altitude KerBalloon has been released to begin ascent up to 25km. It will pass through 18km and into the upper atmosphere shortly before final 5min general poll to let the weather desk assess the risk of wind shear on today's ascent

[L-1h30m] we have a healthy rocket primed up and ready to go - Tracking Station is now working with the Range Safety Officer setting up for range monitoring while the ground crew performs a final check of the launch site before clearing out one last time

[L-1h55m] issues board remains clear as we reach the stage where engine ignition and fuel system checks are performed. As a safety measure against accidental engine start the launch site is being cleared of ground crew

[L-2h45m] updated forecast shows same 90% chances of favorable launch conditions and we are GO for preflight operations to begin. Once again we are on the condensed countdown and rocket is already fueled. Flight operations are being onloaded: bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog

[L-3h10m] Flight Director Lanalye is briefing her B team of launch controllers on today's mission, which will again stick to the now standard Mk6-I flight profile and additional checks will be undertaken to ensure rocket is oriented properly on launch

[L-3h40m] launch day!! All crews have arrived at KSC to begin prepping for their roles in launch operations while weather reports are gathered from various regional sources (maritime, ground stations, airships) for an updated forecast. Updates to come at these milestones

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

11/22
#2🌄07:32:12 🌅09:42:33 !!🚀!!
#3🌄13:33:03 🌅15:43:24
#4🌄19:33:54 🌅21:44:15

11/23
#1🌄01:34:45 🌅03:45:06

tanking operations have just concluded out in the North Field. We've used some extra structural panels from other projects to give the launch base more surface area and hopefully prevent any sinkage that could affect the launch angle/heading like last flight

the Progeny Mk6-I is on the way out to the launch site. As with the previous launch, the rocket will be fueled after mounting so Flight Director Lanalye's B team can perform a wet dress rehearsal to ensure all systems are prepped for tomorrow's launch attempt

rocket arrived back at KSC a few hours ago and we have cracked open the data files to put together the flight telemetry, now available for review: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…. Students/mentors will get their experiments data from Lead Scientists Cheranne today as well

post-launch operations completed, ground crew noticed the launch base had sunk into the ground, tilting forward from weight of full fuel tank & sitting out for so long. This would have also contributed to flattened flight. Embarrassing oversight by launch teams

by now the rocket should be under chute, descending towards the water or possibly close to shore on land. At best speed, it will take MSV Aldeny about 4hrs to reach the new recovery zone & begin searching. We may not hear from them until much later today

the rocket has begun re-entry. Despite the unstabilized spin of the 3rd stage it remained more or less "upright" and is entering engine-first as planned. Due to its extreme distance downrange we will not have comms through as much of re-entry as we normally do

rocket is through apokee and on its way back down. The flatter trajectory has sent it outside the planned recovery zone, MSV Aldeny should already have calculated the same result and be on the move. Telemetry shows the onboard data drives filling up with science info

you can use this link to view where the rocket will be traveling. On page load you will see the current location but it will not automatically update after that. Trajectory is calculated and not exact but close enough for the scale shown kerbalspace.agency/Tracker/tracke…

MECO-3, the rocket has exited the atmosphere on its coast up to 300km apokee. While increased payload mass meant not reaching avg 485km height of past Mk6-I flights was expected, the unstable third stage likely didn't help. Still gives experiments plenty of time in space tho

nominal ascent so far, rocket is now in the process of burning through its 109kg of final stage liquid propellants at 3.6kg/s in the final push out of the atmosphere. A noticeable pitch drop & precession in the spin showing up in telemetry, but isn't a major concern

we've had good ignition of the lower SRB and LIFT OFF! The 12th Progeny Mk6-I begins its ascent carrying two experiments designed & built by students. No issues clearing the launch base, first burn will last 34s to carry the rocket above 12km

[T-1m] rocket status remains nominal - standby for ascent telemetry to load if final poll prior to T-30s is successful - ops.kerbalspace.agency. Students outside launch control are so enthusiastic they've already started shouting the countdown

[T-2m] Power and comm cables have been pulled back from the launch base at the start of terminal count. Drain rates and RF comms will be checked in the final minutes leading up to launch, with the AFCS now in full control of the rocket

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking: GO; Ops Director: Launch permission granted! 🚀 GO PROGENY 🚀 FTS transitioning to internal power ahead of terminal count as it relies on an independent power source from main batteries

[L-15m] rocket is now ARMED with the Flight Termination System ACTIVE. RSO has closed the eastern range to all incursions, including the 300m blast exclusion zone around the launch site, at the edge of which sit ground support vehicles & ground crew

[L-30m] rehearsal was good, controllers are resetting for flight. Weather remains good, which means we have a GO for final countdown procedures! Final launch site evacuation underway while range checks are performed ahead of arming the rocket

[L-45m] rocket remains healthy out in the North Field and FD Lanalye has begun to run her team through a launch rehearsal to make sure everything is properly configured and all launch team members know their roles - especially all the new ones on the ground crew

while the general public cannot currently attend launches just like public weekends also remain closed, we were at least able to bring on campus the students & their mentors whose experiments are riding on this rocket so they could see the launch first-hand

[L-1h20m] high-altitude KerBalloon has been released with enough time to ascend into the upper-atmosphere and report back on wind conditions, allowing us to look for shear that could threaten the ascent of the rocket

[L-1h30m] controllers have sounded the all clear, rocket is ready to go. Ground crew moving back in to secure the launch site while the Tracking Station works with the Range Safety Officer - no more MSV needed for this phase of launch operations thx to new radar system

[L-1h55m] smooth preflight so far, issues board remains clear. Ground crew is evacuating the area so controllers can begin ignition checks of the 3 rocket engines along w/ fuel system checks. No bunker nearby for QRT but the Mk6 is not known for problems during prelaunch ops...

sunrise outside of launch control right now. The clouds in the distance might warn of an approaching front and also signal a disturbance of the upper atmosphere. if so, we'll just have to hope we get the rocket launched before it gets here. Look again for Mun's sliver

no major changes have been made to the operations code since the last Mk6-I launch back in May other than to bring it up to date with more recent launch operations - you can check out the latest version of the Automated Flight Control System here: bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog

[L-2h45m] we have a GO for preflight! Weather conditions are green for the entire day, not just the current day cycle, so plenty of opportunity to work through any technical issues that may arise. Launch controllers are on console getting the rocket woke & ready for flight

[L-3h10m] Flight Director Lanalye is briefing the B team of launch controllers on final details for today's mission, which will be a standard Mk6 ascent, sub-orbital flight and recovery. These flights are based solely on past experience & not modeled in LVD due to being unguided

[L-3h40m] all launch teams have reported for duty and are ready to give this another shot. New weather data is being compiled but at least we've already heard good reports from mariners about conditions in the east Kerblantic, for which MSV Aldeny set sail back on Monday

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

11/14
#2🌄07:05:00 🌅09:15:21 !!🚀!!
#3🌄13:05:51 🌅15:16:12
#4🌄19:06:42 🌅21:17:03

11/15
#1🌄01:07:33 🌅03:17:54

[L-3h40m] pre-launch operations have begun! Our condensed countdown for today is included so you can know when to expect updates from us. First item on the list is to make sure weather conditions are good, taking into consideration data from sources throughout the region

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

11/13
#2🌄07:01:36 🌅09:11:57 !!🚀!!
#3🌄13:02:27 🌅15:12:48
#4🌄19:03:18 🌅21:13:39

11/14
#1🌄01:04:09 🌅03:14:30

rocket is mounted and will be fueled up later so Flight Director Lanalye and her B team can perform a wet dress rehearsal. Afterwards if all is well, since rocket is way out there & fuel is stable, the rocket will not be drained to allow for a condensed countdown tomorrow

the Progeny Mk6 is on its way out for mounting. The last time we used the North Field launch site was back in 2018 when the service towers got in the way of ascending to the northeast when we were exploring the latitudinal extent of the inner radiation belt

launch crews are working today to get the Progeny launch base out of storage and moved to the North Field, beyond the runway just over 1km from the launch pad. The cable run distance from here to Launch Control have caused issues in the past that we've had to resolve

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

we’re not sure yet how we would retaliate given how fortfied they’ve already shown themselves to be (recall they almost shot down an airship). While we figure out our options we are taking greater security measures to prevent or at least mitigate any future attack attemps

TL;DR - a sect of violent Monolithic followers remains set against our space-bound ambitions even after being secretly banished to the other side of the planet by religious leaders, where they happened upon a large unknown population of kerbs receptive to "salvation"

while a lot of work remains in the investigation, all parties involved feel a point has been reached where we can release a statement not only on the events of this past week but the events of the past few years that led up to this brazen attack: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9965

our recovery vessel MSV Aldeny was recently fitted with advanced radar capabilities to serve as tracking & recovery for the upcoming Mk6 launches and has parked off our south shore to keep watch on the skies until a proper ground facility can finish construction next week

although the program was originally announced to have the budget to fly 6 missions, not enough submissions were eligible for actual deployment. Many were just plain not feasible or not possible within the constraints of the rocket. There certainly was not a lack of submissions!

dates are scheduled for the Kerbal Sounding Project missions! There will be 4 launches, carrying 2 experiments each - all of which will have been built by students, our next gen space explorers. Dates:

#1 - 11/5
#2 - 11/14
#3 - 12/5
#4 - 12/17

More info on the Ops Tracker

🎊✨Happy Operational Birthday to us!✨🎊 KERZZAH!

today is the start of our 4th year in operation 🥂 Send us a gift - tell us what you enjoy most about the Kerbal Space Agency.

the Kerbal Sounding Project has returned with a new initiative to help get the next generation of space explorers ready - student experiments will be launched on sub-orbital flights aboard the Progeny Mk6-I, using kits developed by Umbra Space Industries

MSV Aldeny has arrived at Sheltered Rock, where Specialist Bill will undergo a full medical evaluation to assess his body's reaction to the brief space flight before returning to KSC this weekend. He maintains feeling no ill effects since the mission

flight analysis is published for last week's Progeny Mk6-II mission and coupled with data from the dayside launch we have our first rough approximation of the true shape of the belts! Full details: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9336

so what was up with the Mk6-II AoA telemetry? Well, the rocket was indeed oscillating between positive and negative AoA as it wobbled a bit on its way up to space. It just so happened several times to wobble back neg/pos every second the Ops Tracker updated

check our Ops Summary for more details on what went down this week, including final mission preparations by Bob and his backup, Bill. Who is ready to witness history next week?? kerbalspace.agency/?p=9332

as usual the MAT file for the flight is linked in the telemetry sheet and this time we've used the data to plot where the rocket entered and exited the belts. Can anyone guess how we can use this in conjunction with similar data from the previous Mk6-II flight on the dayside?

Progenitor engineers are busy analyzing the telemetry data from yesterday to determine how we squeezed out over 1Mm of extra altitude on this flight while the scientists are geeking out as well with all the new radiation & ion trap instrument data docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

Possibly! Far and removed from any areas of current surface exploration still tho

actually the last thing it would have done before completely losing power given its situation is arm chutes, which will deploy based on pressure regardless of power. Still, if it survives we have no plans to recover it. Fare thee well brave space traveler! You did a mighty job 🥂

\[0o]/ \[0o]/ \[0o]/ More celebration as with just 0.85% power remaining the rocket left the inner belt, giving us a full reading on its size! It went back into hibernation & pinged us 3 more times before it fell below the horizon prior to re-entry. And that's the end of that

KERZZAH!! Fist pumps and whoops filled mission control as a 27m dish at Arekibo locked onto the signal just over the horizon & *current* telemetry came streaming down w/data dump. Rocket is passing through the inner belt with just ~4% battery power - only a few mins worth!

control room filling back up as everyone anticipates AOS in ~15 minutes - maybe sooner, maybe later. Even if power nearly drained, fail-safes would keep enough left to attempt a final dump once back in range, so question is how much data it managed to collect if that happened

majority of estimates agree that by now or at least shortly the rocket should again be passing through the outer belt, lower than on its way up since it is unlikely we managed to bisect it perfectly. Past data shows its radiation to be ~75% weaker than the inner belt

whether or not we will have enough battery to last the entire flight, or at least back down through both radiation belts, is impossible to determine. The computer will stay on and collect data through the entire outer belt up & down - we have no idea how big it is on night side

rocket has by now passed through apokee and begun the nearly 2hr fall back towards Kerbin. Although it's only halfway through its journey we calculate it's likely already more than halfway through its battery reserves

Lead Scientist Cheranne has started up a betting pool. Some of her team have been using the last data sent before losing contact in conjunction with earlier data from the dayside to estimate where the outer belt starts/ends on the night side. Closest guess wins the pot!

still 1 hour until the rocket reaches apokee, and around 3 hours left still in the mission. If you'd like to check in to see where the rocket is at any given time you can interact with this plot on our Ops Tracker. We have major events marked kerbalspace.agency/Tracker/tracke…

post-launch cleanup proceeding well. Launch base will be removed back to storage in the Support Village and thankfully none of the Mk1-B boosters got tossed back into the service structures this time and all four landed several hundred meters downrange

we have just lost contact with the rocket as it was exiting the inner belt. It is now on its own, continuing the journey towards the outer belt and definitely beyond - into unknown space! Highly unlikely that it will exit the magnetotail but we don't know for sure

rocket is still zipping along at over 2km/s & entered the inner radiation belt. While in the belt we are again receiving regular 1s updates until the rocket exits. Once it exits it will return to hibernation and we'll get updates every 30s until it flies out of 1Mm comm range

the first telemetry ping from coming out of hibernation was a minute late but since then every 30s we have been getting a data packet as expected. Due to the higher than planned apokee, the decision to change from 60s last mission may turn out to have been a poor one

BECO-3 has left the rocket coasting to an apokee of 4,351km - everyone is shocked given the last flight carrying a similar load only made it up to just over 3Mm. It will take about 1h45m to reach apokee & unplanned extra height has controllers a bit concerned about battery power

nominal ascent so far, now entering the final third stage burn. Rocket remains stable and both lower stages had clean separations. Fairings will be detached once the rocket reaches space - engine burn will still be ongoing, lasting 61 seconds

BLAST OFF!! Really the best term to describe the 5 engines igniting to push the rocket off the pad with a combined force of 135kN for just over 7Gs of acceleration. Radial boosters will detach within just 6 seconds while the core booster burns for 34s

[T-1m] batteries & comms nominal, one final Go/NO GO check remains at T-30s. Be sure to load up the Ops Tracker for real-time ascent telemetry: ops.kerbalspace.agency

Wait for it...

Waaaaiiitt for it......

[T-2m] rocket is now running under command of the Automated Flight Control System, ground connections have been pulled leaving the entire rocket on internal power with tracking station connection via RF comms. Battery drain and comm data rates being checked

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking: GO; Ops Director: Launch permission granted! 🚀 GO PROGENY 🚀 FTS has switched to internal power, AFCS will go into active mode & begin terminal count in 3min

we just realized there may be some confusion about the presence of aircraft if anyone remembers this tweet from a previous launch. The 25/50km exclusion refers to a downrange cone, not a circular zone around the entire launch pad twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

Lymun reports 2 Civvies & a Deuce are circling 5km to the west. All pilots are following established air protocol. We don't usually get air traffic to view a launch since our rockets are still small & the aircraft are held far out but it's night, they should see the rocket plumes

[L-15m] rocket is ARMED, Flight Termination System is ACTIVE - range and pad are closed to any incursions. Anything within the red zone will halt the countdown and invalidate the current L-0 time. All visitors please stay within designated viewing areas

[L-30m] everything remains a GO and teams are progressing into final countdown procedures. Pad crew is completely clearing out, RSO is running final checks of the range and rocket prior to firing system arming. Photo from earlier at sunset

[L-45] all systems and assets are set to undergo launch rehearsal to ensure everything is properly configured and all controllers know their roles and responsibilities. Flight operations code undergoes a final runtime check, Lymun simulates radar returns

[L-1h20m] down by the water the high-altitude KerBalloon has been released to head for the 18km+ upper atmospheric region to let us determine if dangerous upper-level shear or turbulence is present. We will know shortly before final general polls at L-5min

[L-1h30m] FD Lanalye reports we have a good rocket, all system checks nominal. Pad crew has returned for final closeouts while the Range Safety Officer begins to setup monitoring with MSV Lymun. We have no recovery ship stationed, even if the rocket was coming down over water

[L-2h10m] rocket remains healthy, no issues being worked as preliminary preflight operations are completed. Pad is cleared, Quick Response Team sheltered and controllers will now begin to check over the 7 rocket motors that will drive the payload up into space

[L-3h] using the single fuel truck instead of the separate liquid fuel and oxidizer trucks allowed us to shave 13min off our countdown sequence. Rocket is topped off, tank levels will be monitored while pad crew cleans up and launch team continues with preflight

[L-3h12m] rocket is initialized and pad crew has been given the GO to begin tanking, onloading 220kg of liquid propellants to the third stage. Although the single fuel truck is now used like for the Mk7, it still has to hook directly to the launch base & vehicle for the Mk6

new AFCS update is posted and you can review the changes here: bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog - similar to flight #2 operations code however since we now know we'll have more than enough power, the rocket will stay awake through both radiation belts

[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

despite the temptation to put on some of the newer parts, we did not want to make this into another test flight and instead stuck to tried and true methods to help ensure a successful mission. We don't have the funds to waste!

[L-3h57m] dredging up an old mission profile infographic as Flight Director Lanalye gathers her launch team B controllers for their final briefing (they are using updated materials!). Rocket will likely end up over land again though like the last one (kerbalspace.agency/?p=8464)

[L-4h27m] pre-launch operations have begun here at KSC as all teams assemble. Timeline of events shows when to expect updates from us in the hours leading up to launch. Forecast remains highly favorable and a more accurate one will be assembled over the next hour

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-4)

7/9
#2🌅08:04:23 🌄11:51:30 !!🚀!!
#3🌅14:05:14 🌄17:52:21
#4🌅20:06:05 🌄23:53:12

7/10
#1🌅02:06:56 🌄05:54:03

downrange tracking to the west at Arekibo reports they are ready to support tomorrow's mission. We won't be launching west, but the rocket will go so high the rotational speed of Kerbin will exceed its velocity long enough that it will drift several hundred kilometers westward

bit.ly/ProgenyMk6-II_3 was rolled out earlier today after 1st sunrise and successfully hooked up to the launch base for launch controllers to run preliminary checks. Launch readiness operations across KSC campus are continuing throughout the day

integration is complete for bit.ly/ProgenyMk6-II_3, now loaded up on the carry vehicle for rollout Monday ahead of readiness prep at KSC for launch attempt on Tuesday. Viewing tickets are on sale - don't forget it's going to be the first Mk6-II night launch!

allow us to remind everyone that bit.ly/KSA_Patreon is a way to help directly fund operations - more money means more rockets means more launches means more exploration! Of course, responsibility still lies with us to also produce viable commercial launch vehicles

swinging back into the red, June financial report leaves us without enough funds to launch an Ascension Mk2 unless we can put a kerbal in space this month. No pressure! Poor CFO Mortimer has quite a bit more gray hairs now... docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

Progeny MK7-A launch has been delayed until next week, but not by FD Lanalye - Ockr relay antenna is not testing well & it will take at least 3 days to work out the issue due to its high and remote location. New L-0 set for 6/24 @ 18:30 UTC

the next Progeny Mk6 Block II scheduled to launch on 6/25 is now vertical in the VAB after a routine assembly process. Although an old photo, we do actually have a new Ascension tank and engine in the VAB now as well undergoing inspections

Lead Scientists Cheranne has been working with Bluedog Design Bureau researchers to analyze the ion trap data. She reports the instrument functioned well and initial findings are promising. They'll be doing a deep data dive for the remainder of the month at least