Ascension Program Updates
The Ascension Mk2 is stacked and ready to go atop the Mobile Launch Platform, Lead Engineer Simon has signed off on the final checkouts and we will be proceeding on schedule with roll out to the pad Monday. Leaving the VAB two days prior to launch will allow us to perform a wet dress rehearsal on the day of roll out to ensure the ground service equipment is working properly – mostly the upper umbilical and crew towers since they are not used for other rocket launches. Tuesday the RTG will be installed, using the crew tower to access the hatch in the fairing, and the space craft will be powered up and tested. If all these events proceed without serious issues we will be set for our launch attempt on Wednesday.
Periapsis Co. has confirmed the test data from the static fires we did for the new WildCat-V lifter engine is as expected and the engine is ready for production. We will be receiving the first engine by the end of the year so it too can be tested and confirmed to be performing properly at the start of 2021. It will then go to power the first Ascension Mk3 up into space by Q2 2021.
The flight analysis report for the 14th Ascension Mk1 flight was released this week, detailing the harrowing ride up into space Specialist Bob had to deal with thanks to an issue with the guidance computer. This mission was the closest we have come so far to losing a crew member in flight. It is also the final planned mission for the Mk1. We are not yet officially retiring the Mk1 because it could still be useful in the future for lofting large payloads into space that the smaller Progeny Mk8 cannot handle.
Progenitor Prepares for Oct Mk7-B Launch Campaign
The Operations Tracker now includes launch dates and times for the final two launches in the Progeny Mk7-B campaign along with preliminary mission information, which is highly subject to change based on further evaluation of the first two flights. In addition, the recent successful test of a twice-refurbished Boostertron II means that the third flight could fly another refurbished booster instead of a new one. The booster recovered from the first Mk7-B mission is currently being prepared for testing later this month and if it fires okay the final Mk7-B could re-fly the booster recovered from the second mission.
KerBalloon Lands Long Term Contracts
The low-altitude crew conducted another pollen study and the data from those two releases coupled with the mission last month was used by Lead Scientist Cheranne to secure funding for her Field Research Team that will have the low-altitude balloons released on a more regular schedule to help augment the data on regional pollen levels gathered by quarterly Civvie flights.
The high-altitude crew will be spending the next month out at the Kongo research base releasing a balloon once per week to gather a larger set of data over time for weather in the area, which will help increase the accuracy of forecasts that ground expeditions will rely on for their planning.
Groundbreaking Underway for Surface Colony
Construction has finally started at the new surface colony that has been planned for the past decade, with the KSA helping out in recent years by using our Deuce aircraft to perform aerial surveys of potential sites. The final location that was chosen is on a peninsula of land at the mouth of the river leading to Sheltered Rock, which has to be constantly dredged out in order for ships to pass through to the mountain port cavern. In addition to replacing that port with one that is more accessible, an airport will be constructed to serve Sheltered Rock and Ockr with commercial traffic, mostly cargo on the larger Dhumla that has trouble accessing the smaller and more challenging airports currently servicing the two caverns.
Over land train routes connecting the caverns will carry goods to/from the colony, dubbed Narskeim (Nahr-sky-ehm) – a word derived from ancient kerbskrit meaning “open sky above”. The fact that this colony will be able to take advantage of natural sunlight will be advantageous not just for those living there, all kerbals will prosper from the crops and livestock that can be raised in better conditions than is simulated underground. Space missions will also eventually benefit from this new colony as there will be more of a push to develop kerbolar power that could one day assist in powering space probes.
ATN Database
The latest update for the Asteroid Tracking Network database is available here, containing 5,680 asteroids and 3 updated with new observation data. Here are the 30 asteroids that were discovered this past week.
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