Progeny Mk6 Block II Flight 2 (Radiation Field Study 8)

🚀 we have launch dates for January!! 🚀

Progeny Mk6 Block I: 1/15 @ 15:53 UTC
Ascension Mk1 Block I: 1/23 @ 22:21 UTC
Progeny Mk6 Block II: 1/31 @ 16:47 UTC

main engine ignition, throttle up and LIFT OFF for the 3rd Ascension Mk1 Block I, aiming to pave the way for sub-orbital kerbed spaceflight! Rocket has cleared the tower & guidance has kicked in, throttling up to full and pitching over towards the horizon, aiming for 70° by 10km

report from Lead Engineer Simon is the Progeny Mk6 Block II is all checked out & ready to head for the pad after 3rd sunrise. If you don't know, this is still how we mount rockets. They've definitely gotten bigger since then - just takes more time to do it now

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

1/31
#2🌄08:51:47 🌅11:02:09 !!🚀!!
#3🌄14:52:38 🌅17:03:00
#4🌄20:53:29 🌅23:03:51

2/1
#1🌄02:54:20 🌅05:04:42

[L-4h40m] it's a launch day space fans! All KSA & KSC crew have arrived to begin getting things setup for pre-launch operations. Weather forecast for today is looking good and regional weather reports are being assembled for a better short-term picture. Today's launch timeline:

yup, the purpose is to make each section of the rocket easily identifiable in the launch footage for post-flight analysis - mainly in the case of a RUD shortly after launch where pieces are flying every which way... but hopefully that doesn't happen today! twitter.com/beetlecat/stat…

[L-4h10m] Launch Control filling up as the team readies for final mission briefing from Flight Director Lanalye. This will only be the second launch of the Block II since it was developed back in late 2017. The mission flight profile will be the same as the last launch

the actual mission will differ from the 1st. For more info, visit the Ops Tracker and click on the title bar below the vessel photo to see the mission details. Changes have been made to the payload, fins, radial decouplers and overall mission duration ops.kerbalspace.agency/?db=progenymk6…

the ascent for this mission was once again modeled with the Launch Vehicle Designer although it was not *planned* with the LVD and no changes were made to the vehicle or ascent profile based on LVD modeling. This is mainly another test against actual flight data

[L-3h40m] we are GO from the weather desk to begin preflight, looking at only 20% chance of violation during our launch window. Ground crews have the rocket all cabled up and controllers are switching on power and systems, loading the operations code for this mission

head on over to bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog to check out the latest updates to both the flight computer and mission software. We are excited to be using the hibernation capabilities for the first time on this launch, a vital test for future unkerbed orbital missions

with the new command interface to the AFCS, loading up the mission scripts is easier than ever. Controllers can batch the entire onload process into a single command file now instead of having to send over & verify files one by one

[L-3h25m] fuel trucks are on the pad and have been given the GO from controllers for ground crews hook them up and begin tanking. The Block II uses two sets of Block I LF/O fuel tanks for a total 220kg of liquid propellant

[L-3h] fueling process was completed on schedule with no issues. Ground crews are securing the launch base, removing fueling lines, while controllers keep a close eye on fuel levels for any sign of a leak and continue to press forward with the remaining preflight items

all spectator areas are open, still some tickets remaining for the closer viewing areas. Hearing protection is recommended outdoors but not required. Also don't forget we will be launching before the sun gets high overhead so eye protection should be worn as well

[L-2h10m] we continue to move towards an ontime launch, with all major preflight steps for the rocket complete minus engine/ignition systems checks. Pad is clearing now but for the QRT in the nearby bunker

[L-1h30m] all 7 engines on the vehicle check out fine, final phase of preflight moving on to ensuring external factors are ready - range, pad area, monitoring vessel. MSV Lymun is on station working with the Range Safety Officer today. It worked the 1st Block II launch as well

[L-1h20m] KerBalloon has been released to ascend to the upper atmosphere (>18km) and provide us with upper-level wind reports. We'll get the readings in time for final polls at L-5min. Meanwhile range is coming up clear so far and ground crews are finalizing their work on the pad

[L-45m] launch rehearsal getting underway to make sure all systems are setup properly, code can be run-checked, and all assets can confirm their readiness

[L-30m] final launch procedures are in progress now, another weather brief will be given shortly and the launch pad is being fully evacuated. Issues board remains clear and rocket remains healthy

[L-15m] we are GO to continue final countdown. Weather remains good, RSO reports water and airspace is clear, pad is secured and FD Lanalye confirms rocket has been ARMED for ignition. Flight Termination System is ACTIVE. Range is closed to all incursion

[L-5m] final polling complete & we are NO GO from the weather desk after they got the @upperlevelwinds data. Launch procedures are rolling back to L-15min and we will wait for additional analysis of the winds data to determine whether there's a chance of launching later

launch window is open until mid-day cycle @ 17:57. The reason for this is we know the radiation belt gets compressed closer to the planet thanks to the kerbolar wind & launching too late will make it harder to reach a possible second region of high radiation. Img is looking down on north pole

we are scrubbing for this day cycle. Conditions will not be improving within the time remaining and we will have to send up another balloon, which also can't be done in the time remaining even if we released it now. New launch time has been set for 22:48 UTC

rocket has been safed, range is once again open. Fuel is stable and will remain onboard. We will resume the countdown at L-30min. MSV Lymun has returned the splashed down balloon but two more are already built and ready (we build 2 backups for every launch)

flight controllers had to reboot the entire rocket just to change the launch time. Ugh! At least they will be busy until the countdown resumes getting the rocket reconfigured for flight. Our Ops Director has the technical details twitter.com/DKerman_KSA/st…

[L-1h20m] second balloon has been released - here's hoping for better results! Rocket remains healthy out on the pad and we made sure all visitors who continued to stick around had access to the KSC mess hall behind the Astronaut Complex

[L-30m] everyone is back on task as we pickup launch operations again. Weather on the ground has remained good although a greater threat of thunderstorms exists offshore. Controllers have constantly monitored the launch vehicle this entire time and all remains nominal

[L-15m] back to range closure and rocket arming, FTS activation. Although it would be nice if we had a second shift of controllers, Flight Director Lanalye reports everyone has remained sharp and fatigue is not an issue anyone is concerned about

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

[T-2m] AFCS has taken control of the rocket and terminal countdown is underway. Launch base has been disconnected from ground cables, batteries will be monitored to ensure proper drain rates while RF comms are checked to ensure good data rates

[T-1m] primary polls coming up fast at T-30s as launch team continues to monitor. No active role will be taken unless necessary - AFCS still has constraints that can return control to the ground. Don't forget Ops Tracker will have live updates! ops.kerbalspace.agency/?db=progenymk6…

quintuple booster ignition and LIFT OFF! Away shoots the 2nd Progeny Mk6 Block II off to explore further than any probe before in a search for new regions of space. Radial boosters will detach after just 6 seconds - hopefully they drop off without fin impact this time

nominal ascent so far. New method of just releasing the radial boosters w/o pyro push letting the rocket spin & aero forces fling them away was enough to remove strike hazard. 3rd stage boost has just kicked off and apokee is rising faster & faster - go Progeny go!!

HOLY WOW - we had a good full 61s burn on the third stage engine & are now coasting up to an apokee of 3,124km! It will take the rocket just over one hour to climb that high. Everyone is ecstatic at the phenomenal performance demonstrated on this flight

in order to conserve battery the flight computer has switched off the antenna and then itself. An external monitoring unit sipping barely a watt per second will wake it up again approaching 1min so it can contact us and downlink telemetry of its current situation

we've just received our last telemetry ping as the rocket zooms out of 1Mm comm range. Still traveling at over 1.6km/s it's already through the radiation belt and off to explore what lies beyond. It will still log data every min but leave antenna off. 1h2m left to apokee

Lead Engineer Simon has reported that the service tower sustained no serious damage when one of the radial boosters came crashing back down into it. Although the drop away was clean from the rocket they were not flung very far. Another landed on the bunker, which didn't care

we've taken the data from the telemetry and plugged it into bit.ly/KSP_TOT to plot out where the vehicle will be traveling over the next 1h45m from now, although the plot starts from MECO. You can interact with it here: ops.kerbalspace.agency/?body=Kerbin-S…

despite the fact that we launched east, the rocket will eventually slow enough the surface of the planet will be moving faster and this is where the retrograde motion kicks in, bringing it far to the west over the Great Desert by the time it comes back down ~01:10 UTC

the long journey up has come to an end at last - time for the equally long journey down now from apokee of 3.1Mm. Post-launch operations are complete and everyone is hanging in or around Mission Control to wait for the vessel to come back into comms range in ~1hr

the moment nears! We are no longer in sight of the probe however Arekibo is. No, not the big dish - one of two 27m dishes is ready to relay comms. Probe will pass thru 1Mm ASL @ 01:01 UTC but the angle to Arekibo will be a longer distance so it could be up to a few mins after

acquisition of signal from Arekibo! Data downlink was good - mission success!! Everything after this point is just icing on the cake now that we have the data from the long coast. Keeping an eye on the comm link for more 1min pings until vessel nears the atmosphere

we're back to 1s telemetry data stream, which means less than 1min to the atmosphere. Vessel is once again laid out flat spinning like a needle in a compass. This is a good sign as it is what allowed it to survive re-entry last time, altho coming in faster we can't be sure

unfortunately the crater rim around Arekibo has blocked the signal & we lost comms prior to re-entry. This concludes the mission - no recovery will be made as it will be cheaper to buy new parts than mount an expedition into a remote section of the planet to maybe find it intact

telemetry data from yesterday's launch is now available. Radiation data is included and if you know what to look for you'll see some interesting results! Anyone want to venture a guess as to what the data shows? docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

bit.ly/KSARecords have been updated, with yesterday's flight setting two new records for Highest Altitude over Kerbin (In Space) and Longest Mission Distance. If there are any other records you think we should be tracking, let us know!

the prominent journal Science Source has published our paper discussing the radiation data from the recent Progeny MK6-II launch. The highlights are the confirmation of the second outer radiation belt and discovering the sunward boundary of the magnetosphere!

second belt cannot be avoided when leaving Kerbin orbit, but it is not as dense or as wide as the inner belt so can be traversed with minimal shielding as vessels will be traveling through at high velocities

flight analysis for the recent Progeny Mk6 Block II launch has been posted: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8587. We thought the Mk5 would be the final Progenitor design, but then came the Mk6 and now... the Mk6 won't be the final design either