Ascension Mk2 Timeline

and a look at the various trajectories the vessels took. With the loss of power & loss of position data the Kerbin I Viklun stage decay is a best-guess. Also the Kerbin II Viklun stage was de-orbited in a similar manner to that depicted for Kerbin II, both shared the same orbit

two new bit.ly/KSARecords have been confirmed from the latest Ascension Mk2 mission (old/new):

  • Heaviest Payload Launched
    (Orbital Trajectory): 0.661t/0.767t
  • Most Stable Orbits
    (Around Kerbin): 20/37

Congrats to the Ascension team!

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

rocket was off nominal pitch at staging because it had gone high enough that the fins couldn't hold attitude anymore. This was a minor oversight from dampening controls - future flights can widen the movement limits as the rocket climbs so the fins can remain effective even >40km

so nice to see our improvements to the Viklun stage were effective, as well as retro thrusters on the lifter decoupler. Here is staging & PLF separation. Future improvements will still be needed, Mk3 will now get larger tanks for RCS fuel since these thrusters are so thirsty

as we analyze data internally, you can also look at some of what we're working with as telemetry from the Mk2 mission has been made available. Includes only launch/ascent/OIB & de-orbit burn/descent. Loss of tlm at atmosphere was due to a runtime error docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

#ICYMI earlier today we de-orbited the Viklun stage and nabbed a first mission success for the Ascension Mk2. Did anyone else watch its demise in the Ops Tracker? If not then here you go - without LKO probes it's easy to forget this view updates every second!

we lost data on atmospheric interface so the flight computer likely crashed for some reason. Unfortunate, but nothing really lost - we mainly wanted to confirm entry point and have that information. Stage likely disintegrated prior to splashing down. Complete mission success!

we had good engine start and nominal burn! Just enough battery power remains to allow telemetry data to continue transmitting to us until plasma blackout occurs. Here is the full command log from when the stage came out of hibernation earlier

~3min of slow movement has flipped the Viklun stage over to face retrograde. RCS fuel remains at a premium so careful manual control used to ensure enough remains thru burn as retrograde orientation is a slow-moving target that needs constant adjustment. M-3min

we've picked the Viklun stage back up after comm blackout as it passes over Arekibo. The pings sent to ground stations along the way to its de-orbit burn will allow us to constrain its orbit to determine if any decay took place. Burn instructions have been uploaded & accepted

the Viklun stage has begun its final orbit, it will be waking up soon as it passes over DSN Central so we can begin prep for deorbit burn. Plan is to splash it down off the coast east of Ockr within the next hour, which is our regular ocean graveyard. Plot ends at atmosphere

with the main engine putting out the amount of power it was supposed to this time, SRB drop occurred as planned and fell away from the rocket on separation. Altitude & downrange distance were also sufficient this time that none of the boosters fell back anywhere near the runways

The Viklun stage, which is now operating on a single flight computer (can swap to backup if needed), has been hibernated with enough batt power to last over a day. It will be deorbited tomorrow. Kerbin II checkouts are still underway but so far no issues have been raised

more cheers & applause in Mission Control as we receive data from Kerbin II, now floating free! 1 step closer to mission success for the Mk2! If you're looking at the Ops Tracker, Mk2 now has a link to Kerbin II but if not head here for spacecraft deets: ops.kerbalspace.agency

final checks on Kerbin II are looking good, just 1-2min now from deployment. Stand by! Viklun has switched to battery power to prep for loss of RTG. Locks on the payload truss will open to allow springs to gently push Kerbin II away. It should then power up & check in after 10s

translation complete, final activation sequence for Kerbin II is underway to prepare its flight computer for post-deployment boot up. We will then test the RCS thrusters, connect the batteries, open the cold gas fuel valves and activate the cold gas engine

controllers prepping to orient the Viklun stage radial-out for deployment. With high-pressure RCS fuel low, just a blip is used to get the spacecraft slooowwwlly moving in the right direction, then SAS will be switched back on to lock orientation with reaction wheels

prep for Kerbin II deployment continues with both primary & backup radio antennas now extended. We'll need some time to test & ensure comms to Kerbin II are working properly but are looking to kick the spacecraft free within the next hour

Viklun stage has just completed its first full orbit. Coming around from the night side back into sunlight earlier the team deployed the RTG's extendable arm so the heat it radiates does not fall so heavily back on the spacecraft, which is also in a slow roll for thermal control

as post-launch ops begin on the ground, orbital ops are now underway in space! Controllers are getting the Viklun stage flight computer launch ops purged & set up for orbital ops. Then we will begin prep for Kerbin II deployment later today. Ops Tracker will continue to update

KERZZAH!! orbital insertion success for the Mk2! 💫 \[0_o]/ our reaction may seem delayed but data from spacecraft had to be checked & confirmed. Launch Control is in an uproar as everyone congratulates each other. FD Lanalyle officially announces LC is now MC - Mission Control!

coming up on orbital insertion burn. Everyone on the edge of their seats. Nothing finesse about this - just point prograde, crack the throttle wide open and trust in thrust. Resulting orbit will not be perfectly circular but we're not aiming for such things yet. Let's GOOOOOO

the faster computers down here crunched the numbers and we sent up the resulting burn timings to the Mk2. SES-2 will occur @ 19:52:10 UTC and last for 54s. Tank pressure is good for restart, RCS fuel levels are a bit low but Kerbin II reaction wheels are enough to hold prograde

a bit scary at staging seeing the pitch constraint go into the red but Viklun was able to recover, held proper attitude and we have achieved target apokee! Ascent was actually more efficient than planned, leaving us with extra fuel in the tank. OIB planning underway

still looking at a nominal ascent, first major milestone reached w/Ap in space to secure us time to react if Viklun fails to hold attitude after stage sep, which is the next major event coming up now as we are just seconds from MECO. Everyone hold on to your butts...

rocket remains on pitch profile, TWR hold @ 1.5 was good this time so velocity is nominal. Roll ctrl on pitch fins was disabled earlier so flutter is reduced as it passes now through transonic regime. Engine chamber pressures nominal. SRBs falling downrange just offshore

good main engine start, SRB ignition & we have LIFT OFF!! Kerbin II is on its way to space atop the Ascension Mk2, rolling from 45° onto 60° then pitching downrange. Boosters putting out 274kN pushing the rocket almost by themselves, will burn out to be dropped after 33s

[T-1m] assuming at T-30s "Go Ascension!" & "Go Kerbin II!" streaming telemetry should load in the Ops Tracker - tune in now - ops.kerbalspace.agency We again hope to provide real-time data through OIB. If abort, you will see that too. But hopefully not! Final launch sequence:

[T-2m] terminal countdown has begun with the AFCS taking control of the launch sequence. Service booms have swung away, gangway retracted. Rocket is on internal power and RF comms. SRB hold-down bolt explosives armed. Viklun's dual flight computers are synchronizing

we are keeping the same constraints as first launch. Plenty of room for error on ascent but if any values start to get too far off nominal you will see highlight flashes on the telemetry stream according to these values being exceeded

[L-4m] preliminary pressurization of the Viklun tank underway. Lower tank is supported by SRBs on launch stand but upper tanks need extra support once service boom swings away to keep rocket secure against any strong wind gusts prior to lift off

[L-5m] final readiness polls - Tracking: GO! Flight: GO! Range: GO! Weather: GO! Payload: GO! Launch clearance granted from Ops Dir @DKerman_KSA! FTS is on internal power, service towers unlocked for retraction. The air in Launch Control feels electrified

[L-13m] onload of nitrogen gas has begun for the Viklun stage, which will be used for fuel tank pressurization for engine restart and RCS. The high-pressure vessels are filled late to prevent any rupture from harming pad crew

[L-15m] RSO has closed the range, rocket engines are ARMED, Flight Termination System is ACTIVE. All visitors must remain in designated areas and hearing protection while outdoors is REQUIRED. Any incursions will immediately hold the count

[L-30m] update from the weather desk on surface conditions remain 90% GO with an eye on wind gusts off the grasslands due to a low-pressure system offshore. Data still being received & analyzed from upper-atmo but we are cleared into the final countdown launch phase

[L-1h] now into the final hour of the count, MLP is secured & controllers are performing ascent simulation to ensure all consoles and rocket are properly configured for the mission. Visitor areas are filling up fast - tickets sold out to this launch in record time last week

[L-1h35m] high-altitude weather ballon has begun its ascent to give us an update on upper-level conditions in time for the final general polling at L-5min. MSV Aldeny has reported in, downrange in the Kerblantic in case of emergency recovery operations due to inflight abort

[L-1h45m] issues board remains clear, rocket is ready to go! Pad crew securing the launch equipment while Range Safety Officer performs another check of airspace & waters around KSC in and under ascent corridor/stage splashdown areas

[L-2h30m] no issues raised so far, preflight continues on sched as pad workers clear out to allow controllers to run checks on the 6 engines that will be powering the rocket up into space, including the hardware currently holding them down

this is not where you wanna be come launch, but even still looking up at the Ascension Mk2 can be an intimidating sight. If you could withstand the heat, the acoustic vibrations would practically shake you apart. Taken by a pad worker lying on their back

[L-3h15m] controllers are on console, rocket being woken up to load flight software while pad crew begins to remove launch safety hardware and run GSE prechecks. The code powering this mission is fully available on our github - github.com/KSAMissionCtrl…

the rocket will be following an optimized ascent profile so you will see Ascent Phase callouts in the flight log as it transitions between pitch profiles. We hope to follow more accurately than our first attempt, breaking down the ascent into 9 phases instead of 2 this time

2nd contingency is for total ascent failure. Because Kerbin II is designed to be recoverable at mission end that means it can also abort inflight and save itself. If it splashes down we could still lose it, but such an abort would likely be late-ascent over land

one of 2 mission contingencies is if Viklun attitude control still incapable. Engine will cut this time, apokee should already be >70km by time of SES-1 if main throttle properly holds TWR in early ascent this time. Should be able before Ap to insert with Pe just outside atmo

[L-3h50m] Flight Director Lanalye has her A team ready for final preflight briefing. Mission profile will be similar to that of Kerbin I, looking to insert into an inclined circular orbit. Original inclination was higher, but reduced to increase ascent error margins

[L-4h30m] Wx balloon released earlier has given us a favorable 90% GO forecast for today's launch attempt. Teams are assembling around KSC to begin prelaunch operations. Rocket remains tanked, so condensed countdown will be as follows. Expect updates at these milestones

the RTG was successfully installed today, Kerbin II was powered up and confirmed to be in good shape. It will now remain switched off until it is deployed - hopefully in orbit! All launch readiness reports are GO and prelaunch ops will kickoff tomorrow @ 15:16 UTC if Wx holds

ground service equipment came up with no issues, rocket was tanked & wet dress rehearsal went well earlier today. Tomorrow we will again attempt to install the RTG so Kerbin II can be powered up & undergo final pre-launch testing. Meanwhile, the Ascension Mk2 sits looking pretty

the Ascension Mk2 launch delay will not have a knock-on effect for the Progeny Mk7-B launches yet, still time between delayed launch and 3rd Mk7-B launch to reconfigure pad as needed. Further delays however would also start to push back Mk7-B missions

our seemingly well-laid plans for installing the RTG on the pad have come up against some unforeseen and insurmountable problems - at least, this time. We are forced to roll back to the VAB and make some adjustments. Launch delayed until next week ops.kerbalspace.agency

mission controllers better enjoy what could be their last weekend off in a while. Find out more information on the events of the past two weeks and anything important you might have missed in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=11261

CFO Mortimer has updated our financial statements to include August. As always, many thanks to our bit.ly/KSA_Patreon supporters for helping us still manage to turn a small profit this month. Full report: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

.@starseeker8749 correct on the part, but wrong on the reason. The RTG is safe to handle - alpha particle decay doesn't even penetrate skin so easily contained within the unit itself. Security is a general concern, not just here at KSC during final integration

our next orbital payload has been completed and will be shipped to KSC by the end of this month to be integrated w/ its Ascension Mk2 launch vehicle. Kerbin II will test a functional RTG, comms tech & perform science and kerrestrial observations. Full res: flickr.com/gp/kerbal_spac…

Luciole will settle the current lawsuit against USI that was preventing us from launching Progeny rockets. The Mk7-B will fly in August - dates coming next week. This does mean tho the next Ascension Mk2 mission will be pushed back to early/mid Sept. Then more Mk7-B NET Oct

we hope everyone else had as good a week as we did! Although yesterday's mission concludes kerbed space flight for 2020, we have details on upcoming Ascension missions in our weekly Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=11107

we had two opportunities during the Kerbin I mission to also capture Mun's shadow but it wasn't in the proper planned orbit right after launch that would have given it visibility and then also just missed it during a perikee pass a few days later on 2/23 thx to missed maneuver

Kerbin II's mission will not last more than several weeks and in addition to the goals for the commsat qualification will carry out science observations regular commsats will not, such as radiation monitoring, kerbolar wind detection and Kerbin observation (cam opp rad instrument)

income is back in the red for June as expected but nearly as bad as CFO Mortimer feared, leaving us in good shape to push forward full-steam ahead for the remainder of the year. You can always review our latest monthly report on yearly finances here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

that is Sarnus hanging out near Mun. The Ascension Mk1 can't reach either but the Mk2 has the potential to send payloads into orbit around Mun & Minmus or at least do fly-bys while the Mk3 should have the capability to send probes out past Sarnus (w/ gravity assists)

engineers have spent the past 3 months working to redesign the Viklun upper stage for better success at reaching space without flipping. Here is a thruster simulation to help determine how much force is needed to hold/change its attitude

ensuring that our upcoming missions are successful & also doing everything possible to allow us to begin accepting commercial payload contracts is critical to our financial health this year. We could run out of money if there are too many unplanned setbacks due to large failures

TL;DR - several recent minor oversights both in the rocketry & aircraft programs have begun to worry upper management that we are on course to make a catastrophic error in a future mission. Time to slow down before a major oversight occurs with horrible consequences

we were extremely excited by some of the other designs but chose to be conservative and go with a small upgrade. Now that we have more funds to funnel into R&D, the other agencies are continuing to work on the rejected designs for another review later this year

while it's disappointing that we can't determine how far off we were in our prediction, ultimately the stage was always fated to crash back to Kerbin even originally & we are just glad it didn't come down atop any of the few surface installations along its path - including us!

still no report of bolides that could have matched the Viklun stage's orbital plane. Cameras will remain in place just for the sake of general observation but at this point we are pretty confident it fell either in the ocean or between DSN Central & Arekibo (rough approximation)

still no word from any surface installations on Viklun's return. Some fireballs spotted but none tracked from the proper orbital plane. Well shucks, we were really hoping for our prediction to be accurate w/in a day. Still possible it came down between Arekibo/DSN Central though

a historic month draws to a close. Recap the Kerbin I mission, learn more about our upcoming missions and what else transpired this past week over at the Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10499

Also, now all the parties
🎆🎉🎊🎇

🔊🚀video of the initial launch is now up, giving you an idea of just how fast this rocket moved despite its size - those 4 SRBs put out enough thrust for 1.7 TWR! The initial acceleration was important in allowing the main engine to carry on after SRB sep youtube.com/watch?v=Xrac3Z…

moar struts! The mobile launch platform's main deck needed a bit more stability along the drive axis. Ceramic booster plates have been replaced, everything else checks out and it will be parked outside the VAB once again to await its next use later this year

slight difference in how the mission is timed vs. distance traveled is measured. Mission time is from the second probe is deployed to when we lose contact on re-entry. Distance is from the second it switched on & began sending telemetry, to when it hit the top of the atmosphere

just under a minute ago FD Lanalye made the final call "Kerbin I telemetry signal has been lost" & sad but satisfied claps filled the room. We hit our re-entry window almost right-on, coming in w/ a Pe of 29.044km (29.151km planned) w/ 6.88% of power & 6.70% cold gas remaining

MLP was finally moved back to the VAB today after extensive inspections were carried out to make sure it suffered the launch alright as designed. Lead Engineer Simon has reported it held up well with only minor issues that need to be looked at before its next use

our best guess therefore is that the spent stage will return to Kerbin around 14:00 UTC on the 27th. This could still be off by as much as a day or more but at least any return is guaranteed to occur at night time which will make spotting it more likely

since then however we've gathered more aerobrake data from Kerbin I and found a correlation. The average drag coefficient from all aerobrakes where it was tumbling (1.130) nearly equals that of the probe's average surface area (1.134). So we have gone & applied the same to Viklun

the scientists at Arekibo have been very generous in letting us try multiple attempts to ping the dead stage but cannot accommodate any more requests without interrupting their own research, so we are left with attempting to estimate when it will finally return to Kerbin

tracking the Viklun stage continues to be a problem. Despite Pe over the terminator it is still too small and not very reflective, nor has it passed directly enough over Arekibo to radar it - at least, attempts based on timings from early drag estimates have had no returns

not sure if anyone actually noticed, but the cameras displayed in the craft image do not match the one displayed in the blueprint. Due to budget issues we used surplus cheaper cameras we had already purchased. They are not even really designed for space flight!

1 of the 8 photos taken Thurs actually had a good look at Kerbin with Mun in the frame too. It has been cleaned up as best as possible but as expected the conditions were not great for the cameras to capture a good quality image. Still, our farthest look at Kerbin yet from 3.8Mm

the 4 SRBs that helped power the Mk2 into space were released w/ just enough burn left to send them flying from the rocket, since the main engine was below them. Due to an early flight throttle issue, rocket wasn't traveling as fast as planned but thankfully this was not an issue

we felt we earned ourselves a photo, so controllers quick pointed one of the cameras towards the horizon and by the time it was in position we managed to just capture the sun setting. We choose to see it as the end of a long journey w/ a new dawn in space exploration now coming!

this week's Ops Summary is required reading if you want to keep in the know about Kerbin I! Mission overview so far, new maneuver plans, what went wrong with the first attempt & how the mission will (hopefully!) progress over the weekend: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10478

since we knew there would be no recovery of engineering camera footage, no video was taken just rapid still shots (4fps) that could be beamed down during ascent. Here is the flipover performed by the Viklun stage that had @DKerman_KSA going "No..no..nooo...nononoNONONONOOOOOOOO!"

for the same reason, it no longer calculates a trajectory on the Ops Tracker nor shows up in the 3D orbital view. If we manage to get an idea of where its at through visual observation or radar returns from Arekibo we will again display its known trajectory

without power to send telemetry and being too small to track easily the Ascension Mk2 mission distance record accounting was halted when it ran out of power after Kerbin I deployment. It will eventually be surpassed by Kerbin I but currently retains the record of 13,945.799km

the Viklun stage is now completely defunct and will gradually return to Kerbin. Ironically we have unintentionally achieved the goal we had originally intended to achieve on two previous occasions with the Ascension Mk1 of placing a spacecraft into a decaying orbit. Go figure

success! With <2min residual charge in Viklun to relay signal we were contacted by the probe, sent the necessary commands & switched off the antenna since its 500km range wouldn't reach us now once Viklun lost power for good. It will reactivate after perikee pass, AOS in ~15min

we are GO for satellite deployment! Command will be sent this minute to release Kerbin I from the payload truss, which will give it enough of a push that the two craft will separate without any need for additional thrust. Probe will check in 10s later to let us know all is well

acquisition of signal almost right on schedule! Collective sigh of relief passes through controllers. Health checks are underway to ensure no serious damage has been done and the Viklun core can perform the final task of deploying the Kerbin I satellite on this comm pass

Mission Control is fully staffed again as we await AOS (bit.ly/KSATerminology) in a few minutes. The Viklun core cannot hibernate & was operational during both passes through the outer radiation belt. We can only hope this has not caused any serious damage

and now a new record set by the Ascension Mk2: longest mission distance! Trajectory analysis shows it has just surpassed the 9,257.860km record, also from last year's Mk6-II. the Mk2 now has its name on the record, with a + to signify the distance is still increasing

the Ascension Mk2 has set records however! It is now the heaviest rocket ever launched (minus payload) at 17.5t and it is also the tallest rocket ever launched, standing 16m from engine bell to PLF tip. For more records, check out this page on our site kerbalspace.agency/?page_id=72

by now the Viklun stage with its attached payload will have passed through 3,887km apokee, which comes close to but does not break the record set back in July last year by the Progeny Mk6 Block II when it climbed to 4,349.35km ops.kerbalspace.agency

post-launch ops wrapping up altho extended cleanup will be needed a few dozen meters north of the runway almost even w/HAB where one SRB impacted. The rest fell harmlessly downrange as planned. The boosters made for a great visual launch even when viewed from the Support Village

we have a better idea of the inner-belt's extent and thankfully the trajectory travels over top of it on the way to apokee & below it on the way to perikee. Even better the apokee is pointing towards the sun, meaning it travels thru the compressed, thinner part of the outer belt

while we have limited knowledge as to the extent of the outer radiation belt, by now the Viklun stage is likely thru 1st of 2 passes with increased radiation. The core itself is not radiation-hardened to save mass but the dual-CPU cross-check at least gives it better tolerance

we completed re-configuring the rocket and prior to LOS @ 17:10:51 UTC we used the last 0.4kg of cold gas in the Viklun tanks to spin up the spacecraft for thermal control. We expect to regain signal @ ~20:25 UTC. Until then, post-launch ops & lots of mission operations meetings!

after deliberation, to salvage the mission we have begun Kerbin I activation. This will allow its batteries to power the Viklun stage. Viklun is designed not to do this until it runs out of its own juice. Kerbin I's probe core & 500km antenna will remain off to preserve power

trajectory analysis has shown we'll lose signal in just over 11 minutes & not regain it for a little over 3hrs. This will completely drain the batteries supplying power to the Vilkun stage and its 1.5Mm antenna, which means we will not regain contact & lose the payload

rocket is through its first aerobrake pass & we have uploaded the telemetry data to the Ops Tracker so you can continue to follow its position in real time. You can use the mouse cursor to find out where it will be at any point along its trajectory ops.kerbalspace.agency

RT @DKerman_KSA: I'm about to almost pass out here. Holy kraken. Mad props to the controllers, and I will be the first one to admit that even though we knew the Viklun stage might lose attitude control, the contingencies we had in place were barely adequate. Lessons learned harshly...

a mixture of screams & cheers is still ringing here as we come up just. two. kilometers. short! But while this isn't a stable orbit, it is one that will give us plenty of time to sort through our options, and problems. First problem - 1.5Mm comms range with a 3.9Mm apokee...

OIB underway, almost perikee positive! Everyone in Mission Control, Presider included, are staring up at the monitors pumping their arms & screaming "GO! GO! GO! GO!" We can do nothing else. There is only about 30s of powered flight remaining.

Can we make it?

CAN WE MAKE IT???

we've managed to get the rocket pointing prograde but are already thru apokee. With no time for trajectory analysis controllers are just rushing to carefully modify the orbital burn script to begin immediately on upload & we will just have to hope there is enough fuel remaining!!

mad scramble still underway! We've coasted up to space with only 1min until apokee, too soon to take the steps we need to properly plan the orbital insertion burn. Rocket is suffering gimbal lock & not re-orienting prograde. Controllers are desperately sending steering commands

RT @DKerman_KSA: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I'm allowed to scream. I'm just sitting here at my operations overview console watching the *actual* controllers (outwardly) calmly handling the situation. Rocket is still burning for 100km apokee, no matter what

🚨ATTITUDE ALERT!! Gasps & moans filled Mission Control as we watched the Viklun stage slowly tumble almost completely around shortly after SES-1. Thankfully RCS was able to stabilize pointing nearly straight up & 100km target apokee was achieved for SECO-1 with minimal fuel loss

minor roll-shake has developed - so much for hoping the longer Mk2 would be immune. Guidance remains on course however along with pitch. Coming up now on MECO, PLF drop, staging, SES-1 all happening within <1min. Heat build up seen here will quickly dissipate after PLF sep & MECO

nominal attitude on launch but main engine did not throttle properly during SRB boost resulting in a low TWR during initial ascent. Clean SRB sep & good throttle up however. Guidance fins can now actuate further if needed with the SRB decouplers out of the way. Mk2 is supersonic!

main engine ignition was good & with a massive WHOMP the 4 SRBs lit at L-0 to shove the rocket off the MLP almost all by themselves w/over 300kN of thrust. Main engine will throttle up as SRB thrust tapers off, SRBs will detach @ L+32s & main engine will throttle to full

[T-1m] nothing left but seconds on the clock! Tune in for live ascent telemetry through OIB: ops.kerbalspace.agency at T-30s we should get the "Go Ascension!", "Go Kerbin I!" calls & live data will load shortly after. Final event sequence:

[T-2m] terminal count! Service towers are retracting to leave Ascension on battery power, now switching over to RF comms and monitoring EC load. Viklun flight computers are synchronizing. AFCS now has full control of the launch sequence tho manual hold possible up to L-0

steering constraints for this flight are not very tight since we are not targeting a specific orbit and have enough fuel to salvage a poor ascent. But if you do happen to see any flashing yellow or red telemetry values these are the limit thresholds that are being exceeded

[L-4m] tank pressurization has now begun to add rigidity to the rocket's structure for ascent and more immediately to stand upright on the MLP once the service towers pull away. Winds are out of the west but gust warning system is showing no mountain wave activity

[L-5m] Final polls - Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking: GO; Payload: GO! WX: GO! Ops Director @DKerman_KSA: Launch permission granted! 🚀GO ASCENSION🚀 FTS power to internal, SRB boltbangs armed, service towers unlocked for retraction, AFCS standing by for terminal count procedures

Presider is back in Mission Control still hoping to perform the final launch count. Astronauts only blocked out the initial launch attempt from their busy schedule so they will have to try and catch the next one. All eyes are on the kerbs at the weather desk now...

[L-15m] RSO has closed the range, rocket is ARMED, FTS ACTIVE. Although more planes than normal are in the area (word got around of how easy the rocket will be to see even from afar thx to SRBs) all are sticking to registered flight plans & remain outside the 20km exclusion zone

[L-30m] countdown has resumed with a GO from the weather desk confirming surface conditions remain within limits. Hopefully things higher up are better now but the downwards trend was just an observation not a prediction and could have reversed or stalled. If so, day is scrubbed

mission planners have recomputed the ascent with the new launch time & estimated air temps to confirm there is no need for any changes to the current mission plan. If we were actually targeting a specific orbit things would have been a bit more complicated

standby weather balloon has been released - everyone think calming thoughts! Buses have also started running again in case anyone with a viewing ticket was unfortunate enough to miss the deadline in getting to KSC from the Support Village. KSC mess hall remains closed to visitors

rocket is SAFED, FTS is deactivated and countdown has rolled back to L-30m with new L-0 time uploaded to the rocket. Controllers will maintain vigilance while the Presider sets up a temp office in our Admin building and the astronauts, bummed, head out for the day's training

upper-level conditions are more important than usual for this launch because our interstage is the largest yet and its size makes it more vulnerable to wind shear that could literally knock the rocket in two. We are looking to stay well below estimated tolerances

HOLD - we are NO GO from the weather desk, upper-level winds have not died down enough to meet our tight constraints but they are trending downwards since last measurement. Decision is to wait it out & try again, aiming for the end of the daylight launch window @ 16:45 UTC

the astronauts, recently woken up since they were all training all day yesterday, have crowded into Mission Control to say hello to the Presider and watch as the final minutes tick down. Controllers are glued to their monitors, checking readouts in prep for final general polls

[L-13m] small tanker truck left hooked up to the service towers has been remotely commanded to begin onload of nitrogen gas for tank pressurization. This ensures any tank rupture and resulting explosion poses no harm to ground crew

[L-15m] RSO has confirmed pad/waters/airspace are clear, range is now closed & rocket is ARMED. Flight Termination System is ACTIVE. Visitors at KSC must remain in their designated areas. Security is doing a final sweep outside to ensure everyone has hearing protection

Presider has arrived. His first question was where the big red LAUNCH button was so he could be the one to push it. FD Lanalye had to explain that's not quite how it works, and he was visibly disappointed but she did say he could call out the final 10s countdown so he's happy now

[L-30m] Kat says we are GO for final countdown procedures! Surface weather has continued to improve, thankfully in this case forecasts are still not that great. Presider is on his way to Mission Control & all consoles are being reset for launch, switching over to the live rocket

[L-1h] all buses have ceased to prepare for the Presider to be transported over to KSC while FD Lanalye works her teams through a mission rehearsal to ensure all consoles are properly setup and all controllers know their roles. Ground crew is conducting final pad evacuation

[L-1h35m] high-altitude weather balloon has started its ascent to 25km so that by L-5min polls the kerbs at the weather desk (now led by KWS meteorologist Katgan) have a better idea if conditions in the upper atmosphere have improved or not since the last check earlier today

[L-1h45m] preflight is complete and rocket is healthy, ready to go! Ground crews moving back in to secure the MLP and perform final pad checks & prep. Range Safety Officer continues to assess airspace and waters around KSC & prepares to close down the launch corridor

[L-2h30m] no issues reported, preflight proceeding smoothly into checks of the K2-X, Viklun and SRB-XL engines that will power the flight to space. For safety all crews are evacuating the pad area - rocket+MLP is too big to even allow a quick-response team in the bunker anymore

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-5)

2/20
#2🌅08:47:45 !!🚀!!
#3🌄12:38:14 🌅14:48:36
#4🌄18:39:05 🌅20:49:27

2/21
#1🌄00:39:56 🌅02:50:18
#2🌄06:40:47

buses have begun running from the Support Village to deliver ticketed visitors to the viewing areas. Loading is outside the parking garage & as advised during ticket purchase an extra security check will be in place before entering the KSC campus. Buses stop at L-1hr!!

the Viklun computer core is the first to have dual CPUs to cross-check each other for errors or take over from the other if one completely fails. This is all transparent to the AFCS though, the changes for multiple CPUs refers to discrete cores: in this case ascent & payload

preflight is underway as launch controllers begin to wake up the Viklun flight computer, which will guide the rocket up to orbit. You can check out the flight code and some minor changes to the boot script to support multiple ship CPUs here at bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog

[L-3h15m] briefing broke up with hand shakes and quick hugs, lots of "have a safe launch!" as the ground crew departed for the pad & controllers went to their stations. Consoles will serve double duty with launch/mission controllers taking turns as needed during the orbital phase

here is the ascent profile & mission overview. Times are not given for events beyond SECO-1 because that all depends upon how the ascent goes. If orbital insertion is as planned then the mission will progress as shown. If not - PANIC!

No not really, there will just be a new plan

[L-3h50m] excitement is aiding everyone in getting up early to be present for final mission briefing by Flight Director Lanalye, although it almost had to be pushed back due to overcrowding at the koffee machines. Mess hall stepped up tho & all controllers are fueling up

even if you consider the time since it was re-designed and re-dubbed the Mk2, we're still talking about back in April of 2019. It's been a long road but it always ends at the launch pad 🙂

we just compiled the initial tweet collection for the Ascension Mk2 Flight 1 mission timeline and... woah. We've just thought about the fact that this rocket has been under development & waiting to launch since it was first announced as the Mk1 Block II back on March of 2018!

all launch readiness reports have been reviewed & approved by Ops Dir @DKerman_KSA. We are 🚀GO FOR LAUNCH!🚀 Weather forecast for tomorrow is 65% favorable, which is on the low end but still possible. Launch prep Go/No Go will be made @ 10:03 UTC tomorrow. Who plans to watch?

the probe's RCS thrusters are laid out so that while the rocket is powered by the Viklun engine, which has no gimbal, the pitch control can use up to 5 thrusters to keep the rocket on course. In theory. This is an untested mission aspect & why we have a large error margin in fuel

Kerbin I has completed checkouts, is now powered down; main fuel valves closed & all electrical/comm systems switched off. Crossfeed valves will remain open to allow use of its RCS ports during ascent after PLF separation. It will be re-activated prior to orbital deployment

rocket has been topped off, both ascent stages, with 9t of liquid propellants. These can still be carried by a single one of our large tanker trucks. After wet dress rehearsal rocket will stay fueled to allow for a condensed countdown early tomorrow

Flight Director Lanalye & Lead Engineer Simon are both saying "so far so good" in regards to pad checkouts of the rocket systems and ground systems. Their final reports will be submitted tomorrow after WDR for launch readiness review. hype video! 🚀 @KerbalSpaceP #KSPloring

farthest to the left is the Kongo River Research Station 500km antenna, the only one w/o ground link to KSC. So we cannot relay commands through there but it can still receive & store telemetry data in case anything happens over that region before Kravass can reacquire signal

upcoming mission will be the 1st to make use of all operational bit.ly/GrndStns & the past 2wks have been spent ensuring all dishes are calibrated & relays are in working order. Only DSN North/South are not shown as they don't go into service until later this year

because this is the first time we've used all 3 GSE towers, rocket has been rolled out well in advance of launch to allow us to troubleshoot any issues, as well as run full system checks on the Viklun orbital stage and Kerbin I probe through Launch/Mission Control

service tower hookups are completed, for the first time the entirety of the GSE is in use. Lower two booms provide fuel, walkway itself is not used but the resource connectors below carry power to the Viklun & Kerbin I CPU cores. Struts will be removed after engine clamp install

working through the weekend, VAB crews have completed an exhaustive checklist to make sure the Ascension Mk2 is fully assembled and ready for roll out tomorrow. With so much riding on this rocket, Lead Engineer Simon says he can't shake that phantom feeling "what did we forget?"

last year Presider Theonard was visiting to watch Specialist Bob become the first kerbal in space, but unfortunately the Monolith had other plans and his busy schedule meant he could not stay for the second attempt with Spc Bill. Full mission report: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9395

everything is continuing on schedule for roll out of the Ascension Mk2 to occur at the start of next week ahead of launch. Get hype!! Also get information on what else went down this past week via our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10404

tickets for the launch have sold out and there will be NO general admission for the non-ticketed areas of KSC. We apologize for the inconvenience but have setup general-admission viewing areas at the Support Village. We promise the views are just as good!

this is our 3rd attempt because the Ascension Mk1 was actually designed with orbit in mind but failed to have the control authority or delta-v to make even a highly-eccentric decaying orbit after 2 attempts in mid 2018. More details: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8387

Ascension program planners are still working the updated drag and flight dynamics results from the Mk1 flight into the Mk2 ascent trajectory to make sure we still end up in an orbit so expect a launch date next week. What about this week? Catch up: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10393

eventually we will have satellites in orbit for years at a time, which will require operations by separate teams. Until now the launch control team also handled mission control since the missions don't overlap the next launch. Moving forward the teams will become more specialized

Flight Director Lanalye is excited to soon put into action the mission operations control team! They have been training for months now and Kerbin I will be the first ongoing mission after launch. Tho it will only last a few days, still good to finally get MOC team on console

here is a new render of the Mk2 with the payload fairings enclosing Kerbin I at the top (instead of the Mk1 capsule) along with the technical specifications of the rocket that we are using to plot its ascent to orbit in Launch Vehicle Designer from bit.ly/KSP_TOT

we are also keeping open the possibility that the 3rd K2-X engine would be used for a second orbital Mk2 flight, although such a mission would be under planning long enough that a new order of K2-X or the new lifter engine would likely be ready by then

new fuel tanks & other parts for 3 add'l Ascension Mk1 missions will be ordered over next few months to cover the flights of Jeb & Bob as well as an unkerbed test flight. This will use up all remaining lift engines by April & unsure at this time if the new engine will be ready

great to get a space mission off the ground this month! A bit of Mk1 preliminary analysis along with additional details for other major events this past week await your attention in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10336 have a relaxing weekend, everyone

chances are tho the final report for this flight won't be out until early Feb since not only does a review need to be made of the Mk1's general performance & comparison to LVD planning but also as both would apply to the potential follow-up flight of the Mk2

airship is on its way back to Sheltered Rock after locating and recovering the RTG casing - ✨🎉 KERZZAH!! 🎊✨ we should hear by next month how it endured its ballistic return from space. Perhaps sooner we'll also get a full report on the performance of this flight

Ascension Mk2 will continue its ascent burn with the 2nd stage engine after 45km and aim for an apokee of ~100km for orbital insertion

MECO @ 45km along w/ separation of the payload fairings. Rocket managed to orient and hold prograde even as the atmosphere continues to rapidly thin. Apokee was just over 80km at MECO but will degrade ever so slightly as rocket coasts out of atmo & still encounters drag

a new photo has been captured of the KSC to update our online banner images - also we made another significant upgrade after the completion of pad repairs over the break. Look closely in front of the Support Village for the engine test stands & the VAB for the MLP

behind the payload workers are busy getting the old static fins off the future Mk2 tank to be replaced with actuating fins, which will also be tested on the next Mk1, which is off-image to the right at "center stage" for final tank/engine/fin integration checks

Lead Engineer Simon reports work in the VAB is ramping up well coming back from the break, with final checks being performed on the next Ascension Mk1 payload before it is encapsulated in the first set of 1.25m payload fairings set to be flown hopefully later this month

bye bye 2019! KSA operations for the year have concluded. We will continue to note significant past events on weekends, ATN weekly updates & asteroid bulletins, or any other significant events. Regular ops will resume 1/6/202️⃣0️⃣! Final ops summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=10213

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!

the final Progeny Mk6-I rocket of 2019 was stacked in the VAB today for checks on its load bearing elements, clearing the way for Ascension assembly to take "center stage" next year. In the back are the core stages for the Ascension Mk1 and Mk2 & the Viklun orbital stage

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

a final report has been submitted by Lead Engineer Simon after review of the launch pad damage. It will take at least the remainder of the year - we need to make major repairs with minor replacements, but hopefully we can kick off 2020 with an Ascension launch!

we hear Jeb has been making overtures in an attempt to get to drive the Mobile Launch Platform. He once managed to finagle his way into the drivers seat of the Progeny carry vehicle but we doubt he'll ever get a chance to go behind the controls of the MLP - even w/o a rocket atop

unlike the Progeny Mk6 missions (not Mk7), which can be launched from the North Field, Ascension rockets require the launch pad and all future missions are on indefinite hold until we can fully assess the damage that was done to the pad and service structures

TL;DR (it is a lot to take in) - our current stance is to work to determine all the details of how this attack was carried out and put in place measures to prevent future attempts. We are not backing down nor is any action yet able to be taken against those responsible

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"

another productive week behind us, we hope you all can say the same. Recap what went on in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9932 Have a great & relaxing weekend, everyone!

the MLP is now parked in front of the VAB after a successful fit test at the launch pad. It will remain there until needed for the Mk2 in Dec, although additional driver training exercises will also be conducted between now & then. here's a look back at the 2-month assembly

it's important to admit that we mostly *think* we know what we're doing when it comes to rocketry. We only *know* what we are doing when what we think we're doing actually *works* to within an acceptable margin of accuracy. We are mostly doing a lot of thinking these days

with the installation of the SRB support stands the Mobile Launch Platform is practically complete! There are still some minor tasks to wrap up but it could be powered up and moved out of the HAB as early as tomorrow, reports Lead Engineer Simon

September may have been a rough month financially, but we remain in decent standing with just enough funds to complete our planned operations for the year. Thanks as always to our bit.ly/KSA_Patreon supporters! docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

still, this was much less than the level of tolerance that was planned to be demonstrated so we still need a good result from the Kerbin I impact from orbit to fully certify the RTG casing as safe to actually carry radioactive material and power future orbital satellites

more good news for our future orbital missions, the RTG casing from last week's mission has been carefully inspected and does not show any more damage than expected from an impact at the speeds it endured, estimated to be at over 100m/s

even without the recovery of the RTG casing, the mission still proved the Ospray engine capable of controlling the rocket via thrust vectoring and the guidance fins also gave engineers more data for the larger versions that will go on the Ascension Mk1 & Mk2

ignition and LIFT OFF!! 3.6Gs of force pushes the rocket clear of the VAB's shadow as it tips over, clearing the towers and aiming downrange along a heading of 45.5°. 35s from now will see MECO-1 and stage separation followed by a coast phase up to 15km before MES-2

learn more about today's decision to delay the Mk2 orbital attempt in our weekly Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9801 Have a great weekend everyone, and we look forward to this one especially at KSC. Anyone know why?

basic reason is better guidance comes with less fin angle, but more fin angle is needed to fly the planned orbital trajectory so Ascension will wait to get better data on Progenitor's steerable fins after this month's launch, then scale them up for the Mk2

wrap it up folks, weekend is here! Get caught up on all our operations this past week with additional details via our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9767 it's been mostly crummy weather all week so let's all hope for a turn-around this weekend

learn more details on what went on this past week in our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9624 Everyone have a relaxing weekend! We look forward as always to greeting all the visitors that will be stopping by - be sure to check out the new Ascension Mk1 static display!

Lead Engineer Simon has told the Ascension team to expect delays to the Mobile Launch Platform as they struggle with getting the engines installed. They still hope to finish by the end of the month but could possibly run into early October

the Kongo River Research Station has its own 500km communications aerial for local transmissions. A ground/sea cable connecting it to Kravass is being proposed for next year, but until then any orbiting satellite that sends down data to the station can't get to us directly

leaving August behind and pushing forward into September! Check out all the exciting stuff that happened this past week in our Ops Summary and have yourself a pleasant weekend everyone! kerbalspace.agency/?p=9606

because we never developed the technology before being forced underground and after that there was no reason for anyone to pursue it. Second to last paragraph has more details: kerbalspace.agency/?p=4451

this mission will also be the operational debut of the cold gas engine we spoke about earlier this year. It is a great choice for future long-term missions that only need to maintain their orbit as it is simple and thus very reliable twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

the RTG is another test article like the one that will be flown on the Progeny Mk7-A to further check the ability of the casing to withstand re-entry and impact - possibly the first test if the Mk7-A mission fails again. We plan for the RTG to be flight certified by mid-2020

going into the weekend with a good report from the VAB saying the rocket is ready to go next week. Astronauts got in some good water training the past few days & will partake in a survival expedition this weekend. Catch up on what else went down via kerbalspace.agency/?p=9588

Ascension Mk1 for next week has passed load checks and is being laid back horizontal for final close outs. Mk1 for Sept has its engine prepared and will be center-stage next week to begin its final integration while the Ascension Mk2 & Progeny Mk7-A prep begins in the wings

order has been put in with NovaPunch for 3 more K2-X lifter engines for delivery at the start of 2020. Contract bidding has already begun for our next lifter engine, which should begin testing Q2 2020. Will likely just replace the K2-X, not used for an Ascension Mk3

scientists continue to remain fascinated by the ability of the Goo to resist space radiation, different from the radiation of its underground habitat, and also enter stasis when lacking atmosphere. Longer-term orbital studies are needed to fully understand it

papers have been hitting science journals with results from the Mystery Goo atmospheric flights in 2018 and space flight early this year and now new orbital experiments are being designed that we hope to have the privilege to fly in early 2020 aboard the Ascension Mk2

the engine tested today was originally set for the Mk2 but that was before we decided to throw in another unkerbed Mk1 mission before the Mk2 mission twitter.com/KSA_MissionCtr…

CFO Mortimer is looking into the potential for recovering the SRBs from the Ascension Mk2 since they will be let go at 2-3km and land close enough our range vessel could perhaps recover them for little extra cost. Core lifter though is not recoverable for less than a new one

results from the Viklun test firings show it is likely to under-perform in flight, due to losses in efficiency while operating. This is not unexpected for our first vacuum engine design. Further modeling of Mk2 Mun/Minmus missions has been put on hold until we have flight data

the unkerbed Mk1 & Mk2 missions will use the newer, lighter fins & ctrl surfaces. Kerbed Mk1 will stick to originals not just because they are well-tested but the same mass makes it easier for flight planners to stick to the same trajectory we wanted for the 1st kerbed mission

the Ascension Mk2 is configured with 4 SRBs by default but costs could be saved by launching with less. All 4 provide important structural loading though while on the MLP, so in cases where fewer can be used, dummy boosters will be left behind on the pad at launch

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

another successful engine startup and burn! The stage will be returned to the VAB next week for even more checks and by the end of the month we should be able to determine if we are ready to schedule the first Mk2 mission, once again attempting orbit 💫

second engine burn was successful! Viklun can be restarted twice, so another test on 8/2 will go for the third ignition after time is taken for data analysis and engine inspection while the stage remains out on the pad

we have a GO from the Ascension engineers to re-light the engine at 10% thrust, which is a test in itself since we've never restarted an engine before. If ignition is good, engine will throttle up to full and remain wide open until flame out. 15min to test start

and we have cut-off as planned with 9.8% fuel remaining after a good burn of 1m37s! Controllers will hold while Ascension team takes a look at the data & if everything checks out we will perform an engine restart to burn through the remainder of propellants

good engine start, burn will last over the next ~2min. The two unoccupied tanker trucks are carrying water that will be activated shortly to douse the pad & keep the surface from overheating from the continuous rocket exhaust. Vertical mount ensures proper fuel flow to engine

🚨AAAHHWWWWOOOOOOOOO🚨
5min warning horn sounding across KSC as ignition system goes hot. Pad is cleared, no Flight Termination System is enabled - TWR @ sea level is less than 1 so if engine vibrations compromise ground clamps for some reason the stage would just fall to the pad

standing by for leak checks and pad closeouts, we are aiming for an ignition time of 22:00 UTC. First of two ignitions will be at full thrust to simulate the initial push into orbit, with throttle tests at 30% fuel remaining and cutoff at 10% fuel remaining

tanking completed, onloading 2t of liquid propellants to power the vacuum engine. Because we are testing it in atmosphere performance will be reduced but that can be compensated for in post-analysis and also really for basic testing we just want to make sure it doesn't blow up

mounting was good, launch control now getting the onboard controller initialized and ready for tanking. Viklun has its own computer so once a payload is detached it can still be de-orbited or moved to a graveyard orbit, orienting via its own cold gas thrusters (no engine gimbal)

@StronkTenk_ The plan was to have one in orbit already but the Ascension Mk1 turned out to not be capable so we have to wait for the Mk2 so probably early 2020 assuming it can put a payload into orbit by the end of this year

we have a new rocket component that needs to be checked out, and will undergo testing tomorrow. Okay who's been keeping track of things out there and can tell us what's being sent out to the pad? The parts were ordered back in April

now that MSV Aldeny is berthed in Sheltered Rock & doesn't have to travel from Umbarg to the recovery area off Ockr, w/o long delays requiring resupply we should have cheaper mission costs. This past mission ran up a bill slightly greater than the usual 6,200 funds MSV rental

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

currently the Extremis team has put aside for now the multiple Grand Tour ambitions but are keeping their extra-planetary focus by helping the Ascension team figure out how well their Mk2 rocket is capable of executing individual missions to Minmus, Mun, Eve and Duna

the MLP can support the rocket unfueled - it will be strutted to the platform while moving. Once at the launch pad the service towers will be attached, the struts removed, and the engine support collar will be installed to help hold the full weight when fueled

you've seen the rocket, you've seen the service structures, you've seen the new boosters, now time to see it all together with the Mobile Launch Platform! This will be our first vehicle to move a rocket to the launch pad vertically from the VAB

being able to eject from the system also means the Mk2 could reach Minmus and Mun. Whether the payload mass that could get there would be enough fuel to enter into orbit is unknown. Extremis team is being leveraged to help w/these calculations. Still, even fly-bys would be great!

the Mk1 will still be rolled out horizontally so the astronaut will board just prior to the rocket being raised vertical. The new launchpad configuration will still be able to support Progeny Mk7 launches as well

this exempts Bob from being the 1st to orbit Kerbin and there are plenty of 1sts still to come in our exploration of the Kerbol system so the rest of the crew remains just as excited

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…

we do not plan to take any questions or respond to comments during the live stream, although we haven't gone as far as to disable the chat if you would like to talk among yourselves