Mk1-A Capsule Timeline

both capsule prototypes are being readied in the VAB for drop and recovery testing next week. Not only the capsules will be under review but also the new nosecone parachutes that will be housed under the launch escape system, which is still in development

weather looking much more favorable today, crews loading the first capsule onto the carry vehicle to head out with sunrise. Capsule will be unkerbed but onboard pressure systems will be running and a dummy weight will be inside

the convoy has departed KSC, making for the Grasslands just a few km to the west - carry vehicle isn't really an off-roader so they can't go far but want to ensure wherever balloon drifts after release it stays over land for recovery

capsule has begun its journey up to 16.5km, Tracking Station will soon pickup its signal and monitor the internal pressure as it rises at ~5m/s. Crews are piling back into vehicles to track and be nearby for recovery when it lands

we had a good ascent, capsule was released at max altitude and fell to 1.5km AGL before chutes were popped. Telemetry reports a descent rate that matches full deployment of the canopies. Crews are still trying to reach the landing site - ground remains soggy

report from recovery crew is the capsule landed just fine, if a bit buried in the mud. They are digging it out and packing everything up to head back to KSC so they can finish preparing the second capsule for its test later today

same routine, different capsule - crews are heading back out west for another drop and recovery. Astronauts are involved with both exercises even if none of them are actually inside the capsules as they return (yet)

although sunrise is still a ways off, much like this old photo an MSV is parked offshore and crews will be ferrying equipment and the capsules over for water recovery checkouts a few kilometers out into the Kerblantic next day cycle

MSV Tongjess has the capsules and crew aboard and has departed to sail about 20 kilometers offshore to release and recover the first capsule. Like the previous land-based exercise, capsules will remain unkerbed

first capsule has begun its ascent up to 16.5km, the thin ring of float collar can be seen underneath. It will reside beneath the heat shield, which would have been dropped after chute deployment to clear the float for touchdown

successful splashdown of the first capsule, second capsule is already halfway through its ascent. First capsule will be towed back to the MSV by the tender then winched up to the deck via the wet ramp in the rear

another successful splashdown, although the taller capsule had trouble staying upright and will need a larger flotation collar. Crews are hauling it back onbard MSV Tongjess to sail home

rocket carry/release standing down until next day cycle. Weather has also so far prevented the astronaut crew from performing wet capsule exercises thanks to excessive waves heights, even in the bay, due to winds

3rd sunrise approaches and weather remains poor for both flight crew and astronaut crew. Don't think they're sitting around twiddling their toes though, everyone still has plenty of indoor work to keep them busy. Still continuing to hope for better weather later today

we are suspending all surface operations and pulling back all staff to Umbarg HQ due to temperatures increasing near 100°F as a high-pressure system sits over our region. We just can't keep our facilities cool enough in this heat for a proper work environment

this has happened before & after much investigation scientists still don't fully understand what's going on but say a mixture of ocean currents, jet stream bending and moisture levels in the air can apparently combine under the right conditions to form a very localized heat wave

Ascension team is still going through their post-flight analysis but enough data has been reviewed to clear the K2-X engine of any issues & confirm metal fatigue was to blame for the first launch engine failure. NovaPunch will now resume production of the engine

because of the hold on production, we won't have another engine delivered until the beginning of Sept at the earliest, but after that they will start arriving more frequently and allow us to condense our launch schedule for Ascension rockets

astronauts also remain stood down from capsule testing - though there was the idea to move north to Kravass, which is seeing normal weather patterns, logistically by the time all was said and done, conditions likely would have returned to normal here at KSC anyways

astronauts are gearing up for a final day of wet capsule testing/training. We'll have more information on what they've been up to these past few weeks in our Ops Summary later today once exercises have concluded

meet the radiation belt! Or maybe it's just the *inner* belt? Report has been published detailing what our Progeny rocket missions have discovered about the so-called hazardous radiation region up in space: kerbalspace.agency/?p=7937

the decision was made late last month during the final stages of capsule testing that neither pod prototype was quite good enough, so engineers spent the last few weeks working furiously on combining the best of both to design the final Mk1 capsule

everyone is psyched to get some kerbals into space this year! That's pretty much a definite after capsule is certified - Ascension Mk1 is what we would use and it looks like a solid lifter. Orbit? Well, we have a whole year but we'll have to see how the Viklun performs

MSV Hoodall arrived yesterday to support today's launch, but since it has been delayed Hoodall will be taking the Ascension capsule out for its first sea trial this day cycle. Similar to tests last year, it will be dropped from 16km and recovered after splashdown

we've had capsule release, it will now undergo a ballistic fall down to just 1.5km before its parachutes deploy to arrest the descent. It won't reach speeds anywhere near what it will on re-entry from space but the lower deployment height will help stress test the chutes

chute deployment confirmed! A triple canopy has opened above the capsule, providing redundancy in the event of a chute failure. The capsule can tolerate a landing with just one chute, although the occupant may not escape serious injury even on water

recovery teams have reached the capsule after it splashed down and automatically deployed its built-in float collar, which will rest underneath the heat shield that would have by now been jettisoned after the chutes were deployed

astronauts will be conducting their final day of sea exercises with the Mk1 capsule today. We'll have more details in our Ops Report later. Next week the capsule will undergo similar exercises over land

here's another look at the mission and its goals. Three main objectives for this flight are:
◾ gathering ascent data to compare to LVD predictions
◾ testing the reaction control system & guidance
◾ testing the heat shield ablative surface

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking Station: GO; Downrange Tracking: GO; Ops Director: Launch permission granted! 🚀GO ASCENSION🚀 FTS on internal power, service tower booms unlocked to prep for retraction, AFCS ready for terminal count

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

beautiful confirmation of separation from the booster camera, which has a power/data cable hooked to the payload to give us this view for a few seconds before it gets pulled out. That is Eve just to the right and Jool up in the right corner

we're through apokee and on the way back down, control testing going well. Two control models are being put through pointing the rocket along the 6 main axis of orbit. Coarse control always uses full thruster power while a Fine control model adjusts the thruster output as needed

testing was completed in time and with enough propellant remaining to point retrograde for the heat shield to face the atmosphere. Payload has just come out of plasma blackout - it is falling well short of the intended landing zone but thankfully in a relatively flat area

here's the full video of the payload separation from yesterday. So smooth! A very small initial force was given to the payload at separation in case the RCS system failed & the 2 pieces would have eventually drifted far enough away by the time of re-entry youtube.com/watch?v=bqa7Wk…

capsule simulator has gotten a lot less buggy and faulty, meaning more training runs for the astronauts to do battle with Flight Director Lanalye, who has been coming up with increasingly more creative ways to kill them. So far she's still winning 248 failures to 129 successes

the results are finally in from last month's Ascension Mk1 flight and there's still a lot of work to be done since much of the data was inconclusive in determining key aspects of the flight profile that we plan to send kerbals along kerbalspace.agency/?p=8614

the Ascension Mk1 capsule has been flight certified! The current one has undergone too many tests to safely carry an astronaut, but we can still use it for the next Ascension flight as a test vehicle. A new capsule for the first crewed flight is currently under construction

before we can announce the date of the next Ascension mission we have to wait for the VAB crews to complete their modifications to the rocket fins for the next vehicle. Lead Engineer Simon reports they hope to wrap things up by the end of the week

our initial order of 5 K2-X lifters for the Ascension Mk1 has been satisfied today with the final engine delivery. We will soon have 3 more on the way as well. Additional orders will depend on the success of the upcoming 2nd-stage engine orbital test flight later this year

astronauts are setting up for another grueling day of simulation runs. The only good news is that FD Lanalye has begun to run out of ideas for new scenarios, allowing the crew to slowly work towards a better success/fail ratio thx to encountering similar problems more often

assuming the next Progeny Mk6-I launches on time we will have the Ascension Mk1-I out on the pad two days later for its LES test on 3/7. If that goes well, the capsule LES will be replaced & capsule re-integrated w/rocket over the following week for launch on 3/14

earlier today before 2nd sunset the latest K2-X engine was undergoing a routine ascent simulation static fire on our test stand. Some fault during testing led the engine to explode, causing irreparable damage to the test stand and rattling the windows of the R&D complex

all safety protocols were followed & no one was nearby when the incident occurred. Test stand will be rebuilt after a thorough investigation looks over it and the remains of the engine as well as test data to attempt to determine what went wrong

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

up it goes! The Mk1 capsule begins integration today with the Ascension Mk1 lifter while the next Progeny Mk6 waits in the background for its launch attempt the following week. Note the RCS thrusters, which we neglected to include in the infographic released last month

there are no nose thrusters hidden under the escape tower, the capsule can pitch/yaw/roll just fine with the thrusters mounted near the base, and while it can only thrust in one direction, it can re-orient itself to push along whatever vector is needed

Jeb boasted he's been simming so hard he could do a mission blind folded. Flight Director Lanalye told him to prove it. It did not go well. Worse - she now has new ideas for impaired vision emergency practice scenarios

high winds have prevented us from completing rollout of the Ascension Mk1, mainly the process of lifting the rocket vertical. We should have better conditions later today if a nearby storm system stays out to sea as forecast. New test time is 3/15 @ 00:45 UTC

we were able to complete rollout of the Ascension Mk1 earlier this day cycle and it is now vertical on the pad. Only the top umbilical is attached to supply power to the capsule, which will be switched on to begin preflight after 17:30 UTC

with the sun fully set, the Monolith temple chill down has begun. We considered leaving it alone to see if storms formed as this is a different rocket design but being already behind schedule we want to avoid further delays & any damage to the rocket itself from lightning

LES test proceeding as scheduled. Monolith temple chilled - once stable temps confirmed the rocket will be powered on to load test routines and prepare the systems for action. Pad crew is pulling back to 100m and standing by for recovery after the test

all systems looking good, now just over an hour away from test time we are holding and still making sure no storms are forming. Final test preparations will commence at 18:45 UTC if weather conditions remain stable

15min until test! Weather remains stable, final arming and system checks are underway now in launch control under the watchful eye of Flight Director Lanalye. Astronauts are also here to witness what they could possibly have to endure someday (hopefully never though)

5min until test. LES is armed for abort procedure and flight computer is standing by for the command to initiate. If all goes well the capsule will be rocketed away on an arc that takes it clear of the launch pad, then deploy chutes, drop the heat shield and land

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

more information coming in now that pad workers have reached and inspected the capsule. Lead Engineer Simon reports heavy damage to the exterior that likely renders it unfit for future missions. LES tower is thankfully mostly intact so we can study what went wrong with it

here's an enhanced image from the video footage showing all 5 solid rocket motors on the LES firing very late into the abort burn. This is improper behavior indicating a design flaw - top motor only supposed to fire a short duration to tilt capsule away from rocket

capsule & LES are being moved back to the VAB while pad crews begin to dismount the Mk1 lifter to roll it back to the VAB - the first time we've taken one down after setting it up. Video of the abort test will be posted later today before our Ops Summary

here's how the pad abort test went down earlier today. Poor Bob managed to turn even greener watching it. Greggery the test dummy was aboard and only had to suffer through just under 5Gs of force during the tumble. Capsule flew about 70 meters from the pad

chutes normally deploy in about 8sec but they are reefed to allow safe deceleration at transonic speeds. This low in atmo & moving slower when allowed to deploy fully without reefing they can arrest descent in just over 2sec - it was barely enough to spare the capsule!

Lead Engineer Simon has confirmed the test capsule is no longer structurally fit for flight. New capsule is set to arrive next week, will undergo inspection the following week and then begin integration for flight. Next Ascension Mk1 launch date NET 4/16

one of Flight Director Lanalye's sim scenarios got a bit *too* realistic in shorting out part of the capsule console and actually damaged some of the instruments, necessitating repairs that will last at least two days

we were unable to get the Mk1 rocket/capsule out to the pad this day cycle due to adverse weather conditions. The pad crew is capable of mounting at night and as soon as conditions improve they will begin work to get everything set up for a test later today closer to 3rd sunset

Mk1 lifter and capsule have successfully been rolled out and mounted on the launch pad, configured the same as last time with the single umbilical connected to provide power to the capsule for the test, which remains on schedule for later today @ 19:50 UTC

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

30 minute to LES pad abort test, rocket is online and all systems are nominal. Team is now holding to ensure weather continues to cooperate. Pad crews are finishing securing the rocket and clearing back to prepare for recovery operations

10 minutes to test! Weather remains green, Flight Director Lanalye and her launch team are back to work arming the abort system and finalizing the capsule for its ejection from the stack

5 minutes! Unlike our first test, the adjusted LES tower should now angle the capsule up and away a good distance from the rocket as the kick motor at the top of the tower will not fire with the same duration as the 4 push motors at the base. Stand by!

success! The capsule flew to a height of 384m before coming down under 3 good chutes to land almost 700m from the launch pad. Almost flipped over once but after LES tower jettison aero forces turned it bottom-first along its trajectory for clean chute deploy & heat shield drop

recovery crews confirm the capsule is in good shape and work has begun to get everything back to the VAB. Launch control team is busy already reviewing video footage and telemetry data - we'll get a clip up later today

the new Mk1 capsule has arrived on schedule, which means the next Ascension Mk1 launch also remains on schedule, still slated for no earlier than 4/16. We will be able to lock in a launch date next week once the capsule is through preliminary inspections

full video of yesterday's LES pad abort test now available. Data review shows everything worked perfectly. The LES will be integrated for the next Ascension launch even tho it will be uncrewed to ensure it doesn't upset the rocket's flight youtube.com/watch?v=zubZ6G…

next week we will have another LES pad abort test to see if we can still send the capsule off the flight path of the rocket or to the side while on the pad if the kick motor fails. In that scenario, one of the push motors will fire off a split second earlier than the others

Mk1 capsule is checked out & ready to begin integration which means we now have a date for the next Ascension launch!

🚀 4/18 @ 20:12 UTC 🚀

Learn more about the mission and the rocket via the Ops Tracker: ops.kerbalspace.agency

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

pad abort test in 5 minutes! A single push motor will light off just 2 milliseconds before the other three to tip the capsule over slightly before it flies up and away. At least, that is the plan. Stand by...

recovery crews report the capsule has landed without issue around 800m from the launch pad. Flight data shows it reached a height of just over 300m, nearly as high as the last test. Kerzzah! This fine-control over the LES motors is just the beginning of our plans...

preliminary review of telemetry data and video footage confirm the test went off as planned. You can barely see the difference in motor ignition but it's there. LES tower impacts first (with unspent kick motor making a bit of boom) followed by heat shield after full chute deploy

last week's LES pad abort test went off perfectly and ends the test series. Ascension team is currently considering the need for an ascent abort test as well, which would finally discard the beat-up test capsule since it can't operate in space anymore anyways

we are happy to reveal the blueprint of the complete Viklun upper stage for the Ascension Mk1-II lifter! Two images after shows it modeled to place a 1t payload into a circular 40° inclined 100km orbit with a hefty error margin of nearly 700m/s of Δv to spare

the Mk1 Capsule tips the scale at ~1.5t so it should be able to make a low orbit - we'll have news on that later this week as work is still being done to confirm it's possible. Even if not, we already know we can design satellites massing <1t

our astronauts officially have a ride into orbit! Assuming everything was modeled properly, the Ascension Mk1 Block II lifter + the Viklun orbital stage can successfully place a capsule into a 40° inclined 100km circular orbit with ~230m/s of spare Δv! Here's a full render

the rocket has left the VAB and is doing the slow(er) roll to the launch pad, putt-putting along at just 1m/s (slightly faster than the average walking kerbal) taking ~11 minutes to travel to the pad 655m away. It used to travel a bit faster but w/capsule the mass is near limits

Flight Director Lanalye has been rehearsing her team hard for the past 2 weeks and reports they are ready to support tomorrow's launch, which will be conducted as an automated flight since it will just be the test dummy Greggery going for the ride (tho capsule ECLS is supplied)

[L-4h] launch team has assembled for their final briefing from Flight Director Lanalye. Here's a comprehensive look at today's mission, which will be similar to the last flight except using the actual capsule instead of a test weight. Also some LES usage experimentation

the previous mission attempted a similar trajectory but the rocket did not have enough pitch authority to lower its nose far enough. This rocket's elevator fins are themselves pitched to provide downward force in addition to the control surfaces, tho ascent is a bit steeper

additionally the flight profile had to be adjusted to account for the capsule weighing more than anticipated, mainly due to not factoring in the LES on the last flight. Result is the rocket will now carry a full load of fuel to haul the extra ~300kg on a similar trajectory

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

check out bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog for the latest software update, which is quite large to take into account the many operations of the capsule and new Launch Escape System

[L-15m] RSO has closed the range, rocket is ARMED and Flight Termination System, including the LES, is ACTIVE. Arming allows a few final checks to be performed on the engine. Weather desk is analyzing upper-wind data just now coming in from the balloon probe

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking Station: GO; Downrange Tracking: GO; Ops Director: Launch permission granted! 🚀GO ASCENSION🚀 FTS on internal power, service tower booms unlocked to prep for retraction, AFCS ready for terminal count

engine startup nominal, chamber pressures good, throttle-up to 1.2TWR successful and we have lift off!! Rocket will clear the tower before going full thrust, saving wear on the pad infrastructure, then enabling guidance control to begin pitching over as it heads downrange

hello again, space! Overall ascent was nominal, with acceptable deviation from planned trajectory (MaxQ was late, apokee is low). Control team plotting new course to see how it will affect the rest of the mission. Standing by for capsule separation in just a few seconds

we are dealing with an unplanned triggering of the Launch Escape System just after capsule separation! Controllers are working to recover the capsule, which has gone into a bit of a tumble. LES tower has burned out and reports that it detached

RCS system has zeroed out the tumble and capsule has been re-oriented to hold prograde. Rate of turn confirms the LES tower has indeed been detached. Controllers still working to determine any additional ways this unexpected event could affect the mission

they all did. We just wouldn't let them

parachute had to be disarmed so it wouldn't try to pop out as soon as the capsule re-entered the atmosphere, but otherwise all systems are looking good. Controllers have begun to send orientation commands to point the capsule various directions & fully check out the RCS system

capsule is thru apokee - LES tower burn took our original apokee of 423km and boosted it up to 506km. New trajectory puts re-entry ~100km further downrange than planned so Tongjess is already on the move. RCS testing continues - capsule having trouble orienting radial out

radial out orientation finally achieved after resetting the control system - it seemed to still want to orient along the ascent trajectory & was fighting with radial out hold command. Cold gas almost used up so RCS switched off so capsule can point retrograde before re-entry

just enough cold gas remained to get capsule re-oriented properly and re-entry is now in progress. During this time, after MaxQ, is when we were going to fire the LES push motors to see how it affected the capsule for potential future use as an emergency braking system

we lost signal shortly after initial chute deployment but it's good to know at least that they have popped out! Now we must wait and hope - Tongjess is still over 1.5hrs away from the new recovery zone & may not be able to still contact Ockr when they get there

✨🎉 KERZZAH! 🎉✨ we have word from MSV Tongjess that they located the capsule still afloat, altho it took extra time to find the heat shield, which detached moments before splashdown to reduce damage for post-flight inspection & clear the way for the float collar to deploy

we've been dropping bits of important analysis results from this month's Ascension Mk1 launch here and there but for all the details on what went on during the mission you can now check out the full report: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8976

Ascension team have finished planning out the use of the remaining 3 Mk1 lifters - ascent abort test will take place right after the Progeny Mk6-I mission on 5/16 @ 21:48 UTC followed by a re-fly of this past mission for more testing on 5/28 @ 16:28 UTC ops.kerbalspace.agency

some good news today at least: K2-X engine has been cleared. Final report is the fuel tank, which was constantly re-used for each test, fatigued & shed some of its interior lining due to poor dampening. This entered the engine causing a cascading failure of the fuel pump system

despite best efforts to repair & refurbish, the L thrusters at the base of the Mk1 capsule saw too much damage during re-entry to be re-used on the next flight. The I thrusters used for roll control however still function well & will be tried for a consecutive mission

both Progenitor and Ascension teams are working together today to turn around the launch facilities and get everything ready for the Ascension Mk1 ascent abort test tomorrow. The mission is basic enough to allow the launches to happen almost back to back

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-4)

5/16
#2🌄08:47:57 🌅11:01:42
#3🌄14:48:48 🌅17:02:33 !!🚀!!
#4🌄20:49:39 🌅23:03:24

5/17
#1🌄02:50:30 🌅05:04:15

rocket left the VAB aboard its carry vehicle earlier today for mounting operations, which look like this. FD Lanalye is running her team through some more rehearsals. MSV Tongjess is still anchored offshore to provide range support & capsule recovery for today's mission

[L-4h30m] rocket was mounted earlier without issue and time has come for pre-launch operations to kick off. Launch teams are assembling across campus as the weather desk begins collating reports from stations & airships to build a forecast. Expect updates at these milestones:

[L-4h] final mission brief under way at launch control. Flight will be relatively simple - after rocket ascends into the upper atmosphere the capsule will be detached and flown away using the Launch Escape System. It will then descend ballistically for splashdown

[L-3h30m] weather forecast for today is 100% favorable conditions - it's a lot easier to commit to a launch you already know is going to fail! Launch team has confirmed Monolith chilldown is complete and have begun to wake up the rocket to onload flight instructions

no major changes to the Automated Flight Control System other than a new launch time and a trigger for handling the activation of the LES - bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog

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

[L-2h40m] after a trip back to the VAB to refuel the tanker trucks have completed their task on schedule. Preflight is resuming in launch control while pad workers get things cleaned up and locked down. Tank levels will be closely monitored to ensure no leaks are present

[L-1h55m] no issues being worked, launch operations proceeding on schedule. Pad is now clearing out except for a Quick Response Team sheltering in the bunker as controllers begin to check over the main engine ignition and control systems

[L-1h30m] all rocket and capsule systems check out - FD Lanalye reports the vehicle is ready for flight! MSV Tongjess has sailed out to just over the horizon to ensure the eastern range stays clear and be ready to move further downrange after launch for recovery

[L-1h20m] we will not be launching a high-altitude weather balloon today because we won't be flying through the upper atmosphere - also because Mortimer got stingy with funds and we actually don't have any more (but some additional units are now on the way for next launch)

[L-45m] launch rehearsal time, where the control team runs through a simulated ascent to ensure all systems and mission assets are properly configured and also sometimes so Flight Director Lanalye can try to trip them up with a failure or few

[L-30m] we are GO for final countdown procedures! Weather remains well within our loose constraints for today and now the Range Safety Officer is making sure all launch areas are clear and the eastern range is void of ships or aircraft

[L-15m] RSO has closed the range, rocket is now ARMED and Flight Termination System/Launch Escape System has been activated. Anyone or anything spotted within 500m of the launch pad will hold the countdown from this point on

[L-13m] tanker truck left hooked up to the service tower has been remotely commanded to begin pumping nitrogen onboard to be used to pressurize the fuel tanks. Late onload of the gas is to ensure any tank rupture doesn't endanger pad workers

you could hear a pin drop in launch control right now - but that's good! Everyone quiet means no issues being worked as all stations do a final review of their data to be ready to announce their go/no go status at the upcoming polling

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking Station: GO; Ops Director: Launch permission granted! 🚀GO ASCENSION🚀 FTS on internal power, service tower booms unlocked to prep for retraction, AFCS ready for terminal count

[L-3m] tank pressurization underway ahead of service boom retraction to add rigidity to the structure and allow it to stand on its own atop the engine collar prior to launch

[T-2m] tanks rising to flight pressures at nominal rate, AFCS has now activated to begin the terminal countdown. Service arms have swung away to clear the rocket for ascent and are no longer supplying resources so battery power is activated. RF comm check underway

[T-1m] coming up on final primary polls at T-30s followed by this sequence of events leading up to launch. If you've loaded up the Ops Tracker the live telemetry will show them happening: ops.kerbalspace.agency

good engine start, chamber pressure checks out for 1.2 TWR launch power - clamp release and lift off! Rocket will clear the launch tower and throttle up to full power and begin to pitch over downrange

nominal ascent, rocket is stable and passing through 15km - coming up on capsule release in just a few seconds at 18.5km. Velocity is currently >600m/s (Mach 2)

clean capsule separation! It is just about to finish coasting up to an apokee of ~35km. Flight computer will command the chute to pop at that point but the chute's own pressure mechanism will hold it in until the capsule falls below 30km

good chute deploy as seen from ground tracking camera, canopies are reefed to create extra drag and slow the capsule as it descends into thicker air. They will fully deploy <1km above the surface to arrest descent and allow the capsule to land at around 5m/s

Tongjess got a good view of the capsule as it made its final decent under full chute and splashed down 32.429km downrange just off shore at the north end of the bay. Capsule heat shield was dropped and float collar deployed. Recovery operations are underway

telemetry data from yesterday's flight is now available, with a full analysis coming by the end of the month once the Ascension team is able to look closely at how the capsule and its test occupant Greggery ultimately fared docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

stream is live! In 5 minutes @DKerman_KSA will come on to carry out the crew selection process. This will determine the initial order all 4 astronauts head up into space aboard either a Mk1 or Mk2. Tune in now - youtu.be/g_6LoHyDRuM

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

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…

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

Ascension Mk1 rocket has been rolled out and hooked up to the service towers for launch controllers to do a systems check while the rest of KSC continues to prepare their launch readiness reviews. Downrange tracking stations are doing the same

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-4)

5/28
#2🌄09:28:45 🌅11:42:30 !!🚀!!
#3🌄15:29:36 🌅17:43:21
#4🌄21:30:27 🌅23:44:12

5/29
#1🌄03:31:18 🌅05:45:03

[L-4h10m] yesterday's weather forecast was 85% good launch conditions but a new forecast is being assembled now as we roll into prelaunch operations. Timeline has been slimmed - can you see where? Expect updates at these major milestones in the sequence

[L-3h40m] Wx data has been gathered & is being processed while Flight Director Lanalye gives her launch team their final brief. This mission will follow the same major steps as the one last month, with tweaks to the ascent profile for a slightly flatter trajectory

the rocket should fly much closer to the planned ascent profile this time (red dots), but we still expect it to under-perform as it will probably experience more drag than is modeled. Hopefully though with smaller margins than last time

[L-3h10m] we are GO for preflight! Forecast has improved to 95% favorable and launch team is on console waking up the rocket to onload flight instructions to the AFCS - you can check out the latest update here: bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog

[L-2h55m] rocket systems are online & configured for tanking. Pad crew has a GO to begin onload of 7t liquid propellant. We've cut 20min from our countdown thanks to a huge fuel truck (originally purchased for Dhumla) that can top off the rocket in one go

the only reason we're using the single truck to shave time off the countdown is so that it's less time the eventual astronaut aboard has to wait for lift off, since they are put into the rocket before it's raised vertical and fueled

[L-2h40m] tanking completed on schedule without issue, pad workers are now cleaning things up & securing the rocket while launch controllers resume preflight checks, keeping a close eye on tank levels to ensure no leaks are present

[L-1h55m] preliminary pre-flight checks are now complete, no issues currently being worked. Pad crew has secured the rocket and are clearing out minus the QRT members in the bunker. Once the all clear is given, controllers will run engine systems & ignition checks

[L-1h30m] rocket is all prepped to go! MSV Lymun is on station 15km offshore and working to get setup with the Range Safety Officer. MSV Hoodall is within comm range in the landing zone east of Ockr & reports they are ready for recovery operations

[L-1h20m] high-altitude KerBalloon has begun its ascent to give us a reading on upper-level winds by the time final polls roll around at L-5min

[L-45m] all systems are set, all assets are in place so it's time for the team to run through a full launch rehearsal to make double sure everything is as it should be and all participants know their roles - including in the event of trouble

[L-30m] thumbs up from the weather desk and final countdown procedures are GO! Team is resetting from the rehearsal and switching all consoles back over to the live rocket, pad workers are performing final close-outs

[L-15m] RSO has closed the range - rocket is ARMED and Flight Termination System/Launch Escape System is activated. Anyone or anything spotted within 500m of the launch pad will hold the count. Anything within 25km airspace & 50km at sea will do the same

[L-13m] with the pad cleared, onload of nitrogen gas for pressurization of the fuel tanks has begun remotely from a tanker truck left hooked up to the service tower. Itself stored in a pressurized vessel, any rupture would be a danger to crew

[L-5m] Final readiness polls complete: Wx: GO; Range: GO; Flight: GO; Tracking Station: GO; Downrange Tracking: GO; Ops Director @DKerman_KSA: Launch permission granted! 🚀GO ASCENSION🚀 FTS power internal, service tower booms unlocked for retraction, AFCS rdy for terminal count

[L-3m] preliminary tank pressurization underway to give the rocket extra rigidity so it can stand atop the engine collar once the service tower arms swing away in one minute at the start of the terminal countdown - ops.kerbalspace.agency

[T-2m] terminal countdown has begun! Service tower arms have swung away from the rocket, no longer supplying power so batteries have switched on. Landline comms also cut so RF comms being checked for good signal. AFCS has control of the countdown

[HOLD] countdown was stopped shortly after terminal count when part of the telemetry from within the capsule was lost. That data is vital to this mission and needs to be brought back up. Team is working the problem - rocket remains on standby

FD Lanalye reports that this won't be a quick fix - it has to be a loose cable inside the capsule. Controllers are backing off from launch readiness and prepping the rocket to be disarmed, hooked back up and depressurized. We still hope to launch before nightfall though

countdown has been rolled back to L-15m & crew are preparing to enter the capsule by climbing the service tower, walking out atop the upper arm, hooking onto the LES tower & swinging around to the hatch. It's a procedure already in place for medical emergency pad egress

problem resolved - a wire harness was not fully plugged in & shook completely loose upon service arm retraction, which does jostle the rocket a bit. Now waiting for a battery swap to complete, since capsule has just enough EC for a mission that launches on time

capsule is being sealed back up. Weather team had some concerns about upper-level turbulence & released their backup balloon shortly after the hold was called - countdown will pick back up at L-15min @ 18:15 UTC to ensure balloon has enough time to reach altitude

[L-15m] we are back to range closure, the RSO has announced rocket is ARMED and FTS/LES has been re-activated. Two minutes from now pressurization gas will be loaded back onto the rocket. Controllers working to ensure all systems were properly reset for new L-0

[L-5m] we are GO from all stations to continue the final count! Weather desk came back green on upper-level turbulence after some consultation with the engineers. FTS is on internal power, service arms are again unlocked for retraction, AFCS standing by

[T-2m] back in the terminal countdown, AFCS has commanded the service arms to swing away and leave the rocket to its own internal resources. Battery drain and RF comms check underway - capsule telemetry should remain solid this time around

[T-1m] countdown continues! We have a final poll of primary launch stations coming up at T-30s followed by these events leading up to T-0. Stand by, and be sure to load up the Ops Tracker for live updates! ops.kerbalspace.agency

main engine start was nominal, throttle up to TWR of 1.2 achieved and lift off occurred right on time. Rocket will shortly clear the tower and begin to roll before pitching downrange - this is the first time we are rolling the rocket off the pad in prep for the Mk2, which has a fixed launch orientation

nominal ascent so far. Just passing Mach 2 now, velocity 630m/s, altitude approaching 16km. Some transonic rollshake noticeable but guidance remains on target. Just under one minute left of fuel and then we'll be coasting through spaaaaaaace

MECO several seconds early, rocket coasted out of the atmosphere and we are now standing by for confirmation of capsule separation. As expected, we came up short of our target apokee - capsule will fly up to only 485km. That's a larger discrepancy than we hoped for though

capsule separation was good & RCS thrusters fired for 10s to push it away from the lifter stage so it has room to maneuver. Controllers are sending it orientation commands while trajectory analysis is underway to see how the lower apokee affects the capsule return

MSV Hoodall is repositioning for recovery as capsule will be coming down ~20km short of its intended landing site, but still over water. We're about 4 minutes from apokee & capsule orientation commands are still underway

through apokee now and capsule has successfully oriented along all vectors. It's slower than before thanks to the LES tower but ascent steering is also not fighting for control this time. Just under half of cold gas capacity has been used up so far

As we expected, the rocket under-performed due to excess drag that wasn't modeled properly. It's a complex issue & we're still working to determine if it's us not plugging in the right numbers or LVD not doing the right calculations (or bit of both). Burn length was right on time

controllers had the time and cold gas reserves to take manual control of the capsule to point it retrograde. It was rolled "up" then maneuvered to the desired orientation without any issues. It is now back under computer control to hold retrograde until re-entry

coming up on atmospheric interface in about 1 minute, capsule remains properly oriented for re-entry and all systems are nominal. Hoodall is still underway but is already within visual range of the new splashdown location

chute deploy confirmed! Hoodall has spotted the capsule and is coming to a halt to hold position and ensure they are clear of any debris (lift stage coming in nearby in addition to the LES tower)

we lost signal just before splashdown but have data confirmation relayed via Hoodall the capsule is safely afloat in the water and they are moving in to begin recovery operations. ✨🎉 KERZZAH!! 🎉✨

ongoing analysis of the last Ascension Mk1 flight still shows re-entry in excess of 16Gs. We either have to fly a lower arc or prove a kerbal can indeed withstand that force without serious effects. We're looking into the latter option, mainly because someone already wants to

flight analysis for the last Ascension Mk1 mission has been posted: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9214 - we continue to remain on track to launch a kerbal into space in July. Final major hurdle is the engine test towards the end of this month

additional big news from the report is that we have agreed to fund Dr. Murstap's deceleration research in conjunction with C7 Aerospace Division to not only benefit space flight but also design safer aircraft in the event of accidents. Two words: ROCKET SLED!!

final rocket sled and track design has been approved after Lead Engineer Simon worked to integrate the capsule into the sled. Dr. Murstap himself has volunteered to do the runs once the track is built (in July) and tested (in August)

results from this week's static fire have confirmed the engine is ready. We now have a date to LAUNCH THE FIRST KERBAL INTO SPACE!! L-0 scheduled for 7/18 @ 19:21 UTC and aboard the rocket will be Specialist Bob. Get hype! 🚀 ops.kerbalspace.agency #KSPloring @KerbalSpaceP

Ascension capsule ECLSS has been properly supplied on all flights with food, water, nitrogen and oxygen however these resources have never been noted in the Ops Tracker since consumption is not vital - more than enough to last thru mission. Longer missions will have them

the amount of ablative material on the heat shield is also not added as a resource to the Ops Tracker since there is no way we can track in flight the amount that has been used during re-entry so no point in showing it

doctors report both Bob & Bill are in good health and spirits. Both will be equally prepared for tomorrow's launch all the way up to L-0. If we need to swap out the capsule crew for any reason, even after its been buttoned up, Bill will be suited up and ready to go

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-4)

7/18
#2🌅08:35:19 🌄12:22:06
#3🌅14:36:10 !!🚀👨‍🚀!!
#3🌄18:22:57
#4🌅20:37:01

7/19
#1🌄00:23:48 🌅02:37:52
#2🌄06:24:39

crew photo outside the rear of the Astronaut Complex as Bob boards the crew shuttle out to the pad. Bill will head back inside to the ready room and stand by in case he is needed. Rocket carry vehicle is nearing the pad and will position itself for the vertical lift

[L-4h50m] Specialist Bob is ready to begin ingress procedures. He will be assisted into the capsule by the pad crew and then strapped down. The hatch will then be sealed in preparation for the mounting of the rocket

[L-4h20m] crew load was without issue. Although the capsule orientation makes it a bit awkward, lots of training helped. Bob is now situated and his suit life support will remain on internal capsule power until the rocket is mounted and service tower umbilical arm is connected

Commander Val, working CapCom, is actually down at the launch pad right now plugged straight into the capsule so she can keep in touch with Bob during mounting operations and alert the pad crew if anything appears to be going wrong from inside the capsule

[L-3h40m] rocket mounting going well, nearing completion while Flight Director Lanalye assembles her A team in launch control for their final briefing on today's mission, which will send Bob downrange at a slightly shallower angle for a lower apokee and gentler re-entry

because the rocket will be spending more time in the atmosphere it will be holding a TWR of 1.65 during ascent, which will give Bob a very comfortable ride on the way up as well. This will reduce friction heating but is also necessary to not speed past the landing zone

[L-3h10m] rocket mounted, launch team briefed, Val back on CapCom, Monolith chilled & weather desk has given an improved forecast of 85% favorable conditions @ launch time. We are GO to begin preflight procedures! Bob says he's doing "A-Okay" - voice quaver likely comm distortion

AFCS flight instructions update info can be found here: bit.ly/AFCS_ChangeLog - while Bob will handle a lot of normally automated preflight tasks so he's not sitting around bored, during the actual ascent the flight computer will be in command w/ a few manual emergency controls

[HOLD] Bob has confirmed he's flipped all the switches & pressed all the buttons needed on his end and the capsule is now initialized, lifter rdy for fueling. Tanker is already hooked up to the service tower but we just got a No GO from the weather desk monitoring a slow pressure drop

weather desk has informed FD Lanalye the pressure drop began @ rocket power-up but given no such reaction has occurred after the cooling system was installed they were hoping it would stabilize. No such luck it seems. Clouds are starting to build near the pad, winds increasing

the Presider's motorcade was just departing the Support Village and has been halted since crossing the causeway could be dangerous if the winds continue to get stronger. Pressure drop slowly continues so this is likely. Pad crew is entering the launch bunker. Fuel truck detaching

the night is pitch black now as overcast skies cover Mun and stars. Pressure has stabilized but rain, high winds and some lightning continues. All visitors have been moved indoors to the VAB, HAB or Astronaut Complex. Flight surgeon says Bob is showing an elevated heart rate

YOWZA!! We just had multiple strikes on the crew service tower, which is currently not attached to the rocket and is also grounded. Bob is telling Val he wants out *NOW* but conditions are too dangerous for an unnecessary emergency egress. Medical team is evaluating his vitals

doctors report Bob may be having a panic attack but he's not in any physical danger and pad crew should remain sheltered. Storm already appears to be weakening. Given that we've seen much worse prior to the Monolith A/C installation, good to know it seems to be helping somewhat

no lightning now for nearly 10 minutes and winds have continued to weaken. Val was the perfect person to help Bob calm down; he's been further assuaged by FD Lanalye saying the count will not be continued and the pad crew will be lowering the rocket soon and getting him out

weather conditions have improved enough to allow the pad crew to begin the unmounting operation. Rocket will be lowered, Bob will be extracted and then we are going to raise it back up and do an automated start later today to see what happens. Regardless, launch today is scrubbed

Specialist Bob is out and making his return to the Astronaut Complex for a medical evaluation while the pad crew continues their work to get the rocket back to vertical and re-attached to the service towers

rocket is remounted. Launch team will commence preflight at 22:00 UTC to give the atmosphere the entire day cycle to recharge from the sun's heat and ensure we can detect another attempt from the Monolith at forming a low-pressure system when the rocket is booted up

rocket has been powered on for 20 minutes and weather desk is reporting no change to current conditions. Lead Scientist Cheranne has suggested that we switch off the Monolith A/C and see what happens. Everyone hold on to your butts...

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

after some time to recover from his ordeal yesterday and think things over, Specialist Bob has ceded his spot to Specialist Bill. Bob says he's not ready to get back into that capsule anytime soon and will wait for his rotation to come back around

Bob has been released from quarantine protocol but Bill remains sequestered - if anything happens to him then it will further delay the launch at least a week while Val & Jeb train on the mission specifics to replace him as primary/backup, even if they start today

the Presider's flotilla is on its way back to Sheltered Rock - he commended us on our procedures for handling the storm yesterday and regrets his busy schedule will not allow him to wait around for the next attempt though he will try to make it back when it happens

we did another remote startup of the rocket at the end of the previous day cycle w/o Monolith chilldown & still saw no indications of stormy weather attempting to form. Lead Scientist Cheranne and R&D Lead Wernher von Kerman are working their teams overtime to reach a conclusion

launch has been rescheduled to 7/23 @ 19:38 UTC while modifications are made over the weekend to the Monolith for even colder conditions. We also have a theory as to why it is behaving the way it is. Full details on our Ops Summary: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9352

MSV Aldeny has pulled into port at Sheltered Rock to resupply and then head back out tomorrow to once again sit and wait in the recovery zone. Hopefully we will be able to send a capsule their way soon!

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-4)

7/23
#2🌅08:52:19 🌄12:39:06
#3🌅14:53:10 !!🚀👨‍🚀!! 🌄18:39:57
#4🌅20:54:01

7/24
#1🌄00:40:48 🌅02:54:52
#2🌄06:41:39

new forecast still shows only 40-50% chance of good weather. Hard to tell what an encroaching storm front from the west will do. They can sometimes power right over the mountains and bring down some serious weather on us. To be safe, launch is delayed until tomorrow @ 19:42 UTC

the front stalled out and we have perfect launch weather right now around the previously-planned L-0. Hopefully future space satellites will help us improve models and better predict these weather events. Now we just have to hope tomorrow remains nice as well...

🌅Sunrise/Sunset🌄
@ KSC (UTC-4)

7/24
#2🌅08:55:43 🌄12:42:30
#3🌅14:56:34 !!🚀👨‍🚀!! 🌄18:43:21
#4🌅20:57:25

7/25
#1🌄00:44:12 🌅02:58:16
#2🌄06:45:03

[L-4h50m] pre-launch ops have officially begun with Bill climbing into the capsule. Boarding up to head to the pad some questions were lobbed at him about all the things that could go wrong. His response: "I'm too simple-minded, relatively speaking, to worry much about all that"

[L-4h20m] capsule is sealed up with Bill snugly inside, Jeb is plugged in to keep him company and the pad crew has begun the process of raising the rocket back to vertical and hooking the service arm back up to the main tank. Photo from earlier prior to boarding

[L-3h10m] almost back to where we left off last week - rocket mounting completed and weather desk will continue to monitor wind conditions but we have a GO for preflight. Jeb is back in Launch Control. Val ceded her CapCom duties as a gesture to support Bob's own decision

[L-2h55m] Bill has coordinated with launch controllers and brought the capsule online, fully powered and initialized. Atmospheric pressure levels have remained unchanged. Wernher reports Monolith coolant is operating at full efficiency. Tanking permission has been granted

[L-2h40m] rocket is now massing nearly 11t after being fully fueled. Pad crew is cleaning up while controllers continue to work with Bill through the preflight checklist. Tank levels will be watched closely to ensure there are no leaks present. Atmospheric pressure remains stable

[L-1h30m] weather remains within limits, no "extraneous effects" detectable. Rocket preflight has concluded to the satisfaction of launch controllers, issues board is clear. MSV Tongjess is on station for range tracking setup. Pad crew returning for final close outs

[L-30m] winds picking up with sunrise are within expected margins, surface weather continues to be a GO as we move into final countdown procedures. Range Safety Officer is waiting for the all-clear report from the pad crew as they lock down and evacuate the launch site

[L-12m] small tanker truck left hooked up to the service towers has been remotely commanded to begin onload of the nitrogen gas used to pressurize the tanks prior to launch. Stored in a pressurized vessel itself, late onload protects pad workers from any rupture (Bill has LES)

[HOLD] L-5m final poll was not successful as the kerbs at the weather desk say they need more time to assess the upper-level wind conditions. While initial constraints are tight to ensure Bill's safety, we do have room to work the numbers based on past Ascension launch experience

weather team still debating. Ops Director (OD) @DKerman_KSA has made it clear to them that if they aim to propose a launch at or near minimums they have to be 110% confident. What does Bill think of all this? He's asked Jeb if he can take a quick nap. The request was denied

[L-5m] weather kerbs have unanimously agreed we are GO for launch. All other stations have been re-polled and came back GO. Launch permission has been granted by the OD. Rocket remained primed & ready so countdown has restarted with updated L-0 of 19:58 UTC. FTS internal

don't forget you can watch the rocket's ascent live on our Ops Tracker - tune in now if you haven't already! We will only tweet out updates every minute as usual. Ascent will last ~3.5min due to the low TWR ops.kerbalspace.agency

[L-3m] preliminary tank pressurization has begun to allow for extra rigidity once the service arm, now unlocked for release, swings away to leave the rocket standing atop the engine mount. Bill is undergoing final suit integrity checks & switching back to internal life support

[T-2m] terminal count! Service arm has detached leaving the rocket on internal power and RF comms. AFCS has activated to take command. Controllers checking battery drain rates and comm data rates. Bill has nothing left to do but sit back, confirm readouts & enjoy the ride

[T-1m] Jeb has informed Bill "it's pucker time!" as only the seconds continue to tick down on the clock. Final GO/NO GO at T-30s & then everyone will be holding their breaths while the rocket begins the following ignition sequence prior to lift off

Here comes history? Stand by!

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

Bill is supersonic, through Max Q. Pitch-over rate is right on the money & on course heading 53°. Throttle decreasing steadily to maintain TWR of 1.65. Telemetry looks good & Bill is making regular callouts to assure everyone that what we're seeing is right. All nominal!

we have confirmed rocket is shallow on ascent. Pitchover increased shortly after L+1m & did not hold at 48°. Apokee still climbing & nearly into space with over a min left of burn. Danger of overheat in atmo negligible due to low throttle. Bill says "keeping calm & thrusting on!"

31s left to MECO & although rocket pitch-over continues (from momentum not control surfaces) apokee is well outside atmo. Once engine cuts off the mad scramble will begin to determine how the shallow flight affects the downrange trajectory & what measures need to be taken

THERE'S A KERBAL IN SPAAAACE!!! However everyone is too focused on the unforeseen situation to really celebrate at this time - we still have to make sure Bill gets back down safely. We are currently monitoring the capsule separation & RCS thrusters pushing it clear of the lifter

we had a clean capsule sep & pushaway. Bill has found guidance computer still locked into ascent mode & will not accept RCS orientation commands but manual controls responding fine so leaving computer alone. Capsule momentum flipped it retrograde & Bill is holding orientation

Bill has already passed thru 107.996km apokee. Trajectory analysis shows he should make the water, but even coming down over land he's on course and will miss any high terrain features. If needed the LES tower is still attached & can retrofire to slow final descent after re-entry

flight surgeon has been keeping a sharp eye on Bill's vitals & all still looks okay. Bill has been too busy to do much other than fly the capsule (tho he's caught some peeks out the window of course) but he's assured everyone as often as possible he feels no neg effects of zero-G

coming up on atmo in <1min. Bill says all good tho noise of spacecraft louder than expected, a bit disorienting not being able to hear the thrusters firing like in the sim. He's positioned well tho & should see an even milder re-entry than originally planned, which isn't so bad

Bill had to override the computer turning off the RCS for re-entry so he could roll the capsule "up" to face away from Kerbin & begin re-entry butt-down. He will disable it again shortly for ballistic re-entry. Expecting plasma blackout any second now

still under blackout - static crackling through the comms piped into the mission control loud speakers. Could last over a minute with such a shallow re-entry. Jeb will shortly begin to call out for a response from Bill - "Control to Ascension, do you copy?" and we wait......

"Control this is Ascension - copy you loud & clear! Heard my chutes pop, can you confirm?" Yes we can!! Chutes are pre-deployed & will stay reefed until lower in the atmosphere. Everyone happy & relieved to hear Bill's voice over the speakers. Let's bring him home!

big grins all around the control room as Bill descends towards the water under a full canopy. He had to endure only just under 6Gs on re-entry. His new landing location puts him about 1.5 hours from MSV Aldeny, which had already gotten underway shortly after launch

🎉🎊 KERZZAAAAAH!! 🎊🎉 welcome back to our first space explorer! Cheers, hugs, high fours, backslaps - the control room has erupted in celebration after the capsule safely splashed down. Still in sight of Ockr relay, we can stay in touch with Bill until MSV Aldeny arrives

post-launch operations well underway here @ KSC, pad crew inspecting for any damage while controllers perform initial post-flight analysis to ensure all data is properly collected. Bill continues to float about; he can blow the hatch if capsule takes on water but landing was soft

Bill just concluded a radio conversation with the Presider, who congratulated him and all of us on our accomplishment today. It's been a long journey to get here but we've made it and will continue to press on to further and grander frontiers! 🌠💫

still adrift waiting for MSV Aldney to arrive Bill says he's getting bored and the boat better hurry up or he's going for a swim.

Jeb: "Bill the water is freezing out there."
Bill: "I'm in a space suit!!"

night falling over the recovery zone, MSV Aldeny has arrived in the area and made direct contact with Bill, instructing him to flip on the capsule's strobe beacon so they can spot him in the growing darkness

Dr. Murstap's rocket sled has been completed in the HAB and awaits completion of the test track next week. Everything is on schedule to begin test runs at the start of August with kerbed runs by Murstap to begin in September if all goes well

CFO Mortimer has announced the Kerbin World Firsts organization released the bounty of 57,000 funds to our account in recognition of our accomplishment this past week of putting a kerbal into space. This is enough to get the Ascension Mk2 off the ground later this year!

the award will also enable us to send Val, next in rotation, to space no earlier than Sept while also sending up another unkerbed Mk1 w/ the older capsule for more testing of Extremis instruments. Not enough tho for another Progeny Mk7-A flight unless KB/Genesis can help w/income

the capsule that carried Bill to and from space has arrived back at KSC via airship along with its heat shield. The Air History Museum in Kravass is already trying to buy it from us, but we need to do a complete post-flight examination of it first over the next week

it only took 4 days for the funding campaign to reach its goal and we shall have a mockup of the Ascension Mk1 joining the Progeny Mk4 (first to space) out on the KSC main lawn by the end of the month

flight analysis for the kerbed Ascension Mk1 mission last month has been posted: kerbalspace.agency/?p=9491 Ascension team is now working to schedule the next two missions - expect dates to be announced later this week

TL;DR - pitch problems rectified for future flights, LVD ascent profile modeling getting better. Attempting the same planned trajectory for next mission and Ascension engineers have already begun work on a Mk1-B single-occupancy capsule for 2020

test runs of the rocket sled began today after successful installation yesterday. A security patrol car is hooked on each side via cable to a shuttle that pulls the sled down the length of the track at varying speeds to ensure alignment and wheels are good

we have dates for the next Ascension Mk1 missions!

Uncrewed Mk1: 8/27 @ 15:30
Crewed Mk1: 9/17 @ 17:10

Aug mission will test several new science instruments & Sep mission will send Cdr Val into space (Cpt Jeb is her backup). Details on bit.ly/Ops_Tracker