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KSC Operations Ramping Back Up
This week started with some incredible news out of Sheltered Rock when the Presider leapt over the Assembly (figuratively speaking of course) and ratified the amended laws that closed the loopholes the Monolithic followers were using to lock us out of our surface structures at KSC and scientists out of their research on the Monolith. You can read more about this unprecedented political maneuver in this report.
We’ve spent the past week moving back into KSC and also finishing setting up the new administration offices. There will still be some minor things to sort out over the next week or so but overall operations will resume this coming Monday.
All the parts needed for the next 3 Progeny Mk6 Block I rockets have been staged in the VAB for assembly to begin. We will know by Wednesday if the first rocket is on track and can announce the upcoming launch dates.
After completing checkouts on Monday, assuming no issues are found we will fire up the K2-X engine on its test stand after second sunrise on Tuesday. It will only be a short 10-second firing, followed by an inspection and igniter replacement with a 30-second burn the following day cycle. Wednesday will be devoted to data analysis and firings will resume on Thursday with longer burns if all the data checks out.
Specialists Bill and Bob have been getting the KerBalloon program back into order and hope to see program managers sign a contract for them to carry out late next week. There is also renewed consideration being given to attempting a balloon launch from the tail of the Deuce, which would bring back the partnership KerBalloon shared with Genesis back in 2017.
Speaking of the Deuce, the original prototype is still at Sheltered Rock, where it was last flown to by Commander Valentina and Captain Jebediah. It will stay there until Jeb and Val have completed testing of the recently-built Deuce with the new engines, set to be completed later this month. If the newer Deuce turns out okay that will be flown back to KSC while the prototype is flown to Kravass to be retired in the Air History Museum.
ATN Database
The weekly update for the Asteroid Tracking Network database is available here, containing 1,849 asteroids and 4 updated with new observation data.
From the Desk of Drew Kerman
Out of Character Behind the Scenes stuffWritten on 3/23/17
Ready to really get back on the horse and ride this sucker up into orbit. Again, I’m going to take it a bit slower on the pacing of things to make sure I can do everything I need to do for a day’s worth of ops in no more than 3 real days. I’ve given myself that much time because I can make it back up slowly over the weekends if I need to. Hopefully. We’ll see how it goes.
One Orbit of…. what?
Poor Dres 😛 Poor, poor lonely and unloved Dres! Just have a look at some of the reddit comments posted to my info graphic detailing the major events that have happened to the KSA during the time Dres circled Kerbol once. I’m really not sure if some people were serious and some where just joking but it was pretty sad nonetheless 🙂 The most ironic thing of course is that it got a way better reception than when I posted my first one of Moho.
Since I haven’t really had more than one image worth sharing I haven’t done any reddit weekly posts lately, but those will start up again next week
