Kerbal Space Agency » Sciencing the Kerbol system since 2016

Jun 19 2020

Operations Summary – Week of 6/15/20

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

First Train Arrival (6/14/20) — First Train Arrival (6/14/20)
Traveling from Umbarg ~50km to the southwest the train is carrying fuel & supplies for our upcoming rocket launches. There will also be trains carrying passengers but mainly the rail service will link to cargo airplane operations

Upcoming Mission! L-0 set for 21:30 UTC on 6/23

Latest Alaba Update (6/15/20) — Latest Alaba Update (6/15/20)
as expected, latest update to Alaba's orbital data shows it right on target for its next encounter at the end of this week. The shift to its orbit was very small and will continue to be minor until the 45th encounter, after which all bets could be off

Latest Alaba Update (6/15/20) — Latest Alaba Update (6/15/20)
as expected, latest update to Alaba's orbital data shows it right on target for its next encounter at the end of this week. The shift to its orbit was very small and will continue to be minor until the 45th encounter, after which all bets could be off

Visitors (6/16/20) — Visitors (6/16/20)
Captain Jebediah taxis his Civvie back towards the restricted access section of the KSC, passing the public section where kerbs can fly in and park their aircraft, then catch a shuttle or train to Umbarg. Some do also have business at KSC

K2-X Delivery (6/17/20) — K2-X Delivery (6/17/20)
The lifter engine for our Ascension rockets is on its way from the airship warehouse in the Support Village to the VAB so it can be checked out and mounted to the vertical test stand (seen in the distance) for a static fire

Launch Control (6/17/20) — Launch Control (6/17/20)
Our rockets may have gotten bigger over the years but the Launch Control building remains the same... for now...

Large Aircraft Hangars (6/18/20) — Large Aircraft Hangars (6/18/20)
While we are not allowed to fully enclose large aircraft, we can at least cover them so cargo operations can stay dry when rain comes through

Kongo Airship Hangar (6/18/20) — Kongo Airship Hangar (6/18/20)
The only above-ground structure capable of sheltering small to medium-sized airships is located at the Kongo River research base

Carry Vehicle Mate (6/19/20) — Carry Vehicle Mate (6/19/20)
The latest Ascension Mk1 rocket to be completed gets lowered onto its carry vehicle to be rolled out to the launch pad. The Mobile Launch Platform in the rear is for Ascension Mk2 and later vehicles. Off to the left the next Ascension lift stage undergoes assembly

1of10

View this album on flickr
View operations details »

Tags: Ascension, Ascension Mk1, Ascension Mk1 Flight 13, Ascension Mk1 Flight 14, Bill, Bob, Civvie, Genesis, Jebediah, Valentina

Jun 16 2020

Civvie Science Flight 42

Categories:

Mission Dispatch

Captain Jebediah takes the Civvie out to measure atmospheric pollen levels in the region as part of an annual quarterly survey for the Field Research Team

View full tweet timeline »

Tags: 0.625m, Aircraft, Atmospheric, Civvie, Genesis, Jebediah, Kerbin, KSC, Liquid Fuel, Prop Engine, Success

Jun 12 2020

Operations Summary – Weeks of 5/25 – 6/8/20

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Early Morning Appulse (5/28/20) — Early Morning Appulse (5/28/20)
Duna and Moho share a close encounter in the dawn sky, moving past each other as Duna continues to rise while Moho sets. Eve is also rising, becoming visible again after passing through inferior conjunction with Kerbin

Minmus Occults Urlum (5/31/20) — Minmus Occults Urlum (5/31/20)
Because of its large 6° inclination (large because it's so close to us) Minmus wanders around the sky a lot an rarely encounters other nearby celestial objects. Despite Urlum's distance, its massive size still makes it appear rather large in comparison

Pink Sunrise (6/2/20) — Pink Sunrise (6/2/20)
Looking west from outside the Tracking Station as the sun finishes rising to the east and colors the clouds. Another beautiful day at KSC!

Asteroids of May 2020 (6/3/20) — Asteroids of May 2020 (6/3/20)
The highest amount in one month so far for the year at 12, but thankfully with no known impacts

North of the Wall (6/3/20) — North of the Wall (6/3/20)
Releasing a low-altitude KerBalloon while looking west back towards Kravass, which is behind the Wall. That the clouds seem to stop over the ridgeline of the mountain range known as the Wall is not a coincidence. This large terrain upthrust regularly acts as a frontal boundary and stalls or redirects weather coming from the polar regions, keeping the northern plains temperate

Alaba Orbital Update (6/8/20) — Alaba Orbital Update (6/8/20)
The trajectory after the latest encounter, No.40

Alaba Orbital Update (6/8/20) — Alaba Orbital Update (6/8/20)
The trajectory after the latest encounter, No.40

Alaba Mun Encounters 6/2020-6/2021 (6/8/20) — Alaba Mun Encounters 6/2020-6/2021 (6/8/20)
After increasing inaccuracies in the previous prediction made back in March, and new long-term propagation was created. However although it shows Alaba is no longer ending up thrown out of the system by the end of the year, astronomers are cautious of the 45th encounter, which will see a large change in eccentricity and argument of periapsis - a similar encounter is what began to throw off the calculations from March

Alaba Mun SOI Transits 6/2020-6/2021 (6/8/20) — Alaba Mun SOI Transits 6/2020-6/2021 (6/8/20)
The paths the moonlet will take as it passes by Mun over the next year

KSC Airport Diagram Rev2 (6/10/20) — KSC Airport Diagram Rev2 (6/10/20)
With the addition of a new runway, hangar complex and taxiways, the first half of a major renovation to support commercial/private aviation and provide a link to UmbargWith the addition of a new runway, hangar complex and taxiways, the first half of a major renovation to support commercial/private aviation and provide a link to Umbarg

Position and Hold (6/10/20) — Position and Hold (6/10/20)
A Deuce piloted by Commander Valentina and Captain Jebediah taxis out onto Runway 03/21 for departure, heading southeast to deploy dropsondes over a Kerblantic storm

VAB Integration Resumes (6/12/20) — VAB Integration Resumes (6/12/20)
After suspending operations for over two months for procedural reviews and assessment of integration processes workers are getting back to building Progeny and Ascension rockets with renewed vigor

1of12

View this album on flickr
View operations details »

Tags: Alaba, Ascension, Ascension Mk1, Ascension Mk1 Flight 13, Ascension Mk1 Flight 14, Ascension Mk2, Ascension Mk3, ATN, Bill, Bob, Deuce, Genesis, Jebediah, KBHigh, KBLow, KerBalloon, Progenitor, Progeny Mk7, Valentina

Jun 10 2020

Deuce Science Flight 19

Categories:

Mission Dispatch

After help from meteorologist Katgan to plot their route, Commander Valentina and Captain Jebediah deploy dropsonde probes over a storm system out in the Kerblantic for the Kerbin Weather Service

View full tweet timeline »

Tags: 1.25m, Aircraft, Atmospheric, Deuce, Genesis, Jebediah, Kerbin, KSC, Liquid Fuel, Prop Engine, Success, Valentina

Jun 05 2020

Low-Altitude Science Survey 58

Categories:

Mission Dispatch

With support from Kravass the crew takes on another UTV traversal, heading out to Sector P-7NG4 north of the Wall to gather data about the weather boundary the terrain uplift causes

View full tweet timeline »

Tags: 0.35m, 0.625m, Atmospheric, Fail, KBLow, KerBalloon, Kerbin, Probe

May 25 2020

Operations Summary – Weeks of 5/11 & 5/18/20

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Empty Blue Sky (5/8/20) — Empty Blue Sky (5/8/20)
Perfect weather greeted the low-altitude KerBalloon team as they released their payload to ascend to 16.5km

Rail Depot (5/11/20) — Rail Depot (5/11/20)
A high-capacity cargo link to the nearest cavern of Umbarg, which until now only serviced us by road. It will be responsible for moving cargo and also less-frequently passengers

Rundown Runway (5/12/20) — Rundown Runway (5/12/20)
Now that we have an alternate runway open for use, the original Runway 09/27 will be shut down to allow the surface to be repaired. We're not blaming anyone in particular for all the rough landings. They happen

Vant (5/13/20) — Vant (5/13/20)
This photo was taken shortly after the announcement of its discovery, when the orbit had been constrained enough to understand that we were approaching opposition and were at the closest point to get a good image. Ridgelines are evident on the surface in addition to its rather oblate shape. A few large craters may also pockmark its surface, which would of course not be in any way surprising given its location out in the Main Belt region of asteroids

Inner Tarmac from On High (5/15/20) — Inner Tarmac from On High (5/15/20)
Looking from the roof of the Horizontal Assembly Building towards the new inner tarmac hosting small hangars for kerbs flying in on private aircraft. This keeps them separate from the main campus and they can hitch a ride from here straight to the Support Village or rail station

Inner Tarmac from Down Low (5/15/20) — Inner Tarmac from Down Low (5/15/20)
The new inner tarmac hosting small hangars for kerbs flying in on private aircraft. This keeps them separate from the main campus and they can hitch a ride from here straight to the Support Village or rail station

Kablooie (5/16/20) — Kablooie (5/16/20)
keologists sharing data gathered from their various seismic/acoustic stations have finally allowed astronomers to pinpoint where the asteroid that buzzed us repeatedly earlier this month met its end. Triangulation shows it exploded about 16-20km above the surface on the 3rd pass

Alaba 38th Encounter (5/19/20) — Alaba 38th Encounter (5/19/20)
making its 2nd-closest flyby of this year only 566km above the Munar surface, the close pass will bring about a significant change in Alaba's trajectory. This is the key encounter that will set the moonlet on the path to be ejected at the end of the year, if predictions hold. The big change in trajectory will also be a big test for our modeling

R&D Campus Grounds (5/20/20) — R&D Campus Grounds (5/20/20)
Although more buildings could one day cover this ground, the open space also proves useful. The pristine condition is testament to the KSC groundskeepers, who have had to fill in craters, tend to burnt grass and smooth out tire tracks

Mun Phasing, Wax to 1/4 (5/21/20) — Mun Phasing, Wax to 1/4 (5/21/20)
Commander Valentina spent the last two years capturing Mun at the same time of day. The entire sequence covers about 1.5 months of time but due to weather and her astronaut duties she wasn't always able to make the captures

1of10

View this album on flickr
View operations details »

Tags: Ascension, Ascension Mk1, Ascension Mk2, KBHigh, KBLow, KerBalloon, Progenitor, Progeny Mk6, Progeny Mk7-B

May 12 2020

High-Altitude Science Survey 66

Categories:

Mission Dispatch

Hitching a ride with a deep-sea expedition to the northern sea, the release over Sector Q-0ZN5 for Tetragon Projects will gather data from the heights as opposed to the depths

View full tweet timeline »

Tags: 0.35m, 0.625m, Atmospheric, KBHigh, KerBalloon, Kerbin, Probe, Splashdown, Success

May 11 2020

Low-Altitude Science Survey 57

Categories:

Mission Dispatch

The longest overland trek to date using Utility Task Vehicles saw two releases, one each over Zone 88TN-K & Site WQ90-B to gather weather and atmospheric data for CTC Exploration

View full tweet timeline »

Tags: 0.35m, 0.625m, Atmospheric, KBLow, KerBalloon, Kerbin, Probe, Success

May 08 2020

Operations Summary – Weeks of 4/27 & 5/4/20

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Sunset at KSC (4/24/20) — Sunset at KSC (4/24/20)
Just a chillaxing view of the dusk sky with Mun hovering overhead

Eclipse Reveals Minmus (4/25/20) — Eclipse Reveals Minmus (4/25/20)
Not noticeable during bright sunlight, Mun covering up the glare allows us to spot Minmus also making a pass by the sun, but its inclined orbit doesn't always put it in front of the sun like Mun

Gilly Shadow Transit (4/26/20) — Gilly Shadow Transit (4/26/20)
Extremely rare when viewed from Kerbin, it's taken years for the right opportunity to present itself. Image was captured by the ATN Central 6m scope just after sunset. Left is an enlarged view of Eve, to the right is the true scale, with Gilly circled

Triple Appulse (4/28/20) — Triple Appulse (4/28/20)
Duna, Urlum and Jool all gather together in the late March night sky

Zoom Zoom (4/28/20) — Zoom Zoom (4/28/20)
A close approach of Duna, Urlum and Jool in the night sky viewed in the same field at 188.7x normal vision then blown up an additional 1000x on top of that. You can just make out Urlum's large moon Wal, which is actually a bit larger than Duna. Where is Ike? Currently in the shadow of Duna

On Hold (4/29/20) — On Hold (4/29/20)
A completed Progeny Mk7-B, the first to be built, awaits its debut launch while the booster for the second one awaits the rest of its rocket to be built. Delays to the mission are currently in effect in order to restructure the Progenitor program and ensure future mission success

Close Encounter of the Asteroid Kind (5/1/20) — Close Encounter of the Asteroid Kind (5/1/20)
Kerbs at the Kongo Research Station got notice of sonic booms from nearby acoustic sensors paired with seismic stations wired directly to the base. They got outside in time to spot an asteroid flying by - apparently this is its second known pass after a similar occurrence was recorded near Ockr a little over an hour previously

Close Encounter of the Asteroid Kind 2 (5/2/20) — Close Encounter of the Asteroid Kind 2 (5/2/20)
Published after the Kongo image but taken before, kerbs on the surface at the new surface colony site spotted the asteroid streaking overhead and got the image back to Ockr the next day

Asteroids of April 2020 (5/4/20) — Asteroids of April 2020 (5/4/20)
The fewest amount so far this year with the exception of January and a downward trend from February and March. One known impactor not shown

Runway 03/21 (5/5/20) — Runway 03/21 (5/5/20)
The new runway will allow for a crosswind option to Rwy09/27 and is also outside the range safety zone of the launch pad, allowing for any flights to land/depart during launch operations

New Alaba Trajectory (5/6/20) — New Alaba Trajectory (5/6/20)
On course still compared to predictions made back in early March after its 37th recorded encounter with Mun

New Alaba Trajectory (5/6/20) — New Alaba Trajectory (5/6/20)
On course still compared to predictions made back in early March after its 37th recorded encounter with Mun

1of12

View this album on flickr
View operations details »

Tags: Alaba, Ascension, Ascension Mk1, Ascension Mk2, Progenitor, Progeny Mk7-B

Apr 24 2020

Operations Summary – Weeks of 4/13 & 4/20/20

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Eve Eastern Elongation (4/13/20) — Eve Eastern Elongation (4/13/20)
Positioned at the same time each day, as viewed from KSC, you can see how the movement of Eve wanders thanks to its inclined orbit, and how its movement speeds up as it comes closer towards Kerbin

Just Another Star (4/15/20) — Just Another Star (4/15/20)
Dres, the smallest of the known bodies visible to the naked eye, doesn't have the visible coloring of the other visible planets and just looks like another star in the sky

Ascension Mk2 Static Display - Day (4/15/20) — Ascension Mk2 Static Display - Day (4/15/20)
The first rocket to deploy a payload into orbit and the payload itself - Kerbin I - join the first rocket to place a kerbal in space and the first rocket to reach space out on the KSC main lawn

Ascension Mk2 Static Display - Night (4/15/20) — Ascension Mk2 Static Display - Night (4/15/20)
The first rocket to deploy a payload into orbit and the payload itself - Kerbin I - join the first rocket to place a kerbal in space and the first rocket to reach space out on the KSC main lawn

Alaba Orbital Update (4/15/20) — Alaba Orbital Update (4/15/20)
The moonlet will begin to see significant changes to its trajectory as it encounters Mun on the ascending node vs the descending node, boosting its orbit outside of Kerbin's SOI but the end of the year

Alaba Orbital Update (4/15/20) — Alaba Orbital Update (4/15/20)
The moonlet will begin to see significant changes to its trajectory as it encounters Mun on the ascending node vs the descending node, boosting its orbit outside of Kerbin's SOI but the end of the year

Mun Ghost (4/17/20) — Mun Ghost (4/17/20)
So close to the sun during the day, you can almost miss seeing Mun in the sky unless you look very carefully, even when looking very closely

Hazy Morning (4/19/20) — Hazy Morning (4/19/20)
Fog off the ocean is a regular occurrence and is why we usually don't launch at sunrise, in addition to just having better visibility for post-launch video analysis

Moho Western Elongation (4/21/20) — Moho Western Elongation (4/21/20)
Never outpacing the sun much on its journey above the horizon, the time taken is when it is barely visible to the naked eye still ahead of sunrise

1of9

View this album on flickr
View operations details »

Tags: Ascension, Ascension Mk1, Ascension Mk2, Ascension Mk3, Progenitor, Progeny Mk7-B, Sorlon, Vant

Upcoming Events (UTC)

Next Launch
None Scheduled

Next Maneuver
None Scheduled

KSA Main Image Gallery

Latest Updates from Mission Control

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

we’ve also placed another order for K2-X engines. This latest Ascension Mk3 mission has shown we want to move faster than planned to the Mk4 so the thrust vector control version of the WildCat-V will begin development immediately and we will order more when that is ready

Thu Feb 18 11:57 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 2

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

a final round of static fires last week has completed the WildCat-V’s second qualification run & we’ll know for sure by next month if it is finally ready for production. If so, two will be ready by Q3 2021 for Extremis I and a Min/Minmus mission

Thu Feb 18 11:56 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 1

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

the Viklun upper stage will be systematically dismantled to help determine the cause of the flexing and what effect it had on the overall structural integrity of the rocket. The damage from splashdown will reduce these findings but hopefully the effort will still prove valuable

Thu Feb 18 09:37 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 1

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

onboard vid shows the pitch oscillations during the Ascension Mk3’s ascent were way worse than we imagined – the *entire rocket flexed* 😱 inherent structural issue? Could also be from the air pressure at the nose (think boat bow slamming up & down on hvy seas) from shallow angle

Tweet media

Thu Feb 18 09:36 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 5

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

when the Viklun stage splashed down the empty fuel tanks blew out, helping to alleviate impact pressure on the payload but fragments pierced the flight computer & damaged the flash memory. Onboard tlm data was lost but the ops log final mins were able to be pieced back together

Wed Feb 17 16:23 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 0

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

one of the things that led to the win was research done by KSA scientists to prove that asteroids contain mineral wealth which could greatly alleviate the need for surface mining. We are committed to working on a system of space resource gathering for deployment later this decade

Wed Feb 17 13:41 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 1

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

here we can say we are actually working closely with Monolithic followers to protect Kerbin’s pristine environment that developed after the asteroid strike. A major victory was won today in court with a 5-year moratorium established against surface mining

Wed Feb 17 13:40 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 1

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

the KSA has been involved for the past two years, led by a legal team put together by Lead Scientist Cheranne, in helping environmentalists to fight against companies looking to incorporate with the purpose of mining the surface of Kerbin to extract raw materials

Wed Feb 17 13:39 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 1

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

some Ascension Mk2 bit.ly/KSARecords have now been claimed by the Mk3:

(previous record)
Heaviest Rocket Launched, Minus Payload: 19.862t (17.5t)
Heaviest Payload Launched, Orbital Trajectory: 1.662t (767kg)
Tallest Rocket Launched: 16.782m (16.212m)

Wed Feb 17 10:40 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 0

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

at this time we do not know the nature of the threat or the time frame, but given that we have suffered an attack in the past (kerbalspace.agency/?p=9965) we have no choice but to take this seriously & deal with the relatively minor inconvenience compared to a potential loss of life

Tue Feb 16 17:58 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 2

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

there is also now apparently a threat against KSC and we have complied with orders from the government security forces earlier today that the entire facility be evacuated. We will continue to operate at limited capacity from our HQ in Umbarg until the threat has passed

Tue Feb 16 17:57 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 2

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

the original plan to develop a 1.25m TVC vacuum engine was put on hold to instead work on the 1m vac engine suitable for payloads and also because our experience with the Progeny Mk7 made us want to get more TVC engineering data from the Mk8 for a fully TVC Ascension Mk4 by 2022

Tue Feb 16 14:22 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 4

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

in putting together the Ascension Mk3 mission report timeline (kerbalspace.agency/?p=11619), since it is the first, we go all the way back thru the rocket’s development as well. That reminded us of this tweet outlining the Mk3’s design goals. What happened to the TVC vacuum engine?

Tue Feb 16 14:21 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 0

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

the Viklun stage & Kerbin III have been transported via rail back to KSC after arriving in port at Umbarg on Sunday. We still have to confirm that Kerbin III remains fit for flight but visual inspection looks good. Entire Viklun stage will need to be rebuilt but that was expected

Tue Feb 16 11:12 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 0

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

we are working on a full launch video but here is a look at initial ascent and booster drop from the ground tracking cam atop the Tracking Station & cam atop the crew tower. Bonus to upper-stage recovery is that we will get high FPS video from the booster camera for once!

Tweet media

Mon Feb 15 12:13 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 6

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

our crew did not miss the launch and are excited to one day ride this rocket up into orbit. Several years ago they didn’t know for sure if they’d even get to take a ride up into space yet! The final frontier is broadening bit by bit…

Sun Feb 14 16:57 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 3

Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl

post-launch operations wrapping up with the final booster heading back to the VAB where it will be inspected with the others before being shipped back to Periapsis Co. in Umbarg for refurbishment. Rocket should be back at KSC by Tuesday

Sat Feb 13 18:45 EST 2021

🔄 0

❤️ 2