After a fueling incident damaged it, the rocket was repaired and reflown to get student experiments up into the radiation belts. The final Mk6 mission unfortunately failed to meet objectives but may have helped to make a new discovery
Tag Archive: Kerbal Sounding Project
Jan 20 2021
Progeny Mk6 Block II Flight 4 (Kerbal Sounding Project 7)
Dec 18 2020
Operations Summary – Weeks of 12/7 & 12/14/20
Minmus Next to Mun's Shadow (12/5/20)
Although we've featured numerous photos of Mun and Minmus sharing the sky together this is a bit different as its shadow passes by Minmus during a kerbolar eclipse over KSC
Off to the Pad (12/7/20)
A Progeny Mk6 Block I makes its way slowly from the HAB out to the launch pad, passing behind rather than in front of Launch Control in order to have an easier time turning towards the pad
Aligned and Ready (12/7/20)
A Progeny Mk6 Block I rocket waits for launch, aimed southeast to avoid the inner radiation belt as it travels through space. It will easily clear the lighting towers although it is not directly pointed at any of them
Progeny Mk6 Block I No.17 (12/8/20)
Carrying student experiments up into space for the Kerbal Sounding Program, launching to the southeast to avoid the inner radiation belt, following the same flight path as the 4th rocket of this type back in 2018
Thin Blue Shield (12/10/20)
That's the atmosphere, all 70km of it, protecting us from the harshness of space. Incredible
Celestrial String (12/13/20)
The four brightest plants Eve, Jool, Sarnus and Moho visible well into the dawn light, with Mun up top for good measure
Topping Off the Top (12/14/20)
A tanker truck pumps fuel and oxidizer up into the tanks atop the third stage of the Progeny Mk6 Block II as it undergoes a wet dress rehearsal in readiness for launch
Perfect Launch Weather - If Only... (12/15/20)
Looking down at KSC (yellow dot) the space center sits near the middle of a high-pressure region bringing clear skies but due to tanking issues yesterday that resulted in an explosion damaging the rocket, there will be no Progeny Mk6 Block II launch today to close out 2020
Nov 06 2020
Operations Summary – Weeks of 10/26 & 11/2/20
Final Stacking (10/26/20)
The payload for the fourth and final Progeny Mk7-B is lifted atop the rocket in the HAB to check loading prior to laying it horizontal for final checkouts and loading up onto the carry vehicle
Dawn Over KSC (10/26/20)
We just wanted a nice cover photo for our Around KSC Album. Taken from the hills west of the space center
Staring into the Abyss (10/27/20)
While on the dark side of Kerbin we turned Kerbin II's camera to face out into deep space and a long exposure captured our home nebula in stunning detail
the Kerbal Sounding Project returns to end the year with some sub-orbital rocket missions carrying experiments designed by advanced level students!
An exciting addition to this year's KSP launch lineup is a flight on a Block II to send back data from high up in space
Moho Transit February 2020
Moho's ascending node is near its perikelion, or nearest distance from the sun, which means transits at this point take the shortest. Each position shown is an hour of movement. The sun rotates a good deal in this time but the current surface shown is visible during the transit. Mun was actually in the process of moving off the sun after an eclipse, its position is shown at the start of the transit
New Topper (10/28/20)
This final Progeny Mk7-B will carry aloft an actual payload to test a prototype small satellite probe core that could be put into orbit by the Mk8 in 2021
Progeny Mk7-B No.4 (10/29/20)
The final flight of the Mk7-B was the first to use pre-flown hardware with its first stage solid rocket motor being the same one that launched the first one in August. This is a major step forward in reusability and lowering launch costs but there is still a long road ahead
Second Recovery (10/29/20)
Dropping into the bay north of KSC, which is just over the horizon, this booster that came off a Progeny Mk7-B rocket was the first previously-flown engine to be re-used in flight
Luciole Bot Probe Deployment (10/30/20)
Sent off from the payload truss atop a Progeny Mk7-B yesterday, which was rotating just enough after MECO that the camera was able to see over the 0.35->0.625m adapter cone as it drifted away. This was the first test for the probe that could be launched into orbit in 2021 on a Mk8
Moho Transit November 2020 (11/2/20)
Moho's descending node is near its apkelion, or furthest distance from the sun, which means transits at this point take the longest. Each position shown is an hour of movement. The sun rotates a good deal in this time but the current surface shown is visible during the transit
Over Into Darkness (11/3/20)
Kerbin II transitions from day to night, crossing the terminator, looking towards the south pole hoping to catch sight of any aurora but kerbolar activity seems to be at a low currently
50+ Progenitor Launches (11/3/20)
At the time of this image the count is at 53 however we don't include the Mk1-B air launch in the above collage and the early Mk1 launches were repetitive and we did not photograph them all. So there is actually 50 photos in the collage
Rockets & Planets (11/5/20)
The western sky just after sunset over the Rocket Garden on the main KSC lawn is dominated by three of the brightest planets Eve, Jool and Sarnus (the fourth being Moho, currently to the east at sunrise). You almost miss Duna between Eve and Jool
Asteroids of October 2020 (11/5/20)
10 known space rocks came whizzing through our SOI this month and 2 of them didn't make it back out. This is very good considering the month began with 8 expected encounters
Dec 20 2019
Operations Summary – Week of 12/16/19
2019 Year in Review - Surface Ops (12/16/19)
A look at all the release locations for KerBalloon missions. Still mostly relegated to our own hemisphere due to comms issues, satellites in 2020 could change that and open up more exploration in the eastern hemisphere
Parked for Rollout (12/16/19)
A marshal positions the Progeny Mk-6 Block I carry vehicle, ready to squeeze past the Mobile Launch Platform and head for the launch site at the start of tomorrow
Sunrise Touchdown (12/18/19)
A Deuce piloted by Commander Valentina and also carrying Captain Jebediah and Kerbin Weather Service meteorologist Katgan comes in for a landing after flying from Sheltered Rock and investigating a storm over the Kerblantic that could pose threat to a rocket launch later today
Space Awaits (12/18/19)
Final preflight checks get underway for a Progeny Mk6 Block I rocket looking to lift off at the next sunrise
Progeny Mk6 Block I No.15 (12/18/19)
Launching from the North Field allowed us to place the camera way back and zoom in to catch the rocket flying up into the sky in front of the rising sun without the VAB and other KSC buildings getting in the way
UYO-577(E) Radar Images (12/19/19)
Some choice photos of the large asteroid that tumbled by over head of Arekibo Radio Observatory, which used its active radar to bounce radio signals off the rock to capture its humps and lumps as it tumbled by
2019 Year in Review - Atmospheric Flight (12/19/19)
All flight paths and stats from the past year of aircraft operations
2019 Year in Review - Crew Report (12/20/19)
A look at what all crew members accomplished over this year
2019 Year in Review - Rocket Flight (12/20/19)
An overview of the rockets and missions that flew this past year
2019 Mission Cadence (12/20/19)
A monthly breakdown of missions performed for various programs throughout the year. For the first time since 2016 we've gone a full calendar year with no months lacking missions
Dec 13 2019
Operations Summary – Week of 12/9/19
Towards the Dawn (12/8/19)
Captain Jeb takes a photo from his seat in the cockpit of a Deuce as they work their way east over the Kerblantic towards the coming day
Above the Storm (12/8/19)
At 6km ASL the crew of the Deuce make ready to dive into the thick of a low-pressure system to capture valuable data about the storm while it is active
Rolling On Out (12/9/19)
The Progeny Mk6 Block I for tomorrow's mission heads for the launch site with the mounting vehicle, tanker truck and crew shuttle following behind. The shadow of the service towers is visible on the VAB doors in front of which is parked the Mobile Launch Platform
Spectators Arrive (12/10/19)
Shuttle buses are seen here leaving the Support Village and carrying visitors over the causeway to KSC so they can view the upcoming launch
Progeny Mk6 Block 1 No.14 (12/10/19)
The third in a series of 4 launches that will carry student-designed and built experiments up into space
Zosimus Pass #4 (12/10/19)
In what turned out to be it's last pass, the debris of the asteroid likely rained down somewhere along this track as it has not been spotted back in orbit in the days since
Mount Kermon (12/11/19)
On the way to the Sheltered Rock region, Captain Jebediah lets the autopilot do its job while he snags a photo of the highest mountain in the KSC region
SRG Afar (12/11/19)
Flying south of Sheltered Rock General airport, seen off in the distance, a passing Deuce is on its way to investigate a storm north of the mountains, hidden over the horizon and behind the tall peaks
Mountain Sunset (12/11/19)
The sun begins to dip behind the mountains of Sheltered Rock as seen from a Deuce belly cam at 6km
Stack It Up (12/12/19)
The final rocket for 2019, a Progeny Mk6 Block I, is being vertically stacked to test load bearing elements. To the rear workers get Ascension Mk1 & Mk2 parts ready to move to "center stage" next year for final assembly
Radiation Study (12/12/19)
The aurora that can be found near the north and south poles are formed from charged particles striking the upper atmosphere after being funneled down along the lines of the magnetic field, which creates a belt of radiation that affects even the surface at high latitudes. This balloon will ascend to 25km to measure these changes in radiation
Radiation Data (12/13/19)
a plot of rad levels collected during the balloon's ascent. The rad increase should be more linear but since the balloon is drifting south towards the edge of where the outer radiation belt meets the atmosphere the increase starts to fall off
Nov 29 2019
Operations Summary – Week of 11/25/19
Dry Desert Air (11/24/19)
A high-altitude balloon begins its ascent to 26km from near the middle of the Great Desert
Zosimus (11/24/19
a newly-captured Class-A asteroid that will eventually crash or burn up after multiple passes through Kerbin's atmosphere
Zosimus (11/24/19
a newly-captured Class-A asteroid that will eventually crash or burn up after multiple passes through Kerbin's atmosphere. Although it appears to impact the planet, the scale of the figure is making it only appear to do so
Zosimus (11/24/19
a newly-captured Class-A asteroid that will eventually crash or burn up after multiple passes through Kerbin's atmosphere, as you can see here by the dotted line
Backseat Driver (11/26/19)
Specialist Bill is aboard with Commander Valentina and Captain Jebediah to test out a new instrument console that will read out data gathered from wing instruments and allow Bill to tell the flight crew where to go to collect the best data
Tracking Station (11/27/19)
The three 7m dishes help us stay in touch with vessels that have been launched, and in the future satellites on orbit They can communicate effectively out to Minmus. Right now between launch campaigns they are undergoing maintenance and calibration
Slate Orbit (11/28/19)
The view from around Sarnus, with Slate above and Eeloo near the rings. Slate is only 60km smaller than Kerbin. This is an artist rendering in our Kerbin Relocated imagery series
Alaba Trajectory Update (11/29/19)
Changes to its orbit after the 29th encounter continue to match predictions made back in October
Alaba Trajectory Update (11/29/19)
Changes to its orbit after the 29th encounter continue to match predictions made back in October
KSA Main Image Gallery
Latest Updates from Mission Control
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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)
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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?
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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!
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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…
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
@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
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