Tag Archive: ATN

Nov 17 2017

Operations Summary – Week of 11/13/17

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Kerbin Relocated: Tylo Orbit (11/12/17)
Tylo, a moon of Jool, happens to be the exact same size as Kerbin so we wondered what it might look like if that was our home in space instead. This visualization shows how big the sun, Jool and Laythe (another moon of Jool) would appear in the sky

Bop's Elusive Shadow (11/14/17)
With an orbital inclination of 15° around Jool, the second-smallest moon Bop does not always pass between Jool and the sun to cast its shadow down upon the cloud tops. Ironically it's too small to resolve at this resolution

Alaba - 58 Encounters by Month (11/14/17)
A more detailed look at all the orbits after this moonlet passes through Mun's SOI multiple times, broken down into months

Alaba - 58 Encounters by Year (11/14/17)
A look at all the orbits after this moonlet passes through Mun's SOI multiple times, broken down into years

Empty Roof (11/15/17)
Our Tracking Station no longer sports a dish atop its roof. Taken down, it will be re-installed on the ground about where this photo was taken to allow all three dishes to form an array to capture extremely faint radio signals from deep space

Umbarg Radio Tower (11/15/17)
Located on a high hill just southwest of Umbarg this 160m tall radio tower serves as an important link on our communications, as it allows us to reach a good ways around the Western Mountains seen in the distance - located north of Umbarg. Ground cables from Umbarg let us use this tower as a communications relay

The Sky Beckons (11/16/17)
Unfortunately with both of our pilots out of commission the aircraft will not be taking flight today, which is a shame being it's the first stretch of decent weather for a few days now

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Tags: Alaba, Ascension, ATN, Block I, Civvie, Genesis, Jebediah, KBLow, KerBalloon, Progeny Mk5, Progeny Mk5 Block I Flight 3, Valentina

Nov 14 2017

Alaba Orbital Propagation Report

Categories:

News

Initial plot of orbital propagation

The Asteroid Tracking Network discovered a new companion of Kerbin last week as the asteroid originally designated KUH-563(C) flew through Mun’s SOI while scopes were keeping a close eye on it for just such a passage. A few days later after more observations to nail down its orbit the Kerbin Astronomical Society made the formal announcement of the new moonlet, dubbed Alaba, which is ancient Kerbskrit for “second child”. Technically this is the 5th detected moonlet of Kerbin but in relation to our only other current companion Chikelu, the name fits.

The observed orbit of Alaba showed that it had to have been a resident of the Kerbin system for several weeks to several months already. The eccentricity of its current orbit is 0.46, which is too small to be an original capture orbit. Over several encounters with Mun the asteroid has slowly developed a smaller and more circular orbit. How many? We don’t know and probably never will. The fact that it’s been around for a while though does make one wonder what else might be nearby we haven’t spotted yet!

After the initial orbit was locked down the data was plugged into the trajectory analysis tool we use here at the KSA to determine how Alaba would behave on future Mun encounters to try and predict its eventual fate. A captured object like this has three options: crash into Kerbin, crash into Mun or get ejected back out of the system. After 58 more encounters is looks as if Alaba will eventually smash into the southern hemisphere of Mun in early 2021.

Read detailed trajectory analysis »

Tags: Alaba, ATN

Sep 01 2017

Operations Summary – Week of 8/28/17

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Sun & Clouds (8/29/17)
Flying in a spiral up over the Kerblantic just east of KSC for a contract, Captain Jebediah used the wing cam to snap this photo - off in the distance heavy clouds higher up cover the far highlands in shadow

Cloud Speckled Grasslands (8/29/17)
Captain Jebediah pilots a Civvie towards the Western Mountains where he plans to gather some meteorological data on his way out to the West Shore Desert

Looking West (8/29/17)
Facing towards the West Shore Desert, looking out over the mountains, highlands and grasslands that makeup the landscape inbetween. Far off to the left in the south is a large extinct volcano

Taxiing Along (8/29/17)
Specialist Bob was on hand to snap a photo of Captain Jebediah as he taxied back towards the parking area outside the Horizontal Assembly Building after landing

3 Dishes (8/29/17)
Off in the background our third tracking dish stands completed. It will be commissioned over the next two months and when it is ready to assume the duties of the roof dish that one will come down and be placed on the ground as well so all three form a triangle. They will then be used together at times to gather data from deep space probes

Northward Bound (8/30/17)
A UTV column departs KSC for a KerBalloon launch site to the north. The pathfinder vehicle leads carrying the most non-essential equipment so it is the first to encounter trouble and warn the rest of the column. Extra fuel and supplies are carried to the rear and the KerBalloon itself with the majority of essential equipment is in the center

Mk5 Boosters (8/30/17)
Built to match a certain thrust profile, all these boosters will burn the same & we will be adjusting coast times and throttle on the 3rd stage to make changes to our ascent

Sundown (8/31/17)
Great weather over KSC, but 90km to the north a team waiting for clear skies to launch a high-altitude KerBalloon is not having the same luck as us

False Alarm (8/31/17)
A slight panic ensued when researchers at the R&D building failed to notify KSC emergency services (or anyone outside the department, really) that they would be venting a lot of smoke from an experiment today

Off Into the Blue (9/1/17)
After two days of waiting, a relatively clear patch of sky over the launch site allows the KerBalloon team, including Specialist Bill, to release their high-altitude balloon for its journey 24.9km into the upper atmosphere

Clouds? No Problem (9/1/17)
A low-altitude KerBalloon is launched from aboard a Maritime Service Vessel off the coast as the sun rises. Hardier than the higher-flying variant this balloon will only travel as high as 16.5km but can tolerate harsher weather conditions during its ascent. View is looking north towards KSC

Three's Company (9/1/17)
Currently the only grouping of planets in the sky, these three will continue to mover closer and closer over the coming months, although their various inclinations will not allow them to occult each other

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Tags: ATN, Genesis, KBHigh, KBLow, KerBalloon, Progenitor, Progeny Mk5, Progeny Mk5 Flight 1, Remises

May 12 2017

Operations Summary – Week of 5/8/17

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

UTV Rollout (5/8/17)
All three of our Utility Task Vehicles are heading out from KSC on their ~150km overland journey to the area where the Civvie will drop a KerBalloon for ascent. They will track and recover it after it lands

Civvie Ready for Deployment (4/8/17)
Parked at the front of the HAB, the Civvie Production model awaits Captain Jebediah, while the Prototype sits parked out on the tarmac. In the background you can see parts for the first Deuce prototype are starting to be processed

Over the Mountains and... Over Some More (5/8/17)
On this mission Captain Jebediah knew he would have trouble carrying a KerBalloon unit over the mountain pass straight out from KSC if he didn't climb hard. He also began to pump fuel out of the nose tank as soon as he departed to help keep his climb angle as aggressive as possible. He made it over on the first try

Flying Level (5/8/17)
Although the nose is pitched way down (by around 3-4° here), the high natural Angle of Attack of the Civvie's wings means this is how it looks flying level at 100m/s

Darkness Falls (5/8/17)
Looking to the north from the top of the VAB towards where 3 UTVs are still out roving through the wilderness looking to make it home not too long after night fall, traveling through more familiar territory

KSC Ho! (5/8/17)
Specialist Bill leads the column of UTVs on their long trek back to the KSC, now visible off in the distance over the bay after topping a ridge out in the Highlands north of the campus. Almost home!

Mun and Minmus (5/9/17)
Hanging out together, framed by clouds. Fun fact: if their distances were swapped, they would appear to be almost the exact same size in the sky

First LF/O Engines (5/9/17)
At last, after months of development the very first Liquid Fuel/Oxidizer engines have arrived to be integrated into our Progeny Mk4 rocket. We have high hopes that these engines push us into space at last!

Deep Space Network (5/10/17)
These sites around Kerbin will host astronomical observatories built over the next 3-4 years but we can harness their large radio telescopes to communicate with any spacecraft far beyond the Kerbin system

Bon Voyage! (5/10/17)
Bill wishes Bob a safe journey to deliver two KerBalloon units to contract locations to carry out high-altitude science surveys. Bill says he isn't one for any sort of travel that involves leaving solid ground. Yea we are interested to see how that plays out in the future...

KerBalloon Launch (5/10/17)
Although conditions do not look ideal, the crew says to the south the skies were perfectly clear, however moderate seas seen in this photo were a harbinger of things to come and the clear skies may have just been the proverbial calm before the storm. Worsening sea conditions and engine trouble ended up with a loss of the payload after splashdown

Making a Runway (5/11/17)
Weather circumstances have forced us to create a new turf runway that runs North/South in just a few short hours. While heavy tractors run up and down the designated area to flatten and compact the ground, trucks with light towers search around for any rocks or other debris to remove

Civvie Old, Civvie New (5/11/17)
For the last time, the two Civvies stand side by side as Captain Jebediah prepares to board the prototype model for a 500+km cross-country journey north to the newly-constructed Kravass General Airport, where it will be disassembled & moved to the Air History Museum in Kravass City

Away She Goes (5/11/17)
For the last time, the Civvie Prototype departs from KSC, doing so along a newly-constructed north/south runway due to high winds from the south as a storm approaches. It got out just in time!

Kravass General Airport Tarmac (5/11/17)
Parked at Kravass GA, Val joins Jeb in posing for one last photo in front of the Civvie Prototype. Jeb will fly back home in the newly-constructed Civvie in the background while Val stays behind to continue training new pilots

Kravass General Airport (5/11/17)
Nestled within a bowl, surrounded by ridges, the runway of this airport is sloped 3°, which can make for challenging takeoffs and landings. The road seen connects to a tunnel that leads to Kravass City

Pad Check (5/12/17)
With a new dawn and the passing of a storm that walloped Cape Kernaveral over the past few days, a check of the Progeny launch base is carried out to ensure no damage was done

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Tags: ATN, Civvie, Genesis, Progenitor, Progeny Mk4, Progeny Mk4 Flight 1

May 10 2017

Deep Space Network Sites Chosen

Categories:

News

Over the next 3-4 years we will be working with the Asteroid Tracking Network and the Kerbal Astronomical Society in addition to several companies and private investors to set up 4 new observatories around Kerbin for both optical and radio astronomy, which will also assist us in communicating with spacecraft beyond the Kerbin system. The first, which is already about to begin construction this month after several delays, will be the massive Arekibo Radio Observatory that will reside in the uplift island in the center of Sea Ring Crater. With a dish 200m in diameter (originally planned to be only 180m) it will be the foremost radio telescope on the entire planet and dedicated entirely to this form of astronomical observation. Although it sits in a huge bowl that cannot be moved, the receiver apparatus itself can be translated, allowing it to cover more sky than simply straight up. Arekibo is planned to become operational in mid-2018

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Tags: ATN

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Apr 28 2017

Operations Summary – Week of 4/24/17

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Home Sweet Home (4/22/17)
The recovery team from the latest mission to launch a KerBalloon finally makes it back to KSC after traveling more than 430km round trip, having to camp out in or near the rovers and being gone for almost 16 hours. They are ready for their comfy bunks!!

Eve & Duna Appulse with Friends (4/22/17)
Duna & Eve move close in the dawn sky with Sarnus below and Dres above

Back to the Old (4/24/17)
While the Civvie Production model undergoes some maintenance, the Prototype picks up the slack, seen here taxiing out under the control of Commander Valentina to carry out a science mission

From the Cockpit (4/24/17)
the Civvie Prototype was being well-behaved in calm air and since Commander Valentina didn't need her hands on the stick at all times, she managed to snag a photo from inside the cockpit

Final Approach (4/24/17)
The Civvie Prototype seen on final approach, taken from just offshore, aboard the small boat we have on standby during all Rwy27 approaches in case something goes wrong and the aircraft has to ditch in the water. The roof of the VAB is just visible also

Bouncy Bouncy (4/24/17)
Commander Val has had just as much trouble as Captain Jeb adjusting between the varying flight characteristics of the Civvie Prototype versus the Production model. Here in the Prototype she landed a bit hot and hand to bounce a few times to kill enough speed to finally settle into a roll out

Eve & Sarnus Appulse (4/25/17)
Although they will be closer in a few hours, this is the best shot Commander Valentina could get from KSC before the sun rose

Eastern Sunset (4/25/17)
Looking over the KSC campus from Building B in the Support Village as the sun sets to the west, putting on just as good a show to the east if you ask us

Planets at Dawn (4/26/17)
From the top down we have Duna, Sarnus, Eve and Urlum

Deuce Parts - Assemble! (4/26/17)
Over the next month the engineers and technicians in the Horizontal Assembly Building will assemble our first Deuce aircraft, aiming for trials at the start of June

Progeny Mk3 No.4 (4/26/17)
Once again the VAB has constructed a Progeny Mk3 rocket in our continuing bid to breach the barrier to the upper atmosphere

Below the Clouds (4/27/17)
Fortunately days like today don't have an affect on flying since at 6km the clouds are above the altitude our aircraft can fly currently, enabling visual flight rules

KSC from 4.5km (4/27/17)
Out flying a mission over the Kerblantic but within easy reach of land should any engine trouble arise, Commander Val snapped this photo coming about on a wide turn to head back to the center of a research area to continue taking temperature measurements

Awaiting Launch (4/27/17)
Mounting the rocket a day prior so we can launch early, rain threatens to sweep through the area. This should present no problem to the rocket - in theory. We will monitor it throughout the night to ensure no issues arise due to the inclement weather and expect it to clear come launch time

Double Appulse (4/28/17)
Duna & Sarnus hang out overhead while Eve & Urlum get together below. Just above the horizon Neidon makes its dawn appearance as well

The Night Before (4/28/17)
the sun sets on another day cycle & will rise again to signal the launch time for the 4th Progeny Mk3 rocket in its bid to reach the upper atmosphere

Clear Dawn Launch (4/28/17)
Could we have asked for better weather? Not really. Clear skies, little to no wind... dare we say - perfect!

Good Recovery (4/28/17)
Tracking the payload since the chute opened at 6km, the recovery boat was able to be waiting close by as it came down to the water, after which it zipped in and snagged the payload out by the chute before it could sink too far

Launch from the Lymun (4/28/17)
On station 4km offshore and slightly to the south to avoid falling boosters, the Maritime Service Vessel Lymun monitors the eastern range and provides payload recovery services for KSC launches. Here a crew member took a photo of our fourth Progeny Mk3 after it had expended its first stage booster

REN-161(C) Plot (4/28/17)
Discovered on its way out of the system, astronomers project that it came roughly 6.96 Munar Distance from Kerbin at its closest approach

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Tags: ATN, Civvie, Deuce, Genesis, KerBalloon, Progenitor, Progeny Mk3, Progeny Mk4, Remises

Mar 24 2017

Operations Summary – Week of 3/20/17

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Sunset w/ Crescent Mun (3/18/17)
Commander Val was up late for some stargazing and witnessed the final sunset of the day. She found the crescent Mun high overhead a nice excuse to capture the full height of the VAB while also the sunset to the west.

Rocky Runway (3/20/17)
In the weeks since flight operations ceased due to not having any craft capable of flying the runway has fallen slightly into disrepair and will be given some TLC over the course of a day to ensure any landings don't flip an aircraft due to a pothole

Duna Nears Conjunction (3/20/17)
Seen at maximum zoom through Commander Val's telescope, Duna is now 5.6x smaller than it will appear later this year when we approach closest to it at opposition. She plans to compare the sizes with a photo then, in late July

Civvie Production Model (3/21/17)
Our brand-new design of the Civvie single-engine general aviation aircraft sits on the tarmac in front of the Horizontal Assembly Building where it was rolled out earlier this morning. It will undergo its first flight trials this day

Civvie Production 1st Takeoff (3/21/17)
After a successful roll down the turf runway 27 at full power the Civvie lifts effortlessly into the sky for its maiden flight under the command of Captain Jebediah Kerman

Civvie Production 1st Landing (3/21/17)
Returning home, Captain Jeb brings the Civvie in for a decent landing, made difficult only because lack of pitch authority meant he had trouble keeping the nose up near stall speed to put all three wheels down at the same time. He made it tho!

Two Thumbs Up! (3/21/17)
Captain Jeb after exiting the new Civvie Production model says the test flight was "incredibly awesome" and shortly after went into the HAB to shake the hands of all the program engineers. "Still needs some tweaks," he said later, "but overall a solid aircraft"

Progeny Launch Base (3/22/17)
With its pitch now adjusted to 6° the launch base for the Progeny rockets has been moved back out to the launch pad ahead of the next scheduled launch to take place this Friday

Half of Eve (3/22/17)
The inner planets Eve & Moho are the only ones we can see go through phases as they orbit around the sun. Here is Eve as it begins to pull further away from us and around to the other side of the sun, showing more and more of its surface to us since the transit of 2/22

Progeny Mk3 #2 (3/22/17)
All stacked with fins adjusted for a slower spin rate, the second Progeny Mk3 rocket is ready to be loaded up onto the lorry tomorrow and be rolled out to the launch pad the following day assuming launch readiness checks turn out okay

BTS-121(D) Break Up (3/23/17)
Entering over the Kongo River region this large asteroid thankfully broke up high in the atmosphere and rained down smaller debris over a 250km swath of land, forming many small craters several hundered meters wide, starting a few small fires and overall localized devastation but no regional impact event

Civvie Production Model Flight Test #2 (3/23/17)
Engine started and ready to taxi, Captain Jeb will take the Civvie back up for more flight tests to hopefully certify it ready for science missions and other tasks required of it by the KSA. We've re-mounted the outboard cameras as well

Civvie Production Model Flight Test #2 Data Analysis (3/23/17)
The wide wing design and light weight of the Civvie combine to give it an impressive glide capability - in a stall even! Despite the throttle at idle and the nose pitched up continuously throughout the stall period, the Civvie never sank at a rate faster than the landing gear are certified to withstand. This means that if the aircraft's engine were to ever fail, it should be able to land safely without power

Rocket Rollout from Above (3/24/17)
Specialist Bob setting up his camera atop the VAB for the launch later today caught site of the rocket lorry carrying the Progeny Mk3 out to the pad

Progeny Mk3 (3/24/17)
Ready for pre-flight, the Progeny MK3 stands 11.1m tall when mounted to its launch base

Sun Rise Before Rocket Rise (3/24/17)
A Progeny Mk3 rocket stands tall on the launch pad as the sun rises behind it

Progeny Mk3 Flight Termination (3/24/17)
After flying too far south out of the predetermined ascent corridor the rocket's 3rd stage booster was detonated while the payload was still attached causing the entire rocket to be lost

Progeny Mk3 Launch #2 (3/24/17)
The astronauts all stood atop the VAB to witness the second launch of the 3-stage Progeny MK3 rocket off the pad

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Tags: ATN, Civvie, Genesis, Progenitor, Progeny Mk3, Progeny Mk3 Flight 2

Feb 10 2017

Operations Summary – Week of 2/6/17

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

Double Double Jool Transit (2/4/17)
Taken at dawn, Cdr Val's scope couldn't zoom in any closer and also track the fast-moving planet at the same time for a photo. Still, you can just barely make out the fact that Vall is actually casting its shadow on Laythe while Laythe casts its shadow (and a bit of Vall too) on Jool.

Ghostly Mun (2/4/17)
Seen through a bank of high-altitude clouds, a nearly-new Mun is barely illuminated enough to make out, but after initially thinking you're staring at a blank image it will pop out at you

279 Asteroid Orbits (2/6/17)
Pink lines represent Kupier Belt Objects in the region of Plock/Karen. Purple lines represent Centaurs in the region of Urlum and Neidon. Green lines represent Trojans that follow the orbit of Jool. Brown lines represent Main Belt Asteroids that reside in the region of Dres. Red lines represent Near-Kerbin Objects that cross the orbit of Kerbin and thus are at risk of impacting it. Blue lines represent comets. Orange lines, hard to see here in the region of MBA and NKOs, represent Inner-system asteroids knocked out of the asteroid belt and into highly elliptical orbits by Jool (and Sarnus, to some extent)

Partial Eclipse (2/6/17)
Taken by an astronomer friend of Val's up at the surface above Sheltered Rock City, this is all the eclipse they get up at 27°N latitude

Progeny Mk3 Payloads (2/7/17)
All three payload bays of the Progeny Mk3 rockets are complete and ready for their science instruments, which will be installed once the rest of the rocket stack is complete and ready to be mated to the payload to finish up the rocket. This delay in integration is since we share instruments between programs, so this allows us to keep them available for other uses.

Umbarg Bay (2/7/17)
The mouth of the bay seen at sunrise looking north towards KSC. Off to the left are the docks that cater to vessels sailing out from Sheltered Rock or Kravass. Being the only underground city with direct access to the water, it has the biggest port of any city.

BDN-506(C) Plot (2/8/17)
Discovered as it was heading out of the system, it doesn't look like the average-sized rock passed anywhere near Kerbin on its way through

Green Asteroid (2/8/17)
Passing through the outer edge of the Kerbin system, BDN-506(C) was discovered just in time to get relatively decent images of it before it moved out of optical range. While astronomers have known for some time there are asteroids giving off weird spectral signatures they didn't expect to find such an obvious coloration.

Magenta Asteroid (2/9/17)
Astronomers got a good look at another asteroid with an odd spectral signature that swung past Kerbin at only 805km although the closest our largest telescopes were able to see it for this image was at 19,780km distant. Still, it was enough to see that parts of this asteroid, for some reason, are magenta (or purple, if you prefer).

New Mun (2/9/17)
Mun is in this picture, taken from the surface over the northern-most underground city of Ockr (located at 34°N latitude). However this is too far north for Mun to cover any portion of Kerbol so it is simply hidden in the blinding glare of the sun

HAZMAT Tube (2/10/17)
Until the airborne contagion that seems to have struck down many of KSC employees is identified, kerbs are restricted from going outside & must remain in climate-controlled buildings. A sealed access way was provided between the Astronaut Complex and Mess Hall so kerbs wouldn't have to suit up to cross the short distance then be decontaminated on the other side

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Tags: ATN, Civvie, Genesis, KBHigh, KBLow, KerBalloon, Progenitor, Progeny Mk3

Feb 10 2017

Third Moonlet of Kerbin Captured… by Kerbin?

Categories:

News

Today the Asteroid Tracking Network revealed that a third moonlet had been discovered in one of its sky surveys and after several nights of study astronomers have determined its orbit well enough to declare their findings. The new moonlet, which was designated by the ATN as ICX-922(A) is the smallest object yet to be captured, massing in at a mere 101.790t, or 0.08% the mass of DGU-266(B) and 0.0007% the mass of Meeny (which is a Class-C asteroid). The circumstances under which this object were captured are only theorized, given that it did not involve the usual suspect, Mun. In the case of both Meeny and DGU-266(B) (naming suggestions are still being taken!) Mun got in the way of their trajectory through the Kerbin system and as it passed them it pulled at them with its gravity, slowing down their velocities enough to remain in orbit around Kerbin.

The leading theory among astronomers is that ICX was traveling leisurely along when Kerbin caught up from behind, causing the asteroid to fall back and around Kerbin while also being carried along, so when it left Kerbin’s SOI it also got a boost, or assist, from our planet’s velocity. But the exit from Kerbin’s SOI may have been more of a “lob” than a “throw”, and the asteroid shortly fell back towards Kerbin but this time it was moving faster and the slower movement of Kerbin dragged its velocity back down far enough that when it was lobbed back out, it didn’t quite make it all the way this time. The apokee of ICX’s highly elliptical orbit rises to 83,495km, which is just 664km short of the SOI boundary.

ICX will undergo much more study in the months to come, and astronomers see no reason why it would be going anywhere anytime soon given that it can’t interact directly with Mun. The Kerbal Astronomical Society will be in charge of selecting a name, although it may decide to go to the public once again.

Tags: ATN, Chikelu

Feb 03 2017

Operations Summary – Week of 1/30/17

Categories:

Behind the Scenes, News, Operations Summary

After the Storm (1/29/17)
Weather always seems to be so much nicer the day after a storm

BSZ-694(B) Plot (1/29/17)
It's questionable whether this asteroid will make it to the ground in any shape or form but at least any remains that do manage to make it through the atmosphere will fall in a region that has also seen an impact event of a larger asteroid just a few hundred km to the southwest

Civvie Construction (1/30/17)
Progress continues at a good pace for getting the first production-model Civvie into service. The heavier more crash-tolerant prototype can be seen parked in the background, pulled into the hangar to escape a strong windstorm that blew through the past weekend

Progeny Mk3 Payload (1/30/17)
Like all other Progeny rockets before it, the Mk3 is build around a 0.325m payload truss upon which rests the Telemetry Data Unit, battery and payload instruments. The second fairing will be attached once the instruments are added late in the integration since we share them among various programs. The Z-60 battery pack is a new addition that will power the rocket on its longer trajectory

Doom Rises (1/31/17)
It's easy to understand how ancient kerbals could see this sight and fall to their knees to pray that the sky gods not end their world. The darkened sky reveals Jool and Moho above

Pre-Dawn Inspection (1/31/17)
Captain Jeb needs a little help from a flashlight to complete his walk around inspection of the Civvie Prototype prior to climbing into the cockpit to begin his preflight. You can just make out Jool and Moho close together above the horizon

East Departure Turnabout (1/31/17)
Winds dictated a takeoff from Runway 09 but since he had to head north Captain Jeb swung around westward to stay over land and then followed the shore to the north

Belly Up (1/31/17)
Captain Jeb flipped the Civvie much the same way Commander Val did on its maiden flight back in 2016. The final approach to Runway 09 is rather treacherous as the hills west of KSC can sneak up from underneath. Jeb had this same problem on his first landing attempt last year but used a parachute to descend safely. This time he had no chance to react. Thankfully his approach was slow and he walked away with minor injuries only

Inner Planets Feb-Mar 2017 (2/1/17)
This is how far each of the inner planets will travel for the month of February

Data Error (2/1/17)
Most of the photos pulled from the outboard cameras after a crash of the Civvie on landing were corrupted to various extents

Mt Kermon Ho (2/1/17)
Looming far off in the distance is the giant dome of Mt Kermon, an extinct volcano that keologists think once caused one of the largest eruptions in Kerbin's history several hundred thousand years ago

Sinkhole (2/1/17)
A naturally-formed sinkhole sits a little southeast of Mt Kermon where the land collapsed into an underground cavern, now also filled with water. Sometimes that whole basin is filled with water after heavy rains, which slowly drains into the cavern and through an unmapped underground river system

Mt Kermon East Face (2/1/17)
Banking from westward to southward looking at the steep face on the east side of Mt Kermon, which broke off in a massive landslide at some point in ancient times

Jan 2017 Asteroids (2/1/17)
We were passed up and struck by several asteroids this month, all of which are plotted here in this graph. The plots are drawn as if Kerbin has no surface, which is why you don't see any impact trajectories that don't also head outbound

The Moonlets of Kerbin (2/2/17)
Both Meeny and the newly-found companion DGU-266(B) are seen here orbiting Kerbin.

Dual Civvies (2/3/17)
The Production Model seen in the foreground now has all its control surfaces attached and will start with another round of wiring and cabling to get everything hooked up internally. The Prototype in the background has been stripped of its damaged parts and will now undergo airframe integrity tests to ensure the rest of the aircraft is still flight worthy after its accident

Progeny Booster Assembly (2/3/17)
The Mk1-A and Mk1-B boosters that will form the second and third stages, respectively, are undergoing assembly in the VAB to get as far ahead as possible before the final first stage Mk3 boosters arrive later in the month so everything can be put together and made ready for launch

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Tags: ATN, Civvie, Genesis, Jebediah, Progenitor, Progeny Mk3, Progeny Mk3 Flight 1

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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

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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

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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

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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

Thu Feb 18 09:36 EST 2021

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

Mon Feb 15 12:13 EST 2021

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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

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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

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Tag Archive: ATN

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