January 03, 2014
The Kerbetheus Program
I dare to dream.
The goal of the Kerbetheus program is to test the boundaries of this first generation of rockets, to learn what they can and can't do, and at the same time to prepare our astronauts, engineers, and scientists for the more serious challenges ahead. The flights of the Kerbetheus program will take us to the edge of space repeatedly, and we will fly over and land on all the various areas of Kerbin in the process. We'll get lots of wonderful photos to sell as posters to be tacked against the wall of every young boy on Kerbin, and we'll get calibration data for our scientific instruments, so that we can understand the readings when we finally get to orbit and beyond.
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I will not let fear limit me.
I will go where no Kerbal has gone before.
I am Jebediah Kerman, and I am an astronaut of the Royal Squirrel Patrol Space Force.
Now that I've gone to the edge of space and come back alive, intact, and as sane as I ever was, it's time to get the Kerbetheus program going in earnest.
All the Kerbetheus missions will be using the same capsule, but the engineers are continuing to develop the launch platform. For the Kerbetheus II mission, they've attached a pair of the original Kerbetheus I rockets to the side of the core launcher, and then for good measure added another two fuel tanks to the core. The engineers assure me that they whatever I may have seen on the mockup, the real rocket is not held together with duct tape, chewing gum, or baling wire. Still, I'm going to be cautious with the throttle.
At launch, as the thrust builds up below me, I can feel the rocket sway under me. They may not have used duct tape, but whatever they did use, I could wish it was more rigid. But as I push the throttles forward, the rocket steadies under me, and with the extra engines, the thrust is dramatic. It's not long before I'm pulling the throttles back again to keep my airspeed on profile. Even after the outside engines run out of fuel, my speed continues to rise, as the air gets thinner and the rocket gets lighter at the rate of several tons per second.
We're dozens of kilometers above Kerbin when the rocket finally burns out. The next step is for me to initiate staging, which is when the rocket splits into two pieces. On purpose. The engineers assure me that this is a good thing, but deep down inside I'm still not sure.
As before, even after the engines have quit, the capsule continues to rise. It goes on for much longer this time, or maybe it just seems that way, since this time my breakfast isn't distracting me. I knew I should have had the hash browns again, but the bacon and eggs was too tempting. I perform the mystery goo observations, then look outside the portal as Kerbin gets smaller below me, the truth of it's roundness made obvious.
As I approach 100 kilometers above the surface of Kerbin, it's time for another dramatic first, and I release my safety harness, unlatch the capsule door, and climb out into the void of space. I cling to the ladder for a few seconds, then with a deep breath, let go and drift away from the capsule. I really, really, really hope that my rocket pack works.
Fortunately it does, and after a few moments looking at the milky way, it's time to get back inside for the long fall back to Kerbin. This time, the rushing of the wind is joined by a deeper roaring, and the portal is lit up with flames, as the bottom of my spacecraft burns off as we hit the air at tremendous speed. I'm really regretting that I didn't have the hash browns now.
But I land safely within sight of the KSC, and as the recovery trucks come for me I enjoy the memory of my brief walk in space, another first for Kerbal kind.
Posted by: TheSquirrelPatrol at
07:08 AM
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