"The Mission"

The Sarnus Mission

This page is intended as a place for me to document each stage of the mission. I hope to have photographs of each piece, and a small explanation for every image.

Stage 0: Design, Assembly and Shakedown

Stage Status: Complete

Unfortunately, pictures from this phase are extremely limited. But here are shots of each completed vehicle and it's associated launch package. These are the final products, so the numbers you see are accurate for the ships on the mission itself. More info about these ships can be found on the "The Spacecraft" page.

The Creep herself was launched in 2 pieces. An upper section with the station, comm sats, map sats and the Kingfisher. And a lower section, made of the 2 rocket packages for departure and arrival. These were assembled in space at an altitude of 100km. Once complete, the Nightengale and the Sandpiper were flown up and docked by Chazz, Kal and Darcy Kerman.

Then began a 130 day refueling and shakedown flight for the Creep, testing each of it's systems for basic functionality. Four refueling flights were launched from KSP to fully fuel the ship. The final maneuver was a full burn of the Creep's engines, which transferred the ship from its assembly orbit to it's launch orbit (Altitude: 750km). Then a final fueling ship was rendezvoused to top her off and bring the rest of the crew aboard.

Stage Itinerary:

1. Launch spacecraft components and assemble - Complete
2. Pre-flight testing - Complete

Notes from Kal: This was months of trial and error, as well as testing and redesign. I chucked a probe out there to test solar panel functionality and learned that I needed generators. I figured out that the inner moons were so light on gravity that I needed a custom ship to land on em. The 1st entire design for the Creep was scrapped after almost 40 hours of design. Etc, etc...

The engineering and design work is my favorite part of KSP. I try to build ships that are balanced and well refined, and this was an excuse to take that too far (or just far enough?).

Stage 1: Departure from Kerbin

Stage Status: Complete

The H.M.S. Scope Creep officially departed on Year 8, Day 190 of the founding of the Kerbal Space Program. She launched from the dark side of Kerbin at an approximate altitude of 750km with no issues or complications. The engines had to be brought online slowly in order to stabilize the craft as she burned through just over 1,220 metric tonnes of liquid fuel and oxidizer, effecting nearly 2,390m/s of velocity change. The Creep's intrepid crew were in high spirits during the departure burn, peaking out at just a hair over 1 gravity under full thrust.

Stage Itinerary:

Departure - Complete
- Starting Orbit
  - Body: Kerbin
  - Altitude: ~750km
  - Semi-Major Axis: ~1,350km
  - R.Inclination: ~0.0 degrees
  - Eccentricity: ~0
- Pilot: LCDR Chazz Kerman

Notes from Kal: This stage of the mission went precisely according to plan. The engines fired and caused a bit of destabilization in the overall ship, but the reaction wheels set up to counter this did their job admirably. It took almost 12 seconds to get her up to full thrust. I didn't expect anything to go wrong here as this was just a single burn, and the rockets had already been tested. Still felt good though.

Stage 2: Transit and Arrival at Sarnus

Stage Status: Complete

The 6.5 year journey to the ringed planet was mostly uneventful for the crew of the H.M.S. Scope Creep. Many a game of checkers were played. The separation of BigPolarOne and the mid-course burns of both craft took place approximately 1.5 years in to the flight as planned, and was celebrated on board with champagne and balloons that were smuggled on board by Katie Kerman.

Arrival at Sarnus occurred on year 6, day 251 of the mission. The capture maneuver went precisely as expected for both spacecraft. BigPolarOne burned at full thrust for 8 minutes and 41 seconds, effecting 1,485m/s of velocity change to bring it to its planned capture altitude of 8.5Mm from Sarnus. The Creep on the other hand effected 1,327m/s of velocity change in 69 seconds, subjecting the crew to a peak of only 2.1 Gs of force at full thrust and low fuel. Timing, and a subsequent spend of 525m/s of velocity change brought the Creep in to her final parking orbit at 750km above the moon Eeloo.

Stage Itinerary:

Separation of P.S.C.P. - Complete
Mid-course maneuvers - Complete
Arrival of P.S.C.P - Complete
Arrival of H.M.S. Scope Creep - Complete

Notes from Kal: This was textbook, just like I planned it. I was shocked to be honest. The BigPolarOne module worked flawlessly, and the Creep's insertion stage had just the right amount of thrust for the job. Fuel levels were within my safety margin with 121m/s to spare.