UNITY XVII TAKES THE FIRST KERBAL INTO ORBIT

KSP - Year 3, Day 185

Another achievement was met this week after Bob Kerman became the first Kerbal to orbit our world. A new twin-engine launch vehicle, a single-stage rocket named Osprey, was built just for the job. After Unity XV and XVI proved successful in testing, Unity XVII was the one to put the first Kerbal into orbit one-hundred kilometers above the surface of Kerbin.

 The new Osprey IA launch vehicle that took the first Kerbal into orbit. The rocket is the most massive created yet and remains in orbit after the capsule separates

Unity XVII launches Bob Kerman into orbit around our planet

Unity XVII reached orbit at T+06:26 and managed three orbits over two hours before returning to Kerbin. The service-and-thruster module attached to the back of the capsule was upgraded to contain more batteries to cope with the longer duration of space flight. Basic orbital maneuvers were carried out during the time, but the main objective was to keep a Kerbal in sustained space flight. This ensured the astronaut could carry out piloting operations over longer periods of weightlessness.

A painting of Unity XVII in orbit with its upgraded Thruster-and-Service module

The mission proved to be a success throughout and Bob splashed down safely after two-hours and fifteen-minutes after launch.

'I have to say that I wasn't over fond of the launch.' said Bob Kerman in an interview.  'Or re-entry for that matter. The new rocket was a bit more wobbly than I would have liked at first. But the time in space was quite rewarding.'

SECOND KERBAL IN SPACE A SUCCESS

KSP - Year 3, Day 167

More cheers erupted around the KSC as Bill Kerman became the second Kerbal in space. The mission was much the same as the first with Jebediah, except manual control of the capsule was undertaken to test the response of the vehicle and whether a Kerbal can successfully operate the craft in space. Not only were all goals accomplished, but this time the mission went to plan. Jebediah's trip into space on Unity XIII became a fight for life after his rocket didn't fly on the trajectory intended, causing a near-fatal re-entry angle. Bill, however, enjoyed a better flight and the capsule splashed down near its intended landing site.

Artists depiction of Unity XIV blasting off to space atop the Falcon launch-vehicle

Unity XIV left our atmosphere and separated from its launch vehicle where manual maneuvers were carried out. The capsule reached an altitude of 108km, which was much tamer than Unity XIII's near catastrophic 180km. During the thruster testing, Bill was also able to snap a unique shot of the Falcon booster that took his capsule above the atmosphere. It made a good target to aim for to prove successful handling of the vehicle.

An enlarged image of the booster as taken by Bill during a thruster test. Kerbin's oceans make the background

A grand view of Kerbin from the capsule window

In an interview, Bill said:

'This mission proved that Kerbal's can operate tasks and control our vessel in the weightlessness of space. I'm pleased I did what I did, but I am glad to be back on the ground.'

A delay in the manned project is suspected as a new launch vehicle is under testing. The next step of this phase is to put a Kerbal into orbital flight. The Falcon launch vehicle that has been used in the Unity project so far is only capable of sub-orbital flight, so a new rocket is under development to handle the next manned mission.

JEBEDIAH BECOMES THE FIRST KERBAL IN SPACE!

KSP - Year 3, Day 155

A day that no Kerbal will ever forget was celebrated yesterday after Jebediah 'Jeb' Kerman became the first Kerbal in space. The Unity XIII capsule was taken above our atmosphere on top of a Falcon single-stage launch vehicle. The entire flight lasted just over thirteen minutes, and only a few of them were spent in space. Control of the capsule was automated, so Jeb was just along for the ride.

Artists impression of the Unity XIII capsule in space

'No one knew for sure what the effects of weightless would have on a pilot,' said Gene Kerman, the Flight Director, in the interview after. 'So we needed to keep control of the craft down here. But we are thankful to say that the tasks Jeb was asked to perform in space were successful.'

The mission was a sub-orbital flight. Although the capsule went into space, it did not orbit Kerbin. Instead, it came straight back down and only seven minutes of the flight were in space. But this was enough time to monitor the effects of space on the astronaut.

Unity XIII lifts of and carries the first Kerbal into space

'It feels absolutely fantastic,' said Jebediah in the interviews. 'It is such a privilege to be the pioneering Kerbal for this program. The view was just incredible and the thrill was immeasurable. When the craft turned around for re-entry, I got a brief view of our world and it was only then I realised where I was. No one has seen what I have seen. I cannot wait to go again.'

During his mission above the atmosphere, Jeb managed to take a few photos of the view from the capsule. This resulted in the first images taken by a Kerbal from space.

Jebediah's first look at space from the small window of the capsule

The brief glimpse of Kerbin that Jeb saw

Jebediah was constantly filmed with a live video feed back to Mission Control

The mission was not without it's glitches, however. During launch, the rocket did not pitch over quite as much as it should have. This meant the capsule went a lot higher than planned, with a peak altitude of nearly 180km. It was supposed to be no higher than 130km. This resulted in a dangerously steep re-entry curve and the thrusters had to be used to slow the craft as much as possible before re-entry. Luckily, this worked. But the capsule did suffer damage when nine-and-a-half G's were measured during re-entry. The usual G-force load is seven. When asked, Jeb just replied:

'Well, it was Unity Thirteen. It was expected to go wrong!'

Despite the higher re-entry speed and subsequent damage, Jeb suffered no injuries and the parachute deployment system operated successfully. However, because the splash-down location moved due to the launch error, rescue ships took longer to reach the capsule. Thankfully, they arrived to find the pilot in good health.

Bill Kerman is to be the second Kerbal in space. It is expected that a near-identical mission will be carried out, except manual control of the space craft will be attempted.

PHASE TWO OF PROJECT: UNITY COMES TO A CLOSE

KSP - Year 3, Days 86-141

The second phase of Project: Unity came to a successful close earlier as Unity XII parachuted back to our oceans. This phase of the project tested the new Falcon launch vehicle's sub-orbital flight capabilities as well as the all-important Command Pod that will be home to the pioneering Kerbal's during their trip into space.

Unity VIII through to Unity XII were included in this phase. The tests proved that sub-orbital flight was achievable and all necessary maneuvering was possible with the thruster-pack of the capsule. Re-entry was also successful.

Unity XI launches for advance maneuver testing

There were, however, two failures. Unity VIII was aborted from the launch vehicle at T+01:41 after the rocket pitched over too heavily and began to tumble. Although it leveled out, the mission was unrecoverable. At the very least, it was a perfect opportunity to test the LES on a fully-live mission. Thankfully, the capsule splashed down safely. Unity IX also experienced failure when the jettisoning of it's thruster-pack was heavily delayed. Then it's parachute deployed too early after re-entry and tore from it's housing, sending the capsule crashing into the ocean. This was the only Command Pod not to be recovered from this phase of the project.

Unity XII splashes down and will be the final unmanned flight

Unity XI and XII practiced advance maneuvering while in space before re-entering. These both returned safely and closed out the second phase of Project: Unity. The next launch will be the first manned flight.

PHASE ONE OF PROJECT: UNITY COMPLETE

KSP - Year 3, Days 28-73

For the first part of this this year, the staff at the Kerbal Space Center have been working through Phase-One of Project: Unity. This part of the Space Program will not only see the first Kerbals in space, but will also carry out some complex manned maneuvers that are necessary steps for sending Kerbals to the Mun.

'The first phase of Project Unity is safety,' said Gene Kerman, the Flight Director that has been in the public eye right from the beginning. 'Because there are some very different and complex elements to this project, it has been broken down into three phases. The first phase has tested out a 'Launch Escape System', which is vital equipment that will pull the pilots' capsule to safety if they should run into trouble. There are quite a few tests this kit needed to be put through to make space flight safer. And I'm pleased to say that we now have a working escape system.'

There were a total of six flights that put the Launch Escape System (LES) through various situations. These ranged from a static launch-pad firing right through to a full mid-flight abort. Unity I was perhaps the most simplest of tests and just proved that the system was able to carry the new Mk1 Command Pod off the ground.

Unity I sat at the launch pad ready to try out the new LES

Unity I at launch. The LES managed to pull the new Command Pod three-hundred meters into the air at an acceleration of 3g's

Unity I parachutes safely back to the ground

Fourteen days after the first test, the project continued with the launch of Unity II. This time, the Command Pod sat on top of a new launch vehicle named Sprite. This solid-fuel rocket booster was last seen during the R-Series vehicles three years ago. They have now made a return as a testing platform for these initial stages of the project.

Unity II sat on the launchpad ready for a static test atop the new Sprite booster to simulate a launchpad emergency

Unity II makes a successful separation and parachutes safely back to Kerbin

Unity III was when things started to get more interesting. This would see the project have it's first live launch and put both the Command Pod and the LES through their paces. Mounted on another Sprite launch-vehicle, Unity III took to the skies. Once the booster was out of fuel, the LES would then attempt to pull the Command Pod away from the rocket. At an altitude of nearly nineteen kilometers into the air, the LES was activated and achieved the goal successfully. The Command Pod also parachuted back to the ground, allowing scientists to recover the valuable data and prove that the capsule can survive a ground-landing from high altitude.

Launch of Unity III using the Sprite LV. The rocket went on a simple straight-up trajectory

Unity IV was much the same test as Unity III, except this time the launch was set to fly over the ocean. This test would ensure the LES could pull the capsule away at more horizontal attitude as well as test the capsules buoyancy in the water at splashdown. All elements of the test proved to be a success.

Unity IV ready for launch on it's horizontal abort test

An impressive shot of Unity IV at launch as it heads out to Booster Bay

The next test phase saw the Unity V capsule mounted on top of the awaited Falcon launch vehicle. This is a liquid-fulled booster and is a modified version of the Union first-stage. This rocket variant will be the model that will send the first Kerbals into space. Even though the LES had proved itself successful, it still had to be tried on the much more powerful Falcon rocket. The main difference is the abort would take place mid burn. A system would trigger the engine to shut down at the moment the LES is operated to pull the capsule away. Although this was successful, the shape of the capsule made it tumble violently over during the abort sequence. Even though this proved the aerodynamics of the capsule were working, medical staff had concerns over the speed at which this occurred. The Pod, however, was successfully recovered from the sea.

Unity V launches on top of the new Falcon launch vehicle

The final test in the first phase of Project: Unity saw a repeat of Unity V. However, the RCS system on board of the Command Pod was activated before the abort to see if it would reduced the effects of the capsule-tumble during the abort operation. There was not much difference, but the medical teams were content that a dizzy head was better than a fatal crash.

Unity VI closes out the first phase with a successful splashdown in Booster Bay

Phase-One of Project: Unity is now complete. Future Kerbal astronauts can sleep safe knowing that there is a successful launch system that will pull them to safety during launch should trouble arise. Phase-Two will start soon and will be the unmanned sub-orbital launch tests to ensure the Command Pod functions as it should when in the vacuum of space.

PROJECT: UNITY - UNVEILED

Today saw the start of a new project. Named Unity, this will be the phase of the Space Program that will see the first Kerbals into space. The project has been broken down into three separate phases. The first will be the testing of a new Command Pod that will carry the first Kerbals to space, and Launch Escape System (LES). The LES will pull the command pod away to safety if anything should go wrong with the launch. The second phase will be full dummy-runs of getting the command pod to space. From there, phase-three will put Kerbals above our atmosphere.

Six Kerbals have already been selected and trained for the project. Jebediah Kerman, a long-suspected contender, is expected to lead the way as the first Kerbal in space. Five others will follow him on more demanding missions as the project progresses. Each astronaut is expected to fly at least twice.

The crew of 'Project: Unity' pose for a publicity shot. Between them is a model of the new capsule that will take them into space.

From left to right: Bob, Bill, Jebediah, Charlie, Tomdun and Lanmore

'This will be an intense project,' said Gene Kerman at the press conference. 'Phase-One and Two will be unmanned testing. It won't be until Phase-Three that we put the first Kerbals into space. And that is just the start. From there, the challenges are an upward gradient. But they are vital steps that must be accomplished before we can even think about reaching out to the Mun.'

Phase three is planned to consist of thirteen manned flights. The first manned flight will leave Kerbins atmosphere while the last manned flight is said to be two simultaneously crewed capsules performing a docking procedure in orbit. This seems to be a tall order with so few steps between the start and the finish. Sources say that twenty-five capsules have been ordered in total for the project.

Testing is due to begin soon. But the manned flight is really what we should look forward to.

CELESTIA PROGRAM SUMMARY

The staff at KSP can look back at their second year into the Space Program with much pride. A total of sixteen vehicles were launched through the Celestia program, eleven of which were successful and with six still operating today. Six probes, eight landers and two rovers left the boundaries of Kerbin to explore the Mun. One even returned to us. Great streams of data have been sent back, stunning images have been captured and a plethora of tests have been conducted.

A chart showing information about the vehicles launched in the Celestia project

'Outstanding.' said Gene Kerman at the closing conference of Project: Celestia. 'We have achieved everything we set out to do. First we reached the Mun. Then we landed on it and orbited it. Then we advanced our landings with heavier vehicles carrying much science equipment. After that we landed, and then took off again. The next probe took that a stage further and actually returned to Kerbin with Mun samples. Now we are roving around it's surface. And to finish it off, we have two advanced orbiters doing different but equally important roles that will see us through to the next phase. It's a great time to be a Kerbal!'

Six of the vehicle are still operating, which consist of two landers, two rovers and two orbiting probes. It is expected that the landers won't function for much longer. The rovers are planned for a year of operation, but this is expected to run longer. The orbiters, however, could last well up to a decade.

The impact and landing sites of the various Celestia vehicles

The success of the mission also goes to the launch vehicles that took the probes there. Currently supplied by DAA Aerospace, three launch vehicles were used: Houndstone C-2A, Union A-2A and Union A-2B. The C-2A vehicle was only used once. It wasn't entirely understood how difficult it would be to get to the Mun, so one of the most powerful rockets available was used. With that data, DAA Aerospace was able to fine tune their latest launch vehicle, the Union A-2A. Later, the Union A-2B was used for the final three missions. This modified version sacrificed it's RCS, losing a lot of it's maneuverability and fine course correction, to save weight so heavier vehicles could be sent to the Mun. At this stage of the project, developing a new launch system was not a cost-effective solution when simple modifications to existing equipment was enough.

The three launch vehicles used. The Union A-2A and Union A-2B are virtually identical in appearance

The Celestia program has achieved all the required testing thought to be needed to prove that Kerbals can indeed land on the Mun and return to Kerbin safely. The announcement of the next project is expected in the next few days.

CELESTIA PROGRAM COMES TO AN END

KSP - Year 2, Day 358 - 361

A trend seems to have set in with the Celestia Project at the KSC. Recently, two nearly identical rovers were launched and are currently exploring the surface of the Mun. Now, two identical probes are observing the Mun from above. Things seem to be happening in pairs. What's more, these two vehicles have made more history for the Space Program: they are the final chapter in Project: Celestia.

Celestia XV and XVI were launched days apart, much like the two rovers. Except these two vehicles have very different missions. Celestia XV has become our eyes-from-afar, orbiting the Mun at a distance of 150km to take images and measurements at a distance. Celestia XVI, however, orbits at a mere 10km above the surface. What's more, Celestia XVI is in a polar orbit, so that it can image almost every part of the Mun as our satellite rotates. This also makes the probe the first craft to orbit a celestial body in a polar-fashion.

Celestia XV is painted here, but both probes are identical

Celestia XV has replaced the aging Celestia VIII, which had been in orbit around the Mun for three-quarters of a year. However, the probe was nearly out of fuel and carried a dated camera system. Celestia's XV and XVI have a much higher-tech imaging system that will bring back high-quality images for better study of potential sites in preparation for future landings. After a few days of proving Celestia XV's operation, Celestia VIII was de-orbited and crashed into the Mun's surface. However, during it's decent, the probe took some images.

Celestia VIII's final moments. From left to right, the altitudes are 20km, 5km and 2km

'It was sad to see Celestia eight go,' said one of the project leaders. 'But technology has progressed and we needed a much better platform to conduct our experiments from. The probe was almost out of fuel, anyway. But fifteen and sixteen have already sent back some incredible information and have been designed to operate for a very long time.'

Some of the images sent back from the two probes have been spectacular already. With Celestia XV looking from high above, and XVI skimming the surface, the two have taken some jaw-dropping images.

A high-resolution Mun shot from Celestia XV, which is orbiting 150km above the surface of the Mun. This is the clearest image of the Mun to date.

Amazing views as Celestia XVI captures this view of Kerbin from the Mun's north-pole

The polar regions tell a much more chaotic story than the smoother equatorial plains

Detailed surface imagery to help select future landing sites is Celestia XVI's primary goal

With the Celestia program now officially at a close, the staff at the KSC are now focusing their efforts on putting Kerbals on the Mun.

'We still have a very long way to go,' Gene Kerman said. 'The Celestia Program has just scratched the surface of what we are yet to achieve. The work starts now. The Celestia craft have proven that vehicles can reach, orbit, land, maneuver and take off again from the Mun and return safely to Kerbin. Putting Kerbals on there and getting them back again is a whole other board game. There are dangerous but exciting times ahead.'

We tried to catch Jebediah Kerman, but he was unavailable for interview due to heavy training commitments. That tells us that the next phase of the the Kerbal Space Program is well underway. We look forward to it.

HORIZON-ONE ENCOUNTERS EVE

KSP - Year 2, Day 336

Another first has been achieved when Horizon I, which left Kerbin fifty-three days ago, swung past Eve. It was the first probe to encounter another planetary body. Staff at Mission Control cheered as the probe sent back close-up images of our closest planetary neighbour.

An artists depiction of Horizon I passing the planet Eve

It was truly amazing to witness a never-before-attempted mission roll out so successfully on the first attempt. Four correction burns of the probes thrusters over a period of eight days ensured that Horizon would pass in front of the planet to capture it's day-lit side.

Horizon I takes a snap-shot of Eve is it enters the planets gravity-well

'Instruments detected the moment when the pull of Eve's gravity became more influential than our star's. This shift happened forty-one days after launch.' Gene Kerman stated. 'The probe traveled for more than a day after that encounter before it reached it's closest point. And intsruments suggested that the gravity of Eve is far stronger than that of Kerbin. But there is still much data to go through.'

Perhaps the most striking features are what appear to be silvery oceans on the surface. It was thought that Eve would be too close to our star to have liquid water on it's surface. Any water should evaporate into the atmosphere.

Six images taken by Horizon I as it swung by the planet Eve

The images clearly show what looks like liquid oceans on the surface along with an unmistakable giant crater. It is already theorised, due to the locations of the 'oceans', that a super-giant ice-comet is responsible for depositing the liquid after impacting the planet. This perhaps happened quite recently and has temporarily cooled the planet, explaining why the liquid is present on the surface.

'Maybe we were wrong about the planet being too hot,' Gene said when asked. 'Or perhaps a large body of ice crashed into the planet, sending temperatures plummeting enough to cool the planet so water can exist on the surface for hundreds or even thousands of years. It would be Eve's version of an ice-age. Except the planet isn't cool enough for ice to form, so steam in the atmosphere turns to water. Like I say, there is still a lot of data to go through. The next step would be to put a probe into orbit that can study Eve over a long period. We might even find that these oceans are plains of solid crystal for all we know. Perhaps a lander might be considered so we can get readings first-hand from the surface.'

A colour-enhanced image shows Eve in a more true-to-life appearance

Horizon I has undoubtedly raised more questions about the planet than it has answered. At it's closest point, the probe passed Eve at an altitude of 765,000km, where instruments detected that the gravity pull was already two-and-a-half times stronger than the surface of the Mun. Eve is slightly bigger than Kerbin, and is now thought to have much stronger gravity and a thicker atmosphere. Huge interest has been sparked in the scientific community and there are already buzzes about the next mission to the planet. Some people are wondering whether the planet contains life if there is liquid water present. This, however, will be left for future Horizon missions to answer.

Horizon turned it's camera to take one last image of Eve before it ran out of fuel 

Eve's sole tiny and rocky moon, Gilly, was also captured up close for the first time

Horizon I sent it's final stream of data back eleven days after passing the planet. The probe is now in a permanent orbit around our star after it spent two days within Eve's influence. It ran out of fuel shortly after leaving the planet. It's systems were shut down and communications terminated earlier today after nearly fifty-four days of operation.