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.'
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