February 2017

Mark Three Rockets Into Space

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Once again, the sun rose over the Kerbal Space Center, causing the buildings to cast long shadows across the grounds. Standing alone on the pad, the Mark Three vehicle seemed to be eager to prove to all of Kerbin what it could do. A test bed for numerous new technologies, it was clear that this day would witness a number of firsts.

Jebediah Kerman (no relation) had prepared himself for the journey ahead. A veteran of both the Mark One and Two flights, he had done this part of the routine countless times in training, and twice he had strapped into the capsule before it’s booster was ignited casting him skyward. This time would be different, however- if things went according to plan, he would go faster and higher than any Kerbal had ever done before, actually reaching a point where there was no more air at all. Then it would return back to Kerbin, bringing with it a valuable payload of science. Keep Reading

Mark Three to Launch Today

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Kerbal Space Center announced that they will be attempting to launch the Mark Three mission early today, a mission that will test out many new technologies, and if all goes well, will propel Jebediah Kerman (no relation) into the inhospitable vacuum of space.

As always, CommNetNews will be there, and will give you the full details. Further details on the Mark Three vehicle and mission objectives can be read here.

Mark Three Update

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Today the Kerbal Space Center announced the move of the Mark Three vehicle to the launch pad, and that the Mark Three will be piloted by the now veteran Jebediah Kerman (no relation).

Once again, the Pad Move Team performed their usual fine work and the Mark Three vehicle now stands on the pad, undergoing an extensive checkout and verification. Keep Reading

Mark Three Flight and Vehicle announced

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The Kerbal Space Center announced it’s next mission in the Mark Program, the Mark Three flight. This is the first flight since President John F. Kerman (no relation) delivered his lofty goal of a Mun landing. To achieve this goal, great strides are going to have to be made in space flight, and the Mark Three launch is the next great stride to be taken.

Standing more than three times taller than the Mark One and Two vehicles, the Mark Three will be testing out multiple new technologies developed at the Research and Development Department of the Kerbal Space Center (see our coverage here). The goals for the Mark Three launch are also bold, foremost hoping to get a Kerbal into outer space, a region where the air pressure drops below measurable levels, around seventy kilometers in altitude. Keep Reading

JFK Proposes Bold Challenge for Space Exploration

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Yesterday, President John F. Kerman (no relation) gave a passionate speech at the Kerbal Academy, outlining a bold set of goals for the fledgling space program. In no uncertain terms, he called upon all Kerbals to support, before this decade is out getting a Kerbal to the Mun and, if possible, returning him alive. It set out a remarkable goal for the exploration of space, on a timeline that seems impossible.

For readers unaware, the Mun is a large satellite orbiting Kerbin. It is mostly grey in appearance, with craters of various sizes dotting its otherwise smooth surface. It is the large, grey object in the sky on most clear nights.

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Exclusive Tour of Research and Development

In the afterglow of the excellent Mark Two mission, we asked Wernher von Kerman (no relation), the Kerbal Space Center’s lead scientist, what plans the center had for future flights (Mark Two Mission a Complete Success, CommNetNews).  “I might have some ideas on how to proceed,” he replied. We caught up with him to find out exactly what technologies are being worked on, and what some of these ideas of Wernher’s might be.

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Mark Two Flight a Complete Success

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After several weeks delay, today witnessed the successful launch of a Mark program capsule. The second attempt at launching a Kerbal skyward went off significantly better than the earlier attempt several weeks ago.

The crews in the Vehicle Assembly Building had hung a large sign which read “Better than last time!”, and all the technicians we spoke to said that they were taking that slogan to heart. They assured us that the parachute release issue that had caused the problems with the Mark One flight had been corrected, checked, and double-checked. Everything was certified and the Mark Two was moved to the pad. Keep Reading

Mark Two Flight and Pilot Announced

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The Kerbal Space Center will attempt the second flight in the Mark Program, the Mark Two, as soon as possible. Scheduling this launch so soon after the out-of-control moments of the Mark One flight indicates that the Kerbal Space Center is quite confident in the findings of the Mark One Anomaly Report (see CommNetNews’ coverage of the report’s findings here, and the Mark One flight coverage here).

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Mark One Investigation Report

The Mark One Anomaly Investigation Board released it’s report on the flight of the Mark One vehicle today, and reveled that a mis-wiring of the RT-5 “Flea” Solid Rocket Booster ignition system triggered the Mk16 Parachute to deploy immediately, rather than during spacecraft descent as planned.

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Mark One Launch Ends in Near Disaster

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Today’s historic first launch of the Mark program was marred by a near disaster, with the craft tumbling out of control and failing to achieve a fifth of the intended altitude. Only the quick reflexes and remarkable piloting skills of the Kerbonaut Jebediah Kerman (no relation) prevented his untimely end. Keep Reading