Mark Program - Page 2

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

Mark One Moves to Pad

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Yesterday the Kerbal Space Center completed it’s checkouts of the Mark One space vehicle, and completed the complex procedure of moving the assembled vehicle to the launch pad.

The checkout in the Vehicle Assembly Building over the several days found no major faults, although some minor corrections and re-calibrations were made to various systems. Once the craft was cleared, the pad move team took over.  Keep Reading

KSC Announces Mark One Kerbonaut

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Today the Kerbal Space Center announced that they had selected the Kerbonaut who will fly the first Mark Program flight, the Mark One. After weeks of speculation, we finally know which brave soul will strap themselves into the tiny Mk1 Capsule and allow Mission Control to ignite the ton of rocket propellant beneath them, propelling capsule and passenger skyward at velocities that have hitherto only been imagined. Keep Reading

The Mark One Mission

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Soon the Kerbal Space Center will attempt to launch it’s first capsule with a live Kerbal inside. In reference to this historic event, Gene Kerman, Kerbal Space Center’s Flight Director, said:

“Our space program will soon enter a new era, the participation in the exploration of space by our first Kerbonaut. This upcoming mission is a most important step in the program, a step that will lead on to the ultimate conquest of of this new and hostile environment.”

This first flight will be attempted approximately one hour after daybreak after preflight checks. A countdown hold may occur if any issues arise with the spacecraft or pilot.

The spacecraft, weighing 800kg, will be boosted by a RT-5 “Flea” Solid Rocket Booster. The craft will follow a ballistic arc, hoping to reach at least 5,000m altitude. Keep Reading

The Mark Program

The initial objective for the Kerbal Space Center is determining the feasibility of launching a Kerbal into space, and returning him or her safely to Kerbin, regardless of how many attempts it takes. Concurrently, the KSC will also work on additional objectives, such as scientific studies during all phases of flight, additional flight goals such as orbiting Kerbin, alternative and advanced engine designs, and scheduled disassembly. It is not expected that advancements in all of these areas will progress evenly.

The basic Mark program launch will consist of some sort of capsule to protect the Kerbal and the flight controls, an engine to propel it through the air and eventually space, a recovery system to provide as survivable a landing as reasonable, and any additional systems to enable communication or provide stability.

Additional secondary objectives include testing long duration flight, on-orbit power generation, advanced communication, additional science objectives, and spacecraft automation. Tertiary objectives will be determined by the success or failure of the primary and secondary objectives.

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