On a remote site on Kerbin’s shores, intrepid engineers and brave pilots are preparing to take the first tentative steps into the skies above Kerbin. CommNetNews has gained extensive access to the engineers, pilots, scientists, and management. Over the coming weeks, we will be conducting interviews and writing articles to assist the common Kerbal an understanding of the great work being done at the Kerbal Space Center.
In the near future, a brave Keral will climb into a small capsule, bolted to the front of a huge bottle rocket, and launch themselves towards the heavens. This Kerbal will be one of an elite class, known as Kerbonauts. They were selected by the most rigorous criteria, and then given advanced training. We should know in the next few weeks who will fly this historic flight.
Today, we are going to have a look at the base of operations where all this amazing research and exploration happens.
The Kerbal Space Center sits almost exactly on the equator, a location chosen for it’s advantages in launching spacecraft. It’s location on the shore means that the ocean provides a safe space in case of Rapid Unscheduled Dissasembly (RUD).
The facility consists of several buildings, each focusing on a specific activity. The Vehicle Assembly Building is where the rockets are stacked and made ready for launch. A crawlerway leads to the Launch Pad, where the actual launches happen. This is located some distance from the other structures for safety. There is also a runway, for moving personnel and materials, and a hanger for aircraft. Mission Control and a tracking station will maintain communications with any craft in flight, and assist with all flight activities.
Additionally, there is an Astronaut Complex, where the brave Kerbals train for their missions; a Research and Development building that is actively pursuing advances in rocket, plane, and communications technologies. It was at Research and Development that the techniques of how to pour the compounds in the RT-5 Solid Rocket Booster that made the planned flights possible.
Wernher von Kerman has big plans for the Kerbal Space Center, saying that virtually every facility on the complex has a clear path for expansion, and space has been reserved for this, resulting in the sparse look of the Center.
