Season 3 is a single-player game in Science mode. This stream opens with 70.4 science in the bank and one goal: solar panels and better batteries, which cost 90. "So I need another 20 science." It takes three rockets. Science 26 comes down too hard and Luty Kerman does not survive it. Catty Kerman, a newly hired scientist, brings Science 27 down next to the Tracking Station, then takes Science 28 and its Mobile Processing Lab past the Mun. By the end the counter reads 1911.5, and Catty and Science 28 are still out in space.
Boosters for Science 26
The stream starts in the VAB with the lab rocket from before, listed as "Science 25 [Auto-Saved Ship]." In the commentary's memory it "doesn't take off right away," so solid rocket boosters go on the outside "just for an initial kick," and then more batteries, since the lab "uses up so much power." The commentary also recaps something that happened between streams: a scientist left in space last time was lost on the way home, after the lab section was detached with the scientist still inside it.
The rebuilt rocket is saved as Science 26. There is no pilot this time, only a probe core and one kerbal: Luty Kerman, Scientist, alone in the Mk1 Command Pod.
It takes off fast at night, and then the boosters burn out and it starts to drift. "Oh no, just go up!" It settles, but the fuel is mostly gone. The Flight Results later put the highest altitude at 96,360 meters, short of orbit. The capsule rides the reentry down and opens its parachutes over water, and then the time warp is switched off. "I think it just blew up." The Flight Results read "Catastrophic Failure!", and the log includes "Luty Kerman was killed." The commentary is not sure if the cause was the time warp or too few parachutes.
Catty Kerman lands at the Tracking Station
The Astronaut Complex hires a new scientist, Catty Kerman. Science 27 gets a second parachute, two antennas ("Apparently I forgot about antennas"), a barometer and a thermometer. The first try goes to the pad with the wrong crew aboard and is recovered straight away. The second goes up with Catty.
This time the solid boosters break away badly. "Abort! Abort!" The engines are cut, everything is dropped, and the capsule comes down under its parachutes, "just back to base." It lands by the Tracking Station. Catty files a crew report, goes on EVA and takes a surface sample, and the commentary is pleased: "Yes! All the science!"
The Mission Summary gives +24.1 science, for a total of 94. That is enough, and the research goes into solar panels.
Science 28 and the lab
Science 28 swaps the inner batteries for solar panels, moves the boosters lower and rearranges the staging. It gets off the pad and holds together when the side stages go. "Oh, amazing, look at that, we're still together." On the way up Catty moves into the lab to store data, and moves back to the pod before the stages drop.
Once in orbit, a 30 second burn sets up a pass by the Mun. The plan, in the commentary's words: "We'll try and do a flyby of the moon, do some science, store it." The lab turns out to be hungry. Running research drains the batteries even with the panels out ("these solar panels really suck"), so the research waits while the charge builds back up.
High over the Mun, Catty runs the temperature and barometer readings, goes on EVA for a report and hands it all to the lab. The Mun pulls the orbit around afterward, so a short burn takes Science 28 well clear of it.
Data all the way home
Back in a high orbit of Kerbin, the lab runs and the antenna sends its results home in batches. At one point the power runs out and the probe core cannot turn the ship. "Okay, well let's put a human over there." Catty moves back into the pod until the sun comes around again.
The time warp runs for game years while the data trickles out. After the last transmission, the research counter reads 1911.5 science. "So we're going to be in the money next stream." In the research tree, the commentary looks at the Mk1-2 Command Pod, which holds three crew, "so that way I have an actual pilot instead of a robot."
Where it ends
The stream ends in the research tree with 1911.5 science, nothing bought yet. Science 28 is still in a high orbit of Kerbin with Catty Kerman aboard; the commentary says the trip home will not happen this stream.