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Manned Mun Encounter, Season 5, Episode 4: Kerbal Space Program

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Season 5 is a modded single-player game in Science mode, and one goal of the season is that no kerbal dies. The stream opens at the Space Center with 89.6 science and the rocket Science9 in the VAB. This time Science9 carries a crew: Jebediah Kerman flies it to orbit around the Mun, steps outside there, and comes home to Kerbin's ocean. The science from the trip pays for three new research nodes.

Science9 gets a passenger

In the VAB the commentary looks through the life support parts, from supply tanks to containers with mulch and fertilizer for growing food in space. One Life Support Tank (1.25) goes below the heat shield, to be dropped before reentry. Then Jebediah goes in. "Same thing we just did, plus a person."

Science9 lifts off on its ring of solid boosters and climbs nearly straight up. "I think it's just the ship design doesn't really want to bank in this stage." A burn at the maneuver node makes the orbit, and with the Mun set as the target a 20 second burn gives an encounter.

Science9 climbing over Kerbin's green coast and the curve of the planet's edge on a bundle of solid fuel boosters with bright white exhaust, Liquid Fuel and Solid Fuel gauges down the staging list and the navball reading Surface 562.4m/s

On the way out the Life Support Status window lists Jebediah Kerman with 44 days of supplies (+15d). The planned path runs straight into the Mun, so another maneuver goes on, "to not run into the Mun." Near the Mun a seven second burn closes the orbit around it.

Jebediah at the Mun

A crew report, a materials study, a temperature scan and a goo observation are taken "in space near The Mun." Then Jebediah climbs out of the hatch, gets an EVA report from space just above the Mun's Lowlands, and goes back in. "Yes, first moon trip."

Science9, a long black and white rocket with fins at its far end, in orbit beside the gray cratered Mun, the navball reading Orbit 679.5m/s

Getting home takes some back and forth on the map. A viewer suggests leaving the Mun's pull first, where the turn is cheaper, and the commentary goes with one short burn that sends Science9 back toward Kerbin.

The fire and the ocean

At the far point of the new orbit a retrograde burn drops the low point into the air. The plan is to stop the engines once that point reaches about 20,000 meters. The engines are dropped before the craft meets the atmosphere, and Science9 burns in at 1,200 meters per second. "We survived the fire. Good job, dude."

The Science9 capsule at the tip of a wide fan of orange flame as it drops into Kerbin's atmosphere above the dark blue ocean, the navball reading Surface 1200.0m/s

The parachutes open high over the water, and the capsule splashes down. "Welcome home, Jebediah." Jebediah takes a surface sample of Kerbin's water and files an EVA report on the water before the vessel is recovered.

Where it ends

The Mission Summary for Science9 lists 9 experiments recovered and 209.9 science earned, for 299. The commentary's verdict: "that was a lot of science."

The Mission Summary for Science9 over the Space Center at night: 9 Experiments Recovered, including a Crew Report and a Materials Study in space near The Mun, an EVA Report from space just above The Mun's Lowlands and a Surface Sample from Kerbin's Water, 209.9 Science earned, Science: 299

In the tech tree the commentary looks over habitat parts and the Mobile Processing Lab. Space Exploration costs 90 and takes the counter from 299.5 to 209.5. Then "the better wings" and "the bigger engines": Heavy Rocketry with the RE-I5 "Skipper" Liquid Fuel Engine for 90, and Flight Control with the AV-R8 Winglet for 45. The counter ends at 74.5. The next job is a new ship, and the stream ends at the Space Center. Jebediah is home and no kerbal has been lost.