Year 13: Duna and Ike
Rescues, Landings, and More Lost Ships
Finally there's a gap in our hectic schedule and we can head off
to the Duna system and see about finally rescuing the Ike crew.
You might recall there was a series of Ike bingo-fuel disasters that
led to at least two successive rescue missions getting stranded, with
a group of 3 (Corbin, Frednard, and Bob) being stuck for two years in
Low-Ike orbit.
Merrey came to the rescue and docked with them but mission control
was too busy to authorize the rescue.
So here we are! Mission control says go ahead! Hooray!
After having to shut off the six engines one by one we're going to try
to boost to IkeStationZebra using just Merrey's ship. Let's hope
the Clamp-o-tron Jr. holds.
This was made harder because our castaways were in a nearly polar orbit
while the station is equatorial. Thanks to whoever let me know that
it's better to raise your altitude first if you are going to make a plane
change maneuver.
Merrey got them close to the station then set them free.
Then after some minor hassle they docked! It's hard to tell from
the picture because IkeStationZebra looks very similar to Merrey's ship.
So now there are 6 on the station, joining up with Lonie, Pabella and Midia.
Hmmm despite docking we didn't get our station-expansion contract.
Wait, room for 12 kerbals? I thought we sent a ship for that...
wait, that's right, the base expansion that blew off all its solar panels
and ran out of fuel. We left it in high-Duna orbit! Maybe
Merrey can grab them and bring them over... oh no. Bill and Detrix
where are you? Solar orbit? Ike expelled you too? Urgh.
Well not sure what to do about that. Meanwhile we have a flag-on-Duna
contract, we might as well send Merrey. Retract those solar panels,
we're going in.
Some nice aerobraking action. I guess I could have used the parachutes
but (ha) maybe we'll need them to land back on Kerbin someday. Besides
we've had bad luck trying to use parachutes on Duna recently.
Kicking up a little dust... or steam... or something.
Sunrise on Duna! Not quite as pretty as sunrise on Eve.
I guess we're done here on Duna unless Gene has anything good for us.
Any other contracts mission control? Hmmm, spacewalk around Ike.
We can do that one.
And that was all for today. It's time to launch a few more rescue missions.
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