Year 18: Asteroid to Minmus

Also, the return of Jeb!


Well, Valentina, the contract says Class-C to Minmus, so lets do this thing. We've been sitting on this contract for years so it will be nice to check it off.


The asteroid is always trying to spin off axis on us, so it's a lot of tedious 30s burns followed by slowly SASing back on course. We did get an intercept though:


Valentina got out to get a surface sample and is transmitting the data to off-in-the-distance Kerbin. She seems unconcerned that the antenna is pointing in completely the wrong direction.


Burning for Minmus orbital insertion:


We made it to Minmus! Contract complete! You might notice that our asteroid is a lot smaller than it was after we apparently converted about half of it into liquid fuel.


Now that we're here we need to figure out what to do with our asteroid capture infrastructure. Also if/how we're ever going to get Valentina home. Worries for another day.

Meanwhile, Jeb's long mission is coming to an end...

♪ I heard they had a space program, when you sing you can't hear there's no air ♪

Kschhh Jeb, Jeb, do you read us? After 10 years adrift we think your short-range antenna might finally be in range for communication.


We had some extra fuel so we entered orbit and decided to go for a precision landing. Here's Jeb ditching his nuclear rockets somewhere that is hopefully uninhabited.


There it is! After 10 years! A trip to Duna, ejected by Ike, lost in space, one failed rescue mission (that ended up getting stranded on Eve), and one long ride on the outside of a ship. And there's the KSC!


Well Jeb you didn't manage to land on top of the VAB, but you did land on the beach within walking distance. Good job! You're now a level 3 pilot.


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