Campaign: Age of Satellites

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Introduction

The Space Race was still on. Robert Kerman and his Kerbal Space Program, after an embarassing defeat by the Kerbiets, wanted to recover themselves by beating them to the Mun. But Robert and his team realized that getting to the Mun would require learning several things first. The first and most obvious things, of course were satellites. As both countries realized the potential of satellites, like for spying, and there was a heated race to put up to most in orbit, just like everything else in the Kold War. Finally, the scientists who were in charge of the whole operation decided to go on strike until their respective governments would allow them to put up "more useful" satellites for scientific purposes...such as mapping Kerbin in all its beauty, and to track the weather. Since the weather doesn't changes on Kerbin (yet!), the scientists conceded the point and opted to just get a mapping satellite up.

This campaign is designed to present you with a mission manifest that will allow you to accomplish the goal of practicing basic orbital maneuvers on a range of satellites. Once you complete this campaign, you will have a nice constellation of satellites perfect for any fledgling space program aiming to study, orbit, and eventually land on the Mun and beyond.

Specifications

• Length: 3-6 hours
• Difficulty: 4/10 (Intermediate)
• Skills needed:

1. Intermediate navball familiarity
2. Basic navigation via maneuver node
3. Intermediate orbiting
4. Basic understanding of launch windows
5. Use of action groups
6. Ability to complete Space Race

• For version: Every version (tested on 0.20.2)

TIP: Remote tech is an excellent mod if you want your satellites to actually have uses, like relaying signals from Mission Control.

Missions

OrbitSat

• Launch a self-sustaining test satellite into a 300 km circularized orbit

1. Satellites, and all remaining satellites in the Space Program must now be self-sustaining. This probably means using solar panels or generators.
2. You must first establish a parking orbit near 100 km, orbit once, after which you must then transfer your orbit to 300 km.
3. You must use at least one maneuvering node, preferably when trying to establish your orbit from around 100 km to near or on 300 km
4. Your satellite, once deployed must be detached from its lifting body, but it is welcome to use RCS thrusters.
5. Final periapsis and apoapsis must be between 300km and 301km

(Tip: Consider using RCS thrusters after separating the satellite to correct the orbit, as the final decoupler may affect it.)

ComSat I

• Launch a self-sustaining communications satellite into Kerbostationary Orbit (aka. GEO)

1. Satellite must contain a dish antenna.
2. Satellite must contain at least one Communotron 16 antenna.
3. Satellite must be directly over the Kerbal Space Center.
4. Satellite must remain stationary with respect to the ground.
5. Satellite must have its dish pointing down to the ground at the KSC at high noon.
6. Satellite must have an average periapsis and apoapsis at or near 2,868.75km with no greater than 2km difference.
7. Satellite must be at 0 degrees inclination. (You can use the Mun for reference since the Mun's orbital plane is also 0 degrees).

(Tip: Use a lower orbit to time your insertion into geostationary orbit.)

(Tip: In map view, click on the Mun and select "Set as Target" - this will reveal nodes displaying your relative inclination to the Mun.)

ComSat II

• Launch a self-sustaining communications satellite into Kerbostationary Orbit

(Note: your constellation of ComSats, when finished, should all be equidistant in their orbits around Kerbin)

1. This Satellite must contain a propulsion unit for use with the Space Debris mission below. This heavier top heavy rocket, prior to the invention of SAS modules, may require that your scientists install the new LV-T45 thrust vectoring liquid fueled engine.
2. Launcher must include two radially mounted solid fuel rocket boosters each with their own recovery system.
3. Satellite must contain a dish antenna.
4. Satellite must contain at least one Communotron 16 antenna.
5. Satellite must be visible with KSC or ComSat I on the horizon.
6. Satellite must remain stationary with respect to the ground.
7. Satellite must have its dish pointing toward KSC or a ComSat at Noon.
8. Satellite must have an average periapsis and apoapsis at or near 2,868,750m or 2,868.75 km with no greater than 2000m difference.
9. Satellite must have an orbital inclination of 0 degrees (as above, set the Mun as a target for reference).

ComSat III

• Launch a self-sustaining communications satellite into Kerbostationary Orbit

(Note: Your constellation of ComSats, when finished, should all be equidistant in their orbits around Kerbin)

1. Satellite must contain a propulsion unit for use with the Space Debris mission below.
2. Satellite must contain a dish antenna.
3. Satellite must be visible with KSC on the horizon.
4. Satellite must be visible with KSC or ComSat I or ComSat II on the horizon.
5. Satellite must remain stationary with respect to the ground.
6. Satellite must have its dish pointing toward KSC or a ComSat at Noon.
7. Satellite must have an average periapsis and apoapsis at or near 2,868,750m or 2,868.75 km with no greater than 2000m difference.
8. Satellite must have an orbital inclination of 0 degrees.

(Tip: Try adjusting the spacing of your ComSats by transferring to higher or lower orbits to "fall back" or "catch up" - then return it to KEO.)

KerbSat I

• Launch a self-sustaining weather satellite into Kerbostationary Orbit

1. This Satellite must contain a propulsion unit for use with the Space Debris mission below.
2. Satellite must remain stationary with respect to the ground.
3. Satellite must contain at least one retractable solar panel.
4. Satellite must contain weather-like instruments such as thermometer, barometer, and more.
5. Satellite must be released with a docking port attached to the lifting rocket and not to the satellite for a softer separation than your standard decoupler.
6. You must set and use an action group to deploy your solar panel(s).

(This satellite is very delicate. If you damage it, Kerbal meteorologists will point to you for why their weather predictions aren't always accurate.)

(Tip: To prevent draining your liquid fueled satellite engine through the docking port with your last stage, before your flight you can turn off the satellite fuel tank ports at the launch pad.)

GeoSat

• Launch a self-sustaining ground mapping satellite into a Stable Polar Orbit

1. Satellite must contain two packaged solar panels.
2. Satellite must contain a rover body (e.g. Probodobodyne RoveMate) (to make satellite larger than rocket circumference).
3. Satellite must be able to detach its nose cone once it enters space at 70 km.
4. Satellite must orbit within 2 degrees of 90 degrees polar inclination at an altitude around 100 km.

(Tip: Target the Mun for an inclination reference point.)

SpySat

• Launch a rather large camera looking satellite into a Polar Sun Synchronous orbit

1. Satellite must contain RCS thrusters and propellant.
2. Satellite must appear over the same period of ground at noon, every day.
3. Satellite must have its solar panels (at least two) extractable and retractable by using a Control Group.
4. Satellite must have a polar orbit of 89.86 degrees (89.8 degrees for this exercise).

(This orbit is best for taking pictures since the timing ensures shadows are eliminated!)

(Tip: Get circular at any altitude above 70km, adjust your polar orbit, and then adjust your sun synch at the poles)

(Tip: Launch about 30 min before noon over KSC, head north)

(Tip: Use the Mun for a target reference orbital plane)

(Note: A truly sun synchronous orbit is not possible with current KSP physics, but if you follow the above goals you will get an approximate effect for a while)

KerbSat II (aka SpySat II)

(Shssh, don't tell the Kerbiets but this "Weather Satellite" has dual purposes.)

• Launch a rather large weather satellite into a Molniya Orbit with period of 1/2 sidereal day.

1. Satellite must contain RCS (to dodge the occasional missile interceptor) as well as have its own liquid fuel propulsion to change its orbit at will.
2. Satellite must have a dish antenna and at least two Communotron antennas (one for the meteorologists, and one for the government).
3. Satellite must have at least two retractable solar panels in addition to a set of static solar panels (for extra energy when transmitting with spies).
4. Satellite must have enough battery power to carry it through Kerbin dark side prior to recharge from sunlight (since spies communicate at night).
5. Satellite must orbit at any inclination where the apoapsis is visible over the target continent.
6. Satellite must have a periapsis of 75 km, and an apoapsis of 3,095.352 km to maximize apoapsis "hang" time over target.

Space Debris

• Move KerbSat I into a Graveyard Orbit and designate it as Debris

1. Orbit must be circularized 50 km above Geostationary Orbit.
2. Satellite must be marked as Debris so it no longer shows up on your Map view.

(Tip: Use the rename ability to do this)

Finishing word

After mastering orbital mechanics for unmanned objects, Kerbal scientists everywhere were itching to find a few brave volunteers to serve as the first Kerbonauts who would be so dedicated to the cause of scientific exploration, that they would be willing to sacrifice their relatively worthless lives for it. This left a *small* number of educated Kerbals disagreeing with the questionable ethics of the program, but most rocket scientists agreed that they didn't need to listen to them anyways and for the rest of the stupid population, they had invented ways to control missions completely from the ground (what do you think the dishes at the KSC were for?). The promise of a flashy new space suit with jet packs and large ergonomic helments intrigued Kerbals everywhere, as no one had them before and there wasn't a whole lot to do on Kerbin anyway. Jebediah Kerman, a mountain skiier and daredevil from Kernacopia, was the first to sign up and participate in the Kerbinai Program.