Campaign: Space Race

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Age of Satellites →

Introduction

The Age of Rocketry sparked the imaginations of Kerbals everywhere. What was once a dream was becoming reality. The race was on to put the first things into orbit. Robert Kerman and his intrepid Kerbicans aimed to launch the first Kerbal-made object into Kerbin orbit... that is, until the Kerbiets behind their Iron Kertain launched their Stayputnik into orbit. The Space Race had begun! Not to be outdone, the great Robert Kerman with his new Kerbal Space Program planned to get the first man into space... but they were outdone yet again by the Kerbiets. But in the end, the Kerbal Space Program would have the final word and launch the first Kerbal into a sustained orbit around Kerbin and bring him back safely. His legacy, the Kerbal Space Program, would come to dominate the Space Race from that point forward, but not without its share of semi-expendable half-volunteered core of Kerbonauts sacrificing their lives for the scientific good of all Kerbalkind as it began its race to the Mun.

This campaign is designed to present you with a mission manifest that will allow you to accomplish the final goal of reliably launching the Stayputnik satellite into orbit, dipping your fingers into space, and your first manned orbit and safe return.

Specifications

• Length: 1 hour
• Difficulty: 2/10 (Novice)
• Skills needed:

1. Basic navball familiarity
2. Reentry procedure
3. Vehicle assembly (see Basic Rocket Design)
4. Ability to complete Age of Rocketry

• For version: Every version (tested on 0.20.2)

Missions

Stayputnik, the First Satellite

• Launch a Two-Stage Liquid Fuel Rocket into Orbit with a Satellite or Stayputnik 1
  • The Kerbnik probe in the Lander and Probe Pack on CurseForge is an accurate reproduction of the real Sputnik.

1. Must contain at least 4 Communotron 16 antennas.
2. Antennas must deploy after reaching orbit.
3. Must contain enough electric charge (batteries!) to broadcast for a full orbit.

(Tip: as your launches become more complex, it's usually a good idea to test them out to make sure your staging is set correctly.)
(Tip: try establishing an action group to extend the antennas.)

Yuri Kerman, the First Kerbal in Space

• Launch a Kerbal into an Orbital Flight with an Apoapsis greater than 70,000m and Safe Return
  • For added realism, the Home-Grown Rockets mod on CurseForge has stockalike Soyuz parts that can easily be used to represent a Vostok craft.

1. Kerbal must return safely. This is assumed for all future missions unless otherwise specified - you don't want to scare off volunteers, especially this early in the space program.
2. Must land on land (that's how Vostok 1 landed in real life).

Project Moho: John Kerman, the First Kerbal to go 'round the World

• Launch a Kerbal into an Orbital Flight with a Periapsis greater than 70,000m and Safe Return
  • The FASA mod on CurseForge has accurate Mercury, Redstone, and Atlas parts.

1. Must complete 11 orbits.
2. Must land in water (Bonus points if it is near the Kerbal Space Center).
3. Feel free to go through the rest of the Moho program. This includes one more Redstone flight, and four Atlas flights.

Finishing word

After the successful launch of John Kerman into a controlled orbit around Kerbin, the race was on for the Mun and beyond, beginning with the Age of Satellites.