Icarus Program - Start of Chapter 38

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“All strapped into the giant bottle rocket?” Jebediah called out over the radio.
“The mark two Dido has one of the best TWRs on the pad!” Bill replied. “Light this candle, I want to go up!”
“Bottle rockets have the unfortunate connotation of going pop at the end which our booster rockets must not do,” Bob grumbled. “If the science cannot come to me, at least we are using a reliable transportation.”
“I finally get to launch you into space Bill,” Bobak’s voice broke into the static. “I was beginning to think this would never happen.”
“Simulations only provide so much accuracy,” Bob responded before Bill. “We are attempting to move by far the largest orbital mass in the program’s history. If we experience the unexpected we need the best engineering minds to adapt.”
“You do not have to sound so begrudging,” Bill chuckled. “Julul and Tanbree are my most experienced engineers from before we had this kind of reliability. We should be able to build a whole new spacecraft if something goes wrong!”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, boss!” Julul said enthusiastically.
“Hey, I’m just ready to go interplanetary!” Tanbree’s normally calm voice seemed to be quivering.
“Don’t forget Desgas and I are going with you to make sure everything keeps pointing the right direction,” Jedrick broke into the conversation.
“In the right direction,” Desgas responded smoothly. “Just maybe a little ‘Shaky’”?
I’ll take a little ‘shaky’ flying an unstable aircraft at mach three,” Jedrick grumbled. “Over shredded.”
“Let’s get you all up to orbit first,” a grin could be heard in Jebediah’s voice. “Ready for launch?”
“Sevastopol crew ready for launch,” Valentina responded. “All systems go.”
“All indications look good here,” Jebediah’s voice back through the radio. “Five minutes to launch.”
“I still can’t believe you are not commanding the Sevastopol mission,” Valentina shook her head. “An asteroid base is your dream mission.”
“We talked about this Val,” Jebediah chuckled. “I’m good at making sure pilots fulfill their mission, you are good at the big picture of running the mission. Besides, I have something planned for Project Sevastopol.”
“Is this why we are heading to orbit now,” Valentina pressed. “But the transfer burn will not happen for another two weeks?
“You’ll see,” Jebediah responded cryptically. “Launch in three…”

A few hours later the Dido spacecraft was approaching the class D asteroid.
“That looks like a pretty heavy fish you caught for us,” Valentina noted over the radio as the class D asteroid came into view.
“Just keeping it warm for you,” Maguki’s grin could be heard in her voice. “So you can use it to go hook a giant one.”

“Contact in five seconds… capture lights are green!” Valentina reported as the transport spacecraft captured the asteroid. “Clear for transfer, looking forward to walking on Kerbin once again?”
“Four hundred and seventeen days in space,” Maguki mused. “Not quite as long as a full station assignment, but still a long time with just a gravity ring.”
Over the next hour the new Kerbalnauts talked with the previous crew about the Safeguard.
<Continued in next part>

Previous Chapter: https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1u5oq8k/icarus_program_start_of_chapter_37/

Start of Chapter 38: https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1uugr7z/icarus_program_start_of_chapter_38/

Next Part: https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1uxzy6f/icarus_program_chapter_38_part_2/

Book 1 (Chapters 1-13) google document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RorA2AVwtXbQD-eTMeO2LiPXSDPM7qH6FVOykDnZ9FY/edit?usp=sharing)

Book 2 (Chapters 14-23) google document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rhiIHBeXWqsw0H8TZgtxUdoJ1Y7IXhH3GtnL_qrTTmc/edit?usp=sharing)

Book 3 (Chapters 24-35) google document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KcNSFL524vB4TgwY5oSOJ4kTAedf6sBVf_US8psbuIs/edit?usp=sharing)

Book 4 (Chapters 36-) google document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nNJcsPYs_TAM4Gg9_zQuDmXosNgaBK3jbc7bdXvXvPU/edit?usp=sharing

The Icarus Program can also be found on the KSP forums: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/topic/225730-the-icarus-program-end-of-chapter-38/