Let's play: Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space

[LaCroix]

A single percent point?

If I were a suspicious man... Just saying... I get a sense that there is something 'squirrelly' going on in the state of Zenobia...

[FaxModem1]

Outside the Cosmodome



Secret Agent Squirrel watched with his binoculars as the Lapot shuttle crashed into the Earth. No one was killed, but the Zenobians would be set back for quite a while. It was considered payback for the fuel that Agent Badenov had destroyed when he was still a threat to Murcan Engineering.

Agent Squirrel had had to equip the squirrel suit with several bottles of Zenobian vodka just to get past the dedicated Zenobians guards. Apparently, when challenging the honor of their mother country on a drinking wager, every brave Zenobian would rise to the challenge and drink a bottle for the Onion. Of course, Squirrel didn't have a Zenobian liver, and would have lost any true drinking contest, so he ensured that all bottles he drank were instead filled with Murcan water. From that point on, it was a simple matter of climbing the launch tower, opening up the shuttle, and installing new 'improved' software.

Two days ago



"Come on damn it. I just rebooted you twice. Did the software install or not?" Squirrel hit the side of the machine. The computer displayed something in the Zenobian language, telling him to contact his supervisor. Squirrel restarted the process.

36 hours later

"There, its done, its finally done." Squirrel had had to take out and replace certain cartridges, and chew threw many wires that made his nuts smelled like they had been deep fried, but the job was done.

Secret Squirrel left the shuttle, avoiding the engineer crews as he did so. He ran to his safe house, one made of a few conspicuous trees. but watched as the shuttle took off, glad to see it go without him in it. It was only a matter of time before he could see whether his effort had paid off.

Present



Secret Squirrel saluted the falling shuttle, she was a beauty, but the Zenobians couldn't be afforded to win. Not while he was here.

[Scottish Ninja]

Oh shit.

I am finding it increasingly hard to see a way to do this.

Shit shit shit shit shit...

It's not that bad; all you lose out on is the one percentage point increase you would have gotten from a successful flight - it's not a catastrophic failure by any means. I'm pretty sure that you don't even lose the minishuttle - that's one of the things that makes them good. Comrade Shoeplane is built tough, da? Just dig him out of ground and dust off, should work fine. Has only six moving parts anyway, easy to fix up.

[Simon_Jester]

If I can successfully refurbish the ZiG without having to pay another 30 MB, then it's not a problem.

If I can't, the 30 MB set back is a big deal.

My "shit shit shit shit shit" was based on the assumption of losing the shuttle. I can't remember whether PeZook's version lets you get your lost ZiGs back or not.

[Scottish Ninja]

I'm certain that you do in 0.4.8 and 99.9% certain that you still do in 1.0.0 - it's in the realm of "feature not a bug" since it's one of the prime factors that make minishuttles viable.

[PeZook]

CHAPTER 10: THE CHROME AGE
Time is: Fall 1972

Launch windows: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn





MURCA
TEDDY SPACE CENTER

"But...but...but how?!"

Dr. U.M. Engineer, Permanent Acting Underdirector of MASA, just walked into the tiny, dilapidated and filthy steel shed that served as MASA's Vehicle Integration Building.

And was stunned.



The interior of the shed was over twenty stories tall, and inside it, the massive, unmistakable form of a Saturn IC test article loomed for all to see.

"Camouflage, Unterdirector!", Wehrner von Shapp winked and tapped the side of his nose knowingly, "Those filthy commienists will never see that coming, ja!"

"But HOW?!"

"Ve learned a few tricks hiding our rocket factories from your planes, ja! No use having rocket factory if it gets blown up by bombers, you see, so me und mein hund Maximilian devised this scheme...unterdirector?"

U.M. Engineer didn't listen any more. He didn't care about Wehrner von Shapp's apparent ability to warp space-time. He saw it. The Saturn.

And hell, it wasn't like he had anything better to do than stare at the beast, other than attending endless budget meetings about its development.

Code: Select all

Current funds: 13 megabucks

Astronauts in XMS-2 program:

Crew I:
OLDS - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 0, DOCK 3, END 3 ; MOOD: 27 (Pilot)
GORDON - CAP 0, LM 1, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 3 ; MOOD: 55 (LM Pilot/EVA specialist)
WILLIAMS - CAP 1, LM 3, EVA 1, DOCK 2, END 1 ; MOOD: 65 (Docking specialist)

Crew II:
ROCKET - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 2 ; MOOD: 74  (Pilot) - will retire next year
CHAFFEE - CAP 0, LM 1, EVA 2, DOCK 3, END 2 ; MOOD: 74 (LM Pilot/ EVA Specialist)
ANDERS - CAP 0, LM 2, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 1 ; MOOD: 42 (Docking specialist)

Crew III:
BROWN - CAP 4, LM 2, EVA 2, DOCK 1, END 2 ; MOOD: 19 - will retire next year
CUNNINGHAM - CAP 1, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 0, END 4 ; MOOD: 73
MCCANDLESS - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 0, DOCK 2, END 2 ; MOOD: 68

Crew IV:
RAVENSBURG - CAP 3, LM 3, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 4 ; MOOD: 11 - will retire next year
COLLINS - CAP 0, LM 3, EVA 4, DOCK 1, END 1 ; MOOD: 75
SUITCASE - CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 2, DOCK 4, END 3 ; MOOD: 62

Unassigned astronauts:
LOOPY - CAP 4, LM 1, EVA 2, DOCK 3, END 2 ; MOOD: 32
MAY - CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 2, DOCK 4, END 2 ; MOOD: 47  - will retire next season
HAISE - CAP 4, LM 3, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 2 ; MOOD: 42
EISELE - CAP 0, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 1, END 3 ; MOOD: 34
BRAND - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 2, END 3 ; MOOD: 73
BEAN - CAP 2, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 0, END 1 - INJURED, laid up in hospital
ENGLE - CAP 4, LM 3, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 1 ; MOOD: 78
EVANS - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 1, DOCK 2, END 1 ; MOOD: 73
FREEMAN - CAP 2, LM 3, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 1 ; MOOD: 78
MUSGRAVE - CAP 4, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 0, END 2 ; MOOD: 73
CRIPEN - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 1, DOCK 4, END 3 ; MOOD: 83
FULLERTON - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 3, DOCK 1, END 1 ; MOOD: 83
HARTSFIELD - CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 2, DOCK 0, END 1 ; MOOD: 78
OVERMEYER - CAP 4, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 4 ; MOOD: 73
PETERSON- CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 2 ; MOOD: 68
MCKAY - CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 0, END 4 ; MOOD: 68
HENIZE - CAP 1, LM 2, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 2 ; MOOD: 78

Other astronauts:
CARR - physical washout, spring 1972
TRULY - physical washout, spring 1972
WEITZ - physical washout, spring 1972
SWIGERT - retired spring 1972, elected to Congress.
CONRAD - retired fall 1971
BARNESTI - retired spring 1971
REXMODEM - retired fall 1968
BORMAN - retired fall 1968
KNIGHT - retired fall 1967
FLASHHEART - retired fall 1967
MODEMJR - retired spring 1965
CUNTSER - retired fall 1965
KELLY - retired spring 1965
MCCAIN - retired fall 1963
HARDBEEF -  retired spring 1963
OHJESUS - DECEASED, MERCURY IX
JOHNSON - DECEASED, MERCURY XVI

Programs running: Explorer, Ranger, Mighty Strapons, Atlas, Titan, Mercury, XMS-2, EVA Suits, Kicker-B, Docking

Launch pads: 3

Scheduled missions: 
Launch Pad A, None
Launch Pad B, None
Launch Pad C, None

***

ZENOBIA
BAIKONUREK

Headache. Massive, throbbing, pounding headache. And the droning voice of his secretary.

"In conclusion, general Popapranyi strongly suggests we implement his one-way mission plan in order to decisively beat the Murcans to the Moon, and worry about getting the cosmonaut back later..."

Syrgy waved his hand, briefly taking it off his forehead, "Circular file."

The memorandum landed in the waste bin. Syrgy slowly stirred his tea, as Irina pulled the final report from the pile, "Comrade Dubolomov reports the Avrora is ready for flight operations as scheduled, and..."

The Chief Designer did a spit-take, spilling his tea all over the papers - and the secretary, too. He took a moment, sitting there, mouth agape, trying to process this information. Eventually, he managed to bring himself nearly under control, enough to ask a question.

"Could you repeat that?"

Irina put away the handkerchief she was using to wipe her jacket and read the report again.

Then again. And once more.

"Get me my Gazik!", Syrgy yelled in a most uncharacteristic display of emotion.

---

The little Gazik skid to a halt in front of the small yet disturbingly advanced Baikonurek Armor Plate Production Plant. Out from it came out the Chief Designer, ignored the bulky NVKDVDROM guard in front of the door and burst in.

And saw the Avrora, sitting there in the final assembly hall, being fitted with new avionics.

"But...but...HOW?!"

"Oh, comrade chief designer!", Dubolomov beamed, "We have been expecting you, da! We are almost done here!"

Syrgy approached the shuttle slowly and touched it, "It cannot be!"

"Ah, you are too kind, comrade. Hammering out the dents was a bit time consuming, but otherwise it was almost undamaged. The test mannequins were pulverized by the impact, of course, but otherwise...comrade? Comrade! Somebody get a doctor, quick!"

Code: Select all

Current funds: 29 megarubloids

Cosmonauts in Lapot program:

Crew I:
KARZANOVSKI - CAP 4, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 3 ; MOOD: 43 (Pilot)
KOVALYANOK - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 3, DOCK 1, END 4  ; MOOD: 51 (LM Pilot/EVA Specialist)
ZHOLOBOV - CAP 1, LM 3, EVA 1, DOCK 1, END 3  ; MOOD: 63 (Docking specialist)

Crew II:
SAVINYKH - CAP 4, LM 0, EVA 1, DOCK 1, END 2 ; MOOD: 87
LAZAREV - CAP 1, LM 3, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 2  ; MOOD: 40
MAKAROV - CAP 0, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 3, END 2 ; MOOD: 46

Crew III:
STREKALOV - CAP 4, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 2, END 1 ; MOOD: 69
YEBANOVY - CAP 2, LM 3, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 2  ; MOOD: 39
GRECHKO - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 3, END 2  ; MOOD: 56

Cosmonauts not assigned to programs:


NEFARTNYI - CAP 2, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 3, END 2  ; MOOD: 36
JKERMAN - CAP 4, LM 0, EVA 0, DOCK 2, END 1 ; MOOD: 68
LEBEDEV - CAP 2, LM 3, EVA 2, DOCK 0, END 4 ; MOOD: 83
SEREBROV - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 1, DOCK 4, END 3 ; MOOD: 68
BEREZOVOI - CAP 3, LM 3, EVA 2, DOCK 1, END 2 ; MOOD: 68
GURRAGCHAA - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 3 ; MOOD: 83
ATKOV - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 3, DOCK 1, END 3 ; MOOD: 73
IVANOV - CAP 3, LM 1, EVA 1, DOCK 2, END 3 ; MOOD: 68
JAEHN - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 4 ; MOOD: 83
VOLISHIN - CAP 2, LM 2, EVA 3, DOCK 0, END 2 ; MOOD: 73
BELOUSOV - CAP 3, LM 1, EVA 1, DOCK 0, END 1 ; MOOD: 68
ZYKOV - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 1, DOCK 2, END 3 ; MOOD: 83
ZAIKIN - CAP 2, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 1, END 3 ; MOOD: 83
REMEK - CAP 1, LM 0, EVA 4, DOCK 2, END 3 ; MOOD: 83

Other cosmonauts:
BORISOV - Retired, spring 1972
FILLYERESKI - Retired, spring 1972
SOLOVYEV - Physical washout, Spring 1972
KLIMUK - Deceased, Zond 1, Fall 1971
BRZECZYSZCZ - Deceased, Zond 1, Fall 1971
RUKAVISHNIKOV - retired spring 1972
SMIRNOFF - retired spring 1972
IVANCHENKOV - retired fall 1971
LEBEDEV - retired fall 1971
MAMETOV - joined the Red Army in 1969. 
PETROV - imprisoned for re-education in Spring 1969
FAAABIO  - retired spring 1969
BEREGOVOY - retired spring 1969
YEBANOV - retired spring 1968
ALEXANDROV - washed out in training, fall 1967
DIGADITCH - left to join the Red Army, spring 1967
NIKOV - retired Fall 1966
DOSTAROVASKI - Forcibly retired, Fall 1964
TITOV - Retired Spring 1964
IVANOVICH - Grounded due to lung cancer
VLADIMIRENSKY  - Deceased, training accident
IVANOV - Deceased, VOSTOK VII

Programs running: Sputnik, Cosmos satellite, Lunar Probe,A-Series, Proton, Booster stage, Voskhod, EVA Suits, Docking module, Lapot, Kicker-B, N-1, Duet Lander

Launch pads: 3

Scheduled missions: 
Launch pad A, Unmanned suborbital, Lapot/B-A Series
Launch pad B, Joint Orbital EVA Docking Duration-D, Docking Mod/A-Series
Launch pad C, Joint Orbital EVA Docking-Duration-D, Lapot/Proton, Crew II/Crew I

GM Notes:

Yes, comrades. Now you discover the secret of the Zenobian minishuttles...

THEY ARE ACTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE

If there's a catastrophe, the things will kill their crew, but their armored steel construction can survive a great many impactoids and explodifications.

Murcans, on the other hand, managed to screw the contractor over and snuck a clause that forces them to deliver brand new Hermes shuttles at no charge if they are lost for any reason. That's why you have a bloated and gigantorific law department, after all!

[FaxModem1]

Spoiler

Look's like Secret Squirrel's sabotage wasn't as good as he thought it was.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Wait...we Murcans get a new shuttle for free if the old one get's destroyed? That's pretty awesome.

[Simon_Jester]

Wait...we Murcans get a new shuttle for free if the old one get's destroyed? That's pretty awesome.

But is it more awesome than having shuttles which are just fucking indestructible?

[ChaserGrey]

Spoiler

Look's like Secret Squirrel's sabotage wasn't as good as he thought it was.

No, he simply reckoned without the efforts of Baikonurek's small but disturbingly advanced armor plate factory!

[Scottish Ninja]

Wait...we Murcans get a new shuttle for free if the old one get's destroyed? That's pretty awesome.

But is it more awesome than having shuttles which are just fucking indestructible?

Not only that, you got the +1, too. So that "failed test" literally wasn't remotely a failure in any way.

[OmegaChief]

In Zenobia, destructive testing means smashing your new space plane into the ground at high speed, obviously.

And that small but disturbingly advanced armour plate facility was obviously the best investment we made in the entire program, imagine normal ZiGs made of it! Or Tankskis! The capitalists would be unable to hurt us at all!

[Simon_Jester]

Speaking of which...

[Author's note: a tip of the hat to PeZook, of course.]

ZENOBIA
BAIKONUREK

Headache. Massive, throbbing, pounding headache. And the droning voice of his secretary.

"In conclusion, general Popapranyi strongly suggests we implement his one-way mission plan in order to decisively beat the Murcans to the Moon, and worry about getting the cosmonaut back later..."

Syrgy waved his hand, briefly taking it off his forehead, "Circular file."

The memorandum landed in the waste bin. Syrgy slowly stirred his tea, as Irina pulled the final report from the pile, "Comrade Dubolomov reports the Avrora is ready for flight operations as scheduled, and..."

The Chief Designer did a spit-take, spilling his tea all over the papers - and the secretary, too. He took a moment, sitting there, mouth agape, trying to process this information. Eventually, he managed to bring himself nearly under control, enough to ask a question.

"Could you repeat that?"

Irina put away the handkerchief she was using to wipe her jacket and read the report again.

Then again. And once more.

"Get me my Gazik!", Syrgy yelled in a most uncharacteristic display of emotion.

---

The little Gazik skid to a halt in front of the small yet disturbingly advanced Baikonurek Armor Plate Production Plant. Out from it came out the Chief Designer, ignored the bulky NVKDVDROM guard in front of the door and burst in.

And saw the Avrora, sitting there in the final assembly hall, being fitted with new avionics.

"But...but...HOW?!"

"Oh, comrade chief designer!", Dubolomov beamed, "We have been expecting you, da! We are almost done here!"

Syrgy approached the shuttle slowly and touched it, "It cannot be!"

"Ah, you are too kind, comrade. Hammering out the dents was a bit time consuming, but otherwise it was almost undamaged. The test mannequins were pulverized by the impact, of course, but otherwise...comrade? Comrade! Somebody get a doctor, quick!"

Baikonurek Cosmodrome
Baikonurek Armor Plate Production Plant
August 7, 1972

The physician unclipped the stethoscope from his ears.

"No, your breathing and pulse are... well, not good, but I don't believe you've had another heart attack. It must have been shock, but you are obviously under a great deal of tension, and-" the doctor glanced around at the concerned APPP staff waiting out in the hall- "someone has been surprising you too much."

"It comes with the job, old friend."

"Exactly. You must cut back on your work hours, Chief Designer."

"I know, I know. Once we have the defects fixed in the-"

"I'm serious, Comrade Pavylyvych. No more delaying a year or two. You need to take at least two more hours out each day for rest and exercises. This cannot go on."

"...Yes, I see." Quietly, Syrgy resolved that, finally, after all these years, he would. Well, one and a half hours. Mishingun was doing very well, surely he could afford to ease back a little... one hour, absolutely.

---

Baikonurek Cosmodrome
Office of the Chief Designer
August 8, 1972

"However, we must find out what went wrong with the control systems, and why. Such a failure is not acceptable, even if the spaceplane withstood a crash-landing admirably." Syrgy rubbed his jaw, tryinig to subdue the ache he felt from the oncoming rainstorm predicted by the meteorologists. Spaceplane... spaceplane... there was something about this. He would have to think it over.

Unnamed Zenobian Engineerski nodded. "You are right, Comrade Chief Designer. We think the problem was a severe flaw in the programming of the shuttle's computron. On this, we have good news, and bad news."

"Eh?"

"The good news is, the data tapes were completely destroyed in the crash, and the programmers are starting over from their archived copies. This gives them an opportunity to inspect and test the software closely. The bad news is, the data tapes were completely destroyed in the crash, and if there was any corruption of the flight software, we can't find it by examining them."

"I see. Any leads, if the flight software is essentially sound?"

"Nyet, it is very mysterious."

---

Baikonurek Cosmodrome
Office of the Chief Designer
August 11, 1972

"Aj em zerrten."

The Chief Designer sighed, having long since learned to parse Chief Computerman Maisner's thick Zeich accent. "If the failure is not in the software, and if it is implausible that the data tapes on Avrora himself were corrupted, then... are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Prrobablej."

"SHITS!"

A While Later

"Good to see you, Comrade Omeganski, we have a serious problem."

"Have you identified the flaw in the Avrora computers?"

"No one can find any defect in the computer code. A flaw in the hardware cannot be ruled out, but it is most unlikely."

"If the computer runs, and the programs are electronologically correct, then..." the commissar practiced his most excellent menacing stare, directed not at Pavylyvych but at a patch of the office wall- which began to shiver slightly.

"Da... I hesitate to say this, Comrade Commissar, but I am beginning to suspect sabotage, possibly while the system was on the launch pad."

"I will investigate this. Take no administrative action and make no announcements until I return."

...

Baikonurek Cosmodrome
Office of the Chief Commissar
August 13, 1972

"You wanted to see me here?"

"It's because this office is bugged-"

"Well, of course..."

"but only by my own men."

"Ahhhh. You fear a mole?"

"Very much, Syrgy. I believe we've found our man, and he is assisted most formidably by a particularly treacherous mole."



"Indeed. What do you want me to do?"

"We must be cunning, and alert. Guard procedures will have to be changed- I will be adjusting many rosters, but you should emphasize some of the policy changes in your next general memorandum. It will be necessary to adopt a... a... I don't have a word for it. There must at all times be one man who is not drinking, at a number of key positions. It sounds radical, I know."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. We will have to be careful, though, about selecting these designated... someones."

"I am of the same mind, myself."

---

Baikonurek Cosmodrome
Office of the Chief Designer
August 14, 1972

"Comrade Chief Designer, I must protest this imposition..."

"No, Grigor, this is necessary. I am restarting the Flying Tankski program under Comrade Dubolmov's direct control, but restructuring the project as a supervisory body to keep an eye on the security and reliability of your operation procedures. The spy should never have been able to access those computers, even given that he was able to physically enter the cosmodrome."

"But-"

"You will still be working on the same things, but under the eye of the Orbiting Tanksi program."

"I do not understand what this means..."

"It is simple. In light of the success of the Armor Plate Production Plant in crash-proofing Avrora, the ZiG-105 is no longer considered an aircraft. It has formally been reclassified as a tank. The logic is inevitable, and I advise you to bow to circumstances before things get out of hand."

"Very well, Comrade Chief Designer. I am... sorry for troubling you."

"It will be all right, Grigor."

[FaxModem1]

I should have known the Zenobians have no word for sober.

[Shroom Man 777]

[PeZook]

Wait...we Murcans get a new shuttle for free if the old one get's destroyed? That's pretty awesome.

Yes! Your chief lawyerman, Leonard Eech, keeps gloating about his achievement in screwing over the contractors that deliver the hermes shuttles for the program.

Of course, you always have a sneaking suspicion that this isn't true, and the contractor simply agreed to the clause because they knew the shuttles do not cost anywhere near 30 megabucks apiece to make.

Also, Simon made me laugh so hard I scared my nine month old son

[ChaserGrey]

I should have known the Zenobians have no word for sober.

Of course they do! It's the same as the word for "dead".

[Eternal_Freedom]

Meh, on reflection I prefer the "get a free replacement" over "is pretty indestructible."

It does after all suggest we have the backing of the loyal and patriotic Murcan industry. It also means we can have a totally new airframe rather than making do with the leftovers.

It's also better for the astronaut's morale. I mean, would you want to fly into space in a craft that you yourself witnessed smash into the ground at 500 mph?

[OmegaChief]

Drastic times called for drastic measures, and as the Commissar looked over his reworked guard schedules, forbidding just one guard on each of these watches from drinking would eventually lead to quite a dramatic build up of un-drunken Vodka, but that problem could be addresed later.

From his desk he withdrew a small mound of paper, only to write one order of course, but paperwork was required to be done in five copies and signed in heptuplicate to ensure not only that it was what it claimed to be, but so that various copies could 'dissapear' during transit to be stored for potential future use against an individual.

The order itself elicited a smile, a smile which no one at the Cosmodrome had ever found the elast bit reassuring. It was a simple order really, the new guard patrols would stop anyone they deemed suspicious and require them to sing the Zenobian National Anthem, naturally no true Zenobian actually knew the words to the anthem, in which case they could be let off with mandatory 'singing' lessons from the NKDVDROM. Any Murican infiltrators would naturally be over-trained in over-complex ways by thier lowest bidder run captialist intellegence agencies and therefore have actually been taught the words! It was a perfectly fool proof plan. Nothing at all could go wrong. At all.

Now, how to root out that mole, and deal with the slowley but steadily piling up bottles of vodka this drastic new plan would cause, hmmm, perhaps there was a way to combine the two problems in a single solution....

[Eternal_Freedom]

Oh that is an utterly brilliant plan!

[PeZook]

Man, some of the things in that game are dumb beyond belief.

So I discovered there is a mission called "JT Manned Lunar Pass: EOR", and I rush here to tell the Murricans, because it's the sort of thing they'd like to know about.

But then I go "oh, I better check how it works before giving them possibly false hopes", and lo and behold...

The mission distributes the hardware in the following way:

Launch A: XMS-2 and kicker
Launch B: Docking module

I mean, what the FUCK? The ENTIRE POINT of a joint lunar pass launch is that one rocket can't fit the capsule and kicker. Seriously, why the fuck even have the docking module when the game insists on putting the kicker and shuttle on the same rocket?

Except maybe if you really really want a docking test to go with your lunar pass. I mean, jeebus. God.

[Simon_Jester]

We could loan you a Proton rocket, comrades...

Question, PeZook. Do I still have the "no lunar pass" milestone to worry about before taking on a lunar orbital?

[PeZook]

Yes, unfortunately. I know it's hardly logical

[Simon_Jester]

Thought so. Sigh.

And I can sort of see the logic- while I've accomplished all the rest, arguably the single most difficult thing that you can learn from a lunar pass, how to get reentry from translunar speeds done properly... nyet.

[Scottish Ninja]

Fuck me. Have I really not managed to get anything out this entire week?

Okay.

... I'll do it tomorrow. I mostly know what I'm planning, I'm just completely out of energy tonight, and I wanted to try and put a story post together...

PeZook, did you manage to get any compatible Hermes crews assembled? That's the last bit of information I need.