Launches: Prodigy I-III

Customers:

• None

Mission Objectives:

1. Perform uncrewed suborbital test launch

Crew:

• ​None

Operation Prodigy is our first crewed space program. The first step is to test the launch and re-entry capability before launching any crew.

Year 3, Day 46: Prodigy I

The booster is identical to ones used to launch satellites.

Unfortunately, given the lower apoapsis desired for a crewed flight, the rocket experienced too much atmospheric drag and failed to reach space.

A second problem found during this flight is that there was no abort mechanism in the case the rocket failed to reach space, so the capsule and parachute were never deployed.

The rocket eventually crashed into the surface.

Year 3, Day 69: Prodigy II

Prodigy II features an improved first stage engine, providing increased thrust.

The increased thrust allowed the rocket to reach a suborbital trajectory.

The capsule is deployed.

The mission called for testing the de-orbiting thrusters by bringing periapsis up to 30km.

Unfortunately, fuel was exhausted but the probe never aborted the manoeuvre.

The probe re-entered at an undesirable orientation.

Eventually the service module was jettisoned but the capsule did not reorient properly.

The capsule impacted the surface at several hundred m/s.

Year 3, Day 92: Prodigy III

Prodigy III was again able to achieve a suborbital flight.

The apoapsis burn was reduced to 100m/s.

After the burn the service module was jettisoned.

The addition of a heat shield greatly improved aerodynamic stability during re-entry.

The parachutes successfully deployed.

And the capsule safely splashed down in the ocean.