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Duna and Beyond

Launches: Prodigy I-III

1/3/2017

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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

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The booster is identical to ones used to launch satellites.
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Unfortunately, given the lower apoapsis desired for a crewed flight, the rocket experienced too much atmospheric drag and failed to reach space.
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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.
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The rocket eventually crashed into the surface.

Year 3, Day 69: Prodigy II

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Prodigy II features an improved first stage engine, providing increased thrust.
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The increased thrust allowed the rocket to reach a suborbital trajectory.
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The capsule is deployed.
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The mission called for testing the de-orbiting thrusters by bringing periapsis up to 30km.
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Unfortunately, fuel was exhausted but the probe never aborted the manoeuvre.
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The probe re-entered at an undesirable orientation.
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Eventually the service module was jettisoned but the capsule did not reorient properly.
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The capsule impacted the surface at several hundred m/s.

Year 3, Day 92: Prodigy III

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Prodigy III was again able to achieve a suborbital flight.
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The apoapsis burn was reduced to 100m/s.
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After the burn the service module was jettisoned.
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The addition of a heat shield greatly improved aerodynamic stability during re-entry.
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The parachutes successfully deployed.
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And the capsule safely splashed down in the ocean.
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