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[GreatWyrmGold]

I'm alive, but I'm gone.


The R&D team figures out space electricity. It's a lot like normal electricity, they say.


_{Archibald seems particularly interested in this invention, which he attributes to "losing power and, hence, control, twice in the course of duty".}

This discovery opens up all sorts of possibilities of other things we can do in space.



_{The Council is starting to tire of pamphlets.}

The 6+b is in for another slow descent.


_{Whee. Boredom.}

After one orbit, the Mk 6+b is strangely much closer to the Mk 5 than Jeb.
Twenty-one orbits total (I think--I wasn't careful counting).


<sub>Possibly-six orbits in, our orbiters are all in a row.

Thirteen orbits in.

Fifteen in, and Jeb is clearly pulling ahead of the two spacecraft.

Seventeen orbits in.

Nineteenth orbit complete.


Twenty. A productive orbit. About 2/3 of the orbit is in atmosphere.</sub>

When we are a bit before where the periapsis was in the twentieth orbit, the apoapsis finally drops into atmosphere, thus ending the over-an-hour?-long TV Tropes/Forum/KSP waiting hybrid.
16:27:20. We hit the 60 kilometer mark for what I believe is Archie's first time in nearly three days. The apoapsis is a couple kilometers lower, the periapsis a few higher. We are approximately at the old periapsis.
16:31:48. The apoapsis, about where the periapsis was, hits 59k. We are maybe a sixth or a quarter or the orbit past, at 57k; the periapsis is at 52k.
16:34:00. The periapsis is at 45k. Apoapse 58, craft 56. We could be landing close to the Sand Flag Crash, or maybe even KSSC. Also, I realize that at some point we pulled ahead of the Mark Five in the orbit, about twice as close to it as Jeb.
16:35:10. Periapsis at 40k. Craft at 55k.
16:36:06. Periapsis at 35k. Apoapsis at 56. Craft at 53.
16:36:50. Periapsis at 30k.
16:37:45. Craft at 50k. Periapsis at 21k. Apoapsis at 54k.
16:38:35. Periapsis at 10k. Craft at 48k. Apoapsis at 52k.
16:39:05. Periapsis vanishes. Craft at 46k, apoapsis at 51k. Roughly passing over SFC flag, likely overshooting KSSC.
16:39:31. Apoapsis 50k, craft 45k, both pretty much exact. Zooming in from map view.


_{16.40.37: Kerbin looks really pretty, and quite visibly moving. Craft at 40k.}

16:41:00. Stage ejected. Now just "lander". 37.4 km.


_{Farewell, rocket that might have reached Jeb.}

16:41:41. Lowering legs manually. Typical button not working.
16:41:55. 29k, starting to heat up outside.
16:42:05. Rocket booster a kilometer away.
16:42:21. Legs lowered. Craft horizontal.



_{But since we're going over ocean, it's kinda moot.}

16:43:13. 11k. Archibald's tea is wearing off. He is panicking.
16:43:17. 10k. Falling ~250 meters per second (with a total velocity just over 330 m/s) may be responsible for this. Parachutes deploying.
16:43:28. 8k. Craft tumbling.
16:43:43. 6k. Craft stable, but upside-down.


_{"Guys, the sky's really dark...}

16:44:00. 4k.
16:44:11. 3k.
16:44:15. 2500 meters.
16:44:22. 2000.
16:44:28. 1500.
16:44:35. 1000.
16:44:38. 750.
16:44:41. 500. Parachutes open.
16:45:05. 400. Archibald calm.
16:45:31. 300.


_{Anyone else see that weird beam of light in the water and wonder what's up?}

16:46:03. 200.
16:46:11. 150.
16:46:25. 100.
16:46:32. 75 meters above the ocean.
16:46:38. 50 meters.
16:46:41. 40.
16:46:44. 30.
16:46:47. 20.
16:46:49. 10.
16:46:50. 5.
16:46:52. Splashdown.
17:38:24. Recovery attempted.
18:21:41. Recovery attempted.
20:03:52. Recovery attempted.
23:32:30. Recovered.


<sub>Landing.

Note: We also got three Science from Archie's surface sample of the sea.



The face of apathy.</sub>

What now? I've been out of the tin can for days, spent days before that in it.

Should I even be rescued, if this is what it's taken? Is my return to Kerbin worth stopping my friends' path to the stars?


"Should we continue trying to rescue Jebediah? Obviously, it is unconscionable to leave him drifting there for eternity, but many have questioned if it is even possible, with our current level of technology, to retrieve Jebediah Kerman. Should we continue onwards in our quest for science, and delay is rescue until later? And, either way, how will we proceed?"

[BigD145]

It's not the technology, it's the pilots. :/

[SOLDIER First]

Research Precision Engineering.
Continue to build/launch/repeat until you've gotten craft that can easily make orbit, maneuver to Jeb with space-mover-thingies, and rescue him.

[ShadowHammer]

It depends on how frustrated you're getting with the task: if you are like, "ARRGGHH I HATE THIS GAME GO DIE JEB" then leave him there for a little while and try to do something else, for example go to Mun. If there's still fuel left in the figurative tank, though, then keep trying to rescue him.

[GiglameshDespair]

It depends on how frustrated you're getting with the task: if you are like, "ARRGGHH I HATE THIS GAME GO DIE JEB" then leave him there for a little while and try to do something else, for example go to Mun. If there's still fuel left in the figurative tank, though, then keep trying to rescue him.

And

It's not the technology, it's the pilots. :/

[BFEL]

Basically, save Jeb unless the thought of his continued survival gives you an aneurism.


Then you should probably see a doctor.

Anyway, don't feel too bad about this, I've spent like a week trying to get a landing on and return trip from the Mun, and its currently making me lose sanity because GAH WHY DOES IT RUN OUT OF FUEL SO FAST?

[WillowLuman]

You might as well learn to rendezvous now, it will be essential for later missions. Just don't touch Jeb until you can, so as to conserve his fuel. In the mean time, if you really don't want to mount another attempt, try getting a craft to escape Kerbin, then bring it back. You get a substantial science bonus the first time you retrieve something from Solar orbit.

[Aseaheru]

You gotta hit the gear button twice. It starts the missions saying everything is extended.

And save jeb. Try to get advanced electronics and then send out probes to things.

[GreatWyrmGold]

You gotta hit the gear button twice. It starts the missions saying everything is extended.

Wha?


"By the nearly unanimous consent of the councilors, we are going to continue trying to rescue Jeb. Hence, we are going to attempt to launch the Jeb-Saver Mark Four."


_{The engineers assure us that the solar panels are not just held on by duct tape. Suspicion was cast on this notion when one fell off and struck an intern in the head, causing cranial trauma and a solar panel to be stuck to her head.}

It has a Science Junior to help pass the time, five parachutes, and two dozen solar panels to stop the two batteries from going dry. It also has three solid boosters, three booster engine, and a main engine. An additional, undocumented feature is a secret space tea compartment.


<sub>Let's get this show off the ground.

"Oi've done this an 'undred toims afore, guv'na..."
"Stop whining and fly the rocket."</sub>

The solid fuel boosters are shed a hair (~100 meters) below six kilometers.


_{Proof that sub-orbital pretty pictures are possible.}

The gravity turn is turned. The apoapsis is pushed to 81 kilometers; a burn gets us into orbit. Our fuel runs out partway through, screwing up the node, but we still get into orbit.


<sub>"Whoi are you 'splainin' this 'gain, guv'na?"

Shut up, Archie. I'm telling a story here.

...A story of how I rescue Jeb. I hope.

"Same 'ere, guv'na, but...th' views worth it 'lone."</sub>

A burn to correct inclination, and we're half a degree off but half a world apart. Then we get a prograde node to get our orbit fully above Jeb's and...wait.


_{It could take a while, with 32-minute orbits.}

1,375 kilometers apart. 1,358 kilometers. 1,329 klicks exact. 1,289.


_{The two craft and one very lost kerbonaut are about thirds apart.}

1,237. 1,174. 1,101. 10...18?
Crap.

Well, um. It's getting late, and...well...crap.

[WillowLuman]

Sounds like we're on the right track!

[GreatWyrmGold]

Yes we are. Damn, I need to get some sleep before I fly any more spacecraft.

[BigD145]

The pod hatches are blocked by solar panels. I don't think you can get anyone in or out.

[MaximumZero]

That said, you can put the solar panels on the flat portion of the second hatch.

[GreatWyrmGold]

The pod hatches are blocked by solar panels. I don't think you can get anyone in or out.

I'm pretty sure I left the hatches open. I think.

That said, you can put the solar panels on the flat portion of the second hatch.

Strangely, I couldn't.

[BigD145]

I'm looking at that first image in your long post. The hatch I see is obstructed. There's one way to find out.