Q&A Regarding Kerbol and Mesbin

Q&A Regarding Kerbol and Mesbin

On 4/15/2020 I solicited questions regarding the relationship between the Kerbals in the Kerbol system and those stranded/living on Mesbin. Here they are, with my answers.

Q: Is Kerbin and or the Kerbolar System an important part of historical education on Mesbin?

A: Absolutely. Though the specifics of the Kerbolar system aren't taught except in astronomy classes, or as footnotes in history class, Kerbin history as told by the original settlers of Mesbin is extremely important. The subfield of history called "Kerbin Studies" is devoted to studying and remembering what is known of how Kerbals lived on Kerbin. Biology classes teach the theory of evolution largely using examples known by the original settlers. Kerbin Studies are necessary parts of lower level history classes, and many high school (or equivalent) students take dedicated Kerbin Studies courses. Of course, Kerbin Studies is shrouded in conjecture and debate, mystery and myth, since almost all of it comes from the sometimes conflicting accounts of the original settlers.

Q: How long did it take to identify Kerbol once observatories were constructed, or did they know which star it was from the get-go?

A: Although there was always some uncertainty, known data was eventually used to narrow the search for Kerbol until they were more or less certain of which star it is. They would have known the approximate distance of the astronomical unit, a decent estimation of Kerbin's illuminance, and thus the luminosity of Kerbol. And they would have known the distance between Kerbol and Kaywell. Perhaps there's a few candidate stars.

Q: Have stories of early missions that flew in the Kerbolar System survived the crash?

A: Although most Kerbin Studies classes will have glanced over this, it is likely that some of the major missions (Stayputnik, Kerpollo 11, Duna landings, and some probes) and an overview of the infrastructure building that led to the colonization of the Kerbol system would be understood at least by specialists.

Q: Do people care about Kerbol, or is it like the average American's mindset towards ancient Rome?

A: For much of the history of Mesbin (from the second generation dying off, whose parents taught them about their firsthand experiences with Kerbin, up until the first aboveground public spaces), people wouldn't have cared much for Kerbin, as there was little time for leisure, art, history, and impractical science. At least a few people would always have cared, autistic kerbals and the like who get obsessed with certain subjects and research everything they can about it for example, but it wasn't until fairly late that people started to get really interested in how Kerbals on Kerbin lived and what can be learned from them.

Q: Do some people want to go back to Kerbol?

A: I don't think so. I think many Mesbinites would probably like to visit Kerbin and the Kerbol system, and astronomers would certainly love to have close looks at the planets, most people have strong attachments to their homes. There certainly isn't any kind of "evacuate mesbin to kerbin" movement.

Q: Is Kerbol in ruins, or is civilization still getting along fine?

A: That's a good question, largely outside of the scope of WW canon. I think either answer has some interesting implications.

Q: What does Kerbol know of the U.S.C. Manifest Destiny's plight?

A: From Kerbol's perspective, they were receiving laser-telemetry from the spacecraft right up until a few minutes before the crash, when the ship was turned to slow down and the laser transmitter was pointed away from Kerbol. What happened to the M.D. at that point is purely speculation, although reconstructions of the data will likely have showed that Mesbin was the wrong shape and that the spacecraft was on a collision course. In the eras of surface and space exploration, surface radio might become common enough that radio telescopes in the Kerbol system could detect Mesbin.

Q: How many colony ships were launched from Kerbol, and were they private or governmental endeavors?

A: Lots of interstellar ships would have been launched from all sorts of agencies ranging from for-profit alien asteroid prospectors to government scientific agencies. Perhaps there were 10 proper colony ships of the Manifest Destiny type in the first run, though there could have been many more by different agencies in the centuries since.

Q: (A bit off topic as denoted by the parenthesis but is SLIPPIST-1 canon in WW? Was a colony ship sent there?)

A: SLIPPIST-1 definitely exists. I like to imagine that all interstellar mods exist in some form or another in WW canon. SnailsAttack's Dauntless, KillAshley's Uncharted Lands, my Alternis Kerbol Rekerjiggered. I think it's likely that SLIPPIST-1 was settled by Kerbin's Kerbals. Although there's no reason why they couldn't be colonies sent from *another* colonized star system! After all, in the event of a successful colonization, the basis of interplanetary infrastructure is already available, and perhaps it would not be long before a colony would have the resources to send out more interstellar ships. The trouble is it paints a pretty bad picture of the engineering skills of Kerbals if every planet pack with Kerbals on a homeworld is the result of a failed colony ship.

Q: What would Kerbol think if their lost colony ship suddenly started transmitting something like: "we're ok, here's some information," hundreds of years after contact lost? (I actually don't know the distance to Kerbol)

A: It's hard to say what Kerbal society would be like centuries in the future. Civilization could have collapsed, or maybe Kerbals have ascended into computer brains. But if we assume they're more or less like the Kerbals of the near-future who sent out the Manifest Destiny, then it would be enormous news. A starship would probably be sent to make proper contact with them, and if there is any multistellar organization of colonized worlds, Mesbin would probably join it.

Q: What would information Mesbinites send homeward?

A: This is a really good question. It all depends upon how limited their message data is. I'm sure Mesbinites would want to tell Kerbin absolutely everything about their history, science, astronomy. If it was something short like the Aricebo message, it might just be something like a drawing of a Kerbal next to Mesbin. Let's imagine they have the bandwidth to send a tweet:

"Starship crashed into Mesbin. Built cities underground. Reinvented tech. Alive and thriving. Space program underway, exploring Kerbmun. No new starship soon. Mesbin airless, spin 1701 sec. Kerbmun low oxygen no land life. K Ad I cool not alive. K Af alive with H2. Send bitmaps."

Mesbinites would love to see actual photographs of Kerbin, hence "send bitmaps," instructing Kerbin astronomers to send images in a pure bitmap format.