Just a few systems visted today and not much of note, a terraformable and a life bearing gas giant.

Meanwhie I've been considering the return journey. Colonia is around 275 jumps away, maybe 200 if I use neutron boosts along the way. I'll have to consider taking that path in the next week or two if I'm to stand a chance of getting back for the new year. We'll see.

Today started, and finished, with some general system scanning and mapping. Various star types and bodies to review. Most of these previously un-visited. Noted some bio sites and visited some of these - all turned out to be Bark Mounds.

To mix things up a bit I decided to take a look at some geo sites in the Phleedgoe JE-K c24-17 system. Notable on 8c a small moon of an ammonia life bearing gas giant. Here (geo 6) I found ice geysers in and around a surprisingly flat bottomed canyon with steep walls and wide flat plataeu. The walls were on the order of 500m high, though difficult to judge.

After a bit of a drive around in the SRV and the taking of a few pictures I decided to practice the age old tradition of geyser jumping. Picking a suitably strong geyser I was propelled about 1.14km from the ground, thrusters slowed my decent but all in all it is probably good I landed on one of the canyon walls, finding some rough ground towards the top. From here I slowly made way back down to the canyon floor - at one point descending several hundred meters on thrusters again. Once I got back to my start point I found Destiny's Edge 2 had triggered the auto-depart sequence. Unfazed I requested a recall and the ship quickly returned. However it decided the plataeu at the top of the opposite canyon wall would be preferable to landing down on the canyon floor near me - hmm. I tried scrabbling up that wall for a while, taking some different approaches but, as said, these walls were pretty steep and I couldn't get far before slipping back down. The obvious solution (beyond another dismiss/recall and crossing my fingers) was another geyser jump - this had got me in to this mess and goodness it could get me out of it. So, a suitable geyser, some good alignment with the ship, a hull repair and a decent running start and I was launched high in the 'air'. I had the height, I thought. I had the speed, I believed. But while I was looking down on the ship my decent seemed likely to bring me short and on to a shelf that I suspected would lead me just as stranded. Still, generous thruster use and enough forward momentum saw me brush the canyon wall bounce up and over and land right by the ship. A short simple drive and I was safely back on board without a scratch on the SRV for my trouble. Remarkable.

After all the excitement I visited a few other worlds, noted a slightly unusual ammonia geyser, but otherwise nothing to exciting. I headed back to the Smilers Observatory.

Today I took the Destiny's Edge 2 on a fairly quick loop within the nebula, taking in a variety of systems and star types. Being in the heart of the nebula many of these systems had been fully or partly scanned and mapped, though I helped fill in the odd blank and took additional scans of some bodies. Not too much of note though there were a number of water worlds and a selection of terraformables. I also took the ship down to a bio signal source which, as so often it does, turned out to be Bark Mounds.

Further exploration in and around the nebula to follow though I'm ever more keenly feeling myself eyeing the return journey and perhaps visiting the bubble again. It has been over a year since my departure and it might be nice to see the stars of home. Yet still the call of the void is strong and I feel that bubble would feel claustrophobic after my travels. In either case I will soon enough have to make a trip at least as far as Colonia. The talk is of new exploration capabilities being released to Commanders and I wouldn't want to miss out this. The Destiny's Edge 2 is now primarily a deep space exploration vessel and to deny it (and me) the most up to date tools would to do the vessel and its mission a disservice.

Just a quick trip out and back today, just a couple of systems. Nothing too much of note though, on the way back, I passd through a previously scanned system with an Earth-like, already mapped. Still, some water worlds, terraformables and some more Bark Mounds so not a bad little trip. Still, can't help wondering if the new discoverys on the Coal Sack nebula would be worth checking out. Some day!

Also, sorry to Cmdr Smiler for grazing one of the Carrier pylons on the way out - hopefully I didn't scratch the paintwork. Need to be more careful!

Back at the Smilers Observatory today after 'camping out' yesterday.

Nothing much to report though I did bump in to the odd terraformable. Odd scan patterns on that system (Phleedgoe HG-Y b46-5), the previous commander had left all the valuable stuff but done to the trouble of mapping all the minor moons and so on.

Commander LuckyLuigi reports having made it to 'Summit' at the top of the galactic disc. Will be making his way towards the bottom of the disc and 'Mariana' in due course. Well done Luigi, got to be some spectaular views from up there. Strangely from where I am now I'm closer to his current position than the bubble.

Just a short trip out today. A bit of scanning and I've decided to 'camp out' at a Bark Mound bio site (Phleedgoe PT-G d11-30 A 5 a), very bright here, almost ice like. Little else to note but I'll finish up the short loop tomorrow before venturing out further afield again.

No exploration yesterday after some technical difficulties with the new tools pevented launch, or at least, had me reluctant to launch until resolved.

Today I took a short (500Ly ish) trip out to a class O star sporting a small nebula. This turned out to have previously visiting, not entirely a surprise, but still allowed me to practice further neutron boosted jumps while discovering a number of terraforable wolds and, in one instance, an somewhat unexpected set of bio signal sources which turned out to Anenomies.

Back safely at the Smilers Observatory now and hopefully no futher technical issues.

Just a single short range hop and back today, a class A star system with a couple of class F companions (Phleedgoe MY-G d11-133).

Nothing too much of note beyond further Bark Mounds confirmed on 3A (bio 2) and a smattering of other bio signals on the same body and its moon.

Bit of a mapping and scanning and collection of materials then back to the SO.

Today I took a slightly different tack and decide to explore some of the T-Tauris near the Smilers Observatory. This eventually took me about 178Ly away, not a huge distance but further out than I expected.

Now I'm not a huge fan of T-Tauris as a rule, if only because that can trick the unwary in to thinking they are fuel scoopable but I thought they might yield something of interest if only because other commanders may have avoided them too.

In the end I scanned a few clusters and followed the odd vien of them but didn't come across anything hugely interesing, lots of gas giants, some had life. One water world.

Of more note was a couple of Black Holes. I'd been on the look out for these but hadn't spotted them in my earlier sweeps. They came in to view now though with this trip. The first appeared to have been passed through by a commander on their way somewhere, the Black Hole itself was registered but nothing else in the system had been scanned. The second (Phleedgoe DL-Y g646), however, was completely unknown and I was happy to have added my little bit to the sum of knowledge by finding this one.

After that I took a short cut home via a convienient Neutron star and its boost potential.. Perhaps getting too comfortable with that?

So, despite nothing very interesting and despite a low payout at UC I consider it a sucessful day.

What tomorrow I wonder?

Yet another fairly short exploration trip.

This time I initially targetted a class F world which, it turned out, Commander Smiler had previously scanned (Phleedgoe MY-G d11-154). Here I found a number of terraformables and several bio signal sources. I took to mapping these more carefully and even went down to one moon (Phleedgoe MY-G d11-154 5 a) to examine one of those sources - more Bark Mounds of course.

After this I noted some nearby neutron stars I had previously missed and briefly checked these out. The first was a small, previously discovered system. The other, Phleedgoe KD-H d11-207, notably only had the primary neutron star scanned. My own scans revealed a companion class star M and a number of planetary bodies along with further bio signal sources. I once again took to mapping the most interesting bodies and went down for further bio scans (at B 5, bio 2), yet more Bark Mounds of course.

After that I returned (without neutron assist) to the SO for repairs and light refreshments.

What will I find on my next trip.. I'm thinking more Bark Mounds.