Talverd

STS - 51-A, January 8th - January 19th, 1983 Practice Makes Perfect Skylab 8: STS-51-A will be Intrepid's first visit to Skylab as well as marking the first time an orbiter other than Pathfinder has made the trip. Intrepid will be carrying the PLM filled to the brim with experiments meant to be left onboard Skylab for upwards of 5 years. This lengthy duration is meant to see how various seeds, materials and other things react to long periods of exposure to microgravity. The MMU will also see further tests on this flight, as a newly designed capture fixture similar to the one used on STS-9 is attached to the front of it. A small target satellite will be deployed from the payload bay and the MMU user will track it, capture it and dock it to Skylab's ventral port. This will further demonstrate the MMU's versatility and reliability. If the weather holds out, it will also be the first mission to land at the Kennedy Space Center instead of Edward's Airforce base. As it stands, Shuttle - Skylab is in a tough spot. The shuttle's limited time in space means the station can only be crewed for very short durations, especially when compared to the previous Skylab missions during the Athena days. The leading proposal to solve this issue is the purchase of Unity spacecrafts from the Union of Socialist Federative Republics. It has proven itself to be very reliable and is capable of staying months in space provided it has alternate ways to generate power. It would also serve as a goodwill gesture and could serve as a bridge to bring the two super powers closer together. The decision will be made at a later date, though, as the president has expressed concern and wishes to keep anything related to this program in-house. STS-51-A was originally designated STS-41-F but was delayed from November 1982 to January 1983 due to faulty engine sensors and fuel cell issues. Crew: Commander: Thomsby Kerman Pilot: Domon Kerman Mission Specialist: Henbo Kerman Mission Specialist: Virtop Kerman Mission Specialist: Kerger Kerman Mission Specialist: Barson Kerman Orbiter: OV-103 "Intrepid" Left to right: Thomsby Kerman, Domon Kerman, Kerger Kerman, Virtop Kerman, Barson Kerman, Henbo Kerman. Jumping straight into it, liftoff! Intrepid from ground cameras. OMS - 1 (OMS - 2 not photographed) Skylab rendezvous burn. Intrepid's arrival at the station. Beginning docking procedures and proceeding towards Skylab. Proceeding nominally. Soft-capture ring extension. Soft-capture. We have docking! Crew begin transfer into Skylab. EVA will begin shortly. In order to provide easy access to the stowed MMUs, Kerger and Virtop will exit through the PLM tunnel airlock. Kerger steps out. Kerger boards MMU 01, note the grapple fixture. Virtop steps out. Virtop boards MMU - 02 and remains there until Kerger stows the MMU again. This is incase something were to go wrong and Kerger needed to be rescued. The capture practice satellite. A small box full of avionics, batteries and fuel. It is a very primitive and simplistic satellite that will fly 150m away from the station and wait for retrieval. Watching as it moves away. Once it is far enough away, Kerger begins moving towards it. Inspecting "Houston, uh, we have a satellite!" Returning. Accidently forgetting the docking target was there, Kerger docks the satellite in the incorrect orientation. It doesn't matter though and the testing is complete. Returning to the payload bay. MMU stowed. Kerger and Virtop return to Intrepid. Even though some minor issues cropped up with the MMU, the trial is regarded as a major success. The MMU is ready to begin actual operations. The practice satellite will be undocked and deorbited remotely at a later date. After a 9 days on the station, their main objectives are finished. Preparations are made to undock on flight day 10. Farewell, Skylab. Weather at the KSC appears to be nominal, Intrepid is GO for landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility. "Wheel stop." "We copy, welcome back to Kennedy, Intrepid!" Post-Mission Briefing: Sorry for the delays! I encountered a really nasty bug that wouldn't let me launch crafts from the VAB. Also didn't mean to upload this half finished, lol. STS-51-B will be up tomorrow.

STS-51A will be up tomorrow, can't wait to share it with you.

I probably will not be submitting my work to SOCK recolored, as I don't think Invader would even want the tiled texture since it's pretty crudely made. Maybe someday, though. Oh neat, a third page.

STS - 41-E, September 20th - September 27th, 1982 Let Freedom Ring Ramping Up: Originally built as a prototype for the Landing & Approach tests portion of the shuttle program, Freedom now sits atop LC-39A ready to begin it's first endeavor into space. The name Freedom is unique among the other orbiters as it does not come from a historical vessel or aircraft, it comes from the idea of freedom itself. Breaking free from the chains of Earth; allowing Kerbalkind to have the freedom to breach into the great unknown. The first orbital flight of OV-101 certainly has a packed schedule. STS-41-E is carrying 3 commercial satellites and will be the first flight to demonstrate the use of the Manned Maneuvering Unit. The MMU is expected to become a staple of the shuttle program, as its uses ranging from satellite recovery to station building are extremely valuable to NASDA. The three satellites carried on board this mission are WCom-10 and OmniSat 2 and 3. STS-41-E is also the last scheduled shuttle landing at Edwards Airforce Base before the first landing back at the Kennedy Space Center. Crew: Commander: John Kerman Pilot: Nick Kerman Mission Specialist: Admore Kerman Mission Specialist: Finlay Kerman Mission Specialist: Steffen Kerman Orbiter: OV-101 "Freedom" Left to right, front to back: John Kerman, Nick Kerman, Admore Kerman, Finlay Kerman, Steffen Kerman. "T-minus 7 minutes and 20 seconds, crew arm now retracting.." "GOX arm now being retracted, we are still GO at T-minus 2 minutes and 14 seconds." "Ground launch sequencer is go for auto-sequence start. GO at T-minus 30." "T-minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6.." "Go for main engine start; 4, 3, 2,1.." "Liftoff of Space Shuttle Freedom, slipping the surly bonds of Earth for the first time!" "Roll program." "We copy your roll, Freedom. Godspeed." MECO and ET seperation. OMS -1 OMS - 2 Beginning on-orbit activities. WCom-10 sits in the rear of the payload bay. OmniSat 2 & 3 are inside the two sunshields. Wcom-10 will be the first deployment. WCom-10 Deployment of WCom-10. Crew will wait a day to release both OmniSats. Omnisat 2 Spin-up and deployment of Omnisat 2. Crew will wait 2 orbits before beginning deployment sequence of OmniSat 3. OmniSat 3. Deployment. Next up is the EVA phase of the mission. Admore Kerman will step outside of Freedom and strap into one of the MMU's outside. There are two for redundancy. Admore emerges and begins making his way to the MMU. Admore preparing to detach the MMU. Away. Admore will spend the next half hour performing various maneuvers inside the confines of the orbiters payload bay, assuring all systems and translation controls are performing nominally. Moving to the rear of the orbiter. Admore photographed by John. After double-checking everything, Admore begins to leave the safety of the shuttle's payload bay. He is now the first truly untethered spacewalker. While the MTP allowed users to maneuver freely without the use of a tether, it was never used this far away from a spacecraft. Admore Kerman adrift above the Earth. Admore when interviewed would later state that while he looked lonely out there, "I couldn't hear myself think. Houston was constantly asking for O2 and fuel updates, Steffen was asking when it was his turn, it was a mess." "I wouldn't trade it for anything, though. The experience was awe-inspiring." After some time, Admore returns to Freedom. MMU stowed. Climbing back inside. The sun sets on a very productive mission. After a few more days, Freedom is prepared for re-entry and landing. Retro fire. Freedom touches down safely. The old bird proves she's capable.

STS - 41-D, August 9th - August 14th, 1982 Western Communications WCom: As the shuttle continues to make great strides forward, many commercial partners are itching to have their satellites and other payloads flown aboard. One of these companies with a vested interest in the program is Western Communications. They've worked with NASDA before and their specialty in GEO communication satellites is certainly beneficial to the agency. The first commercial payload flown onboard the shuttle will be a pair of their newest satellites, WCom-8 and WCom-9. Many in the agency look forward to this mission as it opens the door for many commercial ventures in the future. This mission also marks the switch over to the program year numbering scheme. Due to a high number of expected flights (and a fear to use the number 13), NASDA managers thought it best to do away with the sequential numbering scheme for the foreseeable future. Breaking it down as to avoid confusion: STS - Space Transportation System 4 - Fourth operational year of the program. 1 - Designates the launch site, 1 is Kennedy 2 is Vandenberg D - Designates the scheduling sequence, goes through Z. Crew: Commander: Neil Kerman Pilot: Ednand Kerman Mission Specialist: Luwise Kerman Mission Specialist: Cerlong Kerman Mission Specialist: Gerski Kerman Orbiter: OV-103 "Intrepid" Left to right: Neil Kerman, Ednand Kerman, Luwise Kerman, Cerlong Kerman, Gerski Kerman. Liftoff. "We're rolling." "Roger roll." OMS -1 (OMS-2 not photographed.) Preparing WCom 8 for deployment. She's away! Proceeding nominally. WCom 9 will be deployed one orbit after 8. Deployment of WCom 9 goes less than swimmingly and the kickmotor fails to ignite hours later. It will have to be rescued by another flight. The crew spend the rest of their short flight performing their duties. Preparing to go home. De-orbit burn. Getting toasty. Visual of Edwards. Another happy landing! Post-Mission Briefing: Looking forward to the next flight where my favorite orbiter flies and I get to use the MMU! I'll see you then! Yeah but my friend made the configs for me.

Near future exploration tubes & probe buses

STS - 11, June 11th - June 15th, 1982 Do You Read? GRCA: The Geostationary Relay & Communications Array or GRCA, is a planned constellation of numerous geosynchronous satellites meant to improve communications and support all future crewed flights in LEO and beyond. The first of these, GCRA-1, will be launching on STS-11. It will be carried into a low orbit and then boosted higher by it's Inertial Upper Stage or IUS. STS-11 is also quite unique from the previous missions in regards to it's external tank. On previous missions, especially STS-5, there was a worrying amount of damage present on the shuttles heatshield. Investigation into this phenomenon proved it to be related to foam shedding from the external tank, an issue NASDA engineers had hoped they'd solved when the decision was made to keep the tank painted white. However the issue persisted and the decision was made to further coat the most vulnerable parts of the tank in additional layers of stronger bonding paint, as strengthening the orbiters heatshield itself would be extremely difficult. This was made possible by the newly introduced lightweight external tank and many were confident that this extra weight wouldn't majorly affect any future payloads. Crew: Commander: Kerdun Kerman Pilot: Kathley Kerman Mission Specialist: Bilbro Kerman Mission Specialist: Jenden Kerman Mission Specialist: Fredlan Kerman Left to right: Kerdun Kerman, Kathley Kerman, Billbro Kerman, Jenden Kerman, Fredlan Kerman. Intrepid and it's new Aquarius blue external tank. Liftoff! OMS - 1 OMS - 2 Opening her up. Intrepid & GCRA-1 GRCA-1 GRCA & it's ride to GEO are lifted into position for deployment. Photo by Fredlan Kerman Preparing for deployment. Deployment. With it's primary mission completed, Intrepid spends the next 3 days in orbit performing small-scale experiments stored on the mid-deck. The original mission briefing called for an EVA but due to suit issues this was cancelled. Adrift above the Earth. Prior to closing the payload bay doors, the tilt-table is rotated back into launch position. Closing up the doors. Preparing for de-orbit burn. De-orbit burn. STS-11 is concluded. This marks the second to last flight before the first orbital flight of OV-101 "Freedom."

Would be awesome. I'm trying to learn how to edit the bump maps of the shuttle so I can make more stuff down the road too.

The shuttle textures I made myself, I don't know if I am allowed to give them out due to licensing issues. Maybe I could somehow submit them to SOCK recolored for consideration? I don't know.

Alrighty then, I'll try to get a post up here soon with some cool images. For now, I'll post this one of Saturn - Shuttle on the launchpad.

STS-11 will be up either later today or tomorrow. I am taking a small break to focus on a Mars mission cinematic I've been itching to make for awhile. I'll see you soon!

Hey I just wanted to check in and see how this whole thing works. If I wanted to submit a series of photos of a Saturn - Shuttle, could I post them here?

Hi, yes I am using Benjee's suits however I have edited the Cdr. EMU to have blue stripes instead of red stripes. As for listing the orbiter, I like this idea! I'll be sure to include on future flights. The MMU is already in my game and Im playing an older version so I don't have the issue of it exploding.

Maybe it's just me but I can see them just fine.

STS - 10, March 29th - April 5, 1982 A Lab...In Space! Spacelab: After the conclusion of the Athena lunar missions and the agency's focus being re-shifted back to LEO, NASDA managers were concerned with the lack of concrete plans for early scientific missions utilizing the shuttle. In 1973, a call was put out for proposals to be made that would address this issue. Several were submitted, but the one that piqued interest the most was a proposal by the VSFA (Valropan Spaceflight Administration). Consisting of a laboratory capable of storing numerous experiments and an external pallet for mounting additional experiments, it was exactly what they were looking for. In early 1974 an agreement between the two agencies was reached. In exchange for crew slots on future missions, the VSFA would provide it's "Spacelab" laboratory module for use on the space shuttle. STS-10 will be the first flight of this Spacelab as well carrying the first Valropan astronaut to go to space. While primarily meant as a demo flight to show the capabilities of the lab, there is still science to be done. Inside of the module are various experiments from universities and colleges from around the United States and a few from the Valropans. Crew: Commander: Munbro Kerman Pilot: Jeb Kerman Mission Specialist: Tanlock Kerman Mission Specialist: Haldin Kerman International Mission Specialist: Rorick Kerman - VSFA Left to right: Munbro Kerman, Jeb Kerman, Tanlock Kerman, Haldin Kerman, Rorick Kerman. "Liftoff of Shuttle Pathfinder!" "Roooolllin'!" OMS -2 (OMS 1 not photographed.) Opening up the payload bay. Crew will soon open the passage way into Spacelab and begin work in the laboratory. Photo from Cdr. Munbro of the view from Pathfinders aft-deck. Spacelab carries numerous experiments from prestigious universities and other educational facilities from across the United States. Without Spacelab, it would be extremely difficult to conduct these experiments on the shuttle. There is hope that Spacelab flights can become routine, giving NASDA a flowing revenue stream.. however minor it might be. While Spacelab is currently crucial for scientific ventures, there is hope to eventually phase it out in-favor of something domestically produced. Converting the PLM from the Shuttle - Skylab program into a similar laboratory is already being discussed, though the funding for this project is iffy at best. If anything is to come of it, it will be far down the line. Photo from IMS Rorick. The experiments onboard STS-10 are not limited to being inside the laboratory itself. Behind it sits a pallet chock-full of experiments meant to be ran in the vacuum of space. Photo from Jeb Kerman. Closing up and preparing to go home. De-orbit burn. Pathfinder returns safely once more, STS - 10 is concluded.

I changed the patch for CD, I like this one better.

STS - 9, March 3rd - March 8th, 1982 Return To Sender Space Trucking: On October 27th, 1977, GWO - 2 (Geostationary Weather Observer) lifts off from LC-17B onboard an Aquarius 2914 rocket. Everything during the launch proceeded nominally until it came time for the satellites kick-stage to begin its burn. For unknown reasons, it failed to ignite and left the satellite stranded in an unusable low orbit. In order to further prove the space shuttles capabilities, STS-9 has been tasked with recovering this satellite and returning it to Earth for refurbishment and possible re-use. This will be the first mission to use the robotic manipulator arm to achieve mission goals as well as the first to return a payload to the Earth. Crew: STS - 9 will have the first female EVA participant. Commander: Matney Kerman Pilot: Desbro Kerman Mission Specialist: Obbro Kerman Mission Specialist: Gidon Kerman Mission Specialist: Merwin Kerman Left to right: Matney Kerman, Desbro Kerman, Obbro Kerman, Gidon Kerman, Merwin Kerman. Liftoff. OMS 1 OMS 2 Rendezvous burn. Fine-tuning encounter with RCS. Ditto. Photo of GWO - 2 taken by Cdr. Matney After capture, GWO - 2 will be lowered toward the payload bay for ease of access by upcoming two-Kerbal EVA. Obbro and Merwin emerge from Intrepid and begin making their way towards GWO - 2. Inspecting GWO -2. Oddbro begins retracting GWO - 2's antennas and other fixtures. GWO - 2 is released from the arm and guided into the grapple mechanism by the two Kerbals. Capture. Merwin holding onto GWO - 2. The capture system is rotated downwards to allow clearance for the payload bay doors to be shut. Oddbro & Merwin posing with their captured satellite. After successful capture and stowage of the satellite, the two make their wake back inside, Closing up shop. Retro burn. "Welcome home, Intrepid. We'll meet you on page 41."

STS - 8, December 29th - January 4th, 1981 - 82 International Cooperation Intrepid's debut: The rollout of the space shuttle is beginning to become a common sight at Cape Kennedy, with most getting used to the spectacle. However, todays rollout is different from the norm. Instead of Pathfinder returning to the pad once again for another flight, OV-103 "Intrepid" sits in its place. Named after a famous Akerimian scientific vessel from the early 1800's, it is the second space-worthy orbiter to join NASDA's shuttle fleet. Its first voyage into space is certainly one of significance, as it will carry the first non-Akerimian payload to be launched on the shuttle. The payload in question is a pair of geostationary communications satellites named Huwako 1 & 2 from the Kalionian Republic. STS-8 will also be the first mission to conduct an EVA from the orbiter itself and the first to carry the Arcadian developed robotic manipulator system. The external tanks weight has also been significantly reduced through various means, allowing the orbiter to carry heavier payloads in the future. Crew: Commander: Layne Kerman Pilot: Raywise Kerman Mission Specialist: Bob Kerman Mission Specialist: Jack Kerman Mission Specialist: Valentina Kerman Left to right: Layne Kerman, Raywise Kerman, Bob Kerman, Jack Kerman, Valentina Kerman. "Liftoff of Shuttle Intrepid and it's mission to strengthen our relations on Earth and in space!" OMS - 2. (OMS - 1 not photographed.) "Intrepid" Huwako 1. Huwako 1 spin-up and deployment. Huwako 2. Huwako 2 deployment. Huwako 1/2. Following the deployment of both satellites, Bob Kerman and Jack Kerman begin preparations to exit the orbiter and begin their 2 hour EVA. Bob emerges from the shuttle's airlock. Bob & Jack working in the payload bay, one hour into their EVA. Bob trailing behind Jack on their way back to the airlock. Preparing for de-orbit burn & re-entry. Retro burn. Re-entry. Due to game issues, there is a massive skip between screenshots as runway approach was not photographed. Touchdown. Intrepid's maiden voyage is concluded, welcome to the fleet! Post-Mission Briefing: Before anyone mentions it, I am aware that the shuttle in real life was not capable of flying over a new years due to computer issues. Just imagine that this issue doesn't exist in this. Also, please excuse any spelling mistakes as I am writing this while I am very tired.

A taste of what's to come

STS - 7, August 12th - August 18th, 1981 Out With The Old Skylab's Restoration: While Skylab isn't the oldest station in orbit, it is certainly beginning to show its age. Starting construction in 1968 and launching in 1973, a majority of the systems onboard are outdated. In order to resolve this issue, STS - 7 will deliver several replacements to key systems inside the station and as well as a large amount of consumables intended for future long-stay missions. STS - 7 will carry the cargo in the Pressurized Logistics Module, a reusable cargo module purpose built for the Shuttle-Skylab program. This mission will also host the first spacewalk from Skylab since 1974. The one-Kerbal EVA will perform a visual inspection of the outside of the station up close and report any issues found. This is the last planned Skylab mission until late 1982 and also the last flight before the maiden voyage of OV -103 "Intrepid." Crew: STS - 7 marks the first time a woman has commanded a shuttle mission. Commander: Gillock Kerman Pilot: Trabas Kerman Mission Specialist: Ceri Kerman Mission Specialist: Desbro Kerman Left to right: Gillock Kerman, Trabas Kerman, Ceri Kerman, Desbro Kerman. Liftoff. ET Sep. OMS 1 (OMS 2 not photographed.) Pathfinder with the Pressurized Logistics Module (PLM). Skylab rendezvous burn. Braking burn. Visual of Skylab. Moving forward. Soft-capture. Hard-capture, Pathfinder has docked to Skylab for the second time. After one orbit, the hatch to Skylab is opened and the crew begins transfer into the station. Contents from the PLM are transferred into Skylab and the crew begins the long process of replacing older systems while the Extravehicular Mobility Unit is prepared for use by Duddan Kerman. Skylab's airlock hatch. Trabas Kerman is expected to emerge shortly. Trabas steps outside. First EVA photo taken. Trabas begins moving around the stations exterior, climbing upwards towards the ATM. Peeking above. Another photo from Trabas' EVA. Trabas begins utilizing his MTP (Manned Thruster Pack) to perform obversions of the rear of the station. He would later note the systems delayed control systems as well as the very limited fuel. This system is planned to be replaced by the MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit). After 2 hours outside, Trabas returns to the hatch and climbs back inside. The crew will spend a total of 10 days at Skylab. After undocking, Pathfinder will spend another 2 days in orbit. Undocking & Skylab departure. Farewell! Closing up the doors. De-orbit burn. Reentry was not photographed. Gliding. A bit high. Main gear touchdown. Nose gear touchdown. Another successful landing, welcome home once again Pathfinder. Post-Mission Briefing: Sorry for taking so long! I got caught up with some other stuff that I had to take care of. If you're wondering what's up with the shuttles texture, I edited it to match the Columbia/Challenger tiled look instead of having the thermal blankets. I hope you like it because I certainly do.

Hi all, I'm still alive. Working on STS -7 right now, I just got a bit busy doing other stuff for a bit.

STS - 6, April 21st, 1981 In Peace? Military Applications: From the Shuttle Programs inception, the United States Air Force and Department of War have kept a keen eye on it. One of the main reasons the payload bay is so large is because of the DOW. In order to secure their support for the program, one of the main requests was the payload bay be large enough to carry and deploy the next generation of large and bulky spy satellites. This was met with backlash from some sectors of NASDA, citing the possibility of the shuttle becoming a military vehicle and spitting in the face of the agencies civilian nature. However the request was approved and the changes were made early on in the design process of the shuttle. STS - 6 will be the first shuttle mission to carry a military related payload, a spy satellite for the USAF. Due to the classified nature of the payload, this mission will bring along the first USAF Payload Specialist. USAF Payload Specialists are active duty Airforce personnel trained to handle any classified payloads they are assigned to. As Pathfinder is rolled out to the pad, a few watch on in quiet resentment and others watch in excitement. Some say the mission will be viewed as a stain on the history of the agency and will be the catalyst for the eventual militarization of the space shuttle. Others are much more reserved, believing it to be a necessary evil and something that will not majorly effect operations of the civilian side of the program. NASDA management is understanding of most criticisms, but their obligations to the Air Force and Department of War must be filled if they wish for continued support. Crew: Commander: Munbro Kerman Pilot: Layne Kerman Mission Specialist: Neil Kerman USAF Payload Specialist: Hancal Kerman Left to right: Commander Munbro, Pilot Layne, Mission Specialist Neil, USAF Payload Specialist Hancal. Pathfinder lifts off from LC-39A once again. OV-103 "Intrepid" will soon join Pathfinder in launching from this pad, as her first scheduled flight is STS-8. "Liftoff of Space Shuttle Pathfinder and it's Airforce payload!" Rolling with the changes. SRB separation. ET separation. OMS - 1 & 2. The payload bay doors are opened after 1 orbit. The crew will wait 2 days before beginning the deployment of the AOS - 1 spy satellite. Opening the sunshade. Preparing for deployment. Deployment of AOS - 1 AOS - 1 from Pathfinder. Pathfinder from AOS - 1. AOS - 1's Staara-38 is ignited. Once this burn is completed, it will be separated and an internal engine will perform the next burn. AOS - 1. Moving back to Pathfinder, the orbiter and her crew will spend the next 4 days in space. Commander Munbro staring out of Pathfinder's flight deck windows. View of Pathfinder's payload bay on Mission Day 5. C Closing up the payload bay doors. Preparing for de-orbit burn. De-orbit burn. Final preparations before hitting the atmosphere. Re-entry. Passing over Edwards. We have wheel stop, STS-6 is completed.

Will be going over this thread and re-formatting all the posts to match STS -5 so it looks a bit more uniform. Will also be combining the two parters into one post eventually.

STS - 5, December 5th, 1980 Laying The Groundwork Returning to Skylab: With the safe conclusion of STS - 4, the Space Shuttle Program officially ceased to be a test program on June 13th, 1980. The Shuttle was now a fully certified crew and cargo vehicle, ready to begin normal operations. STS - 5 will be the first of these operational missions and will carry the Skylab - Shuttle Docking Adapter. While Skylab's existence now is essential, giving NASDA valuable experience in maintaining and expanding stations, it will not last forever. The breath of life the station was given was only so it can serve as a stop-gap for the planned "Permanent Orbital Space Station", which is currently in it's preliminary design phase. Expected to begin construction in the early to mid-90's, the orbital outpost will serve as a stepping stone for Kerbalkind's return to the Moon and eventually voyages to Mars. However, this is still a very distant goal and for now Skylab will have to do. Skylab is set to receive future expansion in addition to the docking adapter, including new solar arrays and the addition of a large pressurized science module courtesy of the Valropan Spaceflight Administration. The station is expected to cease operations in 1988 and be deorbited in 1989, finally meeting the fate it was saved from all those years prior. Due to more unexpected issues with the robotic manipulator system, it was not included on this flight. Instead, the docking adapter will be released from the shuttle's payload bay and docked to Skylab by ground control similarly to how the TRS was previously on STS -2. Crew: STS - 5 is the first shuttle flight to carry more than 2 astronauts and the first to carry an Akerimian woman into space. Commander: Thomping Kerman Pilot: Bob Kerman Mission Specialist: Valentina Kerman Mission Specialist: Chadmon Kerman Left to right: Commander Thomping, Pilot Bob, Mission Specialist Valentina, Mission Specialist Chadmon. Crew of STS - 5 pose with their Astronaut Transfer Van. Pathfinder sitting atop LC-39A for the 5th time. T-minus 10, 9, 8 , 7, 6... Go for main engine start; 5, 4, 3,2 1... Liftoff of Pathfinder, paving the way for future missions to Skylab! "Roooollin'!" "Roger roll, Pathfinder." "We have SRB separation, lookin' good and on profile." Pathfinder separates from its external tank. OMS 1 & 2. This puts Pathfinder on a rendezvous after 3 orbits. Braking at Skylab. View of Skylab from the crew as they approach. Pathfinder holds at 400 meters away from Skylab and begins station keeping procedures. The Skylab - Shuttle docking adapter will be released from the payload bay shortly. Docking adapter leaving Pathfinder's payload bay. Ground teams are now in control and will begin moving it towards Skylab. The docking adapter has 3 different docking systems on it. The forward system is an APAS-75, designed for use on the joint Athena - Unity mission. On the top is an Athena drogue to be used for the installation of a planned power module. The aft docking system is an Athena probe, meant to dock with the forward drogue on Skylab. Docking begins moving towards Skylab. A bit close. Docking adapter has successfully docked to Skylab. Pathfinder will wait a brief period before attempting docking. After some time, Pathfinder begins its approach to Skylab. Moving closer. Soft-capture. Pathfinder has docked to Skylab. This monumental occasion will be the catalyst for many important milestones throughout the years. The crew will spend 3 hours doing final checks and assuring there aren't any issues with Pathfinder, the docking adapter, or Skylab. The crew enters the docking adapter and then opens the hatch into Skylab. Pathfinder has brought several replacement systems for Skylab and the crew begin their work on refurbishing parts of the station. Pathfinder and Skylab now form the largest space complex in the history of Kerbalkind. The crew will spend the next 6 days on Skylab. Unfortunately, due to issues with the Extravehicular Mobility Unity the first planned EVA of the shuttle program had to be delayed to a future flight. On mission day 7, the crew begins procedures for departure. The docking adapters hatch is closed and sealed and Pathfinder is prepared for undocking. Undocked. Farewell for now, Skylab! After departure from Skylab, Pathfinder begins preparations for de-orbit burn and reentry. De-orbit burn. Re-entry. Main gear touchdown. Nose gear touchdown. "Pathfinder, Houston - wheel stop." "Roger wheel stop, welcome hope Pathfinder." Post-Mission Briefing: A long and very enjoyable mission, I hope you enjoyed it. I tried a new TUFX config during this and I really liked it, but if anyone has any qualms with it let me know.

Hi all, I added a mission list to the first post on this thread. It will be updated every time I finish planning/complete/skip a mission. This also leads me to my next point, I am skipping STS - 4 because I do not feel it is interesting enough to justify it having it's own dedicated thread post. In my mission plans, it is very similar to STS - 3 and I am looking to move past the test missions and get into the interesting bits. STS - 5 will be worked on tonight and hopefully finished tomorrow, it will be the delivery of the Skylab docking adapter and first docking to Skylab by shuttle.