Shuttle Adventures: An Album of Kerbalized Space Shuttle Missions

[Adiri]

On 3/20/2022 at 7:37 PM, lemon cup said:

Please treat this as an experimental pre-release, though I have no intentions of making a full licensed mod at this time, but I am considering contacting Adiri and seeing if they would like to take these plumes for their mod "SRB Waterfall Effects". Until then, the select few of you to find this are welcome to use and enjoy these as you see fit. 

Hey, I just saw this and if you want I can do some tests and see if this is applicable to work with SWE, until then thanks because holy those plumes look so good!

[lemon cup]

16 hours ago, Adiri said:

Hey, I just saw this and if you want I can do some tests and see if this is applicable to work with SWE, until then thanks because holy those plumes look so good!

Thanks, I have no intentions of developing a mod (or mod-like set of configs a la SRBWaterfallEffects) but I would very much welcome you to take what I built and adapt them for your mod, if you like. I'll send you a PM and we can talk it out in more detail 

[lemon cup]

On 4/10/2022 at 11:24 AM, track said:

I have one more question, how'd you make the conformal decal?

I believe there are a few good tutorials for making custom flags in the ConformalDecals thread, but I'll give a quick run down of how I do it.

I use a very simple 2D modelling program called Paint 3D, it is basically MS Paint enhanced lol. Comes free on some versions of Windows, free to download for Windows 10 and 11. It lets you use some basic tools to generate an image and then allows you to use a totally transparent background, very useful for casting a decal onto a part. Then, save the image into the Squad/Flags folder, and it will be selectable as a Conformal Decal!

Here are the flags I use for the Shuttle right and left wings. Feel free to use them, and check them out as an example for making your own decals.
Google Drive File

[track]

23 minutes ago, lemon cup said:

I believe there are a few good tutorials for making custom flags in the ConformalDecals thread, but I'll give a quick run down of how I do it.

I use a very simple 2D modelling program called Paint 3D, it is basically MS Paint enhanced lol. Comes free on some versions of Windows, free to download for Windows 10 and 11. It lets you use some basic tools to generate an image and then allows you to use a totally transparent background, very useful for casting a decal onto a part. Then, save the image into the Squad/Flags folder, and it will be selectable as a Conformal Decal!

Here are the flags I use for the Shuttle right and left wings. Feel free to use them, and check them out as an example for making your own decals.
Google Drive File

Lmao i've used Paint 3D for ages, good to know I'm not alone. Thanks for sharing them with me and thanks for the reply! 

[Tundra]

Wow!  This looks super cool!   Maybe I can do something like this when I become better at taking cinematic screenshots.

[Adiri]

2 hours ago, track said:

Lmao i've used Paint 3D for ages, good to know I'm not alone. Thanks for sharing them with me and thanks for the reply! 

Paint 3D smh
Paint.net is superior

[Kuiper_Belt]

STATIONS STATIONS STATIONS!!!!!

Space Stations are going to be a focus of the next couple missions! I'll be working on Shuttle Skylab Missions, Shuttle Mir Missions and a Shuttle Salyut mission in the near future.

I'd like to thank you for responding to the poll! It's good insight that people do in fact like the more information based missions They are my preferred mission type to make as I love reading about the details myself  but I there is a significant amount of votes for more imaged based works is important. The way I'm probably going to proceed is do a Shuttle-Skylab mission which was only proposed and not actually flown in a more image based way, and then conduct a Shuttle-Mir mission which did happen in an information based way. Afterwards depending on how I feel I'll probably bias to one way or the other. I'll probably stick to more information based both due to poll results and my preference but who knows! I am willing to accept any feedback you'd like to offer in fact if you do have any ideas or suggestions please do speak up!  

Anyways life permitting, I hope to have more missions coming soon! Until then, so long!

Edited April 22, 2022 by Kuiper_Belt

[track]

27 minutes ago, Kuiper_Belt said:

STATIONS STATIONS STATIONS!!!!!

Space Stations are going to be a focus of the next couple missions! I'll be working on Shuttle Skylab Missions, Shuttle Mir Missions and a Shuttle Salyut mission in the near future.

I'd like to thank you for responding to the poll! It's good insight that people do in fact like the more information based missions They are my preferred mission type to make as I love reading about the details myself  but I there is a significant amount of votes for more imaged based works. The way I'm probably going to proceed is do a Shuttle-Skylab mission which was only proposed and not actually flown in a more image based way, and then conduct a Shuttle-Mir mission which did happen in an information based way. Afterwards depending on how I feel I'll probably bias to one way or the other. I'll probably stick to more information based both due to poll results and my preference but who knows! I am willing to accept any feedback you'd like to offer in fact if you do have any ideas or suggestions please do speak up!  

Anyways life permitting, I hope to have more missions coming soon! Until then, so long!

Looking forward to it! Especially those Shuttle-Salyut missions, I'd like to see how that plays out.

[Kuiper_Belt]

Can't Have Too Many Ports!

The Skylab Docking Hub Coming Soon!

[Kuiper_Belt]

STS-9B - Expand The Lab -  June 1980

Authors Note: This will be a modified version of NASA's plan to revitalize Skylab for the Shuttle Program. This is Episode 2 of 4 As I 've already conducted Skylab Reboost. Perhaps I'll expand on the idea of Shuttle Skylab, but I want to first conduct the missions NASA had planned, the delivery of the Nodal Module, dedicated refurbishment missions, and the power module. I personally plan to deliver the power module and then conduct refurbishment missions as to allow Skylab to be at full power. Bottom line, real -ish  Mission, modified for artistic liberty . Enjoy!

After a resounding success with STS-2A, and the Teleoperated Retrieval System, Skylab was now safely in a higher orbit and NASA had a station with nearly 12,500 cubic feet of pressurized volume and a reusable space truck at their disposal.

It isn't all good news however. Skylab has been in orbit for more than 9 years and it solar panels have degraded significantly. Compounded with the fact that Skylab lost its port solar array, Skylab had a serious lack of power preventing it from being  simply reactivated. The solution was to add an additional power module with two massive solar array wings. 

Preceding this addition, Skylab would first be outfitted with a Nodal Module, proving both adequate clearance and compatible docking hardware for the Space Shuttle. Now far a beyond traditional probe and drogue port of the Apollo Era, the Space Shuttle sports the new Androgynous Peripheral Attachment System or APAS-75 docking port created jointly by the Soviet Union and the US for the Apollo Soyuz Test Project. 5 days prior to launch. Houston released the latches and allowed the TRS to undock from the forward port of Skylab. After backing off from the station, Skylab was ready for the guests.

Flown by Challenger STS-9B tucked away in the payload bay sits the Skylab Docking Module, featuring 1 Male Apollo Docking Mechanism to attach to Skylab's forward port and then 1 APAS-75 docking port 1 facing forward. Radially 4 APAS-L ports (This is not a real port just one I "invented” for the sake of the design) A stripped down version of APAS 75 strictly for berthing components. In addition is a Spacelab Pallet, carrying four docking adapters each featuring APAS-75 and APAS-L ports. With a crew of 6, mission control stood by for the liftoff in the evening. 

With a target inclination of 50 degrees, Space Shuttle Challenger is in the" heads down wings level"  position on the launch azimuth, next phase being booster separation 2 minutes 7 seconds into flight, after which for 6 minutes it will use the 3 main engines to coast the rest of the way to orbit.

After reaching orbit, the STS-9B crew conducted burns to perfect the rendezvous course with Skylab. After completing maneuvers the crew situated themselves to retrieve the SDM from Challengers payload bay. 

After berthing the SDM to the Shuttle Docking System, the crew can begin attaching the docking adapters to the radial ports.

Now the the SDM was completely outfitted with its docking adapters, the crew now coasted until they met up with Skylab.

After two days in a rendezvous orbit, Challenger's crew could clearly see Skylab through the windows and now began approach and docking procedures. Lets listen in. 

Houston. we are 75 meters out.

Rodger, Challenger. Proceed past the hold point. 

Houston, Proceeding past the hold point.

50 Meters out 

Houston, 10 meters out, holding.

Challenger, remain holding for a moment, you will be entering a brief blackout period.

Rodger, Houston. See you on the other side.

~143 Seconds Later

Challenger, this is Houston, you may resume your final approach.

Rodger, Houston. Resuming Approach

Houston, Soft Capture Confirmed.

Challenger, prepare for Probe Retract and Hard Capture. Welcome to Skylab.

After Skylab 4's departure in  February of 1974 STS-9B is the first manned Spacecraft to dock to Skylab in 6 years. However, due to Skylab's power deficit,  the crew will not be entering station as Life Support systems have been long deactivated. The crew however will demonstrate pressurizing the intermediate space between the APAS-75 ahead of actually entering the SDM on future mission. The next scheduled mission to Skylab, STS-16C will enter the SDM but not enter Skylab itself, saving the grand reveal for STS-21D. However, the crew of STS-9B does get one nice surprise. A 1 man EVA to establish connections between the SDM, docking adapters, and forward Skylab port.

Lastly, the crew of STS-9B will verify joint control between Skylab and Space Shuttle Challenger, affirming the ability for possible reboots using the Space Shuttle Orbiter itself. No longer compatible with the current TRS stationed in orbit, a mission will be launched with the express purpose of replacing the current TRS with a new model with an APAS-75 port, then recover the old TRS for refurbishment.

After exhibiting complete  control authority over Skylab, Challenger repositions Skylab in its normal orientation and prepares to undock. 

Challenger and the crew after backing away reorient for an OMS burn to lower the orbit for reentry preparations over a two day period.

After closing the Payload Bay doors, Challenger prepared for it entry burn to land at the KSC, in an hour's time.

Challenger landed after spending 9 days in orbit, landed at Kennedy Space Center's Runway 33. Challenger would be refurbished and see several missions before its next flight to Skylab in early 1982.

Hope you liked this installation of Shuttle Adventures! I plan on covering the Shuttle-Skylab more especially with the focus on the Skylab IVA by Zorg! The next mission I conduct will be presented in a less worded format, only having a brief introduction and conclusion section. I'm thinking a  Shuttle Mir mission, its been too long since I've flown to Mir . Until then, So long!

Edited April 28, 2022 by Kuiper_Belt

[pTrevTrevs]

On 4/27/2022 at 10:55 PM, Kuiper_Belt said:

STS-9B - Expand The Lab -  June 1980

Authors Note: This will be a modified version of NASA's plan to revitalize Skylab for the Shuttle Program. This is Episode 2 of 4 As I 've already conducted Skylab Reboost. Perhaps I'll expand on the idea of Shuttle Skylab, but I want to first conduct the missions NASA had planned, the delivery of the Nodal Module, dedicated refurbishment missions, and the power module. I personally plan to deliver the power module and then conduct refurbishment missions as to allow Skylab to be at full power. Bottom line, real -ish  Mission, modified for artistic liberty . Enjoy!

After a resounding success with STS-2A, and the Teleoperated Retrieval System, Skylab was now safely in a higher orbit and NASA had a station with nearly 12,500 cubic feet of pressurized volume and a reusable space truck at their disposal.

It isn't all good news however. Skylab has been in orbit for more than 9 years and it solar panels have degraded significantly. Compounded with the fact that Skylab lost its port solar array, Skylab had a serious lack of power preventing it from being  simply reactivated. The solution was to add an additional power module with two massive solar array wings. 

Preceding this addition, Skylab would first be outfitted with a Nodal Module, proving both adequate clearance and compatible docking hardware for the Space Shuttle. Now far a beyond traditional probe and drogue port of the Apollo Era, the Space Shuttle sports the new Androgynous Peripheral Attachment System or APAS-75 docking port created jointly by the Soviet Union and the US for the Apollo Soyuz Test Project. 5 days prior to launch. Houston released the latches and allowed the TRS to undock from the forward port of Skylab. After backing off from the station, Skylab was ready for the guests.

Flown by Challenger STS-9B tucked away in the payload bay sits the Skylab Docking Module, featuring 1 Male Apollo Docking Mechanism to attach to Skylab's forward port and then 1 APAS-75 docking port 1 facing forward. Radially 4 APAS-L ports (This is not a real port just one I "invented” for the sake of the design) A stripped down version of APAS 75 strictly for berthing components. In addition is a Spacelab Pallet, carrying four docking adapters each featuring APAS-75 and APAS-L ports. With a crew of 6, mission control stood by for the liftoff in the evening. 

With a target inclination of 50 degrees, Space Shuttle Challenger is in the" heads down wings level"  position on the launch azimuth, next phase being booster separation 2 minutes 7 seconds into flight, after which for 6 minutes it will use the 3 main engines to coast the rest of the way to orbit.

After reaching orbit, the STS-9B crew conducted burns to perfect the rendezvous course with Skylab. After completing maneuvers the crew situated themselves to retrieve the SDM from Challengers payload bay. 

After berthing the SDM to the Shuttle Docking System, the crew can begin attaching the docking adapters to the radial ports.

Now the the SDM was completely outfitted with its docking adapters, the crew now coasted until they met up with Skylab.

After two days in a rendezvous orbit, Challenger's crew could clearly see Skylab through the windows and now began approach and docking procedures. Lets listen in. 

Houston. we are 75 meters out.

Rodger, Challenger. Proceed past the hold point. 

Houston, Proceeding past the hold point.

50 Meters out 

Houston, 10 meters out, holding.

Challenger, remain holding for a moment, you will be entering a brief blackout period.

Rodger, Houston. See you on the other side.

~143 Seconds Later

Challenger, this is Houston, you may resume your final approach.

Rodger, Houston. Resuming Approach

Houston, Soft Capture Confirmed.

Challenger, prepare for Probe Retract and Hard Capture. Welcome to Skylab.

After Skylab 4's departure in  February of 1974 STS-9B is the first manned Spacecraft to dock to Skylab in 6 years. However, due to Skylab's power deficit,  the crew will not be entering station as Life Support systems have been long deactivated. The crew however will demonstrate pressurizing the intermediate space between the APAS-75 ahead of actually entering the SDM on future mission. The next scheduled mission to Skylab, STS-16C will enter the SDM but not enter Skylab itself, saving the grand reveal for STS-21D. However, the crew of STS-9B does get one nice surprise. A 1 man EVA to establish connections between the SDM, docking adapters, and forward Skylab port.

Lastly, the crew of STS-9B will verify joint control between Skylab and Space Shuttle Challenger, affirming the ability for possible reboots using the Space Shuttle Orbiter itself. No longer compatible with the current TRS stationed in orbit, a mission will be launched with the express purpose of replacing the current TRS with a new model with an APAS-75 port, then recover the old TRS for refurbishment.

After exhibiting complete  control authority over Skylab, Challenger repositions Skylab in its normal orientation and prepares to undock. 

Challenger and the crew after backing away reorient for an OMS burn to lower the orbit for reentry preparations over a two day period.

After closing the Payload Bay doors, Challenger prepared for it entry burn to land at the KSC, in an hour's time.

Challenger landed after spending 9 days in orbit, landed at Kennedy Space Center's Runway 33. Challenger would be refurbished and see several missions before its next flight to Skylab in early 1982.

Hope you liked this installation of Shuttle Adventures! I plan on covering the Shuttle-Skylab more especially with the focus on the Skylab IVA by Zorg! The next mission I conduct will be presented in a less worded format, only having a brief introduction and conclusion section. I'm thinking a  Shuttle Mir mission, its been too long since I've flown to Mir . Until then, So long!

I see you've got some custom decals for the gold umbilical plate and the Challenger-exclusive escape hatch markers. Are they from Talverd or a different source?

[Kuiper_Belt]

10 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

I see you've got some custom decals for the gold umbilical plate and the Challenger-exclusive escape hatch markers. Are they from Talverd or a different source?

I spent a day in Paint 3D a while back and with at wonderful PDF with all the Shuttle Exterior Markings for each mission.  Literally just as I went go find it on google to link in this post I found another wonderful PDF for the SRBs and ET! So with the shuttle marking guide I sat down and made a bunch of flags that looked similar to the various markings to get closer and closer to realism. Subsequently I realized that I needed those gold umbilicals.I made them as flags from screenshot of the side of the aft fuselage part. 

I personally plan on releasing them but I have to sit down and make an American flag at the correct aspect ratio at some point so I don’t need to keep carefully clipping two flag conformal decals together. I might also make some more decals but who knows !

[Kuiper_Belt]

On 4/29/2022 at 10:49 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

I see you've got some custom decals for the gold umbilical plate and the Challenger-exclusive escape hatch markers. Are they from Talverd or a different source?

I've collected my decals and put them into a folder and uploaded them! Enjoy!

An image with Columbia's gold Tail Service Port from a little while back (You can tell cause I'm using the non RMM SSME's)

Edited May 3, 2022 by Kuiper_Belt

[pTrevTrevs]

1 hour ago, Kuiper_Belt said:

I've collected my decals and put them into a folder and uploaded them! Enjoy!

An image with Columbia's gold Tail Service Port from a little while back (You can tell cause I'm using the non RMM SSME's)

Great! Now all I need is to get my hands on one of those homebrewed early-STS TPS patterns with the tiles along the sides of the payload bay and such. Would make one myself if I were any good at photoshop.

[Kuiper_Belt]

Taking a Lovely Stroll Outside!

STS-89 Coming Soon!

[Jacktical]

8 hours ago, Kuiper_Belt said:

Taking a Lovely Stroll Outside!

STS-89 Coming Soon!

How did you do them doors. I NEED to know lol

Edited May 31, 2022 by Jacktical

[Kuiper_Belt]

5 hours ago, Jacktical said:

How did you do them doors. I NEED to know lol

I just opened them ! 

For real now, I downloaded the dev version of Katniss Cape Canaveral (It kept saying the file was corrupted so I had to repair it with WinRar which wasn't difficult) copied only the VAB files over to instance of Katniss Cape Canaveral I already had installed in the game data (This would be version 1.2.2), booted up the game, deleted the old OSSNTR VAB and placed the Katniss VAB in its place (Note: the little protuberance where stages are brought into the VAB prior to stacking is supposed to be facing south)  I have the Katniss VAB set to .6 scale as a middle ground to look big from the launch pads and be close to the appropriate scale. Top open the doors you need to click on the dark grey part above the each door. Kerbal Konstructs is kind of wacky such that if you open/close a door while another door is in the process of its open/close animation it will pause it. This allows you to have partially open/closed doors but when you try to resume the animation it will snap to the state it was previously attempting to reach, so if you paused it on the way to it being fully closed when you attempt to resume the animation it will snap all the way to closed and begin to open as the game thinks its closed all the way. Hopefully this makes sense.

Here is a nice picture before rollout and then a shot of Mir

Edited May 31, 2022 by Kuiper_Belt

[Kuiper_Belt]

STS-89 - Practice Makes Perfect - January 22, 1998

Late on a January night Space Shuttle Endeavour and their crew, sat atop Pad 39A, waiting for the Earth to fall under Mir's orbit. Marking the eighth mission to Mir by a Space Shuttle, this would be Endeavour's first voyage to a Space Station and would not be her last. Endeavour would next fly counterintuitively STS-88 later in the year, to deliver Unity, the first U.S. module of the International Space Station, signaling a new chapter in international space collaboration, and the next generation of space station. Endeavour and the crew sat back waiting for the clock to run down for a launch at 22:26 EST. (This will be a screenshot oriented mission. Less description -in fact none! Prepare for a screenshot dump!)

After 8 days 19 hours in space and 4 days 20 hours docked to Mir, Endeavour touched down at Runway 15 of the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, right around sunset at the cape. Wrapping up her first and only mission to the Russian station, Endeavour would be processed for 11 months before beginning her voyage to the Infant ISS for STS-88.

Hopefully you enjoyed the mission! Now that I've completed two missions each with a varied content style I'll spend some time thinking about how I should proceed with the style. Any feedback you could give would be appreciated. I'll be posting a poll soon with the next missions I'm thinking of conducting and you fellows could show me what you'd be interested in! I've got a lot of free time now so I hope to be posting more missions more frequently between this and ISS Adventures. I also switched back to KSRSS but that isn't super important. Happy to be back in business and more missions coming soon! Catch you later  

[Kuiper_Belt]

STS-51A In Progress & Constellation Is In The Works

Edited June 21, 2022 by Kuiper_Belt

[Lil_Bread402]

Colorful shuttles

messed with some stuff so now its nice and colored from the mod reCOLOR

Quote

WIP red shuttle

Quote

Here's a Delta Blue one (Certified Talv Moment lol)

[chaos113]

hello, ive discovered a mod that may interest the people of this thread, 

 its a mod that in time will have many different unflown concept shuttles

[pTrevTrevs]

5 hours ago, AstroMods said:

Colorful shuttles

messed with some stuff so now its nice and colored from the mod reCOLOR

WIP red shuttle

Here's a Delta Blue one (Certified Talv Moment lol)

So many neat retextures and still nobody has made an accurate early tile pattern variant for Columbia that they’re willing to release…

[SpaceFace545]

1 hour ago, pTrevTrevs said:

So many neat retextures and still nobody has made an accurate early tile pattern variant for Columbia that they’re willing to release…

"Benjee will sue me if I release it, blah blah blah" excuses. 

[Kuiper_Belt]

8 hours ago, AstroMods said:

Colorful shuttles

messed with some stuff so now its nice and colored from the mod reCOLOR

WIP red shuttle

Here's a Delta Blue one (Certified Talv Moment lol)

reColor has escaped my mind! Thank you for bringing it back to my attention. I like the orange white tank, it gives me creamsicle vibes

8 hours ago, chaos113 said:

hello, ive discovered a mod that may interest the people of this thread, 

 its a mod that in time will have many different unflown concept shuttles

Looks quite interesting! I'll have to keep my eyes on this in the future.

2 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

So many neat retextures and still nobody has made an accurate early tile pattern variant for Columbia that they’re willing to release…

1 hour ago, SpaceFace545 said:

"Benjee will sue me if I release it, blah blah blah" excuses. 

This is by no means a promise but should the right circumstances arise in the near future, I wouldn't mind giving it a shot. Do not count on it  I want to see a public version as much as you guys.

Finished the STS-51A payload bay configuration, tomorrow is planned to be satellite finalization and stack config finalization!

Edited June 22, 2022 by Kuiper_Belt

[Lil_Bread402]

16 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

So many neat retextures and still nobody has made an accurate early tile pattern variant for Columbia that they’re willing to release…

There is one actualy Here

I'm kind of worried though ab posting it to github, I know I (hopefully) won't get into legal trouble, but I'm considering sending it to Invaders because he has an actual mod with permission from Benjee