Shuttle Adventures: An Album of Kerbalized Space Shuttle Missions

[pTrevTrevs]

On 9/21/2022 at 6:27 AM, Kuiper_Belt said:

What I did was replace only the LC-39 files and kept the KSC terrain. I forget the actual file name for the KSC terrain but avoid replacing that. You do need to add the files that go along the line of Cape_bits or something like that to make the new pads work correctly. Not too difficult just requires a bit of file moving. In regards to the alternate history configuration, I think the pads are to compliment that as the water tower is gone and there are more fuel spheres than usual but at the end of the day it still looks good!

Lastly I’d like to say thank you for posting your missions! I’ve been very busy as of late and I seldom find time to play KSP.  I’m really happy to find this thread still healthy thanks to these wonderful missions! Sorry for the lack of activity on my part  hopefully I’ll be able to post some missions in the next couple of weeks, but time will tell…

So, I did this, and after a little work I was able to get the new pad into my save. Only problem is that it’s not showing up as an available launch site, even though it appears to be set as such in the Kerbal Konstructs menu. Strange, but I’ll work on it.

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-9: Spacelab-1:

 

August, 1982: After yielding the spotlight to her younger sister for the last three flights, Space Shuttle Columbia returns to flight for one last mission before her scheduled maintenance period. This time, she's flying the European-built Spacelab module, a pressurized compartment installed in the orbiter's payload bay which provides additional living space and research facilities. Spacelab equipment has flown on the Shuttle several times already, in the form of the OSTA experiment packages and the Spacelab pallets used for cargo and instrument storage, but the Spacelab Laboratory Module expands the Shuttle's ability to conduct crewed research in microgravity tenfold. In preparation for this flight, the longest mission to date, Columbia has undergone a number of modifications, including the addition of a Ku-Band antenna to relay data through TDRS-1 in geostationary orbit, the disarmament of her ejection seats, new amenities in the mid-deck such as sleeping bunks, higher-capacity fuel cells, and new SSMEs rated to a higher level of thrust. Her original engines have been removed and are in the process of refurbishment in order to be installed on the fourth orbiter Atlantis, scheduled to arrive to the fleet in 1985.

Quote

Columbia has not flown in over a year, and STS-9 will be her first flight with the lightweight external tank first tested on STS-6 (Challenger).

As usual, tracking cameras follow the Shuttle stack during ascent. Visual-range color cameras can record the flight during the early part of launch, while greyscale IR cameras take over after SRB-sep.

The astronauts on the flight deck also record film of the Shuttle's ET after separation, searching for damage and burn-marks which could indicate a mission-threatening anomaly.

Shortly afterward, OMS-1 places the orbiter on track to enter its operational orbit.

 

Quote

A tunnel connected to Columbia's airlock leads to the Spacelab LM, where the crew will operate most experiments during the flight. A pallet behind the LM contains unpressurized storage space for additional instruments intended to study the environment of space or the celestial sphere.

The crew of six is divided into two teams of three: a Red team and a Blue team, each working alternating twelve-hour shifts. The mission's CDR and PLT are usually assigned to the flight deck where they monitor spacecraft systems and perform any necessary maneuvers, while the four Mission Specialists work in the Laboratory Module. The three crewmen who are not on duty at any given time rest in the orbiter's mid-deck.

Spacelab was funded by the European Space Agency and constructed by the West-German Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm, in exchange for having European astronauts fly into space on NASA vehicles. Indeed, STS-9 features a German Payload Specialist, the first European astronaut.

For ten days, the crew operate the Spacelab equipment and perform experiments in the fields of atmospheric and plasma physics, astronomy, solar physics, material science, technology, astrobiology, and Earth observation. For much of this time the pilot-astronauts let the shuttle drift to conserve fuel, only changing position to accommodate temperature-sensitive experiments in the payload bay.

 

Quote

After a highly successful mission, Columbia fires her engines and returns home.

Columbia landed at Edwards AFB Runway 17 after ten days and seven hours in orbit, bringing an end to a mission which exceeded all expectations. There were some complications during the flight; the fuel cells had underperformed and limited operation of some experiments, reentry was exceptionally rough due to the need to crossrange to the landing site, but ultimately STS-9 met all major and secondary objectives. The Spacelab hardware and mission profile was now flight-proven, and would see extensive use over the coming years. Columbia, meanwhile, would be return to Palmdale, California and receive a major update over the next two years. her ejection seats would be removed entirely, her development instrumentation would be removed, she would be outfitted with a heads-up display, and would also be outfitted with the SILTS pod on her tail and the SEADS system on her nose for use on later flights. Because of this extensive overhaul, she would not fly at all during 1983-1984. During this time the bulk of missions would be performed by Challenger, which was rapidly becoming the preferred orbiter.

 

[pTrevTrevs]

Bad news everyone; while trying to mod my game some more the other night, I accidentally corrupted my save, and while erasing it to start with a clean install I accidentally permanently deleted my screenshots folder. At this point I believe I'll just start a new save with a new, modern set of mods.

That being said, I also have plans to make a different save approximating the one I've been flying my shuttle missions on, by manually placing the relevant craft into the proper orbits and time-warping to the proper date (1983). It might probably will take awhile, but I hope to resume covering Shuttle missions eventually. In the meantime you can view my STS-10 flight over at the Bluedog Design Bureau thread, since that mission delivered a new docking adapter to Skylab. As of the date of writing this video I also have flown STS-11, however all photos of it were lost in the recent incident.

[Blufor878]

23 minutes ago, pTrevTrevs said:

Bad news everyone; while trying to mod my game some more the other night, I accidentally corrupted my save, and while erasing it to start with a clean install I accidentally permanently deleted my screenshots folder. At this point I believe I'll just start a new save with a new, modern set of mods.

That being said, I also have plans to make a different save approximating the one I've been flying my shuttle missions on, by manually placing the relevant craft into the proper orbits and time-warping to the proper date (1983). It might probably will take awhile, but I hope to resume covering Shuttle missions eventually. In the meantime you can view my STS-10 flight over at the Bluedog Design Bureau thread, since that mission delivered a new docking adapter to Skylab. As of the date of writing this video I also have flown STS-11, however all photos of it were lost in the recent incident.

That sucks! I'm sorry.

Don't worry about a thing. Art like this takes time, and I'm more than willing to wait. And I'm not just saying that because I have my own copy of KSP I can screw around in (and already have).

[Lil_Bread402]

On 9/27/2022 at 1:50 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

Bad news everyone; while trying to mod my game some more the other night, I accidentally corrupted my save, and while erasing it to start with a clean install I accidentally permanently deleted my screenshots folder. At this point I believe I'll just start a new save with a new, modern set of mods.

That being said, I also have plans to make a different save approximating the one I've been flying my shuttle missions on, by manually placing the relevant craft into the proper orbits and time-warping to the proper date (1983). It might probably will take awhile, but I hope to resume covering Shuttle missions eventually. In the meantime you can view my STS-10 flight over at the Bluedog Design Bureau thread, since that mission delivered a new docking adapter to Skylab. As of the date of writing this video I also have flown STS-11, however all photos of it were lost in the recent incident.

Sorry to hear about that mate. Wish you luck on trying to fix it

[pTrevTrevs]

Soon.

[pTrevTrevs]

Interlude, STS-10, STS-11:

 

STS-10 really does not deserve to be lumped into a post with another mission, but I lost most of my photos of it when my save got corrupted and what you see here will be the remnant I already posted in other threads. Bear with me, and we'll be back to your regularly scheduled Shuttleposting momentarily.

 

Quote

October, 1982: Back after a short hiatus, Challenger takes flight once again. Today's mission is special for her, as it will mark her first visit to the Skylab space station. Skylab was last visited by Columbia on STS-4, where the Shuttle delivered TRS-1 but did not actually dock with the station. Currently aboard Skylab is the five-man crew of Skylab 12, halfway through their four-month expedition in space, and when Challenger docks successfully its six-man crew will join them to form the largest crew aboard a single spacecraft in history. This conjunction has been specially choreographed between NASA's Shuttle and Apollo wings to allow for this temporary manpower surplus, as each and every astronaut aboard the combined spacecraft will be necessary to ensure the completion of the mission...

After experiencing problems with SRB separation on previous shuttle flights, Challenger flies with new, more reliable SRB sep motors, including a new assembly at the bottom of each booster.

In orbit, Challenger opens her payload bay doors and reveals her cargo: the Skylab Androgynous Multiple Docking Adapter, or AMDA. AMDA features five new APAS-75 docking ports, a system which is larger than the legacy Apollo docking system and does not require separate male and female halves. APAS will allow the transfer of larger cargo into Skylab, as well as enabling heavier modules to be attached to the station. Apollo spacecraft and their long-duration crews will continue to use the legacy probe and drogue for the time being, although work is underway to upgrade the Apollo Block III spacecraft to be APAS-compatible. A temporary solution is seen here in the form of a pressurized adapter, carried on a Spacelab pallet forward of the AMDA. Once the new module is safely attached to the station, the adapter will be attached via the SRMS.

Upon receiving confirmation of a successful launch, the crew of Skylab 12 relocates their Apollo capsule to Skylab's nadir port, normally reserved for AARDV resupply freighters. This clears the forward port of Skylab to receive AMDA and the Shuttle.

During the period before docking, the crew of Challenger raised the AMDA out of the payload bay and mated it to the new Orbiter Docking System. This procedure proved much more difficult than anticipated and caused considerable strain on the SRMS. It is now apparent that the Canadarm has some trouble manipulating heavy payloads; a fact which should have become apparent after the difficulty encountered while trying to grapple Spider on STS-7. Because of these complications, it is decided not to attemp to attach the APAS-Drogue Adapter; it will instead be returned to Earth and flown aboard the next mission to visit the station, Skylab-83A.

Challenger spends four days docked to Skylab, and during this time the combined crews of STS-10 and Skylab 12 perform a series of spacewalks to install exterior connections between the AMDA and the integral MDA, as well as inspect the damage on the Shuttle's Canadarm. Continued testing of the EMU spacesuit also takes precedence, and while the EVAs are all conducted from Challenger's airlock, the structures and handholds around the station are verified to ensure that astronauts can still make use of them in the new suit.

STS-10 would undock from Skylab and make a nominal landing after six days in space, becoming the first Shuttle mission to land back at the Kennedy Space Center. Sadly, the photos of this flight were all lost in the Incident. Please accept a photo of Challenger landing at the SLF on STS-12 as a substitute:

 

Quote

STS-11 would have delivered another new module to Skylab, the 25kW Power Tower. The breakdown of the SRMS forced this mission's cancellation, and Challenger was remanifested with TDRS-B and a collection of six Getaway Special canisters. No photography was taken of this spaceflight; according to rumor this is due to a classified DoD payload flying in one of the GAS canisters. Regardless of the reasons, the photos seen in this album are mostly taken from STS-6.

\

There is little to say about STS-11, as the flight was essentially a repeat of STS-6, minus the spacewalk. The payload was identical, save that TDRS-B featured enlarged solar panels, and a truss carrying the GAS canisters was mounted forward of the TDRS/IUS assembly. Challenger landed at Edwards AFB after a three-day mission; surely a welcome respite after the stress of STS-10.

 

Challenger's next flight will see a return to Skylab, but instead of delivering the Power Tower, she will be carrying Spacelab LM-2 to resupply the station with consumables. Following Columbia's maintenance period, and due to delays surrounding the arrival of Discovery, Challenger will fly all the missions in 1982, 1983, and the first half of 1984, earning her an admirable streak of six consecutive missions by the time Discovery arrives to relieve her. With her status as the only orbiter in active service during this time, she will earn a reputation as the workhorse of the Shuttle fleet, capable of any kind of mission, or any challenge, as it were.

[pTrevTrevs]

I know this is like my third consecutive post, but...

STS-12: Home Depot:

I have upgraded to KSRSS Reborn, so you should notice a marked improvement in visuals this time around.

 

April, 1983: STS-12 marks Challenger's second visit to Skylab, after delivering the AMDA on STS-10. This flight was originally scheduled to deliver the European Research Module to Skylab, however the complications with the Canadarm and a design flaw which prevented the ERM from fitting into a Shuttle payload bay has forced the module to be remanifested for launch on a Saturn IC sometime in 1984 or 1985. Instead, STS-12 will deliver supplies and equipment to upgrade the interior of Skylab, such as modern computers, additional sleeping bunks for crews of up to seven, experiment storage racks for the AMDA, and more. In order to fit all this hardware aboard Challenger will fly with the Spacelab pressurized module to provide extra cargo space. Finally, the crew will perform an EVA while docked to Skylab to install external connections between the AMDA and the Skylab MDA, completing its installation.

Quote

Challenger launches into a clear Floridian sky loaded to the brim with important upgrades for the Skylab space station.

STS-12 is the second flight of the Spacelab LM, but the particular article flying today has never been in space before. Spacelab LM-2 was built by the ESA as a backup to LM-1 which flew on STS-9. With LM-1 still being refitted after its inaugural flight, LM-2 was tapped for STS-12 and the Skylab refit.

Ground-controlled cameras aboard Skylab captured television footage of the Shuttle as she approaches the station.

Once docked, the Shuttle crew pressurizes the space between the AMDA and the ODS and prepares to enter the station.

 

Quote

Challenger remains docked for five days. On the first day, the main order of business is raising the station's orbit with the orbiter's RCS system. This preserves the station's altitude and extends its life. Without periodic reboosts, the station would eventually fall back to Earth and be destroyed in the atmosphere.

The second and third days are mostly spent installing the upgrades inside the orbital workshop. This part of Skylab is now over ten years old, having been launched in 1973, and most of its hardware is woefully outdated. While Apollo spacecraft continue to visit Skylab, the cargo capacity of the Apollo/Saturn system isn't nearly capable enough to supply the heavy replacement machinery the station needs. Only the Shuttle can carry such large and bulky equipment, thanks to its use of the Spacelab module and the orbiter mid-deck.

On the fourth day after docking, the flight's mission specialists perform an EVA from the Shuttle's airlock. Their spacesuits are outfitted with a new ultrareflective visor which provides additional protection from solar UV radiation, as well as a helmet-mounted light which allows them to work more effectively while in darkness.

The equipment to be installed by the spacewalkers is stored on the exterior of the Spacelab module, requiring the astronauts to climb down to that part of the payload bay and retrieve it. 

Using special hand tools (sponsored by Home Depot), the crew installs three external lines between the AMDA and Skylab, which will circulate electricity, coolant, and air between the modules without the need for obstructive interior conduits running through the docking hatches.

Finally, an additional floodlight is installed on the Apollo Telescope Mount to provide better illumination during spacewalks out of shuttle airlocks. The light has been installed with the installation of the 25kW Power Tower in mind, as it will be berthed right in the light's field of illumination. The ATM itself is rarely used these days, having been outdated for some time now. Its last major operation was during the 1980 solar maximum, when it was used to collect readings along with the SolarMax observatory satellite. Once Skylab's power capacity is upgraded with the Power Tower, the ATM will be updated itself, with new digital cameras that do not need to have their film replaced periodically, upgraded memory drives, and more delicate instruments.

 

Quote

At the end of the five days aboard, Challenger weighs anchor and departs. The station will next be visited by the Skylab-83A crew later this year.

The seven day mission concludes with the usual fiery reentry, followed by the second landing at Kennedy Space Center. A sequence camera inside the Shuttle cockpit also feeds live video to the MOCR in Houston via the TDRS satellite constellation.

The photographs of Challenger landing at the end of STS-12 are widely circulated following the mission, appearing on the covers of magazines and being discussed on television programs nationwide. It is yet another sign of how the Shuttle has captured the imagination of the American people, reinvigorating their appetite for spaceflight.

STS-12 will be the final Shuttle flight to use the original sequential numbering system, due to the growing complexity of the Shuttle launch manifest as well as (allegedly), NASA administrator James Begg's triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number 13. From now on, Skylab and Shuttle launches would use a new designation system meant to convey more information than the simple sequential pattern could. For Shuttle flights, the first number would indicate the fiscal year under which the mission was to be funded, while the second number would indicate the launch site, with 1 indicating Kennedy Space Center and 2 (if it was ever used) indicating Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The letter would indicate the flights place in the year's launch sequence, providing NASA with room for up to 25 launches per year. Skylab flights, which only ever launched from LC-34 at Kennedy Space Center, would only include the fiscal year and the sequence slot in their designation. Therefore, the next space shuttle flight would be numbered STS-41A, due to it being the first launch in FY1984 from Kennedy Space Center. (Note the US Government fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, meaning that even though STS-41A launched in November 1983 it was still classified as a 1984 launch). The next Skylab mission, then, would be numbered Skylab-83A, with the 83 indicating its funding under FY1983.

 

[Lil_Bread402]

Hey guys update (Sorry I know this is barley Shuttle Adventures Related) But I got another shuttle thing to share

 

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-41A: Doin' Science:

 

November, 1983. STS-41A, the first mission under NASA's FY1984 budget and the first to use the new STS designation system, launches on a weeklong Earth observation mission. The payload is a suite of scientific instruments and Spacelab hardware designed specifically for use aboard the Shuttle, the most notably of which is a magnetic mapping array made up of two whip antennas and a long telescopic boom extending at right angles from each other. Challenger will also deploy a new satellite and fly an arrangement of thirteen GAS canisters for smaller institutions across the country.

Quote

[Author note: This is the first time I've managed to get something launched from Katniss's new LC-39. I like it so far.]

 

Quote

STS-41A is also the first of a series of flights which will carry an IMAX camera to shoot footage for films and documentaries about the space shuttle. Additionally, a high-resolution panoramic camera is carried in Challenger's payload bay to film the environment around the Shuttle. Derived from the Apollo CSM panoramic camera, this updated model will not require a troublesome EVA to retrieve its film cartridges, as the whole system will be returned to Earth and can be flown again on future missions.

The Earth Magnetic Mapping Array (EMMA) is mounted on the rearward Spacelab pallet, and (as the name implies) will spend the mission charting the magnetic and plasma environment of low Earth orbit. With an antenna length nearly twice that of the Shuttle's wingspan, it also makes Challenger the largest manned spacecraft yet in terms of height and width.

The mission is flown with the orbiter in both attitude-controlled and passive drift flight modes, to observe any differences in the appearance of particles detected by EMMA. Maneuvering capabilities are greatly limited with the antennas extended, but not so greatly that the Shuttle cannot maintain its standard flight attitude relative to the local vertical.

Finally, Challenger carries a plate with solar panels mounted to it. These are wired directly into the Shuttle's electrical power system, and are being flown to test the capabilities of solar-powered spacecraft. Such knowledge will be useful in designing the next generation of manned spacecraft such as Apollo Block IV and the enhanced Skylab space station.

 

Quote

On the sixth day of the mission, Challenger deploys a small tube from its forward payload bay. This is the Shuttle Orbital Atmospheric Probe (SOAP), a special instrument designed to study the trace atmosphere present at orbital altitudes. To do this, SOAP features a large inflatable balloon which will be extended from its end and studied for leaks and pressure changes over a period of several weeks.

The shuttle crew tracks SOAP until it disappears out of sight as the two spacecraft slip into darkness. When the sun reemerges, the highly reflective balloon can still be seen at an increasing distance. SOAP features a small solid rocket motor which will be used to propel it to a higher orbit in the coming days, allowing the study of atmospheric properties at different altitudes.

 

Quote

After seven days in orbit, the weather at Kennedy Space Center has held out, and the orbiter is given a Go for landing at the SLF.

As the orbiter enters the airspace above KSC, it banks into the standard heading alignment cone (HAC) to align itself to the runway.

 

Challenger's next flight is STS-41B in February, and will take the meaning of "off the hook" to a whole new level...

[BuranAce]

RWS-1, An absurd alternate history tale from the depths of Project: Ad Astra. Coming soon!

Edited October 21, 2022 by BuranAce

[Lil_Bread402]

Good news on Magellan. For now I believe I've completed it with only some minor config changes needed now. You can download it here for anyone interested. Hope everyone can have fun with Magellan. Overall was a fun probe to make. Hopefully soon I'll make my own thread for my mod stuff to so I won't always be dumping it here too 

[pTrevTrevs]

Not sure I wanna type up a whole report for STS-41B, a mission that's probably been done to death, but here are a few pictures nonetheless.

[Lil_Bread402]

On 11/2/2022 at 9:55 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

Not sure I wanna type up a whole report for STS-41B, a mission that's probably been done to death, but here are a few pictures nonetheless.

knowing the way you've been writing your stuff I feel exited for it. Hope you got some cool stuff for it. Though either way imo it's not always about the mission but how it's shown and created 

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-41B: Alright Fine, You Win:

I mean, come on... would anyone forgive me if I didn't use this screenshot as my headliner?

February 3, 1984: The second flight under NASA's new spaceflight designation system is about to begin. As usual, this flight is being performed by Challenger, the workhorse of the Shuttle fleet and currently the only orbiter in active service. Today's primary objective is the launch and deployment of two communications satellites, Westar 6 and Palapa B2. This task is one that has been completed several times already, first on STS-5 and again on STS-7 and STS-8, leading some to assume at first glance that this would be a rather unremarkable mission. Such onlookers could not be further from the truth...

Quote

Launch proceeds smoothly, and Challenger roars into the skies for the eighth time.

Video cameras inside the orbiter's cabin streams footage back down to spectators and mission controllers, showing the sky fade from blue to black outside the large forward windows of the flight deck.

OMS-1 places the shuttle in its standard circular orbit to begin mission operations.

 

Quote

STS-41B sees the reflight of the SPAS-01 satellite, however due to an issue with the Canadarm it was (thankfully) forced to remain in the payload bay during the entire flight. A series of Getaway Special canisters were also flown, carrying various small payloads from across the world.

The two identical satellites to be deployed on the second and third days of the mission are both Hughes-376-type spacecraft, of the kind routinely deployed on shuttle flights. Both are equipped with a Star-48 PAM-D perigee kick motor to propel them to a geostationary transfer orbit.

Westar 6 goes first, but its PAM malfunctions and refuses to fire. The satellite is stranded in low Earth orbit and cannot be retrieved by this mission.

Incredibly, Palapa B2's PAM also fails to fire, meaning that the missions of both satellites are effectively compromised. A shuttle flight is quickly planned to recover them, but will not be ready for launch until November. Meanwhile, satellite launches from the Shuttle with PAM-D are placed on hold until the issue can be determined and resolved.

 

Quote

In between major mission events, the crew operates a number of experiments on the Shuttle mid-deck. Six live rats are carried aboard Challenger, as well as a high fidelity cinema camera and the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System, or CFES.

On day four, the main event begins. Two mission specialists, Bill and Karhat Kerman, emerge from the airlock and make their way to a pair of strange-looking contraptions stationed just behind the airlock door.

These are the first two Manned Maneuvering Units, or MMUs. Using a set of cold gas nitrogen thrusters, they enable an astronaut to fly independently of his spacecraft without the need for a tether or foot restraint. Each MMU is capable of supporting an astronaut for several hours at a time, and contains enough electrical power and thruster fuel for a full six-hour EVA. Today, however, the spacewalkers will merely test the system in preparation for its practical application on future missions.

While Karhat remains tethered in his MMU as a safety precaution, Bill carefully maneuvers his into the area of the payload bay between the SPAS pallet and the mounting racks and tests its responsiveness. Satisfied with his ability to control the assembly, he moves above the payload bay and prepares to fly into the distance.

With nothing but his comrade in the second MMU to save him in the event of an emergency, Bill ventures several hundred meters away from Challenger. At this time, the crew aboard take what would become one of the most famous photographs of the 1980s: an image of the lone astronaut floating steadily into space, his ship reflected in his visor as he drifts away.

A camera on board MMU-2 also takes images of Challenger as Bill verifies the contraption's systems and prepares to return to the payload bay.

Bill and Karhat also practice stationkeeping the MMU at close proximity to the orbiter and test their ability to work in space while attached to the system.

On a second EVA several days later, they practice techniques which are planned to be used on STS-41C to capture and repair the SolarMax Observatory.

 

Quote

Deorbit occurs on February 11, 1984, and Challenger begins to descend for a landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility.

Again, the video camera records the flames of reentry outside Challenger's windows.

And finally, the orbiter glides to a stop on Runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center, just a few kilometers from her launch site. Unfortunately, all the photos of the landing were corrupted, and none remain on my hard drive.

 

[DJ Reonic]

@pTrevTrevs Any chance you have the rescale values you used for the payload equipment from Cormorant? I noticed there are new rescale options for (i'm assuming) x, y, and z axes.

[pTrevTrevs]

3 hours ago, DJ Reonic said:

@pTrevTrevs Any chance you have the rescale values you used for the payload equipment from Cormorant? I noticed there are new rescale options for (i'm assuming) x, y, and z axes.

The sunshade? I think I have it scaled to around 1.5m. Will check and edit this post when I have a value for you.

 

Anyway, some sneak peeks of the future:

I've flown missions all the way through STS-51A, but I like to space them out to keep the thread from getting cluttered and give others a chance to post their missions.

[Kuiper_Belt]

Our Next Odyssey - Artemis 1 Coming Soon^TM!

I also plan to an SLS overview at some point like I did for Constellation!

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-41C: New Maximums:

 

April 1984: The Solar Maximum Mission satellite has been adrift in orbit for years, after an attitude control failure forced it into standby mode in November of 1980. STS-41C will attempt an intensive repair operation to restore the spacecraft to its full capabilities, demonstrating the feasibility of such an operation in addition to saving one of NASA's most invaluable heliocentric observatories. Secondary mission objectives include performing the first direct ascent shuttle launch, deployment of the Long Duration Observation Facility (Because there's no proper LDEF mod out there and I can't be asked to kitbash it), the usual assortment of middeck experiments, and onboard filming of critical mission events using an IMAX camera.

Quote

Previous shuttle flights performed two OMS burns to reach their final operational orbit; OMS-1 would raise the orbiter's perigee out of the atmosphere and OMS-2 would circularize the orbit at the intended altitude for mission objectives. On STS-41C, a new kind of ascent trajectory was pioneered involving only a single OMS burn to perform both tasks, saving fuel and time.

The direct ascent trajectory provides the extra payload capacity needed to lift the LDOF into orbit, and will be utilized for similar heavy payloads in shuttle flights planned for 1985 and 1986.

 

Quote

The first mission objective is deployment of the Long Duration Observation Facility, or LDOF. In real life, the payload deployed on this mission was a materials science experiment known as the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), but that structure is so complex that I could not make a kitbash that I was satisfied enough with to launch on this mission. Instead we have LDOF, a large cylindrical spacecraft intended to photograph the Earth with a high resolution film camera developed from the USAF [REDACTED] spacecraft flown out of Vandenberg AFB in California. It will be retrieved on a future shuttle mission years from now, after completing its extended study of the Earth from space.

LDOF has no attitude control of its own besides its gravity-gradient stabilization, so the shuttle crew takes extra care to ensure the spacecraft is stable before releasing it from the Canadarm. This way it will remain oriented with its camera facing downward to photograph the Earth without the need for constant thruster firings or power-hungry gyroscopic systems.

With LDOF out of the payload bay, the way is now clear for the main objective: capture and repair of the SolarMax Observatory.

 

Quote

Rendezvous takes about a day, and Challenger soon arrives a short distance away from her target and begins stationkeeping.

The satellite is in a slow spin, and a mission specialist departs the payload bay aboard an MMU to grab hold of it and stabilize the motion.

In real life a small protrusion which was missing on the satellite's blueprints prevented the MMU's attachment device from attaining a secure hold, and after a day of delays the shuttle crew decided to capture the spacecraft with the SRMS instead.

But I don't like using the arm, so... MMU it is.

Just before orbital sunset, the crew wrangles SolarMax into its repair cradle and prepares to begin work at soon as the light returns.

Before beginning repairs, however, the astronauts perform a few maneuvering tests with the MMU, testing its ability to fly with front attachments such as the TPAD device. Such information will be invaluable on future missions which will use the MMU to move space station modules or capture other runaway satellites.

Eventually the MMU is returned to its cradle and the crew gets to the real work.

Over two separate spacewalks, the astronauts replace the attitude control systems, the satellite's coronagraph electronics, and various other systems which had failed or were in need of attention.

Several activities of the mission, including the LDOF deployment and SolarMax repair, were filmed from the orbiter cabin using an IMAX movie camera, and the footage was later used in the film The Dream is Alive. The film released in 1985 and features similar footage from several other shuttle missions as well.

 

Quote

With the satellite back in good health, it is released back into flight to continue its mission.

SolarMax would continue studying our Sun until 1989, when its orbit decayed and it reentered Earth's atmosphere.

Challenger, meanwhile, would remain in orbit for several more days before returning home.

Poor weather forced a relocation of landing site to Edwards AFB, the first such landing since STS-9, several missions ago.

Challenger touched down at 5:38 am local time after a mission lasting nearly seven days and 108 orbits. Her next mission would be STS-41G, a very interesting flight in its own right. I personally look forward to covering such an underrated mission, but until then... 

GO SLS!!!

 

[Lil_Bread402]

On 11/15/2022 at 9:23 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

In real life, the payload deployed on this mission was a materials science experiment known as the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), but that structure is so complex that I could not make a kitbash that I was satisfied enough with to launch on this mission. Instead we have LDOF

Hope to see a mod with it or a really good kitbash of it someday. Cheers though, this was a great mission to see

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-41-D: The Discovery of a Lifetime:

The year is 1984. The Space Shuttle program is in full swing, seeing launches every few months and reaching new heights with every mission it completes. A third orbiter has just joined the fleet, finally relieving the Challenger from her status as America's only active shuttle. Named Discovery, she is the lightest orbiter yet and incorporates numerous improvements built on the experience gathered from her predecessors. With a greatly reduced number of thermal protection tiles, internal structural improvements, and new lightweight thermal blanket insulation, Discovery is the first orbiter capable of launching the US Department of Defense's planned heavy payloads, and in the years to come she and her younger sister, Atlantis, will be frequent use as a carrier of DOD hardware because of this fact. Meanwhile, the space station Skylab continues its long service, having now spent an entire decade in orbit. Tended by Apollo Block III crew taxis and AARDV resupply freighters launched aboard Saturn IC, the station has been home to dozens of astronauts for stays of up to six months in duration, and the wear and tear of orbital operation is beginning to show on the old hulk. Furthermore, earlier this year President Reagan announced plans to construct a new station, christened Freedom, with the first module set to launch no later than 1990. Skylab now enters the final task of its lengthy career; serving as a testbed for Freedom. A new set of solar arrays are to be delivered to the station in 1985, pioneering a design of new ultra-lightweight rollout wings, but in order to verify that the concept works before committing it to a station it must be tested. This will be one of the chief aims of Discovery's maiden voyage...

Quote

August 30, 1984: Discovery rockets skyward with a crew of six. In her payload bay she carries three communications satellites and the OSTA solar array testbed.

STS-41-D features a new roll pattern on the launch stack's SRBs, but the author has been unable to determine the exact purpose of these iconic markings.

Another marking, unique to the orbiter Discovery, is the teardrop-shaped section just below the orbiter's right-center window. It is believed that these TPS tiles were originally intended to be white, but upon receiving them in black the construction crews made do and installed them anyway. To the end of her days, Discovery would bear this marking as an identifier for the trained eye.

 

Quote

Two of the three satellites to be deployed to GEO on this flight are of the ubiquitous Hughes-376 series of spinner busses. They are SBS-4 for Satellite Business Systems and Telstar 302 for Telesat Canada. Spacecraft of this type are commonly deployed on Shuttle flights, and little need be said of their operation at this point. The third spacecraft is Leasat-2, alternatively referred to as Syncom IV-2, a new design built by Hughes for deployment on the Shuttle and leased to the US Navy for geostationary communications. Syncom-IV is massive compared to the HS-376, and must be stored in the payload bay sideways in order to fit. Furthermore, while the small 376 busses are encased inside special protective sunshades, Syncom is simply too big to make use of such a structure and flies unprotected.

Shortly after orbital insertion, Discovery raises her solar sail for the first time. Indeed, it looks rather like a sail, pushing the spacecraft to new destinations across the invisible winds of the void. Or like some kind of space pirate ship. Take your pick, I suppose. 

Over the course of six days in orbit, the satellites are all deployed and the solar array is raised and lowered multiple times. Perhaps in the future a similar system will be used to fully power the orbiter, replacing her built-in fuel cells and allowing for longer-duration flights.

 

Quote

Leasat-2 is released from the payload bay by a spring-loaded mechanism which sends it spinning out like a frisbee, simultaneously stabilizing the satellite and propelling it safely away from the orbiter.

It is propelled to Geostationary Transfer Orbit by a solid-fueled perigee kick motor built into its chassis...

...and inserted into its final circular orbit by a pair of R-4D engines. These are the same engines used for reaction control on the Apollo Service Module, and have also seen use across a wide range of other unmanned spacecraft as main engines.

Discovery reenters over the Pacific Ocean and heads for a touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

The Shuttle touches safely down on Runway 17 on September 5, 1984, concluding her first flight. Her next mission is only two months away in November. STS-51-A will attempt to recovery two stranded satellites and return them to Earth for repairs. First, however, Challenger will fly the final mission of FY1984, STS-41-G, in October.

 

[Lil_Bread402]

2 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

STS-41-D: The Discovery of a Lifetime:

The year is 1984. The Space Shuttle program is in full swing, seeing launches every few months and reaching new heights with every mission it completes. A third orbiter has just joined the fleet, finally relieving the Challenger from her status as America's only active shuttle. Named Discovery, she is the lightest orbiter yet and incorporates numerous improvements built on the experience gathered from her predecessors. With a greatly reduced number of thermal protection tiles, internal structural improvements, and new lightweight thermal blanket insulation, Discovery is the first orbiter capable of launching the US Department of Defense's planned heavy payloads, and in the years to come she and her younger sister, Atlantis, will be frequent use as a carrier of DOD hardware because of this fact. Meanwhile, the space station Skylab continues its long service, having now spent an entire decade in orbit. Tended by Apollo Block III crew taxis and AARDV resupply freighters launched aboard Saturn IC, the station has been home to dozens of astronauts for stays of up to six months in duration, and the wear and tear of orbital operation is beginning to show on the old hulk. Furthermore, earlier this year President Reagan announced plans to construct a new station, christened Freedom, with the first module set to launch no later than 1990. Skylab now enters the final task of its lengthy career; serving as a testbed for Freedom. A new set of solar arrays are to be delivered to the station in 1985, pioneering a design of new ultra-lightweight rollout wings, but in order to verify that the concept works before committing it to a station it must be tested. This will be one of the chief aims of Discovery's maiden voyage...

 

 

 

This was an amazing Endeavor to read about. Seasat seems like an interesting Challenger to build. Also do you think you'll have new orbiters besides the basic fleet? I love seeing all this new stuff you're making for this timeline so I'm curious on if it'll go to new/renamed orbiters too

[pTrevTrevs]

1 hour ago, Lil_Bread402 said:

This was an amazing Endeavor to read about. Seasat seems like an interesting Challenger to build. Also do you think you'll have new orbiters besides the basic fleet? I love seeing all this new stuff you're making for this timeline so I'm curious on if it'll go to new/renamed orbiters too

Eh, probably not. Might add Endeavour eventually, but I don't really have much in the way of plans past STS-51-L. I can see it getting hard to decide which orbiter to use for which mission, and once Atlantis arrives it'll only get harder to do so.

[pTrevTrevs]

Previews for STS-41G and STS-51A:

[2009Tartigrade]

Wow! Love the mission replication Idea. The screenshots are amazing! I wish I could mod my game to make them look so good.