Shuttle Adventures: An Album of Kerbalized Space Shuttle Missions

[pTrevTrevs]

*sigh*, It's been awhile...

STS-41-G: Radar, Radiation, and Refueling:

 

October 5, 1984: Space Shuttle Challenger launches on STS-41-G. This busy yet underrated mission will see the deployment of an earth observation satellite, the operation of a new ground imaging radar, and a spacewalk to test a new method of fuel transfer in orbit. It will be the final spaceflight of FY1984, and will therefore also be the final shuttle mission to carry the -41 suffix.

Quote

The early morning stillness is shattered as Challenger's huge solid rocket boosters ignite over LC-39A.

As usual, remote cameras track the vehicle as it ascends through the lower atmosphere.

Due to this mission's high orbital inclination, the shuttle ascends along the US eastern seaboard, and is visible to residents of coastal regions such as the Chesapeake Bay area.

 

Quote

From fore to aft, Challenger's payload bay contains the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-B), the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), and the Orbital Refueling System (ORS) and its support equipment. The remote manipulator system also makes an appearance on this flight as part of the support equipment for ERBS.

After adapting to the conditions of orbital spaceflight, the crew begins the first mission objective; grappling and deployment of the ERBS.

When the satellite's solar panels refused to open upon command, the mission specialist operating the SRMS resorted to shaking the payload back and forth to free the panels from obstruction. After a short while of this, the satellite's twin panels reluctantly swung open.

ERBS is the first of a planned series of three satellites designed to perform NASA's Earth Radiation Budget Experiment Research Program, and also carries instruments to study the behavior of stratospheric aerosols and gases. Overall, it is one of the most complex spacecraft yet deployed from a shuttle mission, and far outclasses the primitive spin-stabilized Hughes satellites commonly deployed for commercial space ventures.

 

Quote

With ERBS successfully deployed and activated, Challenger now lowers her orbit and turns to expose her payload bay to the Earth below.

This allows the Shuttle Imaging Radar to begin collecting data. SIR-B is an improved version of an instrument first flown on STS-2, and is made up of a set of eight radar antennas divided into three folding segments. SIR-B is capable of producing high resolution altimetry maps of the Earth's surface, although problems with Challenger's Ku-band antenna forced much of the data to be recorded onboard the Shuttle rather than streamed directly back to Earth. This instrument is only one part of the OSTA-3 experiment package, which also includes the Large Format Camera for photographing the Earth in high resolution, the MAPS camera to study air pollution, and several other similar pieces of hardware.

 

Quote

Several days into the mission, the crew performed an extravehicular activity to test the Orbital Refueling System. A prototype for future systems, the ORS is designed to evaluate the feasibility of refueling small spacecraft and satellites in orbit. In real life, this was also the first EVA to include an American woman, Kathryn Sullivan.

The two spacewalkers used a set of special hand tools to attach a feed line between two fuel tanks, one of which was prefilled with hydrazine, with the other one being empty. After the EVA, with the crew being safe inside the cabin again, a remote command would be sent to pump the hydrazine from the full tank to the empty one. Despite working with such small amounts of fuel, the ORS is vital to the development of proper orbital infrastructure for the future.

 

Quote

Deorbit occurred normally on October 13, 1984, with the shuttle aiming for a landing at Kennedy Space Center.

Challenger touched down at the Shuttle Landing Facility at 16:26:33 UTC, bringing an end to yet another highly successful space shuttle mission. Her next flight will carry the Spacelab pressurized module into orbit as part of STS-51-B in April 1985.

 

[chaos113]

On 6/3/2021 at 5:43 PM, Beccab said:

November 16, 2009
First Operational Shuttle II flight (Fictional)
Carrying the commercial Bigelow-1 touristic station, the mission was a complete success, preparing the station for the B-1 mission that will carry the first tourists to the inflated module.

Hey beccab, would you recreate this mission with the upcoming kats shuttle 2 which would have the benefit of not being a kitbash

[Lil_Bread402]

On 12/8/2022 at 7:24 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

*sigh*, It's been awhile...

STS-41-G: Radar, Radiation, and Refueling:

 

October 5, 1984: Space Shuttle Challenger launches on STS-41-G. This busy yet underrated mission will see the deployment of an earth observation satellite, the operation of a new ground imaging radar, and a spacewalk to test a new method of fuel transfer in orbit. It will be the final spaceflight of FY1984, and will therefore also be the final shuttle mission to carry the -41 suffix.

 

 

 

 

 

I love this mission. It looks so awesome and getting me really close to redownloading ksp again at somepoint/my KSRSS save for shuttle stuff. Cannot wait to see some of the long term stuff like freedom or Centaur

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-51-A: Two Up, Two Down

"Say the line, Trev!"

sigh

Ace Satellite Repo Company, Spacecraft For Sale!

 

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about STS-51-A. Originally slated as a simple satellite deployment mission, the second flight of Discovery received a radical makeover when the two HS-376 spacecraft deployed in February of 1984 by STS-41-B failed to ignite their PAM-D perigee kick motors. Unwilling to eat the insurance payment for losing two spacecraft on a Shuttle launch, NASA organized an effort to capture both satellites and return them to Earth for repairs and relaunch. Such a feat had never been attempted before, but if any vehicle could achieve it, it was STS. The two stricken spacecraft, Palapa B2 and Westar 6, were both drifting in LEO, right where Challenger had left them months before, and their recovery would necessitate intricate coordination between astronauts on EVA using MMU jetpacks and the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System. Furthermore, STS-51-A would attempt to deploy two additional satellites to GEO on its flight, the first an identical HS-376 to the two spacecraft that were to be recovered, the second a Syncom-IV Navy comms satellite. In November of 1984, the show begins...

Quote

Discovery is the lightest orbiter yet to enter NASA's Shuttle fleet, and has already been tapped for several of the heaviest payloads set to fly in FY1985. Additionally, she is being eyed by the Department of Defense for a classified mission early into the next calendar year, during which she will deploy the first classified DOD payload from the Shuttle platform. Today, however, she is loaded with two comm sats, five astronauts, and two empty Spacelab pallets.

On November 8, 1984, Shuttle Launch Control gives a "Go" for launch, and the Shuttle stack lifts off the pad at 12:15 UTC

Once in orbit, Discovery's crew begins the routine procedures necessary to adapt to orbital spaceflight, and prepares for their packed schedule in the days ahead.

 

Quote

Shortly into the mission, Syncom IV-1 is deployed from the rear of the orbiter's payload bay. The oversized satellite is flung out like a frisbee, and gently spins into the distance before its perigee kick motor ignites.

Fun fact: I recently learned that the Syncom IV PKM is no other than a modified Minuteman III upper stage.

For apogee circularization, meanwhile, Syncom IV uses a pair of R-4D engines, the same kind used for reaction control on the Apollo spacecraft.

The next day, the Anik D2 satellite is released from its sunshade and propelled into GEO via a similar trajectory. The much lighter HS-376 series of satellites has no need for a repurposed ICBM upper stage, and is instead satisfied with the Star-48 PAM-D.

 

Quote

On November 12, Discovery closes in on Palapa B2. The EVA crew stands by in the airlock as the shuttle inches closer.

The Manned Maneuvering Unit begins its third mission in orbit, as a mission specialist maneuvers it out of the payload bay and begins tracking the satellite.

MMU-2 is equipped with a special device referred to as a "stinger". It will be inserted into the satellite's apogee kick motor nozzle, allowing the astronaut to grab on without releasing his hands from the MMU controls. MMU-3 is kept on standby with the second astronaut strapped in, ready to rescue the first should anything go wrong with the untethered spacewalker.

Palapa B2's PKM has meanwhile been jettisoned, allowing it to fit into the Shuttle payload bay and exposing the AKM for grappling by the spacewalkers.

Carefully, MS1 inserts his stinger and secures the spacecraft, then slowly maneuvers it back to Discovery.

Once closer to the orbiter, he repositions himself at the front of the satellite and prepares to guide it into the cradle prepared for it forward of the sunshade.

Once secured, MMU-2 is stowed and the astronauts move to the next phase of the spacewalk.

Using the Canadarm and its new foot restraint extension, the astronauts remove Palapa's omnidirectional antenna to enable it to fit inside the closed payload bay and secure it with straps, ensuring it will not shake lose during any intense maneuvering or reentry.

 

Quote

Two days later, on November 14, the astronauts exit the airlock once again and repeat the same procedure with Westar 6. The work goes faster this time, thanks to the experience gained from recovering Palapa B2, and the spacewalk is slightly shorter as a result.

Once again, the stinger is inserted into Westar's engine nozzle, and the MMU, now flown by MS2, carries it back to the orbiter.

The same form of rocket surgery is then performed on Westar 6, removal of the omni antenna and addition of security straps.

 

Quote

Reentry begins on November 16, after eight days in space. Both satellites remain safely tied down throughout the Shuttle's deccelleration and roll-reversals.

Discovery enters the airspace above Kennedy Space Center and begins flying the Heading Alignment Cone for a touchdown at the SLF.

Wheel-stop occurs at 11:59:56 UTC, and the repo agents quickly rush onto the tarmac to cart away the satellites to the insurance company.

Palapa B2 would be rebranded as Palapa B2R and relaunched in 1990, while Westar 6 would be resold to AsiaSat in Hong Kong, who would relaunch the spacecraft in 1990 aboard a Long March rocket.

 

Historically, this would also be the final flight of the Manned Maneuvering Unit. Despite its three successful spaceflights, NASA determined the system impractical in the face of the SRMS's versatility and- after the Challenger disaster- too dangerous. I have no plans to retire the MMU in my own service, but we shall see what missions I can scrape up for it. Today, of the two flown articles, MMU-2 is on display at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, while MMU-3 hangs suspended above Space Shuttle Discovery in the Udvar-Hazy Center in Washington, D.C.

[Kuiper_Belt]

After many laborous hours of work I can finally return to this wonderful game! Oh how I missed the orbiters so!

[Lil_Bread402]

18 hours ago, Kuiper_Belt said:

After many laborous hours of work I can finally return to this wonderful game! Oh how I missed the orbiters so!

I LOVE IT. I'm so glad someone is using my lil Skrunkle. I'm also making Ulysses for my Ulysses enjoyers

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-51-C: [REDACTED]:

 

January 24, 1985, Space Shuttle Discovery is minutes away from her third flight into orbit. Right on the mark at T- 00:09:00- much later than usual- press coverage begins, with pre-launch commentators on a noticeably shorter leash than normal. As the first mission dedicated entirely to the deployment of a Department of Defense payload, STS-51-C is not permitted the usual fanfare and ceremony accompanying a typical Shuttle launch, and the general public knows next to nothing about its objectives. All that is released by the DOD's public relations officers is that the mission will launch from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A, deploy its payload into a higher orbit using the Inertial Upper Stage, and return home three days later. Until the USAF deems the flight worthy of being declassified, that is all they will ever know...

Quote

Despite the deliberate shadiness of this flight, the usual crowd of spectators gather across the Space Coast to watch another Shuttle depart. Discovery thunders skyward, the boom of her engines belying the subtlety of her mission. 

Exactly five minutes after launch, NASA cuts all press coverage of the mission. For the next three days, the crew of STS-51-C is to be isolated in a vacuum even more oppressive than the emptiness of space...

 

Quote

[BEGIN CLASSIFIED READOUT: AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY]

[FLIGHT: STS-51-C]

[PAYLOAD: MAGNUM SIGINT SATELLITE / INERTIAL UPPER STAGE]

[DURATION: THREE DAYS, ONE HOUR THIRTY-THREE MINUTES, TWENTY-THREE SECONDS]

[COMMENTARY]: Discovery entered a circular orbit inclined 28.45 degrees to the equator and performed three burns of the Orbital Maneuvering System during flight, the first of which was performed shortly after orbital insertion to raise the orbiter's perigee to a safe level The top secret DOD payload was successfully deployed from Shuttle Discovery seven orbits into the mission, marking the third successful use of IUS and the first use of IUS on Discovery. The MAGNUM spacecraft features a large parabolic dish intended to intercept radio transmissions along frequencies commonly used by the Warsaw Pact and its allies, and from its position above eastern Africa it will provide nonstop surveillance of Soviet and Pact transmissions for the foreseeable future. Mission STS-51-C marks the third use of the IUS on the Space Shuttle and the first use of the hardware to deploy a spacecraft other than NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). It is expected that the payload's similarity to the TDRS bus will provide a degree of confusion as to the spacecraft's true nature, with a best-case scenario involving the misconception that this satellite will provide military communications services between NATO allies in North America and Europe. Pending success of MAGNUM 1 and STS-51-C, the USAF is poised to deploy two more MAGNUM spacecraft to Geostationary Orbit in the coming years to expand its SIGINT capabilities to cover China, North Korea, Iran, and South America.

[CLASSIFIED PHOTOGRAPHY: DO NOT REPRODUCE]:

[END CLASSIFIED READOUT]

 

 

Quote

STS-51-C lasted about half as long as the usual civilian Shuttle flight, with reentry occurring at the end of the third flight day. Very few things surrounding this mission were clear, but the weather was one such exception, and Discovery was cleared for a landing at the KSC SLF on January 27, 1985.

 

 

[2009Tartigrade]

Nice! I love it! Amazing work! Keep it up, I need more shuttle replicas!

[Lil_Bread402]

On 12/23/2022 at 9:03 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

STS-51-C: [REDACTED]:

 

January 24, 1985, Space Shuttle Discovery is minutes away from her third flight into orbit. Right on the mark at T- 00:09:00- much later than usual- press coverage begins, with pre-launch commentators on a noticeably shorter leash than normal. As the first mission dedicated entirely to the deployment of a Department of Defense payload, STS-51-C is not permitted the usual fanfare and ceremony accompanying a typical Shuttle launch, and the general public knows next to nothing about its objectives. All that is released by the DOD's public relations officers is that the mission will launch from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A, deploy its payload into a higher orbit using the Inertial Upper Stage, and return home three days later. Until the USAF deems the flight worthy of being declassified, that is all they will ever know...

 

 

 

 

 

I think the best part about ksp is recreating classified US DOD missions. Cool post none the less

[Kuiper_Belt]

Its Showtime...

 

[KeaKaka]

On 12/26/2022 at 9:25 AM, Lil_Bread402 said:

I think the best part about ksp is recreating classified US DOD missions. Cool post none the less

is it strange that I actually want someone to leak classified military documents just so people can make more accurate KSP recreations

just a thought 

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-51-D: Tower of Power:

 

In 1974, less than six months after the crew of Apollo 19 left the lunar surface, the launch of the Skylab space station very nearly ended in catastrophe when a premature fairing jettison tore off the station's micrometeoroid shielding and one of its two primary solar array wings. Despite an impressive repair effort undertaken by the first two crews of the the station which saw the installation of a new shield and the salvaging of the remaining SAWs, Skylab suffered from a chronically short power supply throughout the 1970s, a problem which would only grow as the years lengthened. In addition to normal wear and tear on the electrical systems, in 1978 one of the four solar panels on the Apollo Telescope Mount failed entirely, as its connection wiring experienced a complete physical disconnect from the station's electrical system. Skylab crews quickly learned to work around this handicap by limiting station experiments and budgeting power usage, but by 1984 the electrical situation ahs become too serious to ignore. By now, Skylab was over a decade old, and its solar panels produced a mere fraction of their former electrical output. To solve this problem as soon as possible the STS-51-D mission, originally slated for deployment of the third Syncom IV satellite, was remanifested to carry the affectionately-named Power Tower, a new utility module designed to replace the station's aging solar panels with a pair of massive rollout solar arrays producing 25kW of electricity. Planned for April of 1985, the flight would last ten days and involve some of the most intensive examples of on-orbit construction in history, including two EVAs. The flight would use Space Shuttle Discovery, once again cleared for flight after her secret mission in January, and carry a crew of six. As the skies cleared on April 12, 1985, all appeared well except for one thing...

 

Quote

An unexpected hold was called during the final phases of the countdown as a boat strayed into restricted territory along the SRB recovery range in the Atlantic. After fifty-five minutes, law enforcement removed the trespasser and the count resumed.

STS-51-D launched into a perfect blue sky only slightly behind schedule, carrying the heaviest and most technically-advanced payload yet to fly on a Shuttle.

Two minutes into the flight, both SRBs were jettisoned flawlessly and were successfully fished out of the now-clear recovery zone.

Discovery entered the proper orbit nominally, and opened her payload bay doors to expose the stowed Skylab module inside.

 

Quote

On the third day of the flight, Discovery approached Skylab and began docking procedures.

On this flight Discovery became the third shuttle to visit Skylab, and the second to actually dock with the station. 

The station is currently uninhabited, however the crew of Discovery will enter the station and perform some basic tests and operations to check out the new electrical upgrades during their six days docked.

The Power Tower is to be installed on the Skylab adapter module's zenith APAS port. In order to facilitate the installation without causing damage to the station or the module, PS1 and PS2 will first exit the shuttle and manually fold the two forward ATM solar arrays.

One of the arrays to be retracted is the same one which experienced a total failure in 1978, meaning that little actual power capacity will be lost by this procedure.

Before returning inside, the two spacewalkers inspect the power module and ensure it is ready to be installed in the coming days.

 

Quote

The following day, the SRMS is warmed up and attached to the Power Tower's power/data grapple fixture.

Over the next few hours, the module is slowly moved out of Discovery's payload bay and lowered into position atop the station.

With the new module and the Shuttle both attached, Skylab once again breaks its own record as the largest orbital spacecraft ever constructed.

The third day after docking, the two solar wings are finally extended, allowing Skylab to exceed its intended power output levels for the first time in its life.

During the mission's second EVA, PS1 and PS2 once again inspect the Power Tower for damage and complete the installation by connecting hardware on the station's exterior. Redundant power lines are connected from the Tower to the station's electrical bus, and the APAS port is locked down to ensure the module remains where it ahs been berthed.

The astronauts also venture up to the solar wings themselves, inspecting them for tears and ensuring the new EPS radiator is properly tracking away from the sun.

During all this, the crew inside the shuttle are able to watch most of the spacewalk through Discovery's wide forward windows, another first for the Shuttle program.

 

Quote

The rest of the time aboard the station is spent running checkouts and preparing for the next long-duration crew, Skylab-85-B. Undocking occurs on flight day nine, and as the orbiter backs away the crew finally begins to grasp just how large the station has become. The new solar wings dwarf both the shuttle and the orbital workshop, both massive constructions in their own right.

Deorbit and reentry occurred normally, with the shuttle aimed for a landing at Kennedy Space Center.

Tracking cameras and chase planes follow the shuttle as she descends through the atmosphere to land at the SLF.

During touchdown, Discovery sustained severe damage to her brakes and nosewheel, including a ruptured tire. The incident startled NASA management such that all future shuttle landings were temporarily diverted to Edwards Air Force Base, where the dry lakebed runways were known to be less hard on the Shuttle tires. No landings would be made at KSC for foreseeable future, and work would begin on the introduction of a nosewheel steering system to improve future touchdowns.

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by pTrevTrevs

[Lil_Bread402]

On 12/28/2022 at 10:03 PM, KeaKaka said:

is it strange that I actually want someone to leak classified military documents just so people can make more accurate KSP recreations

just a thought 

Intrusive thought.

11 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

STS-51-D Tower of Power:

 

In 1974, less than six months after the crew of Apollo 19 left the lunar surface, the launch of the Skylab space station very nearly ended in catastrophe when a premature fairing jettison tore off the station's micrometeoroid shielding and one of its two primary solar array wings. Despite an impressive repair effort undertaken by the first two crews of the the station which saw the installation of a new shield and the salvaging of the remaining SAWs, Skylab suffered from a chronically short power supply throughout the 1970s, a problem which would only grow as the years lengthened. In addition to normal wear and tear on the electrical systems, in 1978 one of the four solar panels on the Apollo Telescope Mount failed entirely, as its connection wiring experienced a complete physical disconnect from the station's electrical system. Skylab crews quickly learned to work around this handicap by limiting station experiments and budgeting power usage, but by 1984 the electrical situation ahs become too serious to ignore. By now, Skylab was over a decade old, and its solar panels produced a mere fraction of their former electrical output. To solve this problem as soon as possible the STS-51-D mission, originally slated for deployment of the third Syncom IV satellite, was remanifested to carry the affectionately-named Power Tower, a new utility module designed to replace the station's aging solar panels with a pair of massive rollout solar arrays producing 25kW of electricity. Planned for April of 1985, the flight would last ten days and involve some of the most intensive examples of on-orbit construction in history, including two EVAs. The flight would use Space Shuttle Discovery, once again cleared for flight after her secret mission in January, and carry a crew of six. As the skies cleared on April 12, 1985, all appeared well except for one thing...

 

 

 

 

 

Splendid mission. With the shuttle having APAS on it in 85 it makes me curious on if there will be more docking of stuff like Salyut or Mir...

[pTrevTrevs]

8 hours ago, Lil_Bread402 said:

Splendid mission. With the shuttle having APAS on it in 85 it makes me curious on if there will be more docking of stuff like Salyut or Mir...

Let me just say, I don’t have any Soviet mods like Tantares installed right now. Sorry.

[iamtherealjebadaiah]

wow, could you make this a singular mod?

[Lil_Bread402]

On 12/30/2022 at 4:23 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

Let me just say, I don’t have any Soviet mods like Tantares installed right now. Sorry.

Zad. Be cool to see some international stuff if possible in the future

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-51-B: Spacelab 3:

 

With the outstanding success of STS-9 and Spacelab 1 the Shuttle program experienced a massive influx of new research opportunities, as the potential of the Spacelab pressurized module slowly became understood. Already it has served as a cargo space for Skylab freight on STS-12, but STS-51-B would fully realize Spacelab's capabilities as an independent orbital research laboratory. Somewhat counterintuitively, this second scientific flight of the Spacelab pressurized module would be designated Spacelab 3, a side affect of NASA's modernized STS naming conventions. Over the course of seven days in orbit, the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger would conduct experiments across a broad range of disciplines, including materials processing, fluid mechanics, and animal biology. The latter would be accomplished using a pair of squirrel monkeys and twenty-four rats, serving as live test subjects. Spacelab 3 would also be the first demonstration of the Spacelab hardware in a fully operational configuration, paving the way for even greater achievements further down the line...

Quote

April 29, 1985, Challenger lifts off on yet another illustrious flight, breaking ground and pushing limits in the pursuit of higher knowledge.

SRB jettison confirmed

Challenger is negative-return, repeat, negative-return.

Once in orbit, the real work begins.

 

Quote

In addition to the Spacelab pressurized module, Challenger carries two Getaway Special canisters and an assortment of unpressurized experiments in a rack at the rear of the payload bay. In total, there are fifteen primary experiments to be conducted during the mission.

 

Quote

Some of the more delicate experiments rely on the Shuttle's gravity-gradient stabilization to proceed, otherwise they risk disruption as the orbiter's thrusters jerk it around in space. Fortunately, the vehicle's passive stabilization proves sufficient and the procedures go according to plan.

In space, the crew of seven is divided into two teams which work alternating shifts of twelve hours each, ensuring that work aboard the Shuttle never stops.

 

Quote

Thanks to Discovery's rough landing at the end of STS-51-D several months prior, a moratorium has been placed on Shuttle landings at KSC, and Challenger is forced to divert to the softer lakebed runways of Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Chase planes film the orbiter as she descends through the warm desert air.

Amidst clouds of dust, the workhorse of the Shuttle fleet returns to Earth after another successful mission. Her next flight will also be dedicated to Spacelab hardware, carrying a suite of astronomical observation instruments into space for a trial run ahead of the greatly anticipated Halley's Comet flyby scheduled for early next year...

 

Short post tonight, both due to my lack of energy and the mission's overall uneventfulness. Hope to have more for you all in the very near future, however!

[Kuiper_Belt]

NEW TOYS!

Now some squares:

Now back to widescreen!

Absolutly Beautiful parts by Invader and Estreet! I can't wait to play with these!

Some Additional Updates....

As of late, a lot of things have changed! New parts have been released for Habtech adding fresh parts to play around with for ISS Adventures which has been quite nice, Some pictures of these new parts will be spread throughout this post.  As well as that we have the wonderful new External tank to play with from ORANGES! 

In addition to this, I have finally built myself a new computer, resulting in a better performing KSP to play in, which not only is great for carrying out the missions themselves, but recording them...

I've been wanting to record a Space Shuttle mission for quite some time, practically since the inception of the thread, and I finally belive I am in a position to do it.  All of my screenshots thusfar have been 1440p, and it is now plausable for me to be able to record a video at such a resolution at a reasonable frame rates! I'm excited to venture in this territory! I'll likely give it a testaroo with a short mission montage before I do the real thing. New things are Coming Soon^TM!

[DaveyJ576]

@Kuiper_Belt and @pTrevTrevs,

Absolutely epic work! The Spider mission was fantastic. If only we could have done that IRL…

I have only recently began shuttle operations and I wanted to ask you two questions, 1.) are you using KSRSS, and 2.) if so where did you get your Edwards AFB? I have seen a couple of mods that provides one, but they are sized for RSS and don’t seem to have configs for 2.5x.

Thanks!

Edited January 26, 2023 by DaveyJ576
Typo

[pTrevTrevs]

18 hours ago, DaveyJ576 said:

@Kuiper_Belt and @pTrevTrevs,

Absolutely epic work! The Spider mission was fantastic. If only we could have done that IRL…

I have only recently began shuttle operations and I wanted to ask you two questions, 1.) are you using KSRSS, and 2.) if so where did you get your Edwards AFB? I have seen a couple of mods that provides one, but they are sized for RSS and don’t seem to have configs for 2.5x.

Thanks!

So I use this one: 

 

Technically I don't think it's meant for KSRSS, and to be honest it's kind of jank (runway lights seem broken and Vandenberg AFB isn't set up right), but it *does* work. I placed my own buildings around the Edwards map decal to make the base appear more populated, though.

Edited January 26, 2023 by pTrevTrevs

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-51-G: Arabian Nights:

 

June: 1985: Discovery's fifth flight to orbit carries a special significance to the nation of Saudi Arabia, marking its first foray into manned spaceflight. Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, flying as a payload specialist, will help deploy the Arabsat 1B spacecraft and become the first Arab, first Muslim, and first royal figure to fly in space. In addition to Al Saud's historic flight, STS-51-G will deploy two HS-376 satellites and operate the first in a series of small free-flyer Shuttle payloads known as SPARTAN.

Quote

Discovery stands on the pad in the predawn hours before launch, venting vapors like the breath of a sleeping white dragon.

Liftoff occurs shortly after sunrise on June 17, 1985.

 

Quote

Once in orbit, the crew begin conducting the flight's minor science experiments, which include operation of a materials processing furnace, two French biomedical experiments, and six Getaway Special canisters, all of which were operated successfully.

Several hours into the first day in space, Arabsat 1B is exposed to space and prepared for launch.

Arabsat is derived from the Spacebus 1000 satellite bus, and features sun-tracking solar panels and three-axis stabilization, both serious upgrades over the standard spinner busses used by most GEO satellites. With a design life of seven years, Arabsat 1B will provide high-speed, modern communication to the Arabian peninsula. It joins its counterpart, Arabsat 1A, which was launched in February aboard an Ariane rocket from French Guyana.

Once at a safe distance from the orbiter, Arabsat's PAM-D fires to insert the spacecraft into Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

The satellite's own R-4D engine then circularizes the orbit at apogee, placing it directly above the Indian Ocean and in full view of Saudi Arabia.

Over the next few days, the two other satellites in Discovery's payload bay are deployed to their own planned orbits. Morelos-1 for Mexico and Telstar 303 for the US company AT&T each reached their proper orbits above the Western Hemisphere.

 

Quote

The final segment of the mission is concerned primarily with the operation of SPARTAN-1. The Shuttle-Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy is a deployable and retrievable carrier designed to be released from the orbiter and conduct operations while flying free in space before being retrieved and returned to Earth. In this is it similar to the Shuttle Pallet Satellite flown on previous missions, although it is much smaller and more focused.

After being grappled and lifted out of the payload bay, SPARTAN-1 is powered up and performs a series of operations while still connected to the orbiter.

After several hours of grappled operation, SPARTAN is pointed to a precise vector and released from the SRMS.

Through the use of internal gyroscopes, SPARTAN-1 remains pointed at a chosen star for observation during the period of free-flight.

SPARTAN-1 flies alone for most of the day, venturing up to a kilometer from the orbiter at times.

Before the payload's batteries are depleted, Discovery re-approaches SPARTAN and prepares to retrieve it.

Once grappled by the SRMS, SPARTAN is powered down before being returned to the payload bay. Its data will be collected once the shuttle returns to Earth.

 

Quote

With Kennedy Space Center still off-limits for landings, the orbiter aims for a touchdown on the lakebed at Edwards AFB, California.

Roughly half an hour after deorbit, the hot desert air is shattered by the Shuttle's trademark twin sonic booms.

A pair of T-38 chase planes film Discovery during descent and landing.

Meanwhile cameras on the ground take higher-resolution still photos.

Wheel-stop! Welcome home, Discovery.

 

[DaveyJ576]

Bravo! The square shaped coupler/decouple used to mate the Spartan to the payload bay truss, where did you get that?

[Blufor878]

2 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

STS-51-G: Arabian Nights:

 

June: 1985: Discovery's fifth flight to orbit carries a special significance to the nation of Saudi Arabia, marking its first foray into manned spaceflight. Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, flying as a payload specialist, will help deploy the Arabsat 1B spacecraft and become the first Arab, first Muslim, and first royal figure to fly in space. In addition to Al Saud's historic flight, STS-51-G will deploy two HS-376 satellites and operate the first in a series of small free-flyer Shuttle payloads known as SPARTAN.

 

 

 

 

I actually have a book called "Space Shuttle: The First 20 Years". One of the stories was from the Sultan himself, and it's one of my favorite moments from the shuttle era.

[pTrevTrevs]

2 hours ago, DaveyJ576 said:

Bravo! The square shaped coupler/decouple used to mate the Spartan to the payload bay truss, where did you get that?

That would be the MMU port from Cormorant Aeronology, and it totally didn't work right. I tried to cover it up with my choice of screenshots, but the port that I connected to SPARTAN actually broke off when I released the flyer, and I wasn't able to truly retrieve it. I'm not sure if I built it incorrectly, or if KSP just does not like the closed-loop part trees that get created when a vessel docks to itself.

Edited January 27, 2023 by pTrevTrevs

[Valkyri3]

On 12/24/2022 at 5:03 AM, pTrevTrevs said:

STS-51-C: [REDACTED]:

 

January 24, 1985, Space Shuttle Discovery is minutes away from her third flight into orbit. Right on the mark at T- 00:09:00- much later than usual- press coverage begins, with pre-launch commentators on a noticeably shorter leash than normal. As the first mission dedicated entirely to the deployment of a Department of Defense payload, STS-51-C is not permitted the usual fanfare and ceremony accompanying a typical Shuttle launch, and the general public knows next to nothing about its objectives. All that is released by the DOD's public relations officers is that the mission will launch from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A, deploy its payload into a higher orbit using the Inertial Upper Stage, and return home three days later. Until the USAF deems the flight worthy of being declassified, that is all they will ever know...

 

 

 

 

 

I love this mission, what mod did the IUS and IUS decoupler come from?