Shuttle Adventures: An Album of Kerbalized Space Shuttle Missions

[pTrevTrevs]

4 minutes ago, AstroMods said:

This is such a cool mission man. Seeing a mission like this really roped me into this story. Hope to see more mate.

Been challenged to do the same thing with LM-4 (Snoopy) in a solar orbit. We'll see if that happens one day...

It totally might...

[Blufor878]

On 9/6/2022 at 10:27 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

STS-7: Saving Private Spider:

Please enjoy this hastily-made mission insignia I bashed together in GIMP.

 

August, 1981: Two orbiters now make up NASA's space shuttle flight, with virtually all of their operational requirements tested in spaceflight save one. The ability to recover payloads from orbit and return them to earth for refurbishment and re-launch has yet to be demonstrated, but it will be necessary if the Shuttle is to perform some of its missions scheduled for 1983 and 1984. To this end, NASA has spent much of the last few years searching for a suitable payload to test the Shuttle's down-mass limits. The payload must be of significant mass, be in an orbit attainable by the Shuttle itself, and be capable of being grappled by the SRMS. Surprisingly, the list of eligible targets was rather slim, however one object stood out from the rest. Apollo 9's lunar module Spider, launched in 1969, was believed to still be in orbit after its ascent engine fired to depletion after being jettisoned from the command module, and was not expected to reenter until October of 1981. Originally shot into in a highly elliptical orbit, a decade's worth of orbital decay had reduced the spacecraft's apogee enough that a space shuttle could potentially reach and recover it. Retrieving Spider had little practical value; it was a dead, obsolete spacecraft forgotten by NASA for twelve years, however bringing it home would provide an incredible boon to public relations. The idea of having an actual flown lunar module available for public display would have been simply unthinkable during the Apollo days, but the Space Shuttle was by now no stranger to making dreams into realities. Furthermore, the opportunity for scientists and engineers to examine something which had been adrift in space for such a long time was hard to resist. In 1978, therefore, NASA's mission planning board formally approved the plan for a space shuttle to rescue LM-3 from orbit.

Originally planned for STS-2, the mission, facetiously called the "Houston Pest Control Company" around the astronaut office, was quickly pushed back once it became apparent how complex such a flight would be. Spider had not been tracked on radar since 1969, and it took NASA physicists some time to locate the vehicle in orbit and plan a rendezvous. Furthermore, the LM had never been designed with retrieval in mind and had no grappling point for the SRMS to latch onto. It would be a simple matter to construct an adapter for the Canadarm to use the spacecraft's overhead docking drogue, but part of the standard procedure for jettisoning the Apollo LM had been to leave the CSM's probe installed and sever its own connection from the Command Module. In order to free the drogue for  capture the crew of the flight would need to perform a spacewalk, something NASA was unwilling to approve on only the second shuttle flight. With added complexity came increased workload, and soon enough JSC realized that this mission was not one that could be flown by the two-person Shuttle test flights. According to conservative launch schedules, STS-7 would be the last mission to launch before Spider reentered the atmosphere, and so its original payload of two communications satellites and a West German research pallet was bumped back to STS-8, while the mission itself was moved up a month to August, 1981. Carrying a crew of five, the largest one yet, Space Shuttle Challenger roared skyward for the second time to retrieve one of her predecessors in what would prove to be the most ambitious STS flight to date...

 

 

 

 

"Everybody loved that"

[pTrevTrevs]

1 hour ago, Blufor878 said:

"Everybody loved that"

Well, I sure hope so. I'm pretty sure I'm the first person to propose a mission like this, and I'm especially proud of that.

[Kuiper_Belt]

7 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

Well, I sure hope so. I'm pretty sure I'm the first person to propose a mission like this, and I'm especially proud of that.

You knocked it out of the park with this one! I loved every bit of it! Can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Kuiper_Belt]

Thank You For Flying With NASA

Shuttle-Cassini should work! This was only a test so now I've got plan the assist chain needed for this! 

Bonus! Been playing with a new Katniss pad: 

I may or may not be stalking the github, so this is probably work in progress but I quite like it! Perhaps I'll play around with more stuff from the github. There is a terrain cutout that has LC-39C (not the tiny one inside of 39B but the real LC-39C)!!!!

[Autochrome]

Great work as always Kuiper!

[Blufor878]

56 minutes ago, Kuiper_Belt said:

Thank You For Flying With NASA

Shuttle-Cassini should work! This was only a test so now I've got plan the assist chain needed for this! 

Bonus! Been playing with a new Katniss pad: 

I may or may not be stalking the github, so this is probably work in progress but I quite like it! Perhaps I'll play around with more stuff from the github. There is a terrain cutout that has LC-39C (not the tiny one inside of 39B but the real LC-39C)!!!!

Awesome work as always! Are there craft files and/or mods unique to github, or am I misreading that statement?

[Kuiper_Belt]

9 hours ago, Blufor878 said:

Awesome work as always! Are there craft files and/or mods unique to github, or am I misreading that statement?

Well some mods have their developmental versions on GitHub before anywhere else, chiefly Bluedog design bureau. Sometimes there will be a new part for a mod up on GitHub before it’s talked about on the forum or in a main release so sometimes when I’ve got some time on my hands I’ll go through and quickly check to see if any new changes have been uploaded to a given GitHub page. I hope this made sense!  

Edited September 9, 2022 by Kuiper_Belt

[chaos113]

hi, im looking for someone potentially interested in texturing parts for a shuttle mod, it will contain unflown concept shuttles and be close to the level of sock 

Edited September 9, 2022 by chaos113

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-8: SPASing Out:

 

March, 1982: After a period in the OPF for refurbishment following its rescue of the Lunar Module Spider, Space Shuttle Challenger prepares to embark on STS-8. This flight was to have been the first nighttime launch of the Shuttle, however an unexpected delay in the launch of STS-7 resulted in that honor going to the previous mission. Never mind, STS-8's crew has plenty to brag over, from the deployment of two more communications satellites to the operation of a European-designed payload which will return stunning images of the orbiter in flight (see cover image).

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STS-8 launches just after 2am local time in order to meet tracking requirements for the Insat 1B payload. While the crew had trained for weeks in low-light conditions to prepare themselves for the launch in darkness, the light from the SRB plumes proved too overwhelming for it to matter. Bright light pours through Challenger's massive windows, effectively illuminating the cockpit as much as it would be on any daytime launch.

As usual, infrared tracking cameras monitor the Shuttle stack until it passes out of view over the horizon.

Aside from the IR camera stills, coverage of the launch is unusually limited, due to the dark night and scattered clouds over the Cape.

 

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Once in the nominal 32-degree orbit, the orbiter's payload bay doors are opened and the crew inspect the mission's payloads.

On each flight, the crewmembers are allowed to bring a number of personal effects with them. On STS-8, one of the crewmembers carried along an amateur video camera, and captured a large amount of footage of the Shuttle's interior and the payload operation, which would later be widely circulated and make appearances in several spaceflight documentaries.

During the first day of the flight, the mission specialists conducted experiments relating to the phenomenon of Space Adaptation Syndrome, researching its causes and effects and hypothesizing methods to combat it on future missions.

On Day 2, Insat 1B is unveiled and released from its sunshade. While propelled to orbit by the standard Star-48 PAM-D, Insat features three-axis stabilization and does not require the customary spin-up to 50 RPM.

Insat 1B now joins its counterpart, Insat 1A, in a geostationary orbit above India, where it will provide communications services for the ISRO.

The day after, the second satellite is deployed. Palapa B1 is a typical HS-376 spinner bus, manufactured by Hughes for the nation of Indonesia.

Two problems occur during Palapa's GTO insertion. First, the extending solar panel which would normally slide out once in GEO came loose during the PAM-D's firing and was torn off by the exhaust plume. Second, the PAM-D itself drastically underperformed and burned out only around two-thirds of the way through the burn, leaving Palapa B1 in a useless orbit from which it could not be retrieved. NASA is forced to contract a replacement spacecraft and schedule it for launch on a later mission.

The fifth day of the mission sees the operation of SPAS-01, a West-German built satellite designed to operate in and around the Shuttle payload bay. SPAS (Shuttle PAllet Satellite) carries a suite of experiments and instruments provided by both the United States and ESA, and is also capable of flying free of the Shuttle to perform its own independent operations.

Aside from Spider, SPAS is the heaviest payload yet grappled by the Canadarm, and by moving it around the orbiter the crew can determine how the arm will handle when grappling larger objects such as space station modules or heavy satellites.

During this time Challenger also relays data from SPAS through TDRS-1, demonstrating the procedures that will be necessary for the next flight, STS-9.

 

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After several orbits of captive operation, the crew release SPAS to fly on its own and slowly back the shuttle away.

During the several hours of free-flight, SPAS-01 ventures as far as 200 meters from the Shuttle, at which distance it can take measurements undisturbed by Challenger's own systems.

A set of US-supplied cameras also image the orbiter during this period, providing a unique look at the Shuttle in space. From left to right in the payload bay, one can see the two satellite sunshades, the OSTA experiment pallet, the SPAS attachment brackets, and the seven Getaway Special canisters flown during the mission. The SRMS maintains its position above the cockpit windows to grapple SPAS when it comes back in.

After some time, the Shuttle closes in on SPAS once again and prepares to capture it for retrieval and return to Earth.

Another short period of captive operation follows, and the arm then gingerly returns the satellite to its mount within the payload bay.

Deorbit occurs on the seventh day of the mission, aiming Challenger for the usual touchdown at Edwards AFB, California.

Once again, the dark conditions over the landing site make for poor photography during descent.

STS-8 will end Challenger's streak of three consecutive missions. STS-9 will be flown with Columbia, her first flight in over a year, and will carry the Spacelab research module on its first trip to space.

 

[Lil_Bread402]

On 9/14/2022 at 4:28 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

STS-8: SPASing Out:

 

March, 1982: After a period in the OPF for refurbishment following its rescue of the Lunar Module Spider, Space Shuttle Challenger prepares to embark on STS-8. This flight was to have been the first nighttime launch of the Shuttle, however an unexpected delay in the launch of STS-7 resulted in that honor going to the previous mission. Never mind, STS-8's crew has plenty to brag over, from the deployment of two more communications satellites to the operation of a European-designed payload which will return stunning images of the orbiter in flight (see cover image).

 

 

 

Absolutley Amazing dude. I love the SPAS system and it's so cool to see someone actually make it, Can't wait for STS-9

[pTrevTrevs]

On 9/8/2022 at 8:27 PM, Kuiper_Belt said:

Bonus! Been playing with a new Katniss pad: 

I may or may not be stalking the github, so this is probably work in progress but I quite like it! Perhaps I'll play around with more stuff from the github. There is a terrain cutout that has LC-39C (not the tiny one inside of 39B but the real LC-39C)!!!!

 

As I understand it, the updated LC-39 comes with a setup for an ahistorical KSC; were you able to easily adjust it back, or did you leave it as it comes off the shelf?

[Kuiper_Belt]

On 9/19/2022 at 6:43 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

 

As I understand it, the updated LC-39 comes with a setup for an ahistorical KSC; were you able to easily adjust it back, or did you leave it as it comes off the shelf?

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…

[Lil_Bread402]

14 hours ago, Kuiper_Belt said:

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…

If it helps knowing it's been a long time since I last played ksp. I've been working on my own mod for Magellan and 376 for ksp, and hopefully if I post again it'll be showing those 2 amazing vehicles. Best of luck to you though

[pTrevTrevs]

13 minutes ago, AstroMods said:

If it helps knowing it's been a long time since I last played ksp. I've been working on my own mod for Magellan and 376 for ksp, and hopefully if I post again it'll be showing those 2 amazing vehicles. Best of luck to you though

Magellan, you say?!?

376, you say?!?

[pTrevTrevs]

Anyway, you guys want some bloopers? Because I've got some freaking bloopers...

Maybe this is what I get for using the Breaking Ground robotics system. How do you guys move large objects with the SRMS?

Also having weird problems (which may or may not be caused by the same thing as the SRMS spaghettification) with parts of the orbiter moving slightly every time I load a save. It's not funny anymore.

[cxg2827]

59 minutes ago, pTrevTrevs said:

Also having weird problems (which may or may not be caused by the same thing as the SRMS spaghettification) with parts of the orbiter moving slightly every time I load a save. It's not funny anymore.

KSPCommunityFixes should resolve this. I experienced a similar issue where parts would begin to drift slightly on each reload or from a quicksave. Haven't had that issue since installing that mod

[pTrevTrevs]

53 minutes ago, cxg2827 said:

KSPCommunityFixes should resolve this. I experienced a similar issue where parts would begin to drift slightly on each reload or from a quicksave. Haven't had that issue since installing that mod

Actually, I already have KSPCF installed. Come to think of it, I didn't have this problem nearly as much before I installed the mod.

[pTrevTrevs]

STS-9 coming soon:

[Kuiper_Belt]

On 9/21/2022 at 8:55 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

Maybe this is what I get for using the Breaking Ground robotics system. How do you guys move large objects with the SRMS?

The breaking ground components can be a real life saver but you’ve gotta play ball with them so to speak. They’re very jumpy so you’ve gotta  turn down the traverse rate all the way down to 1 or 2 and be very patient as they move. No physics warp! No physics warp. no physics warp . . . It’s a pain but that’s what the arm needs. Also I use mechjeb kill rotation I think that behaves better than SAS when trying to hold an orbiter either on its own or attached to a station still. 

On 9/21/2022 at 8:55 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

Also having weird problems (which may or may not be caused by the same thing as the SRMS spaghettification) with parts of the orbiter moving slightly every time I load a save. It's not funny anymore

I’ve had this too in the past. I remember sending a picture to Lemon at some point with some MS paint around the SGANT on the Z1. I do not remember what I did to mitigate that (or if I just side stepped it) but the only thing I could recommend you do is minimize the amount of time you reload your craft. Maybe try autostrutting every part in the craft as well.

Hope this was helpful. Can’t wait to see STS-9!

Edited September 23, 2022 by Kuiper_Belt

[Astra Infinitum]

On 9/21/2022 at 8:55 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

Anyway, you guys want some bloopers? Because I've got some freaking bloopers...

Maybe this is what I get for using the Breaking Ground robotics system. How do you guys move large objects with the SRMS?

Also having weird problems (which may or may not be caused by the same thing as the SRMS spaghettification) with parts of the orbiter moving slightly every time I load a save. It's not funny anymore.

hey @pTrevTrevs since you use the shuttle alot maybe you can help me out. For the life of me for some reason for the last year i can never get the external tank from reDIRECT to work witht he benjee10 SOCK. All mods and dependencies good, crossfeed settings are on where needed but my shuttle main engines NEVER read the tanks fuel and therefore i can never use the shuttle. its heartbreaking really lol. any suggestions

 

also @benjee10

[pTrevTrevs]

35 minutes ago, Astra Infinitum said:

hey @pTrevTrevs since you use the shuttle alot maybe you can help me out. For the life of me for some reason for the last year i can never get the external tank from reDIRECT to work witht he benjee10 SOCK. All mods and dependencies good, crossfeed settings are on where needed but my shuttle main engines NEVER read the tanks fuel and therefore i can never use the shuttle. its heartbreaking really lol. any suggestions

 

also @benjee10

Did you enable crossfeed on the ET decoupler?

[Lil_Bread402]

On 9/21/2022 at 4:40 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

Magellan, you say?!?

376, you say?!?

Yes it's my own lil mod I'm working on. (WIP obviously) Called StarstroSpaceSystems. Lemme see if I have some pictures (Also my apologies for any self advertising but here the link if you'd like it Here in the test branch of it. Though one issue is 376 is having massive scaling issues right now.

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Sorry there's alot of pics. (hopefully this is shuttle related enough)

[pTrevTrevs]

1 hour ago, AstroMods said:

Yes it's my own lil mod I'm working on. (WIP obviously) Called StarstroSpaceSystems. Lemme see if I have some pictures (Also my apologies for any self advertising but here the link if you'd like it Here in the test branch of it. Though one issue is 376 is having massive scaling issues right now.

Sorry there's alot of pics. (hopefully this is shuttle related enough)

Have you considered asking for permission to adapt textures from BDB, Near Future, and the like? Some of the newer parts added to the former have really great foil textures.

[Lil_Bread402]

6 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

Have you considered asking for permission to adapt textures from BDB, Near Future, and the like? Some of the newer parts added to the former have really great foil textures.

Oh yeah people like Zorg and other people have helped out over discord and such. I'm trying to keep the reStock/BDB look by using and stuff Zorg has shared before so hopefully it'll match a bit.