The Artemis Program | A recreation of the Artemis and Orion lunar programs from Eyes turned skywards | 1995 - 2010

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

"...In 1961 it took a crisis--the space race--to speed things up. Today we don't have a crisis; we have an opportunity. To seize this opportunity, I'm not proposing a 10-year plan like Apollo; I'm proposing a long-range, continuing commitment. First, for the coming decade, for the 1990s: Space Station Freedom, our critical next step in all our space endeavours. And next, for the new century: Back to the Moon; back to the future. And this time, back to stay. And then a journey into tomorrow, a journey to another planet: a manned mission to Mars...."

--George H.W. Bush, 1989

 

The year is 1992

America has just completed the assembly of Space Station Freedom

3 years have passed since the announcement of 'Project Constellation'. The Constellation program detailed a multi-step program, which involved completing Space Station Freedom, Developing a crewed Lunar vehicle and lander, finally returning Astronauts to the moon, and eventually settling on a location for a Lunar base, a permanent crewed outpost, keeping humanities foothold firmly beyond earth, with an eventual build-up of Mars hardware, ready to land humans on the red planet twenty years down the line. Out of the mess of competing programs, hardware and timeframes, Artemis emerged, a program similar to the early stages of Constellation, consisting of three major components: 

- Apollo block V, an upgrade to the block IV and the crew return vehicle for Artemis

- The Lunar lander, one Hab lander to carry supplies and a living space for the crew, and the other to be a glorified taxi to the surface

-A large 5.5m wide TLI stage to send the crew out to the moon, named Pegasus as it gave the Artemis program wings

These components would be launched on three separate Saturn Heavy H03 rockets, NASA's biggest and most powerful launcher since the Saturn V

 

My plan with this thread is to recreate the entire Artemis program, along with Orion, and it's Lunar 'Soonbase'

The mission list is as follows
 

March 1996 - Artemis 1

September 1996 - Freedom Expedition 32

October 1997 - Pegasus first flight

February 1998 - Artemis 2

June 1998 - Artemis 3

November 1998 - Artemis 4A , March 1999 - Artemis 4B & 4C

November 1999 - Artemis 5A,  July 2000 - Artemis 5B & 5C

January 2001 - Artemis 6A,  Summer 2001 - Artemis 6B & 6C

January 2002 - Artemis 7A,  Summer 2002 - Artemis 7B & 7C

January 2003 - Artemis 8A, Summer 2003 - Artemis 8B & 8C

January 2004 - Artemis 9A, Summer 2004 - Artemis 9B & 9C

January 2005 - Artemis 10A,  September 2005 - Artemis 10B & 10C

January 2006 - Unmanned Saturn M22 explosion

July 2006 - Artemis 11A,  February 2007 - Artemis 11B & 11C

 

Late 2007 - Orion assembly mission 1

Late 2007 - Orion assembly mission 2

 

June 2008 - Orion expedition 1

March 2009 - Orion expedition 2

2010 - Orion expedition 3

 

I hope you all come to enjoy this project as much as I will making it

Ad Astra!

Edited July 26, 2022 by AmateurAstronaut1969

[AdrianDogmeat]

I can't wait for the lunar landings

[BekfastDerp13]

Your Freedom missions were amazing, and I predict that these will be as good as freedom's, good luck!

Edited April 17, 2022 by BekfastDerp13
edited

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

Here’s a little teaser of what I’ve been working on 

I meant to post the first mission today, but I’ve been quite busy, so hopefully we can start tomorrow 
 

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

                                                                                                          Artemis 1 - 5th March 1996
                                                                                                                                     All great things have to start somewhere

Apollo Block V

Back in 1973, engineers at North American Rockwell worked hard to remove everything an Apollo CSM would need for lunar flights, creating the perfect LEO taxi, the Block III. Now, for Artemis, NAR once again has to reequip Apollo for Lunar flights. The block V CSM, as it is known, replaces the heavy batteries for lighter solar arrays, ensuring the CSM can spend long times in orbit powered. It's antenna system has been upgraded, and It's heatshield beefed up to it's former glory. Finally, the Block IV pressure vessel has been optimised to use space more efficiently and free up room for more propellant. 

The Block V will wait for Astronauts at the L2 Lagrange point, far out in a high lunar orbit, enabling an 'anytime return' for it's crew launching from the lunar surface. Because of this, it will have to spend long amounts of time uncrewed waiting patiently for it's crew's return.

By the mid 1990's Artemis hardware had left design and began production and testing, and by March 1996, the first flightworthy block V was ready for testing. The mission plan will be similar to Apollo 4 - The block V will launch uncrewed on a Saturn M02 rocket into orbit. Since the mission isn't carrying a mission module, the leftover performance in the S-IVB will be used to boost the spacecraft into an eccentric orbit. Once the spacecraft has separated and it's systems verified, it will fire it's main engine until depletion so it's orbit crosses and exceeds the moon's orbit, which will mirror the lunar return it will have to make crewed.

March 5th 1996 - Artemis 1 prepares for liftoff at 10:55am local time. Camera technology has improved very noticeably since the first launches of the Freedom program

Engine ignition

Liftoff of Artemis 1!

T+30s performance is nominal

Approaching separation

Onboard cameras capture the departing S-IVB

J-2S cutoff - the stack now cruises for nearly 2 orbits whilst systems are checked for the departure burn

Ignition!

Engine cutoff 

Block V separation

Apollo spreads it's wings once again

SPS ignition

Apollo cruises further away from Earth than it has been in almost 30 years

Cameras on the outside and in the windows of Block V capture views of itself in the dark of space

NASA opts to land the CM in the middle of the night, reassuring fears about a worst case scenario landing, and reassuring that a return in the night is possible

A new skip reentry profile will be used, in which two passes will be used - one to slow the initial velocity, and 'bounce' the CM up, and a second and final reenrty further downrange

Drogue chute deploy

Main chutes deployed

Splashdown!

 

This is just the first step of many, the first of the steps that will return humanity to the moon, to stay!

Edited April 22, 2022 by AmateurAstronaut1969

[Jacktical]

This is amazing! I'm exciting to see a modern apollo program  

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

Btw, I just thought I’d say, it’s better to view on desktop, the structure is a bit messed up on mobile I think, or is it alright?

[Angelo Kerman]

Did ETS ever go to Mars? If not, it would also be great to see that too! In the meantime, I look forward to the visualization of the ETS missions to the moon.

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

1 minute ago, Angel-125 said:

Did ETS ever go to Mars? If not, it would also be great to see that too! In the meantime, I look forward to the visualization of the ETS missions to the moon.

Thanks! ETS never actually showed a Mars mission, however part of Artemis was almost like Artemis In our timeline, the unofficial goal was preparing for Mars

[BekfastDerp13]

I love it already, can't wait for more!

[AdrianDogmeat]

The thread looks awesome and all but, How can you make a functional L1 point for Apollo Block V missions?

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

1 hour ago, AdrianDogmeat said:

The thread looks awesome and all but, How can you make a functional L1 point for Apollo Block V missions?

Well Lagrange points don’t work in KSP without Principia, but I’m just gonna park Apollo in a high lunar orbit to simulate the high orbit of L2 . I’ve tested it out and it works, and I managed to get a rendezvous almost immediately so it’s good

[AstroEvada]

How did you make the Altair actually look good?

[AdrianDogmeat]

2 minutes ago, Ashiepoppy said:

How did you make the Altair actually look good?

The art of kitbashing

[AstroEvada]

2 minutes ago, AdrianDogmeat said:

The art of kitbashing

Yess

Though, I am kinda bummed that Lonesomerobots hasn't been updated since 1.3.1, nor to have waterfall configs.

[AdrianDogmeat]

Probably multiple parts from other mods

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

                                           Freedom Expedition 32 - 30th September 1996
                                                                                                                          It's a test...still a test!

Crewed Block V

After the successful launch of Artemis 1 back in March, the Apollo block V system has been fully fully crew rated and verified. Before crewed flights for the Artemis program begin,  a full manned test of the block V must be done.  Expedition 32 will carry the new Apollo spacecraft to Freedom, along with a block IV mission module for a 2 week test flight.

The crew chosen to fly on the new spacecraft are:

- Commander, Michael Lawson - A veteran of the Freedom program, and his last spaceflight

- Pilot, Natalie Duncan - The first woman to graduate NASA's pilot training scheme

The crew will use their two weeks aboard Freedom to film the movie ''The dream is alive'' using an IMAX camera system brought up aboard the Crew module

The crew board their Saturn M02, ready to launch in a matter of hours

Liftoff!

Passing through Max-Q

''Expedition 32, you are go for staging!''

''Copy that Houston''

Successful staging

Nominal orbital insertion, prepare for spacecraft separation

Block V spreads it's wings

Mission module extraction

After 15 hours, Block V approaches Freedom

Docking confirmed

After 14 days, the crew wrap-up filming and depart from the Station

Mission module jettison

Apollo preforms it's deorbit burn and prepares for SM separation

Gasses begin to compress around the CM and generate heat

Drogue chute deployment

Mains drawn

The crew splashdown safely only 2 kilometres from the target zone, close to the coast of Hawaii

 

Apollo Block V is now certified for Crewed flight, a major step in the Artemis program. Block V spacecraft will soon replace Block IV spacecraft, transporting crew to both Freedom and the moon!

Edited April 24, 2022 by AmateurAstronaut1969

[rockettime03]

ok that's really cool

[Teslamax]

On 4/24/2022 at 11:44 AM, AmateurAstronaut1969 said:

                                           Freedom Expedition 32 - 30th September 1996
                                                                                                                          It's a test...still a test!

Crewed Block V

Docking confirmed

After 14 days, the crew wrap-up filming and depart from the Station

Apollo Block V is now certified for Crewed flight, a major step in the Artemis program. Block V spacecraft will soon replace Block IV spacecraft, transporting crew to both Freedom and the moon!

@AmateurAstronaut1969what did you use for Challenger? (Kitbash I assume?)

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

18 hours ago, Teslamax said:

@AmateurAstronaut1969what did you use for Challenger? (Kitbash I assume?)

Yep, mostly HabTech. I carried the design over from my last recreation thread 

[Teslamax]

38 minutes ago, AmateurAstronaut1969 said:

Yep, mostly HabTech. I carried the design over from my last recreation thread 

Did you use Tweakscale for the 3.75 portion or is there another HabTech-alike module that’s 3.75m already?

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

22 hours ago, Teslamax said:

Did you use Tweakscale for the 3.75 portion or is there another HabTech-alike module that’s 3.75m already?

Tweakscale, and It's closer to like 4.2m. Challenger was essentially Skylab - It was close to it's size but instead of being a reused stage, It's an actual station module

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

Hi guys, I should probably have said last week, but Artemis is stopping for the near future. I’ve got important exams for the next 7 weeks basically I haven’t had much time to play amongst all the revision. So posts will stop until the end of June, after which, I’ll try and do this whole thing over the summer. Cool? Awesome!

[crberus]

On 5/8/2022 at 4:08 AM, AmateurAstronaut1969 said:

Hi guys, I should probably have said last week, but Artemis is stopping for the near future. I’ve got important exams for the next 7 weeks basically I haven’t had much time to play amongst all the revision. So posts will stop until the end of June, after which, I’ll try and do this whole thing over the summer. Cool? Awesome!

Thanks for the warning and good luck with exams!

[ra4nd0m]

On 5/8/2022 at 2:08 AM, AmateurAstronaut1969 said:

Hi guys, I should probably have said last week, but Artemis is stopping for the near future. I’ve got important exams for the next 7 weeks basically I haven’t had much time to play amongst all the revision. So posts will stop until the end of June, after which, I’ll try and do this whole thing over the summer. Cool? Awesome!

Same here. It's summer session time for all students across the world so good luck and don't catch too many retakes!)