Freedom - A Kerbalized Assembly of Space Station Freedom

[Toaster355]

Freedom

Before the International Space Station, there was Space Station Freedom and Space Station Mir 2.

Freedom was the next proposed American space station, looking similar to the ISS but being purely American and partially European. Mir was the next proposed space station for Russia as well. But instead of these countries making their own stations, we collaborated and made what many call the International Space Station.
You can learn a lot more about the station on it's Wikipedia page here.

I will be recreating Space Station Freedom, in my own interpretation. My missions will be shared with the community via headings explaining the mission, screenshots with captions, dialog, among other ways.

____________________

 

I was inspired to make this because of these amazing people and threads:

• @Jay The Amazing Toaster's Kānāwai: Ares to Mars thread, showing what could have happened if the Constellation Program wasn't cancelled.
• @Kuiper_Belt's ISS Adventures thread; shows off nearly every flight for the ISS up to STS-115 I believe.
• @AmateurAstronaut1969's Space Station Freedom; a great Freedom thread from ETS.
• @Jacktical's Space Station Liberty; another great Freedom interpretation, which I was heavily inspired by to make the ROAVs.

 

Essential Mods:

Spoiler

Shuttle Stack/Freedom:

•  Shuttle Orbiter Construction Kit - Orbiter parts.
• O.R.A.N.G.E.S. - External Tank parts.
• PhotonCorp - 4 segment RSRB parts.
• Rocket Motor Menagerie - New RS-25 parts.
• Modular Launch Pads - Fixed Service Structure/Rotating Service Structure parts.
• HabTech2 - United States Orbital Segment of the International Space Station parts, with some parts for Freedom too.
• SOCK Recolored, SOCK Repainted - Makes the Orbiter look prettier, and gives the right paint for the different ones you use.
• Conformal Decals - Text and flags I place on the orbiters and ROAV 2.
• reDIRECT - External tanks + SSMEs used in older missions.

Visuals/Miscellaneous:

• EVE, Scatterer, Waterfall/RSMP, TUFX - Clouds, atmospheric scattering, pretty engine plumes, and post-processing.
• Kerbal Sized Real Solar System - Replaces the stock Kerbol system with the Real Solar System, 1/4 of real scale (2.7x larger than stock). WIP download is on page 56.
• Katniss Cape Canaveral for KSRSS - Adds a realistic Cape Canaveral to the KSRSS planet pack.
• Restock/Restock+ -  Seen on the ROAV; Revamps a HUGE chunk of and fills in many gaps in the stock parts.
• RocketSoundEnhancement - I know you can't notice this at all in my screenies, but I really still want it here for the sheer greatness of a mod it is. It overhauls nearly all sounds in the game, making them sound a billion times cooler and more realistic. It even adds sounds that were not in the game before like parts scraping along the hull, wheels rubbing on the ground, rotors from the Breaking Ground DLC, among many others. One of my favorite KSP mods (if not, no doubt my favorite KSP mod) of all time.

 

As of my latest mission, I am using a modified TUFX profile made by @Pioneer_Steve. Modifications include the addition of ambient occlusion, antialiasing, auto exposure, bloom, motion blur, and color tweaks.
Older missions used a modified TUFX profile by @ballisticfox0; modifications included antialiasing, faster auto exposure, motion blur, color tweaks, etc. 

My TUFX profiles can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1o0LYjXPP0P2pRbT6JBXGH28WWFtivsaR?usp=sharing
Just drag and drop the 'Toaster355 TUFX Profiles' file into your 'gamedata' folder.

 

 

Enjoy the thread!

Edited December 8, 2023 by Toaster355

[kspbutitscursed]

Excitment guarenteed!!!!!!

[Toaster355]

May 21, 2001
STS-88 | Union-1, Cupola-1, PMA-1

 

In the warm May morning of the Floridan coast, Explorer prepares to take the very first components of Freedom into Low Earth Orbit; Union-1 and ROAV-1 (Remote cOntrolled Assembly Drone).

LIFTOFF!

Explorer circularizes with an inclination of 75.92 degrees.

ROAV 1 attaches the very young Freedom station to Explorer for a 2-week orbital stay.





Beautiful view of Cape Kennedy on the way down.


 

Explorer is home!

Edited December 10, 2023 by Toaster355
Full revamp.

[Kion]

What Mods/Visual Mods?

[Toaster355]

2 hours ago, Kion said:

What Mods/Visual Mods?

I updated the initial Post, adding a brief mod list. I hope it answers your question

[kspbutitscursed]

4 hours ago, Toaster355 said:

I updated the initial Post, adding a brief mod list. I hope it answers your question

maybe instead of using redirect you could use O.R.A.N.G.E.S instead by estreet rockets 

[Toaster355]

11 hours ago, kspbutitscursed said:

maybe instead of using redirect you could use O.R.A.N.G.E.S instead by estreet rockets 

Ooh you're right! Thanks mate!

How did I not see that mod before??

[Toaster355]

December 18th, 2001

STS-90 | Union-2, PMA-2, Adventure

Columbia is ready to fly once again, about 6 months after Explorer's final voyage. On this flight, more components will be taken up to the station as Columbia stays in space for 2 weeks; Union-2, PMA-2, and the Adventure airlock. 

Before the launch, ROAV-1 relocates PMA-1 so the docking hatch for the Union-2 isn't occupied.
 

Landing from the south this time.

____________________

Sorry for no SOCK Repainted Columbia wing textures; I took these screenshots back when I didn't know the Columbia Wings extra for SOCK was conflicting with SOCK Repainted.

Edited December 10, 2023 by Toaster355
Full revamp.

[Kerbalsaurus]

These are really cool screenshots! What TUFX config are you using? Is it one of the preset ones, or a custom one?

[Toaster355]

31 minutes ago, Kerbalsaurus said:

These are really cool screenshots! What TUFX config are you using? Is it one of the preset ones, or a custom one?

Thanks man!
I use a modified version of Ballisticfox's experimental lukewarm profile; modifications include ambient occlusion,  faster auto exposure, sharper antialiasing, and more saturation.
 

On 8/28/2023 at 8:58 PM, Toaster355 said:

My TUFX config can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1o8OYC8PLo2MirGuQIXHPNHacNT4C85VF?usp=sharing
Just drag and drop the 'Toaster_s Profiles' file into your gamedata folder.

Download is here: ^
2 configs come with it. 1 is intended for use in flight, and the other is intended for use in IVAs. The only differences in the IVA profile are less saturation, no DOF, and no ambient occlusion.


If you are not satisfied with some things in the profiles, you can tamper with it to your heart's content by changing the lines of code in the CFG file (when editing profiles in-game, it sadly does not save so tampering with the code is the only way to permanently change them). It's relatively simple, and I can help you if you need it.

[Toaster355]

June 7th, 2002
STS-92 | Fortune, Cellar

Freedom awaits the addition of 2 new components; a laboratory and a logistics bay.

(Sorry for no screenshots of the assembly)

Sharp reentry angle, as the shuttle lacked the propellant necessary for a low enough apogee.

Again, I am terribly sorry for the mismatching wing textures, and for the aileron textures being those of Columbia/Challenger. I have no idea what I was thinking.

Edited January 23 by Toaster355
Full Revamp.

[Toaster355]

January 13th, 2002
STS-94 | Providince, ST-Z Truss

Endeavor spreads it's wings again, taking Providence and the ST-Z truss up to Freedom, marking he first addition of a laboratory on the station.

|

Assembly and return home:

Jebediah: "I Hope our sonic boom woke some guys up down there. Suckers."

Edited January 24 by Toaster355
Full revamp.

[davidmakurin]

hi

[Toaster355]

32 minutes ago, davidmakurin said:

hi

Hello, my Russian comrade! Welcome to my thread

[Toaster355]

November 17th, 2003
STS-96 | S-5 Truss

Atlantis will take the S-5 truss to Freedom, which will be the final major segment to the station for a couple years. The shuttle will spend 6 months in space now, as the station now has enough power to be self-sustaining for life support and scientific research, and no longer needs to rely on insufficient fuel cells from Shuttles or the solar panels on ROAV-1.
 

Uranus, Mercury, and Neptune all made a little cameo here! Can you find Mercury and Uranus's flares? (Neptune is too far to have a visible flare.)

Edited December 10, 2023 by Toaster355

[Kerbalsaurus]

Nice, you're on a roll! Also, it appears the thread's now caught up to What did you do in KSP 1 Today.

[Toaster355]

57 minutes ago, Kerbalsaurus said:

Nice, you're on a roll! Also, it appears the thread's now caught up to What did you do in KSP 1 Today.

Thanks dude!
I was gonna say the exact same thing, nice 

[davidmakurin]

16 hours ago, Toaster355 said:

Привет, мой русский товарищ! Добро пожаловать в мою тему

How did you know i am russian??

[Toaster355]

8 hours ago, davidmakurin said:

How did you know i am russian??

This might sound a bit creepy, but I like to skim through user's profiles to find out a little bit about them before I say anything.

Edited September 2, 2023 by Toaster355

[Toaster355]

November 14th, 2004 | STS-108

|
(Sorry for the blue in the SRB plumes here ^)

For the first time in over 2 years, Discovery  will take a major segment up to Freedom; that being the P-0 truss, which will be mounted on both Fortune and Providence. Once attached, Bill Kerman will do an EVA to attach heavy struts to keep the link between the Integrated Truss Structure and the rest of the station nice and strong. The shuttle will stay in orbit for 12 days.

 

Ride into space, rendezvous, and docking:

Spoiler

 

Assembly and orbital stay:

Spoiler

 

Return to Earth:

Spoiler

And again, I am horribly sorry for the mistextured control surfaces.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Toaster355

[davidmakurin]

ok

22 hours ago, Toaster355 said:

Это может показаться немного жутковатым, но мне нравится просматривать профили пользователей, чтобы немного узнать о них, прежде чем что-то сказать.

ok

[Toaster355]

December 1st, 2004 | STS-110

Dis

Discovery is refurbished and ready to fly again in just 5 weeks because of the research done between STS-96 and STS-108.

She will take the P-1 truss up to Freedom, will have a short EVA done by Bill and Calbart Kerman to attach a camera, and will stay docked for 12 days again.

 

Launch, docking, assembly, and orbital stay:

Spoiler

 

EVA:

Spoiler

Bill is showing Cal the ropes of doing an EVA. ^





I really wanted to show Calbart using the laser welder thingy here, but the game was bugged and refused to play the animation. ^ 

 

Return to Earth:

Spoiler

 

Finally got the textures right this time!

Edited September 3, 2023 by Toaster355

[Toaster355]

February 23rd, 2005 | STS-114

Columbia is ready to fly again, after a couple months of nothing added to Freedom. Instead of another mission to the station in January, Endeavor put 6 GeoSCAR (GeoStationary Communications and Relay) satellites were into orbit. Regular missions to freedom will begin again though, which is why Columbia will take the P-2 truss up to the orbiting laboratory now, and will spend only 2 days in space.

 

Launch, and rendezvous:

Spoiler

 

Docking, assembly, and orbital stay:

Spoiler

 

Return home:

Spoiler

 

Only 7 more launches until the station is complete. Wow!

Edited September 7, 2023 by Toaster355

[Toaster355]

April 19th, 2005 | STS-116

Hello again! Sorry for being pretty inactive on the forums for a few days, I've just been really busy with school work.

 

Endeavor spreads it wings once again in the mid-winter of 2005, taking the S-1.5 and S-2.5 trusses up to Freedom.

(I apologize for placing the P-2 truss being put on the wrong way in this post. I encountered a bug while assembling trusses that I had no idea on how to fix. No matter what I did, I just straight up could not get the P-1 and P-2 trusses docked. I had to resort to bringing the station back to Earth via cheats, building a replica of the one I had in orbit, and cheating that back into orbit too to get the trusses docked. I obviously don't want to always do this for every truss I launch, so I tampered in the code of KIS to make the grabbing distance and weight tolerance extremely high, effectively replacing the ROAV. So, from now on, I will use a Kerbal for assembling every truss segment I launch, but I will still use the ROAV for pressurized modules.)

 

Launch, assembly, and standalone Freedom shots:

Spoiler

Pretty strange seeing Freedom all by itself; normally there is always a shuttle docked when I share screenshots.






 

 

Return to Earth:

Spoiler

Endeavor noses up at 95,000 feet above Cape Canaveral to reduce speed before landing. While it happens, the crew starts to have a short conversation...

Jebediah: "Man, this flight was boring. Adding small trusses and only staying for 2 days and all didn't exactly make it an eventful one. What can we do to keep it unique, before we land? First suggestion, I will do."

Calbart: "Land backwards!"

Bob: "Cal, you're not serious, right?"

Jebediah: "Did you hear that, everyone? Cal wants me to land backwards, so I have to do it!"

Bill: "Jeb, how is that even going to work!?"

The rest of the 4 crew: *Complaining, chattering, and arguing all at once, rendering it practically inaudible*

Jebediah: "Alright everyone", interrupting and silencing everyone's chatter. "I'm hitting the tailslide now!"

Valentina "Woohoo!!!

Bill: "Cal and Jeb, if we end up in a fireball, do NOT tell me I didn't want you."

Spoiler

 

 

The landing remained silent for the most part, until it came to a complete stop.

 

Bill: "Wait, did that really just work??"

Valentina: "You bet it did, Bill! Did you really think Jeb couldn't pull it off?"

Bob: "Ugh, remind me to never let Cal on a flight again."

Jebediah: "Oh, what's wrong Bob? Did I make you a little nervous?"

Bob: "No, I just-"

Gene: "Jeb," He said, interrupting Bob. "The only reason you're not fired is because of that heroic Idea you hatched up on the Moon. It's the only reason all 4 of you are alive, too." Do you hear me, Jeb!?"

Jebediah: "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. At least there were no fireworks. Anyways, who wants to get dinner? I heard a new chicken place opened near the coast here."

____________________________________

Do you guys like this kind of dialog? Do you want to see more of it, or reserve it for special events like this? Please tell me everything you want to share. I love you all.

Edited September 17, 2023 by Toaster355
Updated the dialog

[Kerbalsaurus]

34 minutes ago, Toaster355 said:

April 19th, 2005 | STS-116

Hello again! Sorry for being pretty inactive on the forums for a few days, I've just been really busy with school work.

Endeavor spreads it wings once again in the mid-winter of 2005, taking the S-1.5 and S-2.5 trusses up to Freedom.

(I apologize for placing the P-2 truss being put on the wrong way in this post. I encountered a bug while assembling trusses that I had no idea on how to fix. No matter what I did, I just straight up could not get the P-1 and P-2 trusses docked. I had to resort to bringing the station back to Earth via cheats, building a replica of the one I had in orbit, and cheating that back into orbit too to get the trusses docked. I obviously don't want to always do this for every truss I launch, so I tampered in the code of KIS to make the grabbing distance and weight tolerance extremely high, effectively replacing the ROAV. So, from now on, I will use a Kerbal for assembling every truss segment I launch, but I will still use the ROAV for pressurized modules.)

Endeavor noses up at 95,000 feet above Cape Canaveral to reduce speed before landing. While it happens, the crew starts to have  short conversation...
Jebediah: "Man, this flight was boring. Adding small trusses and only staying for 2 days and all didn't exactly make it an eventful. What can we do to keep it unique, before we land? First suggestion, I will do."

Calbart: "Land backwards!"

Valentina: "Cal, you're not serious, right?"

Jebediah: "Did you hear that, everyone? Cal wants me to land backwards, so I have to do it!"

The rest of the 4 crew: *Complaining, chattering, and arguing all at once, rendering it practically inaudible*

Jebediah: "Alright everyone", interrupting and silencing everyone's chatter. "I'm hitting the tailslide now!

Bill: "WOOHOO!!!

Bob: Here we go...

Valentina: "Ugh... Remind me to never let Cal on a flight ever again.

Jebediah: Oh, what's wrong Val? Did I make you a little nervous?

Valentina: "No, I just-"

Gene: "Jeb," He said, interrupting Val. "The only reason you're not fired is because of that heroic Idea you hatched up on the Moon. It's the only reason you and Val are alive, too"

Jebediah: "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. At least there were no fireworks."

____________________________________

Do you guys like this kind of dialog? Do you want to see more of it, or reserve it for special events like this? Please tell me everything you want to share. I love you all.

I feel that maybe it could be used for things like EVAs too. It'd be fun to see some sort of character development with the crews.