Chasing Dreams Redux: A Space Shuttle Alternate History

[Talverd]

8 hours ago, GoldForest said:

@Talverd Love the way you've done those LRBs. Would you mind telling me how exactly they're made? I'm going have to steal borrow the design!

Barbarian tanks + parts with a mix of NFLV parts. Nose is a Delta separator. 

Decals are done with Conformal Decals.

Oh, hello page 2!

[barleybun]

awesome intro, keep up the good work!!

[Lil_Bread402]

IM CHASING DREAMS RN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Talverd]

CD returns tomorrow. Was waiting for the forums to be fixed as I was having immense trouble uploading images. Thank you for your patience  

[Talverd]

STS-1

Part II

 

CSM-119, nicknamed "Prometheus" by her crew, burns for Freedom.

 

Prometheus drifting above the blue marble.

CDR Youngkin: "Houston, Prometheus, we've just finished that burn. We did read that she ran a bit long, my stop-watch is telling me about 2.3 seconds long. Any word on how that's going to effect approach velocities and maneuvering?"

PLT Stevens: "Ah, that'll be - *short cough* - fine. The over-burn wasn't that bad, we'll make up for it with the RCS."

CDR Youngkin: "Oh for sure, I just would like to know how much our velo-"

Mission Control: "..Prometheus, Houston, we do indeed have you arriving further away from Freedom than originally planned however you are still within margin. "

CDR Youngkin: "Rog."

 

A day after launch, Athena has caught up to the Space Shuttle.

 

 

Athena performs her braking burn placing her within 200m of the Space Shuttle and slowly drifting towards her.

 

PLT Stevens: "Wow. Would you look at that view? That's incredible."

 

CDR Youngkin: "Almost as pretty as the Moon. Houston, we have visual on Freedom. My my, what a sight it is."

PLT Stevens: "Move over, I need to snap some photos of it."

Mission Control: "Prometheus, we copy your visual. Tell Stevens to adjust the camera in the left window. We're getting a bad picture." 

PLT Stevens: "How's that?"

CDR Youngkin: "Turn down the exposure a tad."

PLT Stevens: "I think that did it."

Mission Control: "That did it. We'll get you docking procedures up within the next two hours. Continue to station keep with the orbiter. Oh, the tile team wants you to keep watch for any missing tiles. Look for white among the black on the underbelly." 

PLT Stevens: "I'm seeing a few chipped tiles on the OMS pod. Looks like there's one missing entirely on the tail. We should probably get to a better position to see underneath her."

Mission Control: "We concur. We'll get you around there in just a moment." 

 

Two and a half hours pass and the tile inspection comes back green. While there are several chipped and damaged tiles on the orbiters belly, she isn't missing any whole ones there. Ground teams believe she is okay for re-entry and the docking plans are sent up to the crew.

 

 

PLT Stevens: "...controller. It's a bit sticky. Second quad has some lag. I can work with it."

CDR Youngkin: "Alright. Let's close the distance." 

PLT Stevens: "Three pulses forward."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A loud twang is heard as the docking collar meets Freedoms petals and the two spacecraft jitter from the impact. 

 

 

PLT Stevens: "Soft-capture! Wooowee!"

CDR Youngkin: *chuckling* "Houston, we have soft-capture with Freedom. " 

Mission Control: "Standby for hard capture poll. [...] We are go for hard-docking." 

CDR Youngkin: "Retracting the ring."

 

 

PLT Stevens: "We have docked."

 

The two spacecraft now make up the largest complex ever "built" on-orbit. If things go to plan, this will change very soon. 

 

Several hours after docking the crew ingresses into Freedom and her main systems are powered on. The crew will spend the next 2 days in the orbiter checking various systems and sub-systems.

 

Since everything appears nominal on the orbiter, the Athena CSM is no longer needed. The crew will be returning on Freedom. As such, the CSM will be jettisoned a few hours before re-entry. It will be returned to Earth by a later shuttle flight.

 

The days breeze by for the crew  and just as soon as they arrived it is time for them to leave.

 

CSM jettison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom's wheels come to a stop at Edwards Airforce Base on the dry lakebed. A new era of Akermian spaceflight has begun.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors note: Sorry that took so long! A combination of laziness, the forums not working for me and a few other things delayed this release by quite a bit. This shouldn't happen again. I plan to get STS-2 out later today or early tomorrow if possible. Thanks for waiting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lil_Bread402]

6 hours ago, Talverd said:

The crew will be returning on Freedom. As such, the CSM will be jettisoned a few hours before re-entry. It will be returned to Earth by a later shuttle flight.

Interesting. Excited to see this

[Talverd]

 

STS-2, March 7th - 9th, 1979

Cruel Cruel World

       Resurrecting a giant was no easy task - but it's the task that falls on the shuttle and her crew today. Skylab was Akermia's first venture in station-building, a temporary workshop meant to facilitate orbital long-stays for a larger program that never came. Now, she is due a new lease of life. The last mission to visit the station was Skylab IV in 1973 and since then she has been adrift above the Earth alone. President Carden and congress have authorized the Skylab Expansion Project as it promises to be a relatively low cost and simple way of expanding Akermia's low-orbit operations. It will also allow the Space Shuttle to demonstrate one of its most promising abilities - station building. 

       Skylab's expansion will happen gradually over the next few years. A docking adapter outfitted with APAS to replace the outdated Athena probe and drogue will be the first module delivered followed by a 25kw Power Tower, two Valropan science modules and a new airlock. Skylab is expected to operate until at least the early 1990's with these upgrades and will serve as an excellent challenge for the Shuttle to rise to meet. 

 

NASDA crew-quarters post-it board prior to STS-2.

 

 

"...Crew visors have been locked in the downwards position. T-minus five minutes. T-minus five minutes until the liftoff of Space Shuttle Freedom."

 

\

 

"Weather is go. No launch constraints and ground teams aren't working any problems."

 

Freedom basks in the Florida sun, ready to begun spread her wings.

Inside the cockpit, the crew sits waiting for that moment.

[...]

Evans: "I mean, surely it can't be that bad."

Thompson: "Comparatively.. yes. I take it you've never been there. You'd know."

Evans: "Oh no, god no. I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole. Too ratty."

Thompson: " *slight chuckle* That's what I'm saying. The Outpo-"

CAPCOM: "Freedom, Houston, we're finalizing things on our end. You're looking good."

Thompson: "Copy that, Houston. We're ready."

CAPCOM: "Standby for last minute polling."

[...]

CAPCOM: "Rescue and Recovery? [Go!] Go. CDR?"

Thompson: "CDR is go."

CAPCOM: "Roger that. Freedom is go for launch. Good luck up there."

 

[...]

 

 

"Coming up on fifteen seconds. Fifteen seconds."

 

 

"Ten, nine, eight.."

 

 

"..seven, six.. main engine start..."

 

 

"Liftoff of Shuttle Freedom on its quest to save the ailing Skylab space station."

 

Freedom soars again - becoming the first re-usable spacecraft Kerbalkind has ever purpose built.

 

 

Booster separation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After external tank separation, Freedom performs OMS-1 and 2. 

 

 

 

 

 

[...]

 

Thompson: "What a ride. Freedom is on-orbit."

CAPCON: "Meet us on page 19."

Thompson: "Would you be so kind?"

Evans: "Why certainly."

CAPCOM: "We're in a good position for the Skylab burn. We're getting you the programming procedures for the burn. In the meantime, keep an eye on the TRS leeching system. Down here, we're showing she's getting less power from the orbiter than we'd like. "

Thompson: "Is the TRS still within power margins?"

CAPCOM: "That's affirm."

Thompson: "Alright, we'll make sure she stays that way."

Evans: "I'm excited to finally fly that thing for real."

Thompson: "I'm excited to see it."

 

[...]

 

The Telescopic Retrieval System sits in Freedom's bay patiently waiting for its job to begin. Once the tug is released it will be remotely controlled from Freedom's aft-deck console.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skylab rendezvous burn is completed nominally. Freedom will now spend the next day catching up with the station.

 

 

 

 

 

[...]

 

 

Evans: "...Copy that, Houston."

CAPCOM: "Maintain your distance for now. We're gonna need to go around the horn before we do anything."

Thompson: "Yup."

Evans: "Get back to us soon."

Thompson: "What a beautiful sight. I was backup for III, but all that meant was I got to see the training mock-up on the ground. Always wanted to see her for real."

Evans: "Gorgeous, gorgeous."

Thompson: "You been watching the TRS systems?"

Evans: "Yep, yep. She's a-okay. A-okay."

Thompson: "Oh man, that solar foil has seen better days. Looks like it's got some holes in it."

Evans: "If we're gonna wrap it it won't matter."

Thompson: "I wonder how her interior is."

 

[...]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[...]

 

CAPCOM: "..as we understand it. We're gonna go ahead and give you the go-ahead to release the tug."

Thompson: "Alright, let's run through the checklist."

Evans: "Let's do it."

Thompson: "Fuel tank pressure?"

Evans: "Good."

Thompson: "Batteries?"

Evans: "Yup."

Thompson: "Communications? Run the ping."

Evans: "I'm already working on it."

 

[...]

 

 

Thompson: "Okay, that's that. I'm gonna turn it over to you Gordo."

Evans: "Alright. Houston, I'm going to go ahead and begin the final self-test."

CAPCOM: "Roger."

Evans: "We've got green across the board. Shall we?"

Thompson: "Cut 'er loose."

 

 

TRS drifts away from Freedom.

[...]

 

 

Thompson: "There it goes."

Evans: "Good view from the cameras. Houston, you getting a good picture?"

CAPCOM: "We're getting a good one."

Evans: "Going three pulses forward..."

 

[...]

 

 

 

 

[...]

 

Evans: "Approaching carefully. Gonna slow it down a tad. Moving to the left a bit too fast."

 

[...]

 

 

 

[...]

 

 

Evans: "Alright. Going for final."

Thompson: "Copy. Ease it in there."

Evans: "Pulsing forward."

[...]

 

[...]

 

 

Evans: "We're docked. Woowee. That was a good one.

Thompson: "How 'bout that."

Evans: "Houston, the TRS has been docked to Skylab. Engine and tank pressure look good. Reaction control looks good as well. We're good up here to start the burn."

CAPCOM: "We're showing the same. You are good to send the command."

Evans: "Alright. Move your arm."

Thompson: "Oops."

Evans: "Okay, we're gonna start the burn in five.. four.. three.. two.."

 

 

Evans: "one.."

 

[...]

Evans: "She's burning!"

Thompson: "She's going!"

CAPCOM: "Good show."

[...]

 

The crew watches as the TRS moves the hefty station, placing it in a higher orbit.

 

[...]

Evans: "She's really lugging that thing."

Thompson: "Mhm."

Evans: "Five minutes and twenty seconds left in the burn. Fuel pressure loo-"

 

Evans is interrupted by an alarm. There is a problem.

 

Evans: "..Uh, wha- Houston, we're getting some alarms up here. We've got off-center thru-"

 

The telemetry stream for the TRS goes blank for both the ground and the orbiter.

 

Evans: "Okay, we've had a problem here. I've got a master caution and no telemetry. Wayne, get me a good visual."

Thompson: "Station is intact. Tug still burning. Houston, what do we do?"

CAPCOM: "Standby. We're getting the same."

Evans: "Copy. Still attempting to troubleshoot up here. We-"

Thompson: "Oh hang on, hang on. I'm seeing a spin. The station is beginning to spin!"

Evans: "What? Move, I can't see. Oh my god, Houston, the station is spinning. We've had some sort of major problem up here."

 

 

[...]

 

The crew cannot see what has actually occurred except for the obvious - there's been a malfunction. Skylab's aging forward docking port has simply given out. The suddenly buckling has shaken and moved the TRS forward violently, leaving its communication systems damaged.

 

 

The off-center thrust has induced a spin, a spin the station was not designed to survive.

 

[...]

 

 

Evans: "Oh my god. The panels are gonna come off."

Thompson: "Still nothing?"

Evans: "No! I can't reach it!"

CAPCOM: "Freedom, we need you back at the front of the orbiter. We need you to perform an emergency burn away from the station incase of any debris."

Thompson: "I'm on it. Get strapped in."

Evans: "Just- God damn it. Alright."

[...]

 

Freedom quickly moves away from the station to avoid any debris. Behind them, Skylab meets its end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The air around mission control and in the orbiter grows thick. No one can believe it. The shuttle program has encountered its first failure on only its second flight.

 

 

There isn't any use in keeping Freedom and her crew in orbit anymore and she is brought home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom touches down, safely delivering her crew from the catastrophe that was this mission. Congress is furious, the news outlets are clamoring for answers and NASDA is stunned. The Shuttle and TRS programs are immediately halted until a reason for the loss of Skylab can be found. 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 9 by Talverd

[Antiperson]

WOW! What an incredible post and what a sad death for the tortured Skylab.

[Kerb24]

Amazing work! Rest In Pieces, Skylab.

[rito]

awesome!!! love how vibrant your shuttle liveries are

[Ashiepoppy]

Peak as always

As for skylab, well...suboptimal

[Its_Marc]

Oops, I might be at fault for Skylab demise, my bad guys. 

Joking aside, Jess you nailed the execution of this story beat, really well done. Can’t wait for more of the future antics.

Edited February 9 by Its_Marc

[Talverd]

[...]

Klein: "...I'm unsure. Yes, Mr. President.... Yes, Mr. President. I have the final report on my desk. No, I-[...]"

"No. No, I haven't, not yet. I was just about to when you called. [...] Okay. Goodnight."

 

With the click of the receiver, Dr. Alan F. Klein is alone again. Mumbling under his breath, he shifts the stack of papers on his desk. Page after page, the details of the disastrous STS-2 mission become more clear. After an hour, there is a knock at the door.

 

 

Klein: "Come in."

Fuellerton: "You got a minute?"

Klein: "Sure. Sit down."

Fuellerton: "I'll cut to the point - how are we looking?"

Klein: "For?"

Fuellerton: "Re-flight."

Klein: "Hmph."

Fuellerton: "Look, surely we've figured out enough. There's been doubts since the beginning the shuttle was even at fault here."

Klein: "Even then, we're at the whims of congress. It's out of my hands at this point."

Fuellerton: "At this rate we won't launch until next year!"

Klein: "Probably not. I'm sifting through the final report on Skylab itself at the moment, the report on the how the orbiter performed is still being drafted. I'll let you know if anything changes."

Fuellerton: "Any inclination to how it sounds so far?"

Klein: "From what I've heard, we'll be fine. As far as I understand it, this failure wasn't the orbiter's or even the tug's fault."

Fuellerton: "Okay. Hopefully we can get this wrapped up as soon as possible."

Klein: "Mhm. Is there anything else?"

Fuellerton: "No, no that was all. I'll get out of your hair. See you Monday."

Klein: "I'll see you then, Patrick."

 

The door shuts and Klein returns to sifting through the document. It becomes clear that the aging space station just couldn't handle the force the TRS exerted on it and its forward docking port buckled. The buckling caused damage to the TRS which resulted in a communications blackout. This snowball effect lead to the total loss of Skylab. Dr. Klein is relieved to read this, as it confirms the rumors he's heard about the shuttle report - the orbiter shares no blame. He sighs and sets down the papers, reclining in his chair.  While mulling over the future of NASDA in his head, he catches himself continually thinking about the now defunct Skylab Expansion Program.

 

That was the first thing congress came for after the loss of the station. What point was there to having an expansion project for a station that was now nothing but a scrap-heap? However, most of the components for the project had already been built or were in the final stages. The Valropans had already turned over two of their SpaceLab modules, the power tower was under-going final assembly and the airlock was completed. He sat up, thinking to himself "We can work with this."

 

Klein: "I'm gonna need to take a trip over to Marshall.."

 

[...]

 

Edited February 25 by Talverd

[Pipcard]

What happened to Skylab was terrible, but at least everyone on STS-2 made it back safely. I can't wait to see how they manage to salvage the station expansion plans.

Edited February 9 by Pipcard

[LucalisIndustries]

I'm loving the TL, the only thing I can't understand is why America is now Akermia

[Talverd]

It's Kerbalized.

[LucalisIndustries]

On 2/9/2024 at 9:25 PM, Talverd said:

It's Kerbalized.

I don't like it, but at least now has sense

[Talverd]

I don't care if you don't like it. 

[Talverd]

.

Edited 11 hours ago by Talverd

[Talverd]

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Edited 11 hours ago by Talverd