My ISS (Semi-)Replica

[GMoney]

Mods relevant to this thread (I use way more):

- TAC LS

- KW Rocketry

- BobCatInd Soviet Pack

- ISS Community pack

- FusTek Station Parts Expansion

- Aviation Lights

- Mechjeb 2.0 (orbital rendezvous is a bit of a pain, personally; manual docking and launching are fun, though)

- KAS

- Lionhead ESA Pack (eventually for ATV)

- LazTek SpaceX Launch Pack (eventually)

After learning the basics of spaceflight and orbital rendezvous/docking, the Kerbal Space Agency decided it was time to do some station building in Low-Kerbin Orbit. The first station was a MIR clone in a 350 km x 350 km, 30-degree-inclination orbit. After just one short-lived crewed mission, the MIR program was scrapped when alignment and docking issues irrevocably threw off the construction plan.

Thus was born the ISS plan. The KSA learned from its failures with the MIR and decided it was time to go big or go home. The ISS would be placed in a 350 km x 350 km, equatorial orbit. This change in orbit plane would allow modules and visiting vehicles to more easily launch, rendezvous, and dock; a simplicity required for the sheer size planned for the station. The ISS is meant to test long-term space mission life-support viability, along with various other systems which will be required for major missions to other planets.

The first module launched was the Unity Node 1, with service module to remain attached until the Zarya module could be launched and docked. The Unity Node was chosen to launch first in order to put some added pressure on the much-delayed Zarya team. Fortunately, this plan worked, and the Zarya module was indeed launched after just one full orbit by the Unity Node. Third to launch was the Zvezda Service Module. This module would provide another source of solar power for the station until the trusses could be launched. After the successful docking of the Zvezda module, the Docking and Storage Module (DSM) went under construction in the VAB. This would be the main module to which Kerbal ferrying craft would dock.

Following the successful attachment of the DSM (Nadir port of Zarya), the KSA decided it was time to put some Kerbals on the ISS in order to begin operations in earnest. The first crew, Expedition 1, would be none other than Jebediah Kerman, Bill Kerman, and Bob Kerman. Once at the station, Expedition 1 would be tasked with finalizing internal connections between the modules and testing out the various computer systems operable from inside the stations. Expedition 1 would also oversee the autonomous arrivals of the Destiny module (Forward node of Unity), the Universal Docking Module (Nadir port of Zvezda), and the Quest Airlock (Port node of Unity). During their 2-day 21-hour stay, the crew also saw the first and second spacewalks from the station, with Bill Kerman exiting through the Quest Airlock to attach extra struts, brought with the crew in the Soyuz TM-2A craft, to the ISS modules. Upon completion of these tasks, KSA command notified the crew the Apollo Program had successfully completed the unmanned testing phase and was ready to send a Kerbal to the Mun.

Expedition 2 was slated to be launched on a Buran shuttle, but ground issues with the shuttle had delayed that launch indefinitely. In addition, bugs with the S0 truss module had scrapped the planned payload for the Expedition 2 flight. In light of all of this, Johndin Kerman, Hadmon Kerman, and Desburry Kerman launched from KSC in Soyuz TM-3A, with some extra life support supplies stuffed into the orbital module. The crew arrived at the Port-facing docking port of the new Universal Docking Module at ISS 03:03:15 (dd:hh:mm), and sent the Expedition 1 crew off in Soyuz TM-2A several minutes later. At current posting, Expedition 2 is over 4 days into its stay. The crew has overseen the autonomous arrival of the Harmony Node; no EVA has yet occurred. Currently, the station has enough life support supply to last the crew 8 days, so Expedition 2 will certainly see the arrival of the first autonomous Progress resupply ship. The mission is planned to last over 30 days, but the Buran issues have been resolved, and the station is in dire need of extra RCS fuel, which could end up pushing forward the planned launch of Expedition 3 on the Buran shuttle.

Here is a shot of the ISS with both Soyuz TM-2A and Soyuz TM-3A docked and before arrival of Harmony Node 2, looking from the front with Nadir to screen-right: