Eyes Turned Skywards

[nixonshead]

Hi everyone. As e of pi mentioned, the plan is that for most posts I'll put together a couple of illustrations of what's been going on for release on the Monday after the main post. As this is the first post of Part III, it's a bit of a bumper value pack this week

So, first up we have a look at Mir following the reduction of crew:

 

[nixonshead]

Over at the 28 degree orbit, things are going a bit better:

 

[nixonshead]

Canadian astronaut Doug MacKay was kind enough to lend me this from his personal collection to share with you:

 

[nixonshead]

Here's a closer look at Freedom's lab modules after completion:

 

[nixonshead]

Lastly, here's an overview of the various vehicles from the timeline, up to the start of the 1990s:

 

[Michel Van]

those guy enjoy the graphic

 

[Archibald]

It's just like the end of a fireworks show, when they fire all the roman candels at the same time.

Just relax and enjoy the show ! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful and BEAUTIFUL

Canadian astronaut Doug MacKay was kind enough to lend me this from his personal collection to share with you:

You just need a single song to go with that picture: this one. Simple Minds, don't you forget about me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdqoNKCCt7A

 

[Bahamut-255]

I think I like pics 4 & 5 the most.

 

[Athelstane]

Hello Nixonshead,

You just keep getting better as you go along. Fantastic work. Thanks especially for the comparative graphic showing relative sizes.

One thing I'm struck by, and a couple questions for the authors:

1) Kibo is a good deal smaller than I expected in the render - smaller than the one in our timeline, certainly. It is also odd seeing Kibo placed on the axial end of the station - but that's clearly shaped by our experience of ISS, where the Shuttle forced the main docking entry to be there, rather than Spacelab, where the ERM was placed on the axial end of the station.

2) Is Sam Ting's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer ever going to make an appearance in any form on the Station? In our timeline he didn't propose it until 1995. That might get sped up now that a station is already up and running. My gut says that it would probably happen, but in a smaller, more limited and inexpensive form, maybe something you could fit in the external storage bay of an AARDV.

3) I don't see evidence of anything like External Stowage Platforms or ExPrESS Logistics Carriers on Freedom - any plans to add these down the road? Obviously, the station is going to have the same needs that need to be met...

 

[e of pi]

1) Kibo is a good deal smaller than I expected in the render - smaller than the one in our timeline, certainly. It is also odd seeing Kibo placed on the axial end of the station - but that's clearly shaped by our experience of ISS, where the Shuttle forced the main docking entry to be there, rather than Spacelab, where the ERM was placed on the axial end of the station.

IOTL, the exposed facility and the pressurized lab were two separate launches (with the auxiliary storage volume as a third). Here, that's not true--it all has to fit into a single launch. The exposed facility is about 4 metric tons as IOTL (if anything, I think it's slightly larger, and thus may mass a bit more). The AARDV tug bus is 6.4 tons. An M02 can lift about 24 tons to Freedom's orbital inclination and altitude. The lab we've designed is 4.8m long and 6m wide, creating about 130 cubic meters. The OTL lab (massing 14.8 tons at launch) was 169 cubic meters. I suppose the lab could afford to be slightly longer, but I'm reluctant to change it and force Nixonshead to remodel the whole thing and the CGL as well (since they use the same basic hull design).

2) Is Sam Ting's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer ever going to make an appearance in any form on the Station? In our timeline he didn't propose it until 1995. That might get sped up now that a station is already up and running. My gut says that it would probably happen, but in a smaller, more limited and inexpensive form, maybe something you could fit in the external storage bay of an AARDV.

At 3x3x3m, the OTL AMS instrument would clear the Aardvark Mark II's 3.5m external cargo bay access port and fit within the 4m diameter of the bay. As for if such and instrument would happen ITTL...well, that's a matter for later.

3) I don't see evidence of anything like External Stowage Platforms or ExPrESS Logistics Carriers on Freedom - any plans to add these down the road? Obviously, the station is going to have the same needs that need to be met...

Yeah, something like that will exist, and they're planned to go on the truss ITTL as in OTL, but they haven't been modeled so far.

 

[Athelstane]

IOTL, the exposed facility and the pressurized lab were two separate launches (with the auxiliary storage volume as a third). Here, that's not true--it all has to fit into a single launch. The exposed facility is about 4 metric tons as IOTL (if anything, I think it's slightly larger, and thus may mass a bit more). The AARDV tug bus is 6.4 tons. An M02 can lift about 24 tons to Freedom's orbital inclination and altitude. The lab we've designed is 4.8m long and 6m wide, creating about 130 cubic meters. The OTL lab (massing 14.8 tons at launch) was 169 cubic meters. I suppose the lab could afford to be slightly longer, but I'm reluctant to change it and force Nixonshead to remodel the whole thing and the CGL as well (since they use the same basic hull design).

No, I'm not questioning the size - I was just struck by it.

It is worth noting that Kibo in our timeline is only 4.5 meters wide, and here, it's 6 meters, wide, so it's making up a lot of the lost volume in width anyway (just like all the other modules). The Shuttle bay of course was a key limiter in design dimensions, one that doesn't affect NASA in your ETS timeline.

Yeah, something like that will exist, and they're planned to go on the truss ITTL as in OTL, but they haven't been modeled so far.

That makes sense. Not a problem.

One other question: What are they using for an airlock for spacewalks outside? I don't see anything like QUEST, but I'm sure you have something already in place. And perhaps I just overlooked it in a past post.

 

[e of pi]

One other question: What are they using for an airlock for spacewalks outside? I don't see anything like QUEST, but I'm sure you have something already in place. And perhaps I just overlooked it in a past post.

It's on the HSM, built into the aft end. Look carefully at the area in the overview images--you can see the reflection difference off the door.

 

[nixonshead]

3) I don't see evidence of anything like External Stowage Platforms or ExPrESS Logistics Carriers on Freedom - any plans to add these down the road? Obviously, the station is going to have the same needs that need to be met...

Oops! Sorry about that, eh, the subcontractor let us down? Couldn't get the parts? I remember I was actually planning to do these, but they slipped my mind in the end. My plan was to connect them to the truss cross-beams in between the PDGS' on the front and zenith sides, so we should be able to fit 4-8 of them altogether. I'll schedule some space on an upcoming Aardvark.

 

[Athelstane]

Hello Nixonshead,

Don't worry about it! Add later, if the chance arises.

I wish there were an award for best timeline original art. If there were, you'd win the field going away. This latest batch is really superb work.

 

[Durabys]

It's just like the end of a fireworks show, when they fire all the roman candels at the same time.

Just relax and enjoy the show ! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful and BEAUTIFUL




You just need a single song to go with that picture: this one. Simple Minds, don't you forget about me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdqoNKCCt7A

I have more epic soundtracks.

My favourite: GRV Music - Nemesis I ~ Ryo Ishido (this is a NASA-themed remix..it is absolutely epic)

Secondary track: Zack Hemsey - This is our Legacy

 

[Bahamut-255]

With regards to musical scores.

I don't think this One-Hit Wonder from Tasmin Archer - well, it was a UK No.1 - is going to fare so well ITTL, given NASA's better fortunes here. Namely having a viable Return to the Moon programme here, as opposed to OTL's SEI.

 

[nixonshead]

Hello Nixonshead,

Don't worry about it! Add later, if the chance arises.

I wish there were an award for best timeline original art. If there were, you'd win the field going away. This latest batch is really superb work.

::Ahem:: (just discretely pointing whilst looking the other way), I believe the Turtledove Awards do include an artwork catagory. Just saying...

A quick mid-week update for you all today, here's the completed Freedom assembly timeline. Afraid the Cupola is hidden away (a shame given how long it took to get right!), but aside from that I think it gives a pretty good overview (I was hearing "Where My Heart Will Take Me" in my head as I scrolled through the individual stages!).

 

[Athelstane]

Hello Nixonshead,

Don't worry - I'll vote for you, and often.

Question to authors, or you: I assume that the large squat module on dorsal (top) side of Node 2 is the Centrifuge Module? I can't see what else it would be.

The fact that Freedom can accommodate a crew (ten) big enough for a serious research program and that it is completed two decades ahead of ISS are the most obvious advantages that it has over the International Space Station. But one could just as easily argue that the success of NASA in actually getting the Centrifuge Gravity Module up in that timeline is just as important a comparative advantage. It remains a great blow to ISS's potential that this module was cancelled.

 

[nixonshead]

Question to authors, or you: I assume that the large squat module on dorsal (top) side of Node 2 is the Centrifuge Module? I can't see what else it would be.

Yep, that's CGL, with the same basic hull as the Kibo lab - but very different innards!
Another difference from OTL, it goes up early enough that JAXA doesn't exist yet, hence it gets this badge on its side...

 

[Athelstane]

Next question

Does Japan/NASDA actually own the CGM, like they presumably do Kibo, or did they merely build it for NASA, for it to own and operate directly - sort of like what Italy did with the Cupola in our timeframe?

Which raises a larger legal question: Are the treaty arrangements on Freedom similar to those governing the operation and ownership of various parts of the ISS in our timeline under the 1998 Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) - i.e., that "each partner shall retain jurisdiction and control over the elements it registers and over personnel in or on the Space Station who are its nationals"?

If so, I assume there's a mid-1980's analogue to the IGA that was presumably signed by the U.S., ESA and Japan.