ABIS - Project AS by preeder
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Description
ABIS � Project AS.
Today marks the start of my next ABIS (America Back Into Space) story arc.
When Robert L Carter first took office as NASA�s Head of Administration and Development he spent nearly two years creating the long term plan for taking America back into space after the end of the space shuttle programme.
The long term plan that Carter created called for a number of projects and programmes to run side by side. The recreation of NASA�s old Ares One booster and the pairing with this of Carter�s own design for a Crew Return Capsule or CRC were two such programmes which ran side by side and were ready for flight testing within a few weeks of each other.
Carter knew that the re-creation of Ares 1, and the CRC project, were only intended to be a stop-gap measure to enable replacement crews for NASA�s Orbital Shuttle fleet, as well as supplies, to be sent into space whilst a far more cost effective and efficient means could be made available to carry out the same tasks.
Whilst Ares 1 and the CRC have been flying Carter�s people have spent the last few years working hard to breathe new life into yet another old project, a project which has slowly taken shape in a huge building not far from the old space shuttle runway at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. It is a project which is now ready for unveiling to the world.
Under the code-name Project AS, NASA�s scientists, technicians and engineers have worked to create the next generation of Space-Shuttle�s, an Advanced Space Shuttle using a combination of new metals and alloys, new fuels and fuel formulas, advanced electronics, all combined with a radically new way to get this next generation of shuttle into Earth orbit.
Taking an old lesson from the past and turning it 180 degrees on its head the plan calls for this new generation of shuttle to be lifted aloft into the sky on the back of a specially converted super heavy cargo plane to a height on the very edge of Earth�s atmosphere. Once reaching this point the shuttle will be released from its carrier aircraft and go into a free glide as the carrier aircraft banks way after deploying the shuttle.
Once the carrier plane is clear the shuttle�s Commander will bring the craft nose up and ignite the shuttles three main engines using fuel supplied from an internal tank located in the shuttle�s cargo bay. The thrust generated by the three main engines will carry the shuttle clear of Earth�s atmosphere and into low Earth orbit from which it can be navigated and docked with one of the new sections added to the International space station in the last few months.
Seen here in its hanger shortly before the roll-out for its first test flight is the next generation of Advanced Space-Shuttle � the Advanced Space-Shuttle AMERICA.
Author/Artists Notes
I got the idea for this method of launching a space shuttle from two methods which have been used in the past as part of space shuttle testing and operations. The first aerodynamic flight tests of the space shuttle, using the space shuttle ENTERPRISE would see the shuttle, called during the tests the �aerodynamic test article� lifted aloft into the sky on the back of a specially converted Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet cargo variant which had been purchased from American Airlines, repainted (badly � the name American still showed through the new paint work) and called NASA 905.
The second part of the idea came about from the method used by NASA to recover the shuttle back to Kennedy Space Centre if the shuttle was required, for whatever reason, to land somewhere other than Kennedy at the end of a mission.
I therefore worked from the premise that in the time that this story is set a heavy duty transport aircraft would be available which would able to lift a new generation of lighter and more fuel effective Advanced Space-Shuttle�s to the very edge of Earth�s atmosphere.
Comments (6)
neiwil
Whooah!, stunned mate.This is the leap...whats gone before was updated / upgraded technologie we recognise.This is new and so cool.That model is amazing, futuristic but highly plausible.Brilliant stuff Phil, just brilliant.
Wolfmanw
Oh you caught me off guard with this model I am taken back. Awesome job of design and the information is excellent. I love it!
Penters
Great work and info...btw did you catch the alternate NASA history series on Radio 7 "Voyager"..it's on BBC iplayer, and right up your street.
thecytron
Most Xcellent modeling work!
crender
Wonderfull!!!!!
onefromb5
Excellent ship there Preeder. I wish I had the Heavylifter for a render I'm working on.