Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

slowly I have to get back on track and want to make a first step today, otherwise the thread will break too much, which I don't want to do to myself as well as to you.

I finally wanted to report back, for a change with a little detour to the Pad fleet of vehicles, which shouldn't be missing entirely on my Diorama.

I was inspired by a post by my friend Mike (bootneck) in the Britmodeller Forum, who was concerned with CAD & 3D printing and has printed some great vehicles in 1:144.


Source: britmodeller.com (bootneck)


Source: britmodeller.com (bootneck)


Source: britmodeller.com (bootneck)

And imagine, he wants to print it for me in the 1:160, out of gratitude cause he has already learned so much from me, a noble gesture indeed with which he totally surprised me.

That gave me the idea to ask him if he could not also model and print the NASA Astrovan that most of you will know, what he'd like to try if I could deliver him corresponding reference material (photos/drawings/dimensions).

And that gave me the decisive kick to pick up myself and get started with researching.


Source: wikimewdia.org

As always, at first the question did arise for me about the historical aspect, how this Astrovan looked like in the early Shuttle Era at Challenger's STS-6 ...

More on that next time.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

if one turns to the topic NASA-Astrovan (Astronaut Transfer Van) and googles for Astrovan, one will find photos like this one,


Source: wikimedia.org


Source: wikimedia.org

which show one that there were apparently different models of the van, but that you have to put them in the correct chronological timeline in order not to compare apples with pears.

While the Astrovan still looks relatively simple in the first picture, the second van is much more modern, one just have to know when they were in use to be sure that these are photos from the Shuttle era, and not about images from the Apollo era ...

Because if one digs a little deeper into NASA history, one will also find pictures of Astrovans that had different NASA logos, which initially confused me a lot. It's just a small optical detail, but almost like a name, and it just has to fit in with it in terms of time, otherwise it's like a break in style.

On the one hand there is the well-known blue NASA Meatball and the less well-known NASA Worm.


Source: NASA

The difficulty now is that NASA apparently did not adhere to any temporal stringency with regard to the logos used during the Apollo era as well as during the shuttle era but used both logos at times, which does not make the recherche easier, on the contrary.

Therefore I initially followed the van's tracks true to my title slogan Back to the Beginning of NASA's Space Shuttle Missions and after photos of the Astrovans of that time wanted, which clearly show the time relation to the STS-6.

In this photo one can see the STS-6 crew with Story Musgrave in the lead getting into the van. This is clearly the older box-shaped white van model, a modified Clark-Cortez motorhome, but unfortunately the logos on the sides are not in the photo.


Source: retrospaceimages.com (J. L. Pickering, STS-6)

After that, I went back even further, to the STS-1, with which the shuttle era began, and I found this insightful photo in the NASA media archive on which the van at the time had the Worm logo.


Source: NASA

Step by step I got closer to the STS-6, whereby according to my logo philosophy I assumed that the van at that time probably also had this Worm logo, which had to be proven.

Since my friend James MacLaren couldn't help me any further, I remembered my German friend Oliver Bombosch (Ares67), who in the NSF Forum has documented the early shuttle missions in detail, after what I asked him.

And somehow I must have had the right feeling, because he sent me a Tagesschau Video round about the maiden flight of the Challenger (STS-6), what finally provided the clear evidence that the Astrovan at that time carried the NASA Worm logo. So I was actually at the goal of my search.




Source: ARD Tagesschau

I also found a picture on which the Astrovan used in the STS-9 can be seen, which had no logo at all, presumably that was the time of the transition to the successor model of the Airstream Excella Astrovan used since 1983,


Source: NASA

at which the Meatball logo was used again from now on.


Source: live.staticflickr.com

But there are also photos of the old van model used during the Apollo era (e.g. Apollo 10) with the Meatball logo, which I unfortunately cannot show caused by copyright.

So much for NASA's Logo confusion.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

for the fun of it I did some more research and found out that the NASA Worm stayed for some longer time on the Astrovan yet, not just until 1992, as officially announced here.

Up to mission STS-35 (1990) I was able to check it with the help of the ingenious documentations of my German NSF friend Oliver Bombosch (Ares67).


Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (Ares67)

Furthermore I also randomly checked missions following STS-35 (1990), which were also documented by Ares67 in his awesome Thread Ares’ Space Shuttle Video Vault, what I can highly recommend to all shuttle freaks.

According to that the STS-55 (04/26/1993) was the last mission in which the NASA Worm shone on the Astrovan.


Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (Ares67)

And during the following mission STS-57 (06/21/1993) the NASA Meatball was on the Astrovan again for the first time,


Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (Ares67)

and from then until the last shuttle mission of Atlantis STS-135 (07/08/2011).

But I have one more delicacy for rounding off this controversy about the use of the NASA logos.

Hard to believe, but there was not only the classical Meatball, but also discussions about a Wormball,


Source: NASA

but NASA headquarters quickly took the wind out of its sails.

And since meanwhile I've taken pleasure in the Astrovan theme, and to make my fingers a little more flexible again, I want to start with a short warm-up for a Restart.

My friend Ebel (EG) from the NSF Forum sent me a link on which one can download a Paper Kit (1:48) of the Astrovan, which I will simply build, initially in 1:48, but then also to match my diorama in 1:160, but with the correct NASA Worm logo, in order to fit for the STS-6.


Source: paper-replika.com (Julius Perdana)


Sorce: paper-replika.com (Julius Perdana)


Source: paper-replika.com (Julius Perdana)

As it looks like building the van is relatively straightforward. Since some parts of the paper construction do not seem stable enough to me, I will strengthen them a little, for example the wheels, for each of which I will glue two Balsa slices together.



Let's see how it will feel like ...

[dhanners]

The van should be a breeze after all the intricate and detailed work you've done so far.

This just became available, apparently: Apollo Astrovan 1/60 by ColorSound - Thingiverse

[eagleclaw4935]

Actually that kit has been available for several years now.I made one and was surprised no one has attempted to recreate the Airstream astrovan, but I understand the curves can get a bit complicated. Anyway Manfred has always set the bar for the level of detail he's achieved. Museum qaulity is the highest priority. He's the professor, were the students.

[spacerunner]

Originally Posted by dhanners

The van should be a breeze after all the intricate and detailed work you've done so far.

This just became available, apparently: Apollo Astrovan 1/60 by ColorSound - Thingiverse

Thanks David for your nice compliment.

It was an attempt to build something out of paper again. But even here you have to pay attention to a few things as paper quality and thickness, glue, etc. ...

ColorSound's Astrovan looks cool, only the Meatball Decal should have been affixed in the middle.

[spacerunner]

Thanks Ed for your praising words, you make me nearly embarrassed.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,
and with that now to the model bulding of the Paper-Astrovan (1:48), let's go.

First of all, this is a look at the kit templates, the larger one is the Original Paper kit in 1:48, and on top of it lies the version that has been reduced in size for my diorama (1:160) with the NASA Worm logo so that the van also matches the STS-6.



The construction of the wheels (9) I wanted to simplify a bit and make them more stable at the same time.



For this I glued two Balsa discs (2 mm) to each other,



whereupon the tread was then coated with the black stripe.



Then the large bodywork (1) was cut out and folded,



and glued together.

The simple parts (10) provided for fastening the wheels seemed too spartan to me for reasons of stability and stability.



and the 'folding roof' also looks adventurous, which is why I've prepared Balsa reinforcements, especially since the Fans (8, 11) have to be glued onto the roof, whereby it would certainly be pressed in.



Due to the Balsa reinforcements, the roof should be sufficiently stable, at least on the adhesive surfaces of the fans.



Gluing the roof together was a tricky business, especially since the glossy paper I chose was quite stubborn and couldn't be glued well. Before the roof was glued on, the wheel mounts had to be glued in, into which the wheels were then glued from the outside.



To stabilize the side walls, I also glued balsa strips inside as a precaution. Then the fans were glued together and the rotating beacon was put on,



and glued all the parts onto the roof.



Now the only thing missing was the bumper, for which I used a Styrene strip (0,5 mm). And where I write that, I notice that the van also has small bumpers on the back outside next to the door, which are missing in the kit, which is why I will retrofit them. In the meantime, the driver can also look in the driving mirrors and drive to pick up the crew.
And with that I want to say goodbye for the time being,



and wish all of you a merry and reflective Christmas, and above all, that we all stay healthy! Now just a little bit of snow is missing ...

[Algebraist]

Astrovan is coming on great Manfred. Merry Christmas to you and see you in 2022

Kevin

[spacerunner]

Thanks Kevin for your compliment and the good wishes, the same to you my friend.