Freedom Shuttle

The Freedom is an X-71 Military Shuttle from the movie Armageddon. Unlike its sister shuttle Independence, it survives its mission.

Appearance
The X-71 Military Shuttle Freedom is similar to the real-life Space shuttles of NASA, but like the Independence, it has several major differences:


 * Two additional back fins towards the rear (the Real-life Space Shuttles have only one)
 * Flight Deck is configured differently (One crew deck from appearances in the movie in contrast to the two-level version of its NASA counterpart)
 * Two hatches on the right side near the cockpit (NASA's has only one)
 * Slightly curled-up wing tips for the main delta-shaped wings (NASA's lack it)
 * A cargo ramp that folds downwards to allow its Armadillo drilling vehicle to exit and enter (NASA's lacks it as the cargo hatch opens from the top)
 * Teal gray blue color pattern (NASA's are white)
 * US Air Force signage on the body of the hull (NASA's has United States of America)
 * An Eagle picture on the main tail fin (NASA's lacks any imagery)
 * A larger Cargo hold for the Armadillo and extra equipment (NASA's are a bit smaller)
 * Radar for helping with navigation through the Asteroid (NASA's lack these)
 * Central elevator lift for going from the Flight deck to the cargo bay or all the way outside of the shuttle (NASA doesn't have this feature)

Crew

 * Colonel Sharp (Commander)
 * Watts (Pilot)
 * Lieutenant Gruber (Munitions Expert for the Freedom)
 * Harry Stamper (Driller No.1)
 * Chick (Driller No.2)
 * Rockhound (Driller No.3 and Geologist for the team)
 * Max (Driller No.4 and Primary Armadillo Operator)

Film Role (Spoiler Alert)
The X-71 Freedom shuttle is first seen in a NASA facility being moved by giant cranes where Harry and his fellow Oil Drillers are introduced to the spacecraft that will take them to the Asteroid. It is there that they also meet the pilots and Munitions Experts for the mission.

Later on, it's shown during the President's address and the liftoff sequence (it is the first one to liftoff followed by Independence) with its sister shuttle Independence.

Afterwards, it docks with the Russian Space Station MIR to fuel up. While fueling, the station suffers problems and it along with Independence barely escape in time before the station blows up. The only occupant of the station Lev ends up on the Independence during the chaos.

Mission
After the chaos at the Russian Space Station, both Freedom and Independence slingshot around the Moon in order to approach the asteroid from behind. During the phase to land on the space rock, both shuttles detach their external boosters to help with maneuvering.

However, despite all the planning by NASA and other space agencies around the world, the shuttle Independence is lost during the chaotic landing due to debris in the asteroid.

With Independence lost, the mission falls onto the Freedom to finish the job. Although the shuttle lands on the asteroid, it blows its original landing by at least 26 miles according to Rockhound. To make matters worse, they land on an area that is made up of Iron Preterite (or an G-Damn Iron Plate by Rockhound) thus, drilling is much harder.

Progress is initially slow due to the material being drilled through as after only two hours, Harry's team only gets up to 57 feet. Tensions rise even further when the US President activates "Secondary Protocol" under the illusion that the blast from the nuke would deflect the asteroid from Earth. After a heated and physical fight between Harry and Colonial Sharp, they deactivate the bomb in time.

Once Mission Control is called out for jumping the gun on the mission, the drilling resumes. Then suddenly at one point, Rockhound plays around with a Gatling Gun brought on the mission before Harry stops him from nearly killing his teammates by accident. Just after Colonial Sharp thinks Rockhound has "Space Dementia, the Armadillo unit for the Freedom hits a gas pocket and before Max and safely back the drill away, the gas pocket ignites and blasts the vehicle off the rock killing Max in the process.

After the death of Max, Earth along with Harry's crew thinks that the mission has failed. Just then as they were about to give up hope, the Armadillo assigned to the Independence arrives in the nick of time along with AJ, Bear and Lev whom the trio had miraculously survived the crash.

While AJ and Bear go and help finish the drilling, Lev goes on board the Freedom to help Watts prep the shuttle to leave while Rockhound is restrained due to his earlier behavior.

Just as the heroes nearly reach 800 feet, another gas pocket is hit, but however after allowing AJ to proceed despite the risk, the depth is reached and thus, the bomb can be put in.

However, just as AJ is doing a quick last minute chore before the bomb can go in the hole, a sudden rockstorm erupts complicating matters. When the chaos ends, Gruber ends up dead and the bomb gets damaged thus, it has to be activated manually instead of remotely.

Once everyone is back on board, they draw straws to see who will stay behind and die to detonate the bomb. While AJ does draw the short straw, Harry at the last minute takes his place so AJ can go home and marry Grace Harry's daughter.

Initially, the shuttle has a hard time getting off the rock, but thanks to Lev's own means of "Fixing" the problem, the shuttle manages to leave successfully.

After a tearful, final goodbye to his daughter, Harry goes to work to activate the bomb. As the shuttle Freedom leaves, the asteroid puts up one, last fight via gas pocket explosion nearly derailing Harry.

Although Colonial Sharp nearly turns the shuttle around, a last minute intervention by Chick stops the shuttle from returning to the Asteroid. Back on the rock, Harry climbs his way out of the hole he got blasted into seconds earlier, grabs the detonator and after one, last look at the Earth, Harry presses the button activating the bomb, but killing himself in the process.

Thanks to Harry's sacrifice, the bomb manages to split the massive asteroid in two in the nick of time and both halves miss the Earth by 400 kilometers.

Aftermath
The survivors of both Freedom and Independence land back on Earth along with Lev. Out of its 7-person crew, only 4 of them make it back as combined with the survivors of Independence and Lev from the Russian Space Station, 7 people out of the 15 people tasked with saving the world end up returning home safely.

At AJ and Grace's wedding, a small memorial dedicated to Harry, Max, Oscar and Freddie appears to ensure that their sacrifice for Mankind would not be forgotten along with others who perished in the mission.

It is unknown what happens to the Freedom after the mission, but it's likely that it is integrated into NASA's shuttle fleet and replaces the NASA space shuttle Atlantis that was destroyed earlier in the movie.