"Munbeam Motel" [Update] Greenhouse, Hab, & Mini Rover. Done...For Now :)

[Elway358]

So I finally decided to get brave and build a surface "base" to land on the Mun. I really just started throwing together pieces from the KPBS mod messing around with it on kerbin and decided after getting It to handle pretty well, it was time to try and launch the beast. I basically just guesstimated the fuel and stuff I would need and wrapped the top mess in a fairing. I had to strut the living heck out of the top to keep it from waving back and forth and popping out of the fairing.

slightly off topic: I think using a docking port as a separator between my lander and the lifting stage caused a lot of the need for strutting but I have no idea how to add a docking port for future use and then add the lifting stage without hooking straight to the docking port or hook a decoupler straight to the docking port(adding sway/looseness either way) Any tips on this would be awesome.

Anyway, after strutting it up, she launched up a whole lot better than I had expected and I think I guessed pretty decent on fuel. Things got pretty freaking dicey and I finally managed to put her down after a handful of F9's and without mechjeb(cause I totally forgot to add a module during the build) and only lost a small spider engine that was recessed in the bottom from the thing flexing and smashing the nose a bit hard on touchdown.. This thing was a handful for me to land and I'm sure it is a really inefficient build so I'll need to look at some stuff before I try to launch any additions to it. Never the less, I got 'r done!  

Here's a link to the album with a few more pics of the flight/landing  

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/elway358/slideshow/Mobile%20Munar%20Mining%20Station

 

Edited February 16, 2016 by Elway358
Updated Progress

[Dafni]

Nice one, mate!

Yes, I try to avoid the docking ports for interstage stuff. They are just too soft for these kind of forces.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Dafni

[Elway358]

Added a research wing to the base today and decided to name it "Munbeam Motel" cause why not  Gotta add a couple more wings still to fulfill the 12 kerbal capacity contract requirement. Used the same launcher stages from before but this time had a good bit of fuel left in the second stage orange tank so I just brought it down with me.

As you can see from it being a little ways off, things got a bit ugly when I decoupled it but I managed to sort it out and get the sections hooked up. Wishing I would have put a claw on the original mobile miner section so I could suck the extra fuel out of it but I guess I'll  build a little claw rover for cleanup later. I got a feeling that wont be the last of the junk that gets left during this little adventure  

P.S. These Kerbal Planetary Base Systems parts are too awesome!  

[Elway358]

Added a greenhouse, habitat module, and cargo bay with a mini rover to finish off the Munbeam Motel. Left an option at the end of the greenhouse wing for additions but I think I'm gonna do one on Minmus now in a different style.

Some pics of the final sections together with a little blue and orange tribute for them Broncos!