Good Basic Design For Space Station?

[potoes6]

I have been playing this game for a little bit now and have been building space stations. They always seem to wobble or the designs I have don't look very good or have flaws in them. Do you guys have any tips for building a space station?

Thanks for Reading

-Potoes

[Vanamonde]

The wobble is most likely due to SAS mode needing the tune up it will get in the next update, but as for the layout, just have fun with it. One of the most interesting aspects of station construction is that it won't be subject to accelerations and weight, and so can be any shape at all.

[Benie]

Just make sure that your station isn't too complicated (and over-lighted, aka too many lights), or your FPS will be begging for mercy.

[Joshington]

From my experience in KSP, most stations require:

1. Solar Panels

2. Room for extra kerbals (hitchhiker container for example)

3. Docking Ports

[Snooze]

You're going to end up one of two things (or, quite possibly, both): Docking Master or King of Over-engineering.

By that I mean that you're going to build it in parts, docking expansions as you go along, or you're going to build something incredibly Kerbal and launch it in one go. Or both.

I went modular.

The Mirai is currently in high orbit waiting for me to throw more fuel tanks at her. She also help me build two interplanetary ships by docking a lander to the end of an arm, removing it, then docking a tug at the other end.

P.S. The whole station runs perfectly well on two RTGs.

[Benie]

A station without solar panels? I'm guessing you use RTGs, and/or lots of batteries.

[regex]

Here is one I built with a lot of inspiration from people here and there. I try to keep lights to a minimum because they seem to be the biggest culprits in lag. Well, that cluster of antennas was pretty bad too, I'll be removing that section from the roster for 0.21 or redesigning it. With the new ASAS I'll replace those fuel pods with orange tanks (or dual grays, I like the uniformity of color here) because docking even these half tanks without RCS on the tank itself (in a effort to reduce in-space part count) is a serious chore.

E: Oh yeah, this thing is purely modular, being all stock. Most sections were roughly 40~50 tons, very easy to launch and rendezvous (which helps when you're doing it all manually).

Edited July 24, 2013 by regex

[kofeyh]

I have been playing this game for a little bit now and have been building space stations. They always seem to wobble or the designs I have don't look very good or have flaws in them. Do you guys have any tips for building a space station?

The one thing I've found is don't bother with ASAS (although this will cease to be an issue with the next major update) - SAS is handy and can help dampen roll, though once a station is large enough, the mass alone tends to make it very sluggish. If you orientate it on the nav ball north marker, it will only roll on one axis, making docking much much easier.

RTGs for power are useful, but honestly I just stick with solar panels and batteries; it shaves a lot of weight versus having RTGs powering everything. It's a bit of a personal choice, though. I've found pre-building large sections in the VAB (or aircraft hangar) can make sure everything will dock and fit together ok.

Lights are very useful, obviously for night docking, just not too many as they are a bit intensive and larger stations can lag.

The biggest thing with KSP, though, is that you can experiment. Endlessly. It's taken me 3-4 builds before I started to really figure it out. So have fun with it.

[lammatt]

i use a huge and exceptionally symmetrical fuel tank as my main component (ie. the spherical tank mod)

and i put 4 mid sized port on the ring; 2 large ones at the top and bottom; and with a 2-man lander can on top while ASAS and RCS fuel at bottom. (so that i can afford a very center-positioned center of mass

then i supply the tank before dock anything heavy

i dock light modules in the first 1 or 2 flights to supply the fuel: some lazor missiles and a robotic arm and a telescope...

then i proceed to dock the heavier modules (eg. the artifacial gravity and a few escape vessels) when the station gets to around ~200t

and my station seldom wobbles. (and i dont even have struts on it...)

Edited July 24, 2013 by lammatt

[Alien1099]

This was one of my favorites that I've seen posted on here.

[Umlüx]

i usually use one heavy central node with ASAS, RCS, fuel reserves.. etc.. and from there build outwards with only passive modules.

[bigdad84]

I went for a modular design similar to the ISS

Has 14 large solar panels, 6 1x6 solar panels, artificial gravity, and can support up to 6 docked craft at any given time.

[bsalis]

If you do not want it to wobble then just launch it as a single piece.

Docking several crafts to make a station will make it wobbly, will increase the part count, and is more effort.

[ComradeGoat]

Lights causing lag - does their presence cause a problem even when turned off? I've not really experimented.

[Wheffle]

I built a pretty big station the first time. Later on I decided to start making them a lot smaller and simpler just because of framerate issues. This is one of my recent ones, able to stock a decent amount of fuel and dock quite a lot of ships at once. The only lights on it are illuminating the docking wings.

What a station needs depends on what you're going to use it for. I'd imagine most KSP stations are used for refueling, in which case all you really need is a command pod (piloted or AI), a fuel tank or two, docking ports and maybe a couple of solar panels + batteries. Your only power drain will probably be lights, and those large solar panels generate so much juice, large arrays are mostly cosmetic.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Wheffle
fixed picture link

[Khrissetti]

Use the bigger docking ports to reduce wobble.

[sporkafife]

If your computer struggles and lags a bit when looking at Kerbin in LKO (I know mine does), try putting your station high enough that the game engine loads the lower res Kerbin model. I think it does this at around 170km and it really helps reduce lag when docking.

[CaptRobau]

Look at real-life space stations for inspiration:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salyut

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylab

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iss

There are a few distinct phases in the evolution of the space station:

• Monolithic: The station is launched in one piece. Just a habitat module, some solar panels and a single docking port for delivering personnel/supplies.
  
• Semi-modular: The station is launched in one piece, but has multiple docking ports allowing for multiple manned capsules to dock or to add another module like a telescope, scientific module, etc.
  
• Modular: The station is launched in several pieces which dock together in space, creating a large space station. Every piece does something else (power, scientific experiments, living area), instead of one monolithic module doing a bit of everything.
  

[legoheli]

Basically, if you've never made a station before, I do not suggest making modular space stations. Your first step should be, as in the real world, to launch what is essentially a large satellite with room for people in it. This will teach you rendezvous, docking and crew exchange, and it will be invaluable experience in what is possible, when to launch for a rendezvous and so forth.

The basic space station will require the following things:

A probe core OR some sort of crewed compartment for launch control.

A power source, usually solar panels with a set of batteries, or in some cases a nuclear power station.

Some sort of kerbal storage module, like a lander can or a hitchhiker compartment.

Fuel for reaction control for future deorbit and for refuelling visiting vessels if needed.

A single, maybe two docking port(s).

An example of such a station is what I've made below, it does use a lot of mods, however, but none that have any function beyond what you would get from stock parts, they just look nicer:

Once you're comfortable with visiting your station, I'd move on to building modular space stations. Make sure that each of your station modules have some sort of power source or find yourself with dead modules orbiting while waiting for your rendezvous (I've done that far more times than I should have).

[RocketPilot573]

When building space stations, I like to start with a central core and then just add things sort of randomly around it:

Of course, Sr. Docking Ports are a must have. The station shown above is rock hard and does't wobble at all when given an Advanced SAS. As for what the station should have, here's a list:

Solar Panel array -not necessarily needed, but it looks cool

Docking Ports -a place for ships to dock to, make sure to put it far away from solar panels or anything else that's easy to break

Fuel Tanks & RCS Tanks -this will give your station a use: the ability to refuel crafts

Crew Quarters -well, Bill, Jeb, and Bob need to be put somewhere:D

One more thing, when building the parts to the station in the VAB, always remember to keep your part count to a minimum in order to reduce any lag when the station is finished. RSC ports, for example, will often result in lag when you put 100 of them on the station. Besides, why does an immobile craft need RSC?

Edited July 24, 2013 by RocketPilot573

[potoes6]

Thanks this really helps!

[Bluesteel]

I found it easier to make your core as a standalone, but design it in such a way that if you want to, you can add other components to it easily.

[Whackjob]

I'll second that.

It definitely makes things easier. And it's great docking practice.

[Sapphire]

When I built mine, I had a really long spindly station core (the lifter I used for it was like a hollow tube with fuel tanks and rockets making up the sides), and then sent up other sections to just dock onto it, each section doing something different. I also drained the payloads of fuel before launching, because it makes them easier to lift, and more maneuverable, then I refueled them later.

The station core is the blue and green shaft in the middle.

[Wheffle]

This thread is beginning to sound like a "how you eat your reese's" video.