One launch Station

[Andem]

It's safe to say that everyone has built a station in KSP. but has anyone built an entire station in a single launch? Now, here are a few rules:

 

1: the station must have at least 5 seperate modules excluding escape pods.

2: the station must have enough escape pods for the entire crew

3: No planes! Not sure how one would do this, but no space plane launches!

4: minimum crew of 2 kerbals, delivered at the same time as the station

5: No BD Armory! Not a fan of military stations

6: In order to submit, post a screenshot of the launch vehicle, the finished station, and, if you want, post a video of getting it into orbit or post a craft file

7: One small tug per submission, and by small I mean 2 radial rcs tanks, the smalest radial Batt man battery, and a small probe core.

8: I assumed, this would be obvious, but NO HYPEREDIT EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!!!

9: No warp drive launch vehicles... See the above statement on hyperedit...

 

Weekly Winners:

Week 1: Tiber9

Sorry for the hiatus, nobody seemed to be posting, and Emiko Station kept drawing my attention... !

I am declaring that this thread is in stasis until a new station crops up, B advised!

Thanks For Uploading!

 

If possible, post A picture of each module. if it is on insufficient size to be considered a module(It depends on the station) it will be discounted. If you feel a ruling is unjust, please protest the decision. It may or may not result in a changed verdict, but you never know.

 

Every week that I can I will select a champion, but don't be upset if I miss a week... All Mods are A-OK for now (excluding BD Armory, Hyperedit(Duh) And warp drive mods), but That may change in the future.

Consider this an eternal challenge, Keep posting as long as you want...

Edited February 5, 2016 by Andem

[ihtoit]

long time ago I launched a 1/1000 scale Spacedock (as in the spindly thing in Star Trek: The Search For Spock), that was a single boosted stage with capacity for 40 Kerbals, 4 docking ports and a 53m wide tophat.

Later on I put up a Torus with capacity for 192 Kerbals with 16 standard docking ports and two large ports - and then I parked a power plant on the lower one with some additional parts for the station (ladders, solar panels, chairs...), and two of the standard ports were taken up with a missile armed spaceplane and a supply shuttle.

The only one I can actually find an image for right now is Ragnar Fuel Station. 431 tons on orbit. The largest almost-single-stage launch I've tried so far. Start mass: 526 tons. It's missing eight liquid fuel parasite boosters (Luvodicus Super Atomic engines) off the sides of the orange tanks, because the thing would not lift off without them. This shot taken at the moment the intended 150km orbit was achieved, 95 tons lighter than on the pad thirty flight-minutes ago. This station went up uncrewed, and was going to be left as a waypoint station for high-orbiting and interplanetary missions. As I was about to park spaceplane #9 on a spur docking hub off the top of the spire, I watched the thing explode from 100km away... pretty sight, but all that hard work...

Once I get my Core2 Duo sorted out I'll have a go at getting an even bigger beastie up in stock.

Edited January 11, 2016 by ihtoit

[Temstar]

This seems pretty easy since "modules" is undefined they could in fact be tiny and just there to make up the numbers.

I'm guessing though you had in mind something that's launched as a cylinder then reassembled in orbit to be a more complex shape. In that case you might want to set a minimum tonnage requirement.

Still, it seems like it's just a case of making a really big launch vehicle and have some orbital tugs in the payload that can then move the different sections around.

[Andem]

44 minutes ago, Temstar said:

This seems pretty easy since "modules" is undefined they could in fact be tiny and just there to make up the numbers.

I'm guessing though you had in mind something that's launched as a cylinder then reassembled in orbit to be a more complex shape. In that case you might want to set a minimum tonnage requirement.

Still, it seems like it's just a case of making a really big launch vehicle and have some orbital tugs in the payload that can then move the different sections around.

Thanks for pointing that out. I don't want to limit anybody, so I want to wait on imposing tonnage limits until it becomes necassary. BTW, that's exactly what I had in Mind. I might put in a random bonus challenge for the really hardcore... like putting it around Eeloo without refueling... or maybe a RSS week... 

Edited January 11, 2016 by Andem

[swjr-swis]

Does it absolutely have to be assembled in orbit? Sending up my usually fully preassembled 400-500t fuel stations to high orbit in a non-assembled state, and compromising the structural integrity of station and the lifter, seems like a step back to me.

[Hexlord]

All mods are ok. Sweet, hyperedit to the rescue!

[Evanitis]

4 hours ago, ihtoit said:

Once I get my Core2 Duo sorted out I'll have a go at getting an even bigger beastie up in stock.

That's my main problem with the challenge - for many players the limiting factor isn't their engineering or launching profficiency, but their hardware. As player who runs the game of a potato, I'd never consider to launch a huge station in one piece with 10fps if I can assemble it in orbit. I could use mods to compress textures, weld the station together to reduce part-count, etc - but than it becomes a KSP optimization challenge.

I'll just stick to small, functional outposts on locations where I really need those.

[Wild Cobra]

Not too hard. I've already been assembling a station in orbit. One of my launched included seven escape crafts capable of seven Kerbals each, and a larger tug than required. It also has six Mk3 passenger modules. I could easily rearrange the parts on the launched vessel. I may or may not, but here is my current station with seven launches so far:

 

 

Here are three screenshots of the vehicle that can be easily modified to fit the challenge requirements:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2016 by Wild Cobra

[Tiber9]

Going to go work on this, if i can make it happen it will be my first submission to a challenge!

[Wild Cobra]

OK, the only change I made to my craft was add parachutes that I forgot. Looks like my escape pods on my original station will have to rendezvous with something else.

 

I used two mods. The GingerCorp Stock-alike Station Hubs, and the Kerbal Inventory System for the reusable struts. First, the Gingercorp hobs have a node bug that I fixed, and I scaled the 8 port hub to a size 2 with appropriate mass and cost changes by a factor of 8.

 

I have two "tugs." One, with just a size 2 docking port, but engine and fuel. The other has size 2 docking ports on each end. I don;'t do very many things small. It this a stickler?

 

Just to show my design is sound, I launched it and here it is:

 

 

[Tiber9]

Ok! Here's my first challenge submission on the forums!

Gotta say I have enjoyed this challenge, it got me to mess around with something I've never worked on before. I accidentally did this in 1.0.4 as my main install has realism overhaul right now. The only mods that I did this with are Kerbal Engineer and Alarm Clock. 

Modules: 

4-Kerbal Habitation Module

 

Science Module

 

Life Support Module (Full Ore tank standing in for TAC-LS)

 

Fuel, Oxidizer, and Monoprop Storage (launched full, tho I needed to use 1/2 of the stored fuel to finish my orbit)

 

Power Module: Solar Truss and Escape Pods

 

The Launch:

Let's try that again...

Anti-Asperagus Staging...

I'm baffled that the thing got into orbit at all, as I didn't balance the module masses and pretended that aerodynamics were imaginary. I just made sure that the full ore tank was on the East-side of the craft at launch, and it turned all on its own. 

The hardest requirement honestly was the tiny tug: I'm not sure if putting rcs and batteries on every un-controlled component was in the spirit of the 'small tug' rule, but it's the only way I could have done it without the thing dying on me. Here, the tug is maneuvering the Life-Support Module into position beside the Hab.

 

I call this part the 'coat hangar'. I made sure not to let it act as a tug (it has no docking ports, just decouplers), but I did make it controllable for the purpose of de-orbiting. 

 

Here's the full station! 

 

Exceedingly basic, but I think the kerbals are happy enough. since they got to move in so quickly (about 1 orbit). 

This was a lot of fun. I'm excited to see what others do! Thanks for the inspiration. 

[AlamoVampire]

One Launch Station? Okies, hows this?

On the pad: 

 

beginning orbital positioning, I honestly forget what stage of getting to orbit this is, circularization perhaps, but still a single launch: 

<the tiny bits falling behind? explosive bolts from novapunch, which is what most of this thing was made from lol>

 

in orbit: 

this was obviously a few versions ago, but, was a single launch.

Edited January 12, 2016 by AlamoVampire

[Andem]

1 hour ago, Tiber9 said:

Ok! Here's my first challenge submission on the forums!

Gotta say I have enjoyed this challenge, it got me to mess around with something I've never worked on before. I accidentally did this in 1.0.4 as my main install has realism overhaul right now. The only mods that I did this with are Kerbal Engineer and Alarm Clock. 

Modules: 

4-Kerbal Habitation Module

 

Science Module

 

Life Support Module (Full Ore tank standing in for TAC-LS)

 

Fuel, Oxidizer, and Monoprop Storage (launched full, tho I needed to use 1/2 of the stored fuel to finish my orbit)

 

Power Module: Solar Truss and Escape Pods

 

The Launch:

Let's try that again...

Anti-Asperagus Staging...

I'm baffled that the thing got into orbit at all, as I didn't balance the module masses and pretended that aerodynamics were imaginary. I just made sure that the full ore tank was on the East-side of the craft at launch, and it turned all on its own. 

The hardest requirement honestly was the tiny tug: I'm not sure if putting rcs and batteries on every un-controlled component was in the spirit of the 'small tug' rule, but it's the only way I could have done it without the thing dying on me. Here, the tug is maneuvering the Life-Support Module into position beside the Hab.

 

I call this part the 'coat hangar'. I made sure not to let it act as a tug (it has no docking ports, just decouplers), but I did make it controllable for the purpose of de-orbiting. 

 

Here's the full station! 

 

Exceedingly basic, but I think the kerbals are happy enough. since they got to move in so quickly (about 1 orbit). 

This was a lot of fun. I'm excited to see what others do! Thanks for the inspiration. 

Great Job! Exactly the kind of thing I had in mind...This is looking like the station of the week, although it's only monday  

1 hour ago, Wild Cobra said:

OK, the only change I made to my craft was add parachutes that I forgot. Looks like my escape pods on my original station will have to rendezvous with something else.

 

I used two mods. The GingerCorp Stock-alike Station Hubs, and the Kerbal Inventory System for the reusable struts. First, the Gingercorp hobs have a node bug that I fixed, and I scaled the 8 port hub to a size 2 with appropriate mass and cost changes by a factor of 8.

 

I have two "tugs." One, with just a size 2 docking port, but engine and fuel. The other has size 2 docking ports on each end. I don;'t do very many things small. It this a stickler?

 

Just to show my design is sound, I launched it and here it is:

 

 

Very cool! More candidates for the station of the week!

@AlamoVampire Are those modules? Are those pylons seperateable? I honestly can't tell 

[Andem]

21 hours ago, swjr-swis said:

Does it absolutely have to be assembled in orbit? Sending up my usually fully preassembled 400-500t fuel stations to high orbit in a non-assembled state, and compromising the structural integrity of station and the lifter, seems like a step back to me.

I tried to write the rules specifically... you don't, really.So long as each module can be seperated it counts 

[Wild Cobra]

15 minutes ago, Andem said:

Very cool! More candidates for the station of the week!

Mine?

Mine likely doesn't count for two reasons.

 

1) It's effectively only two modules. The hub and the passenger sections.

 

2) The tug does not meet the "small" requirement.

 

I made a "Part group C" by removing two passenger sections and replacing it with a cargo bay. Within the cargo bay are three sections and a small tug. I added two docking ports to each of the four remaining passenger sections to move and dock the seven escape pods (capsules) to.

 

I think my design is complete, and I will launch it later. Out of time now. I may have to add more SRB's. I don't know if my mass increased or decreased. Making orbit leaves it with little fuel already.

22 hours ago, swjr-swis said:

Does it absolutely have to be assembled in orbit? Sending up my usually fully preassembled 400-500t fuel stations to high orbit in a non-assembled state, and compromising the structural integrity of station and the lifter, seems like a step back to me.

Struts are your friend...

[AlamoVampire]

@andem its all one single piece lifted as one!

[SpaceplaneAddict]

Back up there pal, no spaceplanes?!

[swjr-swis]

1 hour ago, Wild Cobra said:

Struts are your friend...

When I said preassembled, I meant actually assembled, as in not made out of loose modules; a monolithic, structurally sound contraption that can survive a Kraken flyby without wobbling itself to pieces:

 

The fuel station is mine, the lifter is from Devthethird. Lifting this station into orbit was done as a test of his heavy lifter design.

Edited January 12, 2016 by swjr-swis
credit added for the lifter designer

[Andem]

13 hours ago, SpaceplaneAddict said:

Back up there pal, no spaceplanes?!

I've seen people do some crazy stuff with Nertea's Mk IV spaceplane system... so i'm afraid no spaceplanes. 

[Temstar]

What if the spaceplane is launched vertically like a rocket? Or in other words a winged rocket.

[Andem]

@Temstar Well, then it would be a shuttle, and that counts as a spaceplane. The launch vehicle is either one use or SLS type reusability, and shouldn't land horizontally.

[Halo_003]

15 minutes ago, Andem said:

@Temstar Well, then it would be a shuttle, and that counts as a spaceplane. The launch vehicle is either one use or SLS type reusability, and shouldn't land horizontally.

So to be clear, no shuttle style launchers are allowed?

I play on the 4x scale Kerbin mod, this will be an interesting challenge to try out.

[Temstar]

27 minutes ago, Andem said:

Well, then it would be a shuttle, and that counts as a spaceplane.

Let me show you my intention:

Aurora Winged Booster



This launch vehicle was specifically designed with large payload like single piece space stations in mind. The idea is that each winged booster is rated to put 50 ton or so of payload into orbit and you just cluster as many of these as you need radially around your large payload to lift them. Then you don't have to build an unique big asparagus launcher for each large payload you need and as a bonus most of the rocket will be reusable.

Hurricane launch vehicles are just one specific implementation of Aurora Winged Booster where the "half-stage" of multiple Aurora are clustered into a single large ET that is also reusable. If I were to design a 300 ton space station I would just cluster six Auroras around the payload (probably in two rings of 3) and add a big ET tank sized for six somewhere. If you really insist no spaceplanes I could just take off the wings, but I don't see how this limitation makes the challenge better as surely, building creative launch vehicles is a critical aspect of a challenge to launch giant one piece stations.

[Ackoli]

Im in, but the albiquire (I forgot how to spell it) drive should not be allowed

[Wild Cobra]

OK, I launched another, I think this one follows the rules.

 

Anyone think it's in violation?

 

I can now move the modules around to where they should be. I'll do that another day.

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by Wild Cobra