Jump to content

Snappin' wobbly stations challenge


Recommended Posts

We've all been there. You start docking together space station modules, then try to rotate the whole thing to get more sunlight, stabilize with SAS... and the whole thing starts to wobble uncontrollably.

Apparently, the bigger your station is, and the more reaction wheels it has, the higher the chances of wobbling and snapping apart due to excessive torque on the parts. Keeping your huge stations stable and in one piece is fun in career mode, but I wonder...

Stations can wobble and snap apart - how small is the smallest station that can wobble and snap apart?

Your goal: design a station that consistently undergoes a RTIDE (Rapid Torque-Initiated Disassembly Event) when exposed to excessive enough torque.

Scoring: Designs will be ranked by two criteria (there will be two leaderboards): smallest end-to-end length, and lightest weight.

Constraints for the rule-savvy:

  • The vessel must be a space station by KSP standards: It must have crewable parts, it must generate electric charge (solar panels), and it must have a command module or probe core.
  • No engines must be active during the RTIDE (no tearing apart the station by firing rockets in opposite directions). RCS thrusters (and vernors) should be fine.
  • The vessel must be in a stable orbit. No atmospheric drag, and absolutely no physics warp allowed!
  • No mods that change the structural integrity of parts. This means no part welding, no reinforced struts, and the like.
  • Hyperedit to get your vessel in orbit is fine, though. This is a design challenge, not a see-if-you-can-fly-this-monstrosity challenge.

I'll illustrate with my own quick entry:

Wobble things and summon the kraken!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...