SpaceVAB

[capitaniojr]

Hi, i do not know if it is possible, but i was thinking about the capacity to build spacecraft out of kerbin, it would be more or less like this:

-i choose to build a VAB on another astro, lets say minmus, so i have to load there a series of parts of a building, lets say 5 big pieces must be landed a few meters from the place i want to build my VAB.

-once i get all the pieces of my construction building there i can have at leaast two or 3 engineers that will place the pieces togueter, so i'll have the VAB.

-i can insert pieces on a VAB inventory,(infinite amount of parts could be stored), it could be transported from kerbin or got from inventories(KIS)

-i can even dismount other vessels inside this VAB using engineers and make the parts disponible to use on a new vessel. the recovered vessel should be transported to a place near the SpceVAB

-spacecrafs built on this spaceVAB should have a maximum size and parts count.

it is possible to have diferent siszes of SpaceVABs, just like the Kerbal one,

do not know how dificult it should be to do that, but even a mod that could do this would be great together with KIS and KAS.

would love to have a lunar rover hoking old probes landed to take parts.

[Crocket]

I hate to be that guy, but Extraplanetary Launchpads does just this.

On using KIS inventories to store parts that are easily 100+ tons... I think you can see how that would work out.

[pandaman]

The facility to be able to transport bits, or sub assemblies, and then assemble them properly using VAB type functionality in orbit or on the surface of other planets is one I would quite like to see in stock.  But not where we can 'magically' create bits out of ore for example and make whatever takes our fancy, that would just be too far fetched for stock from my perspective.

[Van Disaster]

There was a fairly lengthy discussion of this in this forum pretty recently, I can't seem to find the thread right now though. It did discuss most of the points space construction raises.

[capitaniojr]

On 19/08/2016 at 8:05 PM, RatchetinSpace said:

 

 

15 hours ago, Crocket said:

I hate to be that guy, but Extraplanetary Launchpads does just this.

On using KIS inventories to store parts that are easily 100+ tons... I think you can see how that would work out.

gona try extraplanetary Launchpads,

when i refeer KIS inventories i say just smal parts, for larger parts you should disasemble landed rockets directly on the VAB, and mediun parts could be taken from stored parts on containers of KIS system, but always having the containers near the VAB.
i do not sugest that a kerbal could carry a 100 ton part, not even that a part that large could fit in a container, but if i have a landed craft inside de VAB's area of efect i could disasembly it and tath part would go to VAB's inventory,(its suposed to a VAB to have Roling Bridges to deal with heavy Parts), were i could use it on another craft.

[solarbearman]

Why would you send parts into space and assemble them in space

While you can launch a complete rocket into space from kerbin?

[magnemoe]

15 minutes ago, solarbearman said:

Why would you send parts into space and assemble them in space

While you can launch a complete rocket into space from kerbin?

Assembly in space has multiple benefits. First is repair and upgrades, broke a solar panel, forgot antennae, just place it. 
Larger stuff like mounting two thuds on a Ike base for Duna landing. 

Task to recover an fragile module like an hitchhiker container from Duna orbit becomes easier then you can put an docking port on it and dock to mothership, then put heat shield, on front, parashutes back at the docking port then dock the probe delivering this for deorbit burn. 
Even better for surface recovery. Land an probe lander and refuel it, remove probe core and parachutes, place module on top, with probe core and parachutes on top of module. Return from Mun, decople module from rocket, heat shield is now on part, land it. 
Love KIS, EPL is fun but becomes a bit overpowered, yes its an huge base to put up, but then you can build anything out of it.
 

[Codraroll]

41 minutes ago, solarbearman said:

Why would you send parts into space and assemble them in space

While you can launch a complete rocket into space from kerbin?

Because Kerbin has that pesky atmosphere and deep gravity well. You'd get a lot more delta-V left over for interplanetary maneuvers if you launched from Minmus instead of Kerbin. No need to deal with aerodynamics or heavy lift stages, and escaping Kerbin's SOI is a trivial matter that far out.

I'm a huge proponent of off-Kerbin VABs and launcpads, and would love to see the ability to construct real KSCs on other planets (or even in orbit around them). I don't like having to move parts there by myself, though. It should be possible to bring your own parts, of course, but I'd also like an option to pay some of the other space agencies to supply my parts (for ludicrious amounts of Funds, increasing the further you go from Kerbin). If those agencies can put manned capsules on the Mun and Minmus, they probably could haul rocket engines and fuel tanks there too. The cheaper option would be to launch them from Kerbin yourself, of course, but if you're willing to pay for convenience, you should be able to.

[Wjolcz]

I wouldn't mind having some sort of "ultimate sandbox" mode in which you can warp and spawn wherever you want. Much like you can do with HyperEdit.

[tater]

I'm for this, even in stock (I know about EPL), particularly as a sandbox thing.

I think for career mode, there is a requirement to bring everything there that needs to be brought there (vs functionally magic, ISRU), but as we lack all the tools to assemble things in orbit the way they might be assembled, or the way they were envisioned to be assembled in the past (Von Braun concepts, as envisioned by Disney, for example), then having a "VAB" to do this is not a bad idea.

I like the idea of "deep space" craft that are not realistically able to be launched under a fairing.

[pandaman]

1 hour ago, solarbearman said:

Why would you send parts into space and assemble them in space

While you can launch a complete rocket into space from kerbin?

Try launching a large, several hundred tonne, 500+ part, station to orbit in one go (without using hack gravity or hyperedit).

Also for fun.  It's actually quite rewarding bringing all the bits in to position and assembling a station by docking all the modules together.  Mind you, for assembling a large interplanetary mothership I would prefer sturdier joints than docking ports provide, which is where the VAB type functionality would be jolly handy.

[tater]

1 hour ago, solarbearman said:

Why would you send parts into space and assemble them in space

While you can launch a complete rocket into space from kerbin?

I only make rockets that look like rockets. So look at pictures of the last XX years of rockets sent to LEO or beyond. I don't make things that are not grossly taller than they are wide, basically. I know with the goofy scale of the Kerbol system that I can launch virtually any kooky contraption I like, but that really doesn't interest me at all.

[capitaniojr]

you got my point,

id sugest too that the space VAB should have an habitat for workers, and the VAB would only works with 2 or 3 kerbals asigned to this VAB, just like a capsule.
to build this vab maybe you shuld have some pieces like

-habitat

-roling bridge

-building materials

-storage systems

-power generator

each of this parts should be a usable part on rocket building, so we just put a capsule on the top of a rocket and land it anywere we want build the VAb , once we have 5 pieces close to each other and an engineer in radius you would just  tell him to "build a VAB".

afther that we could even build fuel tanks around the VAB and conect it with a pipe(KAS) to fuel a rocket inside VAB, or take the rocket to the launching pad and fuel it rigth there. but we would always have the parts and the fuel ther, not magical parts or fuel, it should be transported from kerbin

 

2 hours ago, Codraroll said:

Because Kerbin has that pesky atmosphere and deep gravity well. You'd get a lot more delta-V left over for interplanetary maneuvers if you launched from Minmus instead of Kerbin. No need to deal with aerodynamics or heavy lift stages, and escaping Kerbin's SOI is a trivial matter that far out.

I'm a huge proponent of off-Kerbin VABs and launcpads, and would love to see the ability to construct real KSCs on other planets (or even in orbit around them). I don't like having to move parts there by myself, though. It should be possible to bring your own parts, of course, but I'd also like an option to pay some of the other space agencies to supply my parts (for ludicrious amounts of Funds, increasing the further you go from Kerbin). If those agencies can put manned capsules on the Mun and Minmus, they probably could haul rocket engines and fuel tanks there too. The cheaper option would be to launch them from Kerbin yourself, of course, but if you're willing to pay for convenience, you should be able to.

think this should be possible, but this should be toglable on options.

[Mycroft]

On August 23, 2016 at 8:56 AM, Veeltch said:

I wouldn't mind having some sort of "ultimate sandbox" mode in which you can warp and spawn wherever you want. Much like you can do with HyperEdit.

I heard the dev team confirm that HyperEdit will become an Alt-F12 feature.

 

[Spartwo]

On 8/22/2016 at 11:15 PM, Crocket said:

I hate to be that guy, but Extraplanetary Launchpads does just this.

On using KIS inventories to store parts that are easily 100+ tons... I think you can see how that would work out.

C7 already did wings and jets

B9 already did mk3 parts

Mechjeb already did smart asas

Kethane already did resources

Deadly reentry already did heat damage

Ferram already did improved aerodynamics

KSPX already did small sas units, cupola, 2.5m adapters, short tanks, and skippers.

SP+ already did mk2 cockpits, cargo bays, adapters, and better wings.

Procedural fairings already did fairings

KW rocketry already did 3m parts

 

 

Would you like these to be removed from the game too?

[Aperture Science Employee]

On August 24, 2016 at 3:51 PM, Spartwo said:

C7 already did wings and jets

B9 already did mk3 parts

Mechjeb already did smart asas

Kethane already did resources

Deadly reentry already did heat damage

Ferram already did improved aerodynamics

KSPX already did small sas units, cupola, 2.5m adapters, short tanks, and skippers.

SP+ already did mk2 cockpits, cargo bays, adapters, and better wings.

Procedural fairings already did fairings

KW rocketry already did 3m parts

 

 

Would you like these to be removed from the game too?

I really hate when someone goes "well this mod covers it, so therefore leave and don't ask again"

[Corona688]

I generally imagine an "if that works for you" where you imagine the "therefore leave and don't ask again" part.  Probably better to assume the best than the worst of someone's intentions.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Corona688