Space station modules

[akorchev]

So I'm kinda new to KSP, and trying to build a space station for the first time. I've watched some vids on yt abiut how to build one, but don't understand what modules I should have. I know i should have one for the core, for crew, fuel, science, and power, but i forget if there are any others. Are there any modules that I forgot that I should integrate into my space station?

[Entropian]

That's really about it.  You can get mods to add orbital construction, which adds more complexity to the station, but try to get a hang of the stock game before you start installing mods.

[Serenity]

I think you covered all the modules but ofcourse make sure you have some sort of communications to transmit the science, and uh i think you covered all the essential parts,

after that i think its if you want to add some decoration parts with no real use, like some radiators or like a ''storage'' module etc.

 

[Gargamel]

Since in the stock game, Kerbals don't eat or sleep, there's no reason to add anything beyond the functional modules.     But that said, I love building grand stations capable of holding hundreds of kerbals. 

[Serenity]

2 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

Since in the stock game, Kerbals don't eat or sleep, there's no reason to add anything beyond the functional modules.     But that said, I love building grand stations capable of holding hundreds of kerbals. 

I like adding extra quarters/crew modules to ''fake'' their sleeping quarters or add empty fuel tanks or payloads etc to simulate their food storage, stations get big enough pretty fast :p but...to be honest

my only crewed station is in Kerbin so far....Duna hopefully soon...

[bitnick]

One thing that I find is that I always end up using more docking ports than I had initially planned.

The plan might be to be able to dock one lander, one refuelling craft, and one return craft. Then I realise I need more batteries and a better antenna, so I launch and dock a craft with those additions. Then I need to fly an additional kerbal to the station for XP, so now I have two return craft docked. Then I need an additional lander for, say, surface scanning, so now there's two landers.

And so on and so forth. So be generous with docking ports!

[Guest]

Depends on what you want to do with the space station, or if it's just a cool building project. 

Mine are usually at least somewhat functional, and I like to larp a little with living quarters. So I put a hitchhiker storage compartment or several, a science lab, fuel tanks for refuelling craft, lots of docking ports, lots of solar panels, a bunch of containers for surface experiments, and sometimes even an ISRU, if I use a mining craft to haul ore. 

(An orbital ISRU is kind of nice by the way, especially if you have a mix of chemical and nuclear craft. It means you can always produce the right amount of the right kind of consumable at the right time -- this is a lot messier if you're refining it on the surface.)

Pics related

[Hotel26]

2 hours ago, akorchev said:

So I'm kinda new to KSP

Welcome to the forum and +1 for your first post!

You can't go wrong as long as you have Fuel tanks + Docks.  That's the bare minimum.

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by Hotel26

[Okhin]

Don't forget lights. You will have time where you won't be able to see your stations due to lack of ambient lights, so bring your own. Also, you can change the color of the lights. If you're playing in Career, you will have contract which basically define the minimum requirement for a space station (power generation, battery, antenna, docking port and living space).

But that's the minimum requirement.

I mean, you can build this kind of things in stock :

(which also illustrates the need for MOAR lights).

Or have a single hitchhiker module (or a MPM Science lab), with a docking port, a battery, a probe and an antenna (which is almost what I have here, safe for the upper stage which landed soon after n Eve)

Both qualifies as space stations.

[magnemoe]

2 hours ago, bitnick said:

One thing that I find is that I always end up using more docking ports than I had initially planned.

The plan might be to be able to dock one lander, one refuelling craft, and one return craft. Then I realise I need more batteries and a better antenna, so I launch and dock a craft with those additions. Then I need to fly an additional kerbal to the station for XP, so now I have two return craft docked. Then I need an additional lander for, say, surface scanning, so now there's two landers.

And so on and so forth. So be generous with docking ports!

Yes, one nice use for station is as fuel dumps so unlike real station you might want an huge stage attached to them 
If you uses KIS / KAS its nice to have common spare parts, you can even add parashutes to capsules you recover kerbals in and simply deorbit them  



This station has so much space I I simply did not return kerbals after training them to 3 star.
Only Minmus express and an small rcs tug is docked now, can you spot the tug? 

 

[Lewie]

2 hours ago, Gargamel said:

Since in the stock game, Kerbals don't eat or sleep, there's no reason to add anything beyond the functional modules.     But that said, I love building grand stations capable of holding hundreds of kerbals. 

Dang, I’d love to see such a station! 

@akorchev maybe you’d like to try out Nearta’s Stockalike station expansion redux mod. It adds AMAZING station parts and gravity rings.

[Gargamel]

42 minutes ago, Lewie said:

Dang, I’d love to see such a station

Nothing that fancy, just a 2001-esque shot:

 

[Misguided Kerbal]

On 8/21/2020 at 12:22 PM, Lewie said:

Dang, I’d love to see such a station! 

@akorchev maybe you’d like to try out Nearta’s Stockalike station expansion redux mod. It adds AMAZING station parts and gravity rings.

Also, @akorchev try this:

 

It goes well with SSPXr!