Expanding a station

[splashboom]

I get these missions that ask to expand an existing base space station - usually a mobile lab that I have landed on Minmus for example. What does it mean to expand that? If I land one more craft next to it what do I do next? Hard enough to dock in zero Gee, how do I connect them on the ground?

Thanks!

Edited November 17, 2021 by splashboom
correct wording

[steuben]

About the same way. Much the mechanics are the same, just one axis is greatly reduced, but trickier to work with. 

Assuming your initial bit has an available docking port on it; you just drive, or fly if you want to get really fancy, up to it and dock. But, the height of the two docks needs to be pretty close before you start trying. 

[splashboom]

Ok, that would assume I planned a dock on the initial station apart from one at the top. Really tricky to land on that. I suppose I should plan all bases on wheels and all the same height, plus horizontal docking ports. Guess that is why they have those huge wheels in the tech tree ..

[DeadJohn]

On 11/16/2021 at 6:47 PM, splashboom said:

how do I connect them on the ground?

In stock KSP, I think the easiest way to expand a ground base is with a grabber/klaw and wheels. The initial base can be built any way you want and then every expansion is done by driving a rover against the base. It's a little ugly but it works. Worry about the way things look after you get more practice.

My preferred way is to use mods. Kerbal Planetary Base Systems is my favorite base mod. It has docking ports that guarantee correct alignment, wheels that fold out of the way after a base is assembled, and 2 extendable versions of the grabber that look like crew tunnels.