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SPACE STATIONS! Post your pictures here


tsunam1

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As far as mine at least, I don't have that powerful of a rig. I really don't. I still scrape around 20ish estimated FPS near the station. Lag is noticable though. Just sent a reusable space shuttle up to dock with the station!

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As far as mine at least, I don't have that powerful of a rig. I really don't. I still scrape around 20ish estimated FPS near the station. Lag is noticable though. Just sent a reusable space shuttle up to dock with the station!

Yup, eyeballing it I see a clever use of really big parts that keep a decent overall aesthetic, while not going into the extreme detail that jumps part count beyond reasonable (complicated huge shapes done with 1x1 structural plates, for example). What are those, a couple, maybe three hundred parts at most without docked ships? And remember, struts being physics-less makes them almost free in CPU terms. In fact, they might save CPU if they rigidify a floppy connection. I so have a couple of mastodonts of space stations that I might launch soon, to put all those kerbals I'm rescuing of late (and which are screwing up my carefully selected crew rooster of alphabetically-grouped crews of three). I think I am going for an L3 colony of the O'Neill cylinder style, and the first piece is in fact already on the way (of course I say L3, but that is just an orbit opposite the Mun with the same period, nowhere near the truly impossible, unstable even in RL, Lagrange point 3). That is probably going to be my biggest build yet, perhaps getting awfully close to the 1000 part barrier (I have messed up with structural plates for the mirrors, which I know is a mistake). But my i5 will do its best to get me there with somewhat playable lag most of the build. I'll show it when I have at least the two cylinders started, since length of each is going to be very much lag-dependant.

Rune. You can build really big and beautiful under 500 parts, but you need a lot of thought behind it.

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Just attached two new modules! (Single launch)

Attached a new science module carrying some equipment that the engineers told us would be really cool to mount on a space station!

After that, decoupled the first payload and docked the second module, a communications module.

In this image, my slightly updated orbital manuevering vehicle is still attached to the station before it's deorbiting. A smarter me would've transferred the nearly full fuel tank's fuel to the station, but that would've been too easy.

In other news, the lag is getting ridiculous. Down to 5 fps estimated. Manual control near the station is a bad idea; mechjeb is the only way to safely and sanely control the anything near the station.

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I've used the mechjeb to reorient and maintain my desired orientation based off the commander's cupola and control module: Antiradial, roll 90 degrees. If you can get past the lag, the station actually controls quite well! Plenty of rcs authority, mainly because of smart thruster positioning (the ones on the end of the solar trusses are especially helpful), and smart mass distribution (including keeping the station roughly mass symmetrical in at least on axis.)

B5t48eN.png

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Nice station Dezi! Really like the design.

I just attached a the fuel module to mine. Tanks are empty now to lighten payload. Will take several supply launches to fill them up. On a bleaker note, fps is now down to 1.3 around the station. Sigh... Damned Unity's awful multithreading.

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How about a spacedock? This is my latest iteration, which I HyperEdited into orbit for these screenshots, though I've got one in orbit around Laythe that I put there the hard way.

The engine drum is replaceable. The one currently attached carries 16 LV-N engines. The one around Laythe has RAPIERS, turbojets and aerospikes.

Ignore the huge amount of power generation. Something is bugged that I haven't figured out yet, and the station is taking about 700% of the power it should.

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Edited by LaytheAerospace
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My station may look bad comparing to this thread, but I do my best. Also, I'm playing KSP for five days today, so I think I understand what's it about.

zMFAngi.png

Small refueling station at stable 122 km orbit with 0.9 inclination (side effect of poor RCS management while ascending). I think it'll stay like this, I'll just install two evacuation capsules at free docks on right side of it, and that will be it.

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My station may look bad comparing to this thread, but I do my best. Also, I'm playing KSP for five days today, so I think I understand what's it about.

http://i.imgur.com/zMFAngi.png

Small refueling station at stable 122 km orbit with 0.9 inclination (side effect of poor RCS management while ascending). I think it'll stay like this, I'll just install two evacuation capsules at free docks on right side of it, and that will be it.

Already know how to dock playing 5 days? Wow, you are good!

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My station may look bad comparing to this thread, but I do my best. Also, I'm playing KSP for five days today, so I think I understand what's it about.

http://i.imgur.com/zMFAngi.png

Small refueling station at stable 122 km orbit with 0.9 inclination (side effect of poor RCS management while ascending). I think it'll stay like this, I'll just install two evacuation capsules at free docks on right side of it, and that will be it.

THAT??? in FIVE DAYS??? ok. If I even tried to do that, I would get maximum 2 modules done without getting too bored. also, FIVE DAYS.

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I've been working on a new station, Skywatch:

1fddC0M.png

It's crew complement is 6 (though there's obviously room for more, up to 11 not including docked ships) and can have 2 vessels docked at any one time. It currently has two Cygnus OTVs docked.

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The solar arrays were the last modules to be placed, after which this second Cygnus was launched to deliver 3 more crew.

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It's pretty big, and definitely one of my best stations thus far.

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I was inspired by this station on the Reaction Engines website:

station-skylon-orbit-1024.jpg

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Dude, here's my ring station at the Mun. It launches in one piece and still has part of the transfer stage attached. My design philosophy is "When in doubt add more rockets". This was obviously overkill for the Mun but the boosters should be good to get it just about anywhere in the Kerbal system...

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I've also got a single ring version in orbit around Kerbin - with a freakin crazy amount of fuel. Space station and fuel depot in one! Woo Hoo!!!

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Download...

One Ring: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rx7i6pmdbpxnqib/Ring%20Station-1.zip

or

Two Rings: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ao1klv9dtwj1q70/Ring%20Station-2.zip

--

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So! After finally deciding to make the Mun my main base for fuelling my interplanetary ships (saves SO much fuel for the outbound trip if you start off at the Mun) i thought i needed inspiration for its design. Looked back at this thread through some of its earlier pages, and noticed someone do a version of the Star Trek Drydock. So, i thought "Aha! Perfect for an orbiting fuelling and staging base!" It also totally brought out the inner 10 year old in me...

I created it to have a flexible cage with moving parts, so i could adjust it to fit any sized ship. Whilst that is great with Infernal Robotics moving joint parts, it meant the actual dock cage was SUPER bendy on its way up.... It was like riding a bucking bronco first time....

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...And this really WAS my first time. I didnt test anything flight-wise, guesstimated the amount of staging and fuel id need, and was surprised i made it to the clouds!...

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The only thing i tested before launch was the moving dock cage groups.(no cheats used whatsoever, where's the fun in that?) :)

So you can imagine my total shock when (despite it still fighting me all the way in burns), i was approaching the mun!

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So after getting it in orbit, and feeling exhilirating victory, i sent up the easier middle section to dock with it. This would be the main fuel tank depot part....

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And, after having a rest, the next day i sent up the 2nd dock, and BEHOLD! SPACEDOCK!...

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(Sent a couple of kerbals to man it in my bubbleship)

Of course, the reason i was creating this was to welcome home and dock my Europa class ship, which was returning from its maiden voyage as the first kerbals to visit Duna and Ike...

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(at this stage it had shed its payload of 2 landers)

With the landers safely cheered home by Kerbals everywhere on Kerbin, it was left to the sole remaining crewmember, Kirk Kerman (I kid you not! Loved the game when it threw up him as an applicant!), to pilot home the Europa to Spacedock...

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Oops, forgot to turn the Europa's forward floodlights off on approach,... SORRY TO WHOMEVER I BLINDED IN SPACEDOCK COMMAND POD!

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...Aaaand docked!...

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And as the sun set, you suddenly realize that Star Trek was made by people who actually gave thought about the science in their show,...when it becomes clear WHY you need a drydock for large ships in orbit around planets...

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...So that you can work on the ship, fully illuminated, when on the darkside of the planet, and there's no light whatsoever!

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Nightside of the Mun, and she's lit up perfectly!

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It's hard NOT to have an epic angle shot when in and around this thing...

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...And with his duty done, his first 2 year mission under his belt, Kirk Kerman gets a last, long, Motion Picture-overly-long look at his ship, before Nei-ling Kerman gives him a ride back to Kerbin, a hero!

spacedock16_zps004dab62.jpg

Edited by Stevie_D
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Today i designed and tested new space station parts in sandbox simulation, planned to be launched soon in my .24.2 career.

Main goal is to have more versatility than only large dockable module sections. I want redundancy and the option to repair damaged solar panels f.e. without the need to exchange a complete module.

Also i want the station to be as adaptable as possible – when KSP updates with new parts in the future, which could be science stuff or larger solar panels or new comm equipment or else, i want to stay up to date without launching whole new sections. A light launcher with light payload will be enough to refit most of the stations features. Each equipment or science micro module is equipped with RCS and some of them also with parachutes. So a damaged part can at least de-orbit itself and a science module can safely de-orbit and land on Kerbin to be retrieved for a full load of science.

Overview. Modules from left to right as follows:

Main truss:

Science module - A reconfigurable module, with 6 small docking ports.

Lab module - The standard mobile processing laboratory

Station core - It features an 8 kerbal habitat and 4 senior docking ports for station parts. Located towards the sides are 2 shielded docking ports for small orbital service vehicles

Docking truss - The docking truss features two inline clamp-o-trons, facing downwards. These two ports will be used by crew-, maintenance- und supply-vehicles.

Equipment truss - The equipment truss features 12 small docking ports, allowing it to store spare parts, scientific equipment, probes and satellites

Above the station core:

Multipurpose equipment module - Docked to this module are solar panels and an antenna array. There is one free port to be used by upcoming thingies. This module is also the main energy storage.

Below the station core:

Fuel storage - The fuel storage features a large RCS tank and 4 dockable LFO tanks. This is not meant for large capacity. It holds 2 or 3 complete refills for an orbital service vehicle that yet needs to be designed.

Survey module - This module is used for visual observation of space and for relaxing from space duty. It is also the emergency energy storage.

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Closeup of the equipment truss with spare solar panels and spare antenna array and two scientific assemblies

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The science truss features six junior docking ports, allowing it to dock a wide arrangement of scientific experiments.

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Just a note - The station in its current state is completely made of stock parts. It will later feature some JSI camera parts from Raster Prop Monitors. This is a work in progress... it will be updated and optimized a few times, before the modules are saved as subassemblies and transfered to the career mode game for in game use.

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- massive bloody snip -

Hoooooly shipyard, Batman o.O

Here's my station in my current Let's Play: Vanguard Station

R8IvTbu.png

She's a right ugly little beastie since she was cobbled together from several tech levels and for at least three separate mission goals (as well as a forth that failed due to a broken mod) but she works just fine :D

Edited by JDCollie
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000BE64

my K.I.S.S-Kerbal replica of the ISS

The Imgur link you want is the BBCode one, like this. :D -- Vanamonde

000BE64.jpg

Edited by Vanamonde
And I'm going to KEEP editing this until I get it right.
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Here's my version of the Grand Central Kerbin Station... It's stock, built in version .22 so it doesn't have any of the new parts. I mostly just use it for a transfer point for Kerbals returning from planetary colonies which doesn't happen very often.

7zpkRHD.png?1

JR

Edited by Jolly_Roger
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