Space Debris

[Miro Beero]

Every time I go fuel up a rocket I always have "empty" rocket space debris floating around out there.

Would be cool if there was a way to somehow capture that debris and convert it into "materials" so you can build a ship right in space. Granted there would be a %loss...but at least there is something to do with all that debris.

Just a thought.

M.

[dazhat]

The cost to rendezvous with debris would usually exceed the value of the part.

[Alex_Leonardo]

The cost to rendezvous with debris would usually exceed the value of the part.

However you can't explain why nasa is making a satellite refueler/rebuilder. (They also are servicing completely non-operational satellites.)

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/778.html

[sal_vager]

You could do this if you used docking ports on everything, just tow the parts together and attach

You might be left with something a bit strange, but that's part of the fun.

[Miro Beero]

I was more thinking of being able to build something that you could never get into orbit, but could build in orbit.

[vger]

I was more thinking of being able to build something that you could never get into orbit, but could build in orbit.

You don't do that with spent rockets. You do that with payloads you've sent up a piece at a time and then docking them together.

[Tex_NL]

Check out the Extraplanetary Launchpad mod. It comes with a 'recycling bin'. Everything that enters the bin is removed and converted into metal/rocketparts/fuel that can be used to build new ships.

[acc]

Check out the Extraplanetary Launchpad mod. It comes with a 'recycling bin'. Everything that enters the bin is removed and converted into metal/rocketparts/fuel that can be used to build new ships.

Yep -> http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/59545-Extraplanetary-Launchpads-v3-4

[Tex]

Of course, if your suffering from Kessler Syndrome, all you gotta do is put some upside-down Sepratrons on the to-be-spent stages to blast them back into a suborbit. I actually designed a recent rocket that has an orbital-injection stage that lowers itself to a 50km periapsis with said sepratrons. It's a nice system, as they don't add much weight.

Then, of course, you could always take the option of putting a probe body on the spent stages and, depending on how much fuel you left in them, they could be manually de-orbited.

Also, one final solution: After each mission (eh... might not work if you have even a weeks-old save), you could simply go into the Tracking Station and destroy the debris.