NGTOne

This is actually a really cool idea, and I think it's been proposed in some plans for arcologies/future cities. Problem is, the infrastructure cost for a system like that is massive - the reason packet switching works is because it's purely electronic, which means that actually redirecting a packet costs nothing. Imagine having, say, a rail switch that has to move several hundred thousand times per day, and scale that up to the size of a planet. You'd need either a) something far beyond today's technology in terms of both materials science and computational power (as mentioned before, this can be handwaved by pointing to the setting), or an army of maintenance men and a massively redundant network, and likely both. To truly serve everybody, you'd likely need a boarding station every few hundred meters (beyond that, people start being less likely to want to ride transit and just want to drive - this is part of why bus ridership is always so low in the suburbs of today's larger cities [even ones with well-developed transit systems], because only people who really need to will bother to walk out to the bus stop). It's still definitely a really cool idea, though.

I think, at the very least, you'd need the VAB expander plugin to achieve that. Plus you'd have to bypass some issues with the game's rendering system.

The part I find interesting is that there is ALREADY demand for commercial R&D slots in space, despite the complete+utter lack of infrastructure. And I'm not talking all that "space tourism" malarkey, either. Admittedly, it's mostly national governments so far, but the point nevertheless remains. And there ARE actually already applications that would benefit greatly from access to space, even without an a priori space economy (i.e. they don't rely on asteroid mining to be viable). I actually started a couple of discussions on the topics of space manufacturing (most notably semiconductors) a few months back (please don't necro). One way or another, the demand WILL appear. Whether individual providers (most notably Skylon), especially in the early stages, will survive, is another question, but I foresee that, in the long term (next 50 years or so), we will see actual space industry, even if it's based purely on the paradigm of "up-process-down".

OK, so first some background: I'm a software developer when I'm not playing KSP, so I'm very familiar with source control systems (SCS), which provide a way for managing, tracking, and reverting changes in text files (usually code). I was recently struck by a brainwave - why not apply such a methodology to KSP? After all, savefiles and craft files are nothing but big globs of text. Using an SCS (in my case, git) allows me to both keep a history of changes to my ships (important for my big projects), and mitigate the effects of savefile/craft file corruption (which I encounter on occasion). It actually works really nicely, too - the question I want to ask everyone else is, is this insane? And has anyone tried something like this before?

My latest project (prototype 4 of the MBCS spire block) lifts off from the pad on its maiden test flight. The building itself weighs in at about 3000 tons. Not sure how much the whole package weighs together, but the goal is to put the building on Tylo (the rockets are the landing stage). And, yes, for those who are paying attention, those ARE 24 of the 5xBearcat clusters from NovaPunch. And, yes, somehow, this thing DOES fly. But it's not done yet - I have to put all of this, PLUS a transfer stage, in orbit. Should be fun That's just before engine burnout. This is only a vertical test flight, to see if it's controllable and actually flies properly. By and large, the answer is yes (but it needs some tweaking). Achieved an apoapsis of 104 km on a straight-vertical climb.

Thanks - I'd lost track of it somewhere among the eons.

Is there a plugin for VAB/SPH expansion that works with the more recent versions of KSP? I know there used to be one, once upon a time, but I'm not sure if it's still around. Thanks!

The Agri-Tower forms a key part of the industrial base of any colonization effort. By stacking its greenhouses vertically in a double helix, this distinctive structure allows for highly efficient production of plant-type foodstuffs for up to 200 Kerbals. Around the base, it features a set of agricultural research greenhouses, dedicated to finding new ways to feed Kerbals in strange places. Like all MBCS components, it is capable of reaching and landing on any body in the Kerbol system. The tower itself weighs approximately 510 tons. Screenshots of the first flight test: Sitting on the pad. Liftoff mass is approximately 24,000 tons. Liftoff. The first stage drops, about 3 km over KSC. Gravity-turning a massive building isn't easy. Most of the way through the gravity turn, with one stage to go before we start burning for orbit. Dropping the last lifter stage. The transfer stage flies away on a set of SRBs after the deorbit burn. Still hot here. Descending towards the prototype base site. Deceleration burn, to bring us to the correct speed and position for landing. Landing near the prototype Colony Core. A picture-perfect touchdown. Not bad for 1630 tons of building and rocket. The skycrane (actually split into 4 parts) flies away. A useful side effect of the crazy number of reaction wheels is that each component stays upright, but has a sideways (away from the building) component to its flight. The Colony Core is in the background. The Agri-Tower, showing off its distinct double helix design.

The Colony Core is the structure at the heart of any colony. Combining recreational space, utilities, and agriculture into one potent package, it forms the base for any further expansion. It can house up to 36 Kerbals in comfort, and provide for them until more permanent colonial infrastructure is established. Like all MBCS components, it is capable of reaching and landing on any body in the Kerbol system. Screenshots from the tests: Testing an assembly rover design by rolling the Colony Core off the pad. Note Jeb standing in front of it for scale (and to repair any wheel damage). The Colony Core, right before liftoff of the first test flight. The small cluster of boosters in the middle serves to replace launch clamps (which, quite simply, don't work at these weights and sizes). Liftoff. Dropping the first stage, a few km over KSC. Dropping the second-to-last booster stage, most of the way to orbit. The final booster stage falls away, and the transfer stage (which is also used for final orbital burn) kicks in. In orbit, showing off the transfer stage. The full orbital package. Rather heavy. The building itself can be seen in the middle. The transfer stage jets away using a set of small SRBs after deorbit for landing at the north pole. Atmospheric interface over the pole. Awfully hot for one of the coldest spots on the planet. A few km above the terrain. The outrigger legs (which serve to stabilize and support the skycrane upon landing) are clearly visible. Coming in for a landing. Picture-perfect landing on the north pole. Doesn't hurt that the terrain is completely flat. The skycrane lifts off. The Colony Core, in all its glory. Some skycrane bits can be seen in the background.

After a long hiatus, the Ministry of Improbable Spacecraft is back, better than ever, with our newest project: the MBCS, or Modular Base Construction System. This system is meant to promote the construction of large, high-density surface colonies on other bodies. In this vein, it is being developed as essentially a city-building kit, and the whole system will (at a later date) be test-driven on the most difficult colonization target in the Kerbol system: Tylo. But, for now, here's what's happened so far: Currently, two modules have been test-flown: the Colony Core and the Agri-Tower. Standard test-flight procedure calls for a launch into a 90-degree orbit (polar) around Kerbin, and a landing approximately 1 hour later at the north pole of Kerbin. The structures are then assembled into the prototype base located there (currently pending the development of suitable corridor/connector pieces). Design criteria for any component: 1. Must fulfil a (actual or roleplayed) function in the colony. 2. Must be aesthetically pleasing/visually interesting. 3. Must be, by itself, and with no other support, capable of autonomously reaching and landing on any terrestrial body in the Kerbol system from the KSC. The system is inspired by the work of Temstar, though on a vastly larger scale and using Lack Luster Labs and NovaPunch components. MechJeb is used for flight, though only due to sheer, unconquerable lagginess. The current mission plan consists of one test flight for each component, as well as construction of a prototype base at Kerbin's north pole. The required components in each phase will then be stacked up in a 300x300 orbit, waiting for the next Jool transfer window. Currently planned phases: Phase 1: Initial colony construction. Goal is a population of 1000 Kerbals and related support infrastructure. Phase 2: Colony expansion. Goal is a total population of 2000, with some industrial facilities. Phase 3: Colony completion. Will be ongoing, with addition of new components as desired. Anyways, what you've all been waiting for: Test-Flying the Colony Core Test Flight of the Agri-Tower

When you look at a picture of the Burj Khalifa or Kingdom Tower and it inspires you to build a large-scale replica as part of your colony plans.

I understand that the Russians are developing a post-ISS "orbital shipyard" station called OPSEK for more-or-less this purpose.

The one I always thought was interesting was Skylab II, which would be based off a wet-workshop SLS fuel tank at the Earth-Moon L2.

My best is 3000, pre-ARM, using NovaPunch engines. Pics if you don't believe me.

My newest colonial project requires massive heavy-lift - in this case, about 3000 tons to a 300-km orbit. Liftoff. It's canted over like that because it launches straight off the pad (no launch clamps - they just outright don't work when they have to support 17,000 tons of spacecraft, regardless of how many there are). Or, perhaps more accurately, the middle bit launches off the pad - most of the booster hangs off the sides. First stage separation. We're less than 1km over KSC. Stage 2 is away. 3km and starting to pick up speed. Stage 3 dropped - we're starting the gravity turn soon. Starting the gravity turn. Something this big is ALWAYS slow to turn, so it travelled a few more kilometers vertically before it started picking up appreciable horizontal speed. Stage 4 away. The booster now only has one more stage, and we've shed about 50% of our launch mass. The empty stage 4 tanks clocked in at about 600 tons. Stage 4 made a nice ring formation when it dropped (uncommon with stages this size), so it felt like a real shame not to take a picture. So I did. The final booster stage drops. Altitude is about 50km, and apoapsis is just outside the atmosphere. The transfer stage will continue the burn from here. The payload from a different angle, showing off the transfer stage. This is about the time when I went to bed. In orbit (after having drifted for about an in-game hour). The whole flight was flown by MechJeb, because it took ~3-4 RT hours to launch, and I went to bed around the time the transfer stage kicked in (not knowing if it would make orbit or crash). The payload itself is a 487-ton apartment block, meant to be landed on Tylo as part of a colonial effort I'm undertaking. 3000 tons is currently my all-time mass-to-orbit record (though I feel like I might break that in the course of this project).

I put 3000 tons in a 300km orbit over Kerbin: Liftoff. It's canted over like that because it launches straight off the pad (no launch clamps - they just outright don't work when they have to support 17,000 tons of spacecraft, regardless of how many there are). Or, perhaps more accurately, the middle bit launches off the pad - most of the booster hangs off the sides. First stage separation. We're less than 1km over KSC. Stage 2 is away. 3km and starting to pick up speed. Stage 3 dropped - we're starting the gravity turn soon. Starting the gravity turn. Something this big is ALWAYS slow to turn, so it travelled a few more kilometers vertically before it started picking up appreciable horizontal speed. Stage 4 away. The booster now only has one more stage, and we've shed about 50% of our launch mass. The empty stage 4 tanks clocked in at about 600 tons. Stage 4 made a nice ring formation when it dropped (uncommon with stages this size), so it felt like a real shame not to take a picture. So I did. The final booster stage drops. Altitude is about 50km, and apoapsis is just outside the atmosphere. The transfer stage will continue the burn from here. The payload from a different angle, showing off the transfer stage. This is about the time when I went to bed. In orbit (after having drifted for about an in-game hour). The whole flight was flown by MechJeb, because it took ~3-4 RT hours to launch, and I went to bed around the time the transfer stage kicked in (not knowing if it would make orbit or crash). The payload itself is a 487-ton apartment block, meant to be landed on Tylo as part of a colonial effort I'm undertaking. 3000 tons is currently my all-time mass-to-orbit record (though I feel like I might break that in the course of this project).

The luminescent patches might be useful during planetary missions, for visual identification and location of personnel in low-vis conditions (like a Martian sandstorm).

Madness. Sheer. Bloody. Madness. I send buildings to other planets. And land them.

My specialty is big things. REALLY big things. And sending them to other planets. And the required heavy lifting, of course

Well, I do 3 primary kinds of missions: 1. Monolithic: Single-launch, single-purpose. All lifter components are sub-orbital and are left to impact the ground. Anything that leaves Kerbin orbit tends to stay there (though I try not to leave debris around the Mun, because that's a common destination for me). Not all pieces come back home, but those that don't are left to drift in solar orbit. 2. Multi-part: Multiple launches, multiple components, assembly on-orbit: Each component has a "construction frame" stage, which is basically an orbital maneuvering system and structural bracing. The component might be inert, or a set of fuel tanks, or even a set of engines. The component is attached to the ship, and the construction frame is deorbited. Like before, not every piece of the mission (if it's an exploration ship) will come back to Kerbin, and those that don't are left to drift. I like to leave the primary components in solar orbit, as memorials to the mission. 3. Specialized: If I'm launching a more unusual piece of hardware, such as a building or a large rover, I try to keep my LKO clean, but I tend to leave a wake of components outside of LKO, and especially around the target body. Colony hardware especially tends to be messy after landing (as my colonies lean towards "rather large"), so I designate a "junkyard" area a few km from the primary colony site, which I use as a landing area/disposal site for unnecessary/broken hardware. KAS tends to be rather useful for moving broken/spent stuff to it. However, I never terminate a piece of debris. If it's up, I either leave it or bring it down.

Tethering would probably work best, likely with some form of redundancy (in case one fails).

I just noticed something - when I load a vessel that hits this bug, the debug output gets SPAMMED with: The sheer number of these outputs implies that it's spitting out one per part.

I'm currently working on a modular base system, inspired by Temstar's work (but much, MUCH bigger). Not much so far, but here's what I've got (VAB only, the only component I've launched is the Colony Core, and it's currently in LKO waiting on a Jool window). Current modules: The Colony Core module. Contains comfortable living space for 36, a command center, greenhouses, and recreational facilities. Weighs in at about 169 tons. Different view of the Colony Core. Close-up of the upper catwalk. The Agri-Tower module. Grows enough food for up to 200 Kerbals in the tower, and the bottom section contains various horticultural and agricultural labs and workspaces. Clocks in at almost 400 tons. Bottom view of the Agri-Tower module. It's still taller than it shows on the screen (I can't get it all into one frame in the VAB no matter what I do, sorry). It's all built using Lack Luster Labs and stock parts, and uses NovaPunch for engine and fuel tank components. I have some more module ideas that I'm gonna chase down, but developing one module takes days, because the complexity and mass of each module makes launches hard (and frequently explosive, though the resulting debris shower is truly something to behold). Hope this helps inspire you!

The first module of my new MBCS (Modular Base Construction System), the Colony Core, reaches orbit over Kerbin, on its way to Tylo. Some bits of the booster can be seen in the background. The Colony Core module itself clocks in at 169 tons, and has comfortable habitation space for up to 36 Kerbals (or a lot more uncomfortably), as well as all the facilities that a small colony needs, including greenhouses, recreation facilities, and a command center.

This. Legacy standards of all types have existed for almost 300 years (see: the convention for positive/negative charge, set by Ben Franklin in the 18th century, which is actually backwards, but how could he know?). The "save" floppy is just a more recent one.