Badlycast

4-way symmetry. The radial parts are all rotated 45* to each other so they won't "clip" once you dock stuff to them. I placed the solar panels that way so that I can keep the station oriented towards 0 or 180* nav and still get enough solar power. (1 of them is always in the dark at any given time, but the dark panel changes as the craft rotates) Because docking is way easier when the station doesn't rotate around it's center of mass. This was done in 3 launches: Launch 1: Core module. The panels are oriented downwards because I'm sick of breaking solar panels during EVA as I try to board the damn thing. xD Launch 2: RCS space tug, escape pod and large docking array. The space tug comes with a detachable large-small docking port adapter. Launch 3 would have been impossible without it. Note that the large docking port array has an SAS module in the middle, placed roughly in the center of mass as the station grows. Launch 3: Secondary fuel module and an expansion junction module. Pic from the assembly. The docking port adapter is left sitting on the station as the tug flies out to receive the package. And that's the final product, for now. I love that space tug. The last stages of the booster rockets were docked using their main engines, then deorbited and safely recovered once most of their fuel had been transferred into the station. 8 small docking ports, 8 large docking ports. 5 open expansion slots. Lag bar is still green, and the craft doesn't even wobble if you turn off all torque sources except that SAS module in the docking array. (I'm not sure if I got the images working properly, because the preview doesn't show them and I'm a noob at this forum. Sorry about that. I put the direct links below, plus some additional ones.) https://www.dropbox.com/s/2vn83tpyrlmvx49/Spacestation5pic1.png https://www.dropbox.com/s/m4e4psq78qpgsu2/Spacestation5pic4.png https://www.dropbox.com/s/63xn2gffswlgy7k/Spacestation5pic5.png https://www.dropbox.com/s/4efo8dfs1jmbrtu/Spacestation5pic6.png https://www.dropbox.com/s/mfsvzjcj7caqoew/Spacestation5pic7.png https://www.dropbox.com/s/j7nmfu0frcxz2tb/Spacestation5pic8.png https://www.dropbox.com/s/k5kijs7e5g3ait7/Spacestation5pic9.png (Noticed how I forgot to expand solar / comm modules in the last few pics? )