My first interplanetary reusable starship (1.0)

[Unfawkable]

I'm well into Hard difficulty Career mode in 1.0, and having load of fun. Didn't visit other planets yet, barely had 2 mil funds stocked up, and I've concluded that sending one way crafts would be expensive and hard to get into atmosphere with my current tech level, and with big lifters being too expensive. So I decided to make a reusable return Starship that can refuel in Orbit. This is my first attempt at something like this ever (Since I only ever play career mode), so here is my progress so far, and how I planned it to look like:

This is what I have built so far, the base in orbit, and the side docking ports for Nuclear Engines and liquid fuel tanks. A Duna lander/return craft is also ready and docked in this picture.

This is how I hope it will look like when I finish it. With all these Nerv Engines, it has around 0.25 TWR, and a total of 7000 Delta/v with a 25 ton payload (Approximate weight of the Duna lander)

Here comes the tricky part for me, this is how the engine part (One out of 12) looks like, and currently I'm having trouble lifting it into Orbit. Its mass is completely uneven, and has a lot of drag. The Mk2 fairing can't close up the entire thing, and I haven't yet unlocked fairings Mk3, but even so I don't know if fairings help with uneven mass (I'm guessing no).

So if you have any suggestions how to get these things into the orbit, any advice is welcome.

This is the look of my tech tree at the time of building/designing this vessel.

Thanks for viewing

[Captain Sierra]

I can see lots of better ways to do it but none that don't involve a complete overhaul (which would involve relaunch) of your vessel.

My best suggestion is to build the mk2 fuel segments with docking ports on one side and stack them right up against the main body, like this:

If you empty that section 75-80%, it has a 0.85 TWR on launch. Once you get higher up and burn some fuel, you can get a 1.0 TWR (not that it will matter by that time). I didnt but you can shove a probe core, SAS unit, and monoprop tank on top of the adapter before the nose cone.

EDIT: didnt explain why.

Your current config is gonna wobble around because your girder bracings do nothing. Parts do not collide with other parts on the same vessel in KSP. My suggestion involves a multi-dock, which is harder to do but much much sturdier. It also provides you roughly the same overall fuel and less engine mass (8 Nervs are more than enough for that but don't expect super-quick burns).

Edited May 19, 2015 by Captain Sierra

[Unfawkable]

Awww, they don't collide? Well, might as well scrap it now then. Trial and failure I guess. I'll actually just leave it in orbit and re-purpose it as a refueling station xD Or move it to the Mun to serve that purpose.

I actually did try to place them up right at first, but had some placing issues. I'll give it another go. The craft you did looks lean and nice, however I still can't get it into Orbit in one piece (Even the side engines by themselves). I'll try grinding some more science and cash, and in the meantime I might try a non-return trip to Duna just so I don't have to wait as long.

And double docking is... Surprisingly obvious, I feel stupid now. Thanks a lot.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Unfawkable

[Unfawkable]

Okay, I still can't figure out how to build this thing, the attachment points are driving me crazy. When I put a radial attachment point, and a docking port on the side of the fuel tank, it won't recognize it as an attachment point and I can't place it. Like so:

Please help, I'm losing my mind, I tried EVERYTHING.

[Captain Sierra]

The part tree is going 'fuselage-radial attach point-docking port'. When you drag around the collection of parts, the fuselage is the root of that section so you can only attach by it. There are two solutions.

1) build the section by itself, attach a probe core on top of the docking port, and re-root the craft to the probe core. Then grab the entire section, now treed as 'docking port-radial attach point-fuselage', and turn it into a subassembly you can then grab later and slap onto the mothership.

2)build off the docking port on your mothership, starting with the docking port, then radial point, then fuselage.

Also, pro tip: standard clamp-o-tron docking ports will radially attach just fine, no radial attach point required.

[StainX]

Also had that problem with disappearing nodes while detaching in Editor

Some Suggestions:

• Build in symmetry mode.
  
• Start the radial stuff after the docking port with another docking port.
  
• Use duct tape to tighten up that weak and wobbely docking ports.
  
• Keep an eye on the center of mass to not shift to some side.
  
• Cross your fingers! Launch!
  

[Unfawkable]

Also had that problem with disappearing nodes while detaching in Editor

Some Suggestions:

• Build in symmetry mode.
  
• Start the radial stuff after the docking port with another docking port.
  
• Use duct tape to tighten up that weak and wobbely docking ports.
  
• Keep an eye on the center of mass to not shift to some side.
  
• Cross your fingers! Launch!
  

That's not where the problem ends, I can manage to make it stick, but I can't for the life of me put the second docking port and make it allign.

I did manage something unelegant though, I constructed the entire side piece starting from the top docking port, forcing it to become an attachment. The second docking port still won't attach (I don't think KSP even support dual attaching), but I just leave it hanging above, and when tested in real conditions it will dock. Somehow I think this is the only way to do this.

[Unfawkable]

I kind of built it to work, and thought of an idea to sent the entire craft into the orbit in one piece by emptying the fuel tanks entirely making it 48 tons in total. How ever it's still way too long, and it tilts over before the solid boosters expire. I'm going to have to come up with a better lifter that fits my funds. Still, I think this is a success already.

[Unfawkable]

Still can't get this up. Any tips?