Outpost contracts?

[DarkGravity]

I'm starting to see contracts to build outposts on the Mun and elsewhere. Without giving too much away (I'm trying to figure out as much of this game on my own as I can), what is an outpost? If I plop down a couple of hitchhiker containers with solar panels and an antenna, will that qualify? Wiki doesn't explain what they are, and searching forums didn't help.

Edited May 22, 2015 by DarkGravity

[3ntropy]

The contract should specify the requirements. For example: have a docking port, able to generate power, ability to house XX kerbals, and maintain stability for 10 seconds. You can read your current contracts in the active tab of the Mission Control menu.

[cybersol]

Helpful hint, check that your station fulfills all the checkmarks except orbit on the launching pad.

[RexKramer]

Regarding Kerbal capacity, any container holding Kerbals will meet the requirement. Lander cans, hitchhiker pods, command pods, mobile science labs. The exception is the External Command Seat, that one does not count I believe. So any combination of pods/cans that will hold the required number of Kerbals will suffice.

The power requirement actually means you need a means of generating power, such as solar panels, RTGs, or fuel cells. Batteries alone do not meet the requirement. So slap a solar panel on there.

If there is a docking port requirement (there usually is..), any of the three sizes of docking ports will work.

There is usually an antenna requirement. Any of the available antennas will work.

Additional requirements should be self-explanatory.

[Snark]

When they say "outpost" or "station" or whatever, there's no special meaning attached to that word-- you can just substitute the word "spacecraft". All that matters is that you satisfy the specific physical requirements listed in the contract.

<restraining urge to be too helpful, since original poster specified that he wants to figure things out on his own...>

[DarkGravity]

Thanks!

[vicwarrior]

Also, another thing to keep in mind is that you dont need to fill the outpost with kerbals, or keep the outpost there after the contract is done, you can actualy just launch a probe then after the contract is done bring it back to kerbin and retreive it, as long as there is space for kerbals they will be ok.

[Alistone]

Two convenient tips:

1. If you accept multiple contracts to build a station in orbit of Kerbin/mun/minmus and to build a stationin orbit of or landed on mun/minmus then you can launch a single station and complete the first contract on your way to completing the 2nd contract. (Accidentally discovered when a kerbin orbit station contract completing during the mission to put it on minmus.) Just have to make sure both of them are accepted before you launch your station so they both qualify as "new" and to maintain stability in the appropriate seeting for 10 seconds. And of course the fuel/capacity/charge requirements for both must also be met...

2. You can mount small fully functional rescue ships/return vessels to your station with radial decouplers. Then the kerbal capacity and engine/fuel requirements of the "outpost" aren't dead weight since they can be used later for other missions.