Help with Space Stations

[Etched]

Hi, I've just been messing around with KSP for a while now and I was wondering what a good idea for a space station would look like. Or how to build one. I do know how to get rockets/spaceplanes into orbit - but not how to get them into the same orbit.. So I could not create a space station out of many parts. I'm quite the Noob, and what I explained probably wasn't very clear so I'll just say it quick - Are there any good space station designs which don't need you to ship out many parts? Thanks!

[FancyMouse]

I would say learn docking first. A single big chunk isn't going to be too useful (as well as fun enough). Once you know how to dock, you pretty much dock whatever you want to the existing station, after you initially launched the station.

[Reddeyfish]

yep; learn orbital interception and docking first. If you can't dock, the station is going to be absolutely useless as a station. (If you can't dock to it, it's the same as a really big ship)

And yes, there are many good space station designs that don't have high part counts and are easy to get into orbit. Science Lab + Orange Tank + Hitch-hiker Crew Can + 2.5m battery + 2.5m probe core (or 2.5m service bay with any probe core inside) + radially mounted solar panels+ radially mounted docking ports + docking port on each end + antenna makes a good basic station.

[NJP]

A good trick I use for building the base of a orbital station is using the Radial Attachment Points in 4x symmetry and put the docking ports on the to add points to expand your station. Usually one or two of them will be used for solar fields (basically a whole bunch of solar panels on small fuel tanks) and the others can be used to dock your ships (most of my missions from interplanetary space docks at my orbital station to process science at the science lab). What you use it for is up to you, because it's also dependent on what mods you have/if you have any mods.

[Edax]

It can be handy to stick docking ports on struts pointing outward of the main body, that way other ships can dock with the station without colliding with the station's equipment.

[Sharpy]

...and for goodness sake, keep your solar panels far from where the ships will be docking!

[rofltehcat]

I recommend Scott Manley's videos on rendezvous (with basic space station info) and on docking:

[Coga19000]

Learn docking. Just do it. It is valuable knowledge.

Now, if you still want a simple, single -launch station for cost saving, I do have a science design for you:

1 Science Jr.

1 Mystery Goo

Whatever other experiments you have (1 each)

1 Probe Core

1 2.5m Battery Pack

2 Gigantors or 4 OX-1x6 Panels

1 Mobile Processing Lab

1 Docking Port Sr.

You should be able to get quite some science from this setup, especially if combined with EVA reports. When you squeeze all the science out of it (preferably both low -and high -orbit, if you have enough fuel in the last stage), you can get a rescue for your Kerbals, and leave the module in orbit until you get good enough at docking to attach some more modules to it.

[StormKat]

Check out the Space Station showcase in the Spacecraft Exchange section. There are a lot of good station designs there.

Shameless plug: I have a couple of station designs that can be launched as a single piece.

[ygarl]

Also - try MechJeb's "Maneuver Planner", and then "Hohmann transfer" and watch what it does.

Copy it a few times until you get the hang of it.

(Then don't use it any more, because it's too easy... until you can do it manually quite easily. It's ok to start using it after that, because docking 50 times manually is boring! Hahah)

[Wemb]

Also - try MechJeb's "Maneuver Planner", and then "Hohmann transfer" and watch what it does.

Copy it a few times until you get the hang of it.

(Then don't use it any more, because it's too easy... until you can do it manually quite easily. It's ok to start using it after that, because docking 50 times manually is boring! Hahah)

Nah - docking isn't boring. Rendevous is dull - but docking?

Do it inside the capsule with the IVA view and KSP's gui turned off and using nothing but RasterPropMonitors. Switching back to the map or external view is cheating. Makes it exciting every time!

Wemb

[capi3101]

Docking, as has been repeated ad nauseum on this thread already, is essential to the success of a space station. Two mods to consider (if you're not adverse to mods) are RCS Build Aid (useful for setting up RCS systems so they don't produce adverse torque - and incidentally helpful if/when you decide to start using spaceplanes) and the big one: Navyfish's Docking Port Alignment Indicator (which you can use as your sole instrumentation for the final alignment, approach and docking - it's that good). I dock a lot (my space station around Kerbin is used as a staging area), I use both, and I rarely have problems with the actual docking bit. That said, I did earn my stripes with stock docking first...

I would definitely recommend a modular station design. If you're in career, get to the Clamp-O-Tron (not the Jr) before you launch your first part, then launch a core module with ports on all six axes (port, starboard, fore, aft, zenith, nadir). A training guide that is dated but still potentially useful is the Salyut Programme tutorial on the wiki, in particular its steps in building a replica of the Mir space station (does a good job of it except for the antenna assembly on the Kvant-I module). The Mir tutorial was written before the MPL was added to KSP (like I said, it's dated), so you might try swapping out Hitchhikers with a lab or two every now and again, should you decide to build a replica of your own. A lab with science parts is a potentially quite beneficial use of a space station.

[Norcalplanner]

Whatever you do, watch your part count closely. Fewer, larger parts plus Kerbal Joint Reinforcement will help keep your station useful. In my experience, lag caused by a high part count is the primary reason that stations are abandoned. Click the first picture in my signature for lots of space station examples.

[pincushionman]

He said that he "cant get rockets into the same orbit," so docking isn't necessarily the problem. Rendezvous is. Don't conflate the two.

1) Establish a safe, circular orbit with your first ship.

2) Establish a safe, circular orbit with your second ship, in the same plane and direction as your first, but at a slightly different height. Setting the first ship as target is a great boon here.

3) With the target set, create a maneuver node to just touch the first orbit. Slide the node around until the indicators indicate you will be very near the target at closest approach. You may need to wait multiple orbits for this to occur.

4) Execute your burn.

5) as you approach the target, switch navball to "target" and zero your velocity relative to it. Then do the docking thing.

It's actually a rather simple thing. Don't, however, interpret that as it being an easy thing. Those are also two words that get conflated often.

[Etched]

I never imagined so many people would answer! It's a big help everyone, thank you.

- - - Updated - - -

A good trick I use for building the base of a orbital station is using the Radial Attachment Points in 4x symmetry and put the docking ports on the to add points to expand your station. Usually one or two of them will be used for solar fields (basically a whole bunch of solar panels on small fuel tanks) and the others can be used to dock your ships (most of my missions from interplanetary space docks at my orbital station to process science at the science lab). What you use it for is up to you, because it's also dependent on what mods you have/if you have any mods.

I like to use mods a lot so Thanks for the tip!

- - - Updated - - -

He said that he "cant get rockets into the same orbit," so docking isn't necessarily the problem. Rendezvous is. Don't conflate the two.

1) Establish a safe, circular orbit with your first ship.

2) Establish a safe, circular orbit with your second ship, in the same plane and direction as your first, but at a slightly different height. Setting the first ship as target is a great boon here.

3) With the target set, create a maneuver node to just touch the first orbit. Slide the node around until the indicators indicate you will be very near the target at closest approach. You may need to wait multiple orbits for this to occur.

4) Execute your burn.

5) as you approach the target, switch navball to "target" and zero your velocity relative to it. Then do the docking thing.

It's actually a rather simple thing. Don't, however, interpret that as it being an easy thing. Those are also two words that get conflated often.

Thanks a like! I will try to do that. The KSP Forum users are so friendly!!

- - - Updated - - -

Check out the Space Station showcase in the Spacecraft Exchange section. There are a lot of good station designs there.

Shameless plug: I have a couple of station designs that can be launched as a single piece.

Woah!!! Did you make all of them?!

- - - Updated - - -

Also, another question, any good Launchers? I've used everyones designs but I can't seem to get them up!

Edited July 9, 2015 by Etched

[Etched]

The launcher depends on the weight of your payload. After long enough, you can eyeball it. For a single-man pod, you'll make orbit with 2 stages of an LV-45 and an LV-909.

For a small station, like a Cupola and Science Lab, you'll want to attach an orange tank w/Skipper, and another orange tank w/Mainsail.

Generally, it's 2 stages for orbit, 3 for Mun flyby, 4 for Mun orbit/landing. All dependent on the payload weight and engine efficiency, of course.

Alright! Thanks! I'm full of knowledge and ready to go!

[mrclucks]

TL;DR: give me ideas for core space station stock, or with remote tech and/or interstellar. Plz & TY

Anyone have any ideas how to get a good core going on for a space station?

Last time I tried multiple piece space stations was in .90 with remote tech and interstellar installed. Needless to say my core stage was a large generator with power distribution, an array of antennas able to communicate with omni capability up to the mun and point to point up to eloo, Plus RCS and a command station for at least 6kerbals(for control of probes unable to communicate with KSC). That core stage alone was usually in the 175-200 part count limit alone, without any fuel depot connected.

I'm now playing ksp .04 and haven't installed remote tech and haven't used much of interstellar yet. If anyone can give me lowish part counts for space stations with or without one or both the mods, it'd be greatly appreciated

[Sharpy]

Just a thing to consider: MK2 crew module is lighter than the Hitchiker module, with the same 4 seats. Consider MK2 style station or at least the kerbed parts... just beware, MK2 parts do have lift, may require extra stabilization on launch.

[capi3101]

For a core, I'd suggest at a minimum a pair of Hitchhiker cans (don't have to fill them up), a quad of BZ-52s in radially symmetry set around the seam between the two Cans, each with a Structural Fuselage piece attached and a Clamp-O-Tron attached to that. Add some antennas to either end of the assembly (never hurts to have spares). On one end, put a service bay and fill it with equipment such as a probe core, batteries and so forth. Put whatever kind of manned control module you'd like on top of that (cupolas look nice if you have them), and then to the top of that add another Clamp-O-Tron. On the other end, put your science gear; you might consider a '>Geschosskopf Sci Bomb style design here; that makes for a good place to put some solar panels, incidentally. If you want, you can replace the center Girder with a piece of Structural Fuselage. And then on the bottom of that assembly, add another Clamp-O-Tron. You might consider adding Rockomax adapters to the endpieces to make the whole thing look nicer, but that's not really necessary if you're going for function over form.

Notice I didn't add a lab. You could add a lab to the core easily enough - could even make it the centerpiece. You'll have to make a bigger launcher to compensate for the increased mass, of course.

That oughta get you a core module that can be adapted easily for many purposes, with a sufficient number of berths for new modules or visiting spacecraft. Of course, you could do with less - check out the centerpiece of this station (under construction in this screenie; from a couple of versions ago and still one of my all-time favorite projects):

That one still happens to have its Munar transfer stage attached and the "arms" are not part of the core. The core there is just a large RCS tank as the centerpiece with two cupolas on either end, four BZ-52s with Clamp-O-Trons, a quad of lights, eight OX-STAT panels and a pair of large antennas on either end. Maybe six to seven tonnes all told - and easily boosted into orbit.

[moogoob]

Mine are simple, but functional.

This one was built as a Minmus refueling station primarily. Cupola, solar panels, crew compartment, Lab and docking ports were all one launch. Fuel tank was a second launch. (the Nastybird shuttle was a third, bringing crew.) Now it gets all its fuel from the surface of Minmus through ore mining.

Keeping the part count relatively low keeps your frame rates up which can be a real problem as stations can get really, really complex. I should know - my very first one back in 0.23 got seriously carried away.

Edited July 10, 2015 by moogoob
"socking ports" lol