Kerbin Space Stations

[Warzouz]

I like space stations, I build them a lot. I use them to explore bodies. After sending satelites, it's usually the first ship I send.

I also have one around Kerbin ; it's the biggest one I have, but I never really used it. One time I used to refuel my SSTO so it could go in high orbit to recover 8 kerbals from 2 missions (Jool and Dres) that didn't had a return vehicle capable of atmo reentry, but I could have done it more easily with a very simple rocket.

I thought one time I could go to space easier by sending empty ships and refuel them at a station. But I discovered I would lost a lot of time and need to add a lot of RCS components just to do that. Further more, some big mission would need most of the station fuel so I would have to refuel it often.

If fuel comes from Kerbin, I would not gain anything. That would even cost me much more

- Cost per ton reduces with mass increase (especially with big engines)

- You have to expend fuel to rendez-vous with the station

- You need more parts to drive refuellers to the station (probes, RCS, tanks...)

The only way it would cost less is by refueling from Minmus or docking the station with an asteroid. But those options take a lot of time.

Still I like my Kerbin Space Station. I use it to punish Kerbals : I need one to transmit a crew report when I get a "Recover or transmit science in space around Kerbin" (I forgot to add science equipement aboard). Let's say it's kind of RP

Do you use Kerbin Space stations ? Why ?

[MaxwellsDemon]

I did in my late Science Sandbox campaign; it functioned as a rendezvous and refueling station for my anticipated Duna mission (which did not actually come off before I ended the campaign...) As the size of my Duna complex exceeded my launch capabilities, I launched it in three portions, only partly fueled; they each docked with the station in turn, topped off, and then were assembled in the correct sequence. (One of the reasons I did not go ahead with the Duna mission was that I found at that point that I was unhappy with the way I'd designed the complex and wanted to start over... but the proof-of-concept worked just fine.)

[davidy12]

I've built them around the Kerbin System multiple times, really fun and enjoyable to build.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, for a challenge I built one around Duna, however for interplanetary missions, I bring the Space Station with me. (Similar to The Martian​.)

[Randazzo]

Typically no, I find it's easier just to do a straight launch to high orbit. There have been exceptions though. When I was running fuel out of minmus, I put a station in LKO that was just a large 3.75m fuel tank and a couple of Monoprop tanks, plus the necessities like reaction wheels, RCS thrusters, probe core, and docking ports. Had a fuel shuttle running it from Minmus anyway, and it was more convenient to just fill the station and leave the fuel there instead of waiting to put something in orbit then spend an hour or more running fuel for it.

I have one in my current save that stores fuel for a crew shuttle for the Kerbin local circuit (Minmus, Mun, and back), as I have a science station equipped with it's own lander over both the Mun and Minmus. Rather than launch a relatively big capusle each time, I can launch a very small one on a fully recoverable SSTO, decouple it, and dock it with the station allowing the crew to transfer to the shuttle and be carried off. If I build one this game, I could do the same with a space plane SSTO.

Since I still have to launch fuel from Kerbin every once in awhile, it's not really saving me kerbucks yet, but in the very long run it would. With fuel production running on either the Mun or Minmus, launch costs would be reduced to a few thousand in fuel to get the SSTO off the ground.

Like everything else that saves funds, it would just suck up time instead.

[StormKat]

Space stations are just about all I build any more. My favorite part is docking all the different modules together.

[lodger]

I built one in science mode, it's still orbiting Kerbin. But in 0.90 I had kind of the same design orbiting Mun and went to the munar surface (and Minmus) from there. Stations are fun to build but I guess not always the best way to start / support a long distance mission.

[Warzouz]

Also, for a challenge I built one around Duna, however for interplanetary missions, I bring the Space Station with me. (Similar to The Martian​.)

Yes, I use them to explore bodies. I've got them from Moho to Eeloo. I usually don't build them around moons if my science lander can explore thos moon in good conditions (multiple hops). But those stations are fuel reserves for landers which don't usually use much so I can send many landings from there. before worriing about fuel.

Thoses "exploration" space station avec very logical and pratical, there is an clear gain to use them.

- Send a station with landers and return vehicle with several Kerbals

- Strip the body of science, research there.

- Bring science and kerbals home with return ship.

- Return there with only a small ship.

Kerbin space station lacks this obviousness.

[Just Jim]

I have several big space stations in orbit around all the major planets. I use them for transferring crew from one ship to another, refueling and tourists. I don't have any screenshots of my earliest ones, but they were simple self contained units. Then I figured out the secret to skycranes and started making bigger ones.

when 1.0.4 came out I added big radiator panels

Then built these monsters.

But as pretty as they are, I'm going to get rid of these when 1.1 is released and start building bigger, more modular stations and take advantage of the new continual contracts.

Oh, this is the ship I currently use to re-fuel my stations. One trip to Minmus or any smaller moon can yield a huge amount of ore and fuel.

[Pax Kerbana]

A station around Kerbin is a necessity for me. Two actually. One to build/assemble mission ships, the other as a refuel depot and crew transfer.

This way the interplanetary transport can return to the fuel station and transfer crew to an ascent/descent specific pod. The old crew returns home for some rep and the new crew arrives to take command. They transfer, leaving the orbital interceptor behind, fuel up the IPT, and rendezvous with the primary station where their newly assembled mission specific landers and other orbiters await for docking. After a little tank top-off, it's mission go.

Edited September 4, 2015 by Pax Kerbana

[MaxwellsDemon]

A station around Kerbin is a necessity for me. Two actually. One to build/assemble mission ships, the other as a refuel depot and crew transfer.

This is very similar to the concept of my station, though divided into two... what's the added benefit of a second station to you, rather than doing it at a single station?

[worir4]

I build them and then de-orbit them because it looks cool.

[Thegamer211]

This is very similar to the concept of my station, though divided into two... what's the added benefit of a second station to you, rather than doing it at a single station?

Less lag probably.

[Norcalplanner]

Less lag probably.

Yep. 1.0.4 is definitely worse in the lag department. I really have to watch part count closely now. Simple stations are kept below 20 parts, and complex ones are kept below 100.

[Warzouz]

This way the interplanetary transport can return to the fuel station and transfer crew to an ascent/descent specific pod. The old crew returns home for some rep and the new crew arrives to take command. They transfer, leaving the orbital interceptor behind, fuel up the IPT, and rendezvous with the primary station where their newly assembled mission specific landers and other orbiters await for docking. After a little tank top-off, it's mission go.

[Mitchz95]

I have one in LKO. It's pretty basic, I just use it to refuel (and on occasion assemble) interplanetary ships. It just got hit by the docking bug, so I'm gonna have to deorbit it and start anew. But hey, the next one will be even cooler.

[DocMoriarty]

I build space stations around every planet I visit. They are kinda central hub where everything comes together when it's not on a mission. Just avoiding too many flights active in tracking station. My Kerbin station has some fuel too, sometimes, though refueling usually is done at Minmus which is a lot more effective than hauling fuel from Minmus to Kerbin. A few ships are stranded at Kerbin station right now waiting for fuel though, like Predator, the ship in the foreground, which is here about to dock to the station.

[severedsolo]

Me? No never. I hate space stations.

Seriously though, I love the idea of space stations. I just hate the "leave it up there and forget about it" mentality of the contract system. Station Science seriously helps though.

[Fearless Son]

Seriously though, I love the idea of space stations. I just hate the "leave it up there and forget about it" mentality of the contract system. Station Science seriously helps though.

[Moar Boosters]

I usually never bother with them, however I've in my most recent save I made one and it's been really fun.

I built an SSTO which I used to construct the station, and am now constructing a jool-ship. It's a pretty efficient way of doing things, as the payloads to build the station vary in size. When I carry up a the lighter piece of the construction (eg girder segments), the spaceplane usually has quite a bit of fuel left over which can then be transferred to the station, to be used by the interplanetary crafts I dock there. I already filled a few probes to land on the jool moons, and I'm slowly filling the fuel tanks of my atomic powered jool ship.

[Warzouz]

Me? No never. I hate space stations.

Seriously though, I love the idea of space stations. I just hate the "leave it up there and forget about it" mentality of the contract system. Station Science seriously helps though.

Well I only have ONE station per body, and I use them a LOT. Sure that I ignore thos contracts. I usually take it the first time and trash all the other ones.

[CornHuskerKenny]

I had a large LKO space station in my .90 career save. The only reason it was there was to do a bunch of gravity scan contracts, and to give my cargo SSTO fleet some RP missions.

I'll probably build a similar one when 1.1 comes, and I have more reasons to do so.

Edited September 4, 2015 by CornHuskerKenny
missed a word

[Bev7787]

Yes, just because they're fun to build and easy to get to. I've tried docking a shuttle to it for fun and science

[AbacusWizard]

I generally have a station in low Kerbin orbit for crew transfers (crew takes spacebus from ground to orbit, transfers to station, later the crew transfers from the station to an orbital passenger liner and rides to Mun or Minmus or an interplanetary vessel parked in high orbit or whatever). I also like to have stations orbiting Mun and Minmus for science missions; each consists of a lab, a fuel reservoir, crew quarters, and one or two small exploration landers. Recently I've started experimenting with orbital construction bases using KIS/KAS too.

[Gaarst]

I have a station in LKO for science points (got a lab up there) but I mostly use it to train in docking/rendez-vous. Thanks to it, I have learnt to launch my shuttle, dock, deorbit, and land at KSP in exactly one orbit

Anyway, I like going to it often and exchanging crew, as I'm trying to add a little lore in my save. It's kinda pointless but I like doing it.

[NielsBohr]

Space stations are unfortunately of little use compared to its potential use, it's only really appropriate for re-fueling, mining and crew-transfer, but indeed not necessary. I, for whatever reason, receive a lot of pleasure from building small stations. The whole process seems to relax me completely, especially de-orbiting them after a while and see them burn in a sumptuous flame of reality in the atmosphere.

Just today, for absolutely no practical reason, I build a polar space station around Kerbin and flew Jebediah in a SSTO for a visit. Did some science as well. I just love this game.

image posting