Long/Tall Spaceship/Space Station Designs (MODDED game)

[ErevanGaming]

Hi everybody,

For long/tall spaceship/space station designs, is it better to launch it in one go or over a number of launches and assemble them in orbit? Got a bunch of MODs installed by the way including KJR.

 

Regards and thanks in advance. =)

[Plusck]

It's generally less hassle, stronger and less wobbly, more elegant, and possibly cheaper (if designed well) to launch in one go.

Over several launches, the builds can be fine-tuned to suit the payload, maximise the fuel mass ratio, use cheaper parts, and create a space-adapted contruct which would be very difficult to launch through the atmosphere.

 

[ErevanGaming]

hi Plusck,

You're right that it is cheaper, did a test construction in one go compared to a three-part launch. =">

On a long-term test, I noticed that the space station I made tends to seesaw on occasion when upgraded/newer/bigger segments were added.

 

Regards and thanks again =)

[tg626]

In 1.2 use auto strut to rigidize large docked structures. I usually choose "heaviest part"

[Blaarkies]

39 minutes ago, tg626 said:

In 1.2 use auto strut to rigidize large docked structures. I usually choose "heaviest part"

It seems that auto-strut locks the part into the current position(if you auto-strut at the moment of launch, then the boosters will be locked in place place at a slightly tilted angle). This brings up questions about how a space-station can be locked into a misaligned position.

I think timewarp(on-rails) will make a craft static and also perfectly aligned/relaxed(like in the editor). Click auto-strut at that moment and there should be no problems

[ErevanGaming]

Does it follow that the heaviest part of space station becomes sort of the center of mass of the station itself?

[Aegolius13]

My standard space station is a long, spindly thing, and I launch it in one go.  But if your station plus launcher is extremely long, it may be wobbly (less of an issue now with autostrut) and/or hard to turn.  The solution is to build mainly out radially with your launcher.  

For LKO stations, I think I just put four TwinBoar based boosters on the sides.  Thus the "core" stage had no engines other than the little Thud maneuvering engines.  For stations going to the Mun or Minmus, I think I put a Rhino under the core stage, but kept the tank pretty short.  

One trick is that, if your station includes fuel storage capacity, you can use that fuel to power your final stage or (probably less efficiently) launch it empty of fuel.  Again this helps your rocket from getting too long.  Then you can refill from ISRU mining.  

[Sharpy]

On 24.10.2016 at 6:48 AM, Blaarkies said:

It seems that auto-strut locks the part into the current position(if you auto-strut at the moment of launch, then the boosters will be locked in place place at a slightly tilted angle). This brings up questions about how a space-station can be locked into a misaligned position.

I think timewarp(on-rails) will make a craft static and also perfectly aligned/relaxed(like in the editor). Click auto-strut at that moment and there should be no problems

Autostrut can be switched on/off on the fly, so if it happens to do something nasty to some part, switch it on, allow the flexibility to set things right, then switch it back on.

[radonek]

If you lift everything in one go, you are missing all the fun of rendezvous and docking. Easier, but boooring…

56 minutes ago, Sharpy said:

Autostrut can be switched on/off on the fly, so if it happens to do something nasty to some part, switch it on, allow the flexibility to set things right, then switch it back on.

Do not get much used to it, this is a bug and will be removed.
 

[Sharpy]

1 minute ago, radonek said:

Do not get much used to it, this is a bug and will be removed.
 

Not until Unity or PhysX gets fixed and the phantom forces vanish. Which will happen in about never.

[septemberWaves]

Whether you launch a station in one piece or as several modules is dependent on 3 factors: aesthetics, technological advancement, and station size. Also, what mods you have installed should be taken into account.

If you want to aim for a realistic appearance, it's generally best to construct your station out of various modules launched independently. This also means that you won't have to stuff everything inside a ghastly-looking fairing on top of a rocket that looks like something out of a sci-fi horror story.

Your level of advancement will determine how much stuff you can reasonably launch at once. If you don't have access to 3.75m fairings yet, for example; your payload volume will be limited, making it more difficult to launch a station in a single launch.

The size of your station will affect how practical it is to launch all at once. For a fairly small station (e.g. a Skylab-style one-module habitat/lab with everything attached in-line) it's best to launch it all at once. For something more on the scale of the ISS, your best bet is usually to launch it as separate modules.

Finally, the mods you have installed can play a part, particularly if you have mods that add larger rockets. SpaceY Extended is probably the most extreme example; with the new 10m parts it wouldn't surprise me if one could get 10000 tonnes to orbit on a single launch with a 7-core rocket (maybe with some boosters). If you have mods that add the ability to make enormous launch vehicles, then the main limitation on a single-launch station is how much lag you are willing to deal with.

Edited October 28, 2016 by eloquentJane

[Norcalplanner]

You can also split the difference - I launched a nice 700 ton station in two big pieces, joined inline in orbit using SpaceY 5m docking ports (with assistance from KJR).