Using shunts

[bigcalm]

I've always tried to do it myself - I occasionally consult guides, and visit the forums, but my strategy seems a bit home-grown, and I'm wondering if anyone else does it like this!

When planning to transfer to another planet, I will put up "shunts", refuel them and then dock a payload to it.  The size of the payload is largely dependent on where I'm going, so Moho has a max payload weight of about 30 tons and Duna has about 120.

For me, this saves a lot of faffing about building ridiculously huge rockets from Kerbin.  I very rarely launch any Kerbin orbit payload heavier than 120 tons, which can be done fairly easily with 5 mammoths.

For me, this simplifies things - I have a simple max weight depending on where I'm going, and I can plan to send multiple vessels at the same time, each one within the weight limit.

I also have additional options when I reach my destination -- let's say I've taken a vessel with the ability to land, drill for ore, refuel itself (ISRU) and go to orbit -- I can refuel my shunts and then transfer stuff elsewhere.

Anyway a couple of pics to explain - first the standard shunt without payload:

 

An example payload docked to the shunt - in this case, a rover destined for Eve:

 

When it merits it, I will use KIS/KAS to add additional struts around the docking ports.

I think my main question is - does anyone else do it like this - I don't see many examples here on the forums, so I assume you're all building enormous ships all the time - does this not take ages for each vessel?
 

[bewing]

I call them "space tugs" instead of shunts, and I build my ships a lot smaller than you do. My kerbin payloads tend to be around 40 tonnes.

[Rocket In My Pocket]

Some players build one off giant monsters, some players build modular ships in space, other players send fleets of individual ships.

I don't think there is any "wrong" way to do it, I'd wager most players default to building fairly large ships and refueling them in orbit when going long distance.

As far as time spent, I think it comes out about the same when you take into account building one large ship and launching it versus building and launching and docking several smaller ships. It really comes down to whichever is more fun for you.

[Scientia1423]

I used a space tug once during my mission to Duna, as I only had enough fuel for the Mun/Minmus and back.

I prefer tugs being docked to the front with engines on the side so it pulls it and not push it because physics will tear my ship apart if I place it behind.

[Magzimum]

I have used the same system in the past, but in practice I never used the tug / shunt twice because the payloads required a different tug every time. So, now I just launch gargantuan rockets (exhibit A, B, C).

[bigcalm]

Ok, that's interesting.  I allow myself to Hyperedit the shunts to low kerbin orbit (I've launched and refuelled soooo many that I feel justified in skipping this bit of tedium -- though Hyperedit is forbidden for anything else).  By my count I've used 75 shunts in my current career game (flights to everywhere except Dres and Eeloo are currently in progress).

FWIW, in my terminology a shunt pushes and a tug pulls - tugs normally have side-mounted engines with a docking port at each end - and these tend to be for orbital rendezvous and inclination changes but their usage is fairly limited in my games.

I also use the USI mods a lot, so in general the weight I need to transfer between bodies is higher due to life support requirements and/or base building requirements -- if I didn't have these additional weight problems, shunts would be less needed.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2016 by bigcalm

[GoSlash27]

I call them "mass movers", but yeah. Mine tend to be much smaller and lighter. The way I do it, I try to set up a logistics network instead of one-off missions. This allows me to reuse most of the components and keep costs down.

Best,
-Slashy