Plan on building a space station, need assistance.

[Tortoise]

So this is very big and exciting for me.

I've never done this before, and I only have launched 2 satellites into full orbit around the sun.

I have no experience with docking, hell I don't even have experience with going to a specific destination. I've only launched rockets/satellites into orbit at random places.

So I need help getting that huge thing into space, please enlighten me a little bit on what I need to do.

Edited June 10, 2013 by Tortoise

[purpletarget]

One step at a time.

Get into a planned orbit.

Get into a planned orbit again.

Then do it with something that has a docking port.

Then again with a 2nd ship with a docking port and plenty of RCS.

Practice RV & Docking with small ships to gain confidence on how it works.

Then work on the Station project.

[Tortoise]

One step at a time.

Get into a planned orbit.

Get into a planned orbit again.

Then do it with something that has a docking port.

Then again with a 2nd ship with a docking port and plenty of RCS.

Practice RV & Docking with small ships to gain confidence on how it works.

Then work on the Station project.

Thank you, i'll start practicing.

Once I do get the hang of it, do you mind helping me again?

[Vanamonde]

Because you can assemble things in orbit, there's no need to struggle a "huge thing into space." Make the parts as big or small as you want and feel comfortable with, and if a part doesn't work like you hoped, eject it and fly up a replacement. It's a learning process. In fact, you SHOULD start small to get the hang of docking.

[SDIR]

All building a space station is is a lot of docking. But try to have an image of what it might look like in the end so you can plan out how things are going to work.

[T3rran]

I too, am building my first space station. I've already got my fuel up (it's not a lot, enough for one jumbo.)

But what everyone else says is correct. Practice orbital docking, once you're comfortable, you can begin with larger things, like your station.

[jwenting]

I've so far avoided docking and stuff like that, because my hand-eye coordination sucks (to put it mildly). But now starting to get to where I need it, guess I'll go and watch Mechjeb dock a few times while reading along a docking tutorial and see what it does.

Started a new save for it, so I don't run into things already up there

[Scarecrow88]

As you will struggle to get a decent sized station to orbit in one launch, the secret is lots of launches carrying smaller parts, which are then assembled in orbit. To do this successfully you need to be comfortable being able to rendezvous two craft and with docking them together once they have rendezvous'd. Before starting on the station I would suggest building a small craft that is capable of getting in to orbit and is fitted with a docking port. Fit RCS thrusters so that they are balanced around the centre of mass of your orbiting stage and make sure it is fitted with plenty of mono-prop fuel.

Launch the first one and establish it in a good circular orbit. Once you have done that part, you can launch an identical ship with which to practice getting together and docking. I have to say this is the part of KSP that I have found most difficult so far as despite watching plenty of video tutorials on the subject I struggled to understand the reasoning behind the manoeuvres you need to go through to be successful. However, once the penny dropped it became a lot easier.

This structure forms the basis of my station - a bit of girder work with several senior docking ports.

This is what it looks like after several launches to add various parts to the basic structure.

I applied exactly the same principle to my Mun station, which is still in the process of being assembled.

Edited June 9, 2013 by Scarecrow88

[Pontiac]

I think I'm going to de-orbit my current gas station around Kerbin and rebuild with a couple of your concepts around Mun. I've been trying to launch gas tanks up from Mun after refining Kethane, but, I'm running a zero surplus by the time I lift off, get to orbit, align, and rendezvous. I've been using a lot of Quantum Struts to hold the gas tanks that are there in place, but I hadn't thought of using the Sr docking ports. Something to do when I get home. :]

[ImpulseSpaceCenter]

Few tips:

As everyone says, pratice docking (with all the port, small/med/large). It's very important for docking.

For the spae station, start small, and then build it up to bigger.

I personally build the whole space station first (with the docking port) to check the light and look of it. Then I disasemble it to send it small piece by small piecces to orbit.

This will be my refuel space station (I did copy a bit some of the other player design I liked)

And this is the orbit one so far (3 modules one plus the tug)

Oh and don't forget to put light!!! especially around your docking port (either on the station or the docker)

Edited June 9, 2013 by ImpulseSpaceCenter
Spell check and light tip

[Markotiks]

I agree with PurpleTarget. Get something small up into a stable orbit first then send something else up to dock with it. Once you get that down you should be able to build your Space Station in sections. Also, watch videos on youtube. This helped me more than anything as far as learning to build my Space Station and just learning to play the game in general. Check out my thread on the creation of my SS here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/34711-The-Creation-of-KSS-Phalanx-(Warning-Pic-Heavy!) It's heavily modded but it might give you some ideas.

[iDan122]

I do not recommend you try launching these huge masses like the others showed. Instead try my safe and easy method:

1. Make a core module. Choose what docking nodes you want(Very important). This is important since it depends what nodes the thing you are going to dock to it will have. I suggest using a regular clampotron(not junior).

2. Launch it into a desired orbit

3. Launch more parts of similair size into the same orbit, rendez-vous and dock!

All this is impossible if you do not know anything about manuever nodes and docking or simple orbital mechanics.

My sample station:

Edited June 9, 2013 by iDan122

[128MB]

i launched and docked with sheer luck today ...

The hard part is matching the 2 orbits together and get a proper intersection. took me the whole day to figure that out.

[ImpulseSpaceCenter]

I have watched and practice with his 3 docking videos for a while to be able to dock nicely.

It can help you with better rendez vous.

[an3k]

Launch the first one and establish it in a good circular orbit. Once you have done that part, you can launch an identical ship with which to practice getting together and docking. I have to say this is the part of KSP that I have found most difficult so far as despite watching plenty of video tutorials on the subject I struggled to understand the reasoning behind the manoeuvres you need to go through to be successful. However, once the penny dropped it became a lot easier.

I'll explain them to you if you tell me what docking ports you use

[jwenting]

I have watched and practice with his 3 docking videos for a while to be able to dock nicely.

It can help you with better rendez vous.

that tutorial is completely incomprehensible. Sounds more like a "look how great I am" video, like 99% of stuff on youtube that's marketed as tutorials.

[Tortoise]

Thanks for all your help guys!

[John FX]

I think I'm going to de-orbit my current gas station around Kerbin and rebuild with a couple of your concepts around Mun. I've been trying to launch gas tanks up from Mun after refining Kethane, but, I'm running a zero surplus by the time I lift off, get to orbit, align, and rendezvous. I've been using a lot of Quantum Struts to hold the gas tanks that are there in place, but I hadn't thought of using the Sr docking ports. Something to do when I get home. :]

I mine at Minmus as it has a much lower gravity so you can carry more fuel up to a station. You can take off with 300Kn of thrust with a craft even weighing 600T and to orbit using only 35T of fuel. I have a miner for minmus that carries 64K of methane and about 8K of LF,9K of Ox and 750 Mono.

Here it is with a 300T station sat on top of it...

[Tank Buddy]

Purple Target has it right. Also, I would recommend switching the RCS translation controls from the default to the arrow keys and Right shift and control. This is much easier to see and understand. A small craft is best, with 4 RCS units as far away from the center of mass on the top and bottom. I also put 4 mono directional RCS thrusters on the center of mass to increase maneuverability, but it is unnecessary. Be sure to add on lights for a night rendezvous. Using chase camera will make the craft oriented so up on translate makes the ship go up relative to the camera, so you don't have to rely on the navball. Also, once you get closer, I recommend setting the docking port as target, as it makes the NavBall icons more useful. I use the arrow keys for Forward, backward, left, right, and the Rshift and Rctrl for up and down. Feel free to configure it to your liking, but I would like to emphasize not using the default controls as they are confusing and are an extra thing to learn and mess up on.

From what it sound you have never rendezvous before, so I'll help you out. Since the KSC is on the equator, you will want your station in an equatorial orbit. You should know this is at 90 degrees, but don't worry if you are off a degree or two, as you can adjust this while in orbit. By setting the mun as a target, you can make and equatorial orbit because it is in one too. Burn normal if the node is descending (-) or anti-normal if ascending (+). Normal is roughly north in an equatorial orbit, but you want to burn in between the prograde and retrograde markers to not chance your apoapsis or periapsis. Next circularize your orbit by burning at the respective locations and be sure to burn at 90 degrees to not tilt your orbit.

Next launch an intercept ship so KSC is roughly 45 degrees ahead of the orbiting target. Set the station as a target and fly normally but, cap your apoapsis at the target's orbit. It is good to have a long trajectory by burning east longer so it is easier to make an orbital trajectory. Fiddle with your maneuver nodes until you get an encounter under the optimal 5 km. Quick save frequently (F5) and quick load (F9) as you might screw up, and trust me you will. Time warp to T - 20 seconds until closest encounter, then select "target" in the velocity display by clicking. It could do this automatically if you are close enough. Burn at the new retrograde until your relative velocity is nearly 0. The two orbits should look the same. In map view again, burn toward the purple (at least I think purple) circle that indicates the direction of the target. Watch until the intercept is under 200m (.2 Km). Warp carefully and remember to quick save before each move, but extra practice can never hurt

At the closest encounter cut all relative velocity again, shut off your engine so you don't have any misfires by right clicking on your engine(s) and pressing "shutdown engine". Use RCS for future maneuvering. I recommend switching to the station, clicking "control from here" on the target docking port, setting the approaching ship and target, and rotating to face the purple circle again. You can cheat and time warp to 5x just for a moment to stop an rotational movement. Switch back to the docking vessel and re-set the ship as target, or your selected docking port for more accurate flying. Refer back for details on controls and camera angles. If you did the previous step, you should have a straight shot at the docking port move forward, but slow enough that you can stop on a dime. Time warp CAREFULLY in needed. Quick save, then make any final adjustments before going in for the kill.

Your prograde marker should be over the purple circle still, and be sure to decelerate to .2-.1 m/s right before docking. The ports are magnetic so you don't have to be spot on. If you continue to wobble, turn on SAS when centered over the port. You will be docked when the camera shifts to the new center of mass. Beware, if you have a large station of many SAS units, the station can shake itself apart. I just use time warp to stop any spinning. The size of your station is limited because of the # of parts, so don't go overboard with crazy decorations or lights, but don't worry about that yet. Congrats if you got this far! If not, don't feel bad, just give me a ring.