Building a fuelstation.

[rowns]

Hi all,

I have the game only for a few weeks now, but i try to built a refuelstation. Right now it looks like this:

But my question is how do i get the fuelpots there? and how to built the rocket, with the docking ports and stuff.

[Scotius]

Uh, not to sound harsh...but how did you put this station in orbit without knowing how to build a rocket?

[Sirrobert]

Orange tank, with RCS. Put a docking port on both sides, a rocket on the bottom (command pod on the top, ect), seperated by the docking port.

Now build the rest of the stage under that rocket.

Make sure the orange tank has RCS fuel and is RCS ballanced.

Fly up, and when there decouple the engine and dock the orange tank with the station.

For RCS fuel and command, you could alternativly build an RCS tug to carry things around your station

Start of this vid is a good example:

[Vanamonde]

Are you asking how to build a rocket that can deliver the tanks? This http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/25779-Orbital-refuelling-tanker will deliver a full orange tank to about 350km orbits without using the fuel of the tank itself. It uses a medium docking ring, but you could easily replace that to make it compatible with your station.

[rowns]

Uh, not to sound harsh...but how did you put this station in orbit without knowing how to build a rocket?

I know how to build rockets but like Vanamonde says i dont know how to get the fueltanks there.

[rowns]

Orange tank, with RCS. Put a docking port on both sides, a rocket on the bottom (command pod on the top, ect), seperated by the docking port.

Now build the rest of the stage under that rocket.

Make sure the orange tank has RCS fuel and is RCS ballanced.

Fly up, and when there decouple the engine and dock the orange tank with the station.

For RCS fuel and command, you could alternativly build an RCS tug to carry things around your station

Start of this vid is a good example:

Thank you i will take a look at it.

[rowns]

Are you asking how to build a rocket that can deliver the tanks? This http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/25779-Orbital-refuelling-tanker will deliver a full orange tank to about 350km orbits without using the fuel of the tank itself. It uses a medium docking ring, but you could easily replace that to make it compatible with your station.

Thank you that rocket looks good and give me a idea how to built one.

[Tex_NL]

The answer is pretty easy. Take a basic heavy lifter and instead of a payload you place a docking port on top. Dock that half full tank you get into orbit to your station. Rinse and repeat.

In other words: don't worry about using fuel from the tank, what's important is getting the tank up first. Once you've got the tank up there you can re-fill it in a similar way you got the tank up there.

[KerbMav]

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/fueltastic/

Fuel from solar energy - just if you do not want to refill your refueling station manually every time.

It is one of the "unrealistic/cheating" mods - if there even is such a thing - that I "allow" myself to use without giving up much game play and challenge. Reasoning: If I established a working system once, I can delegate operation to my assistants.

[Dunbaratu]

Also, if your payload fuel tank is attached to the delivery rocket with a docking port instead of a decoupler, which of course it probably will be since you want to attach more tanks chained off from it, Be aware that by default a decoupler allows fuel to flow through it, and that usually the available tank farthest from the engine gets depleted first. This means usually the payload's fuel gets burned BEFORE the rocket's fuel when trying to deliver the payload. You can either just accept this and then remember to transfer the fuel back into the payload tank from the lower tanks after you dock but before you undock the delivery vehicle (which is what I usually do), or you have to remember to rightclick the docking port prior to launch on the pad and select "disable crossfeed" before you start.

[ZAJC3W]

i have a bit different problem with refueling station. I have (had) one on orbit, docked orange tank to it, then detached deliery rocket(unmanned) and flown it ito kerbin.

Now i have no controll over my station, i can transfer fuel across station, but: no active engines, RCS is not operational, I had 3 kerbonauts there, EVAing one of them put him od sun escape trajectory.

So i tried to refuel my mun mission craft, and it's now part of dead haunted space junk station, can't even undock.

I'm starting from 0 again , this time i'll put remote control pod on tank itself. if it will happen again f..ck KSP

[CCKinnison]

That's... very odd.

If you didn't "end flight" on it, have you tried clicking on any command pods/probe cores and selecting "command from here"?

[Tex_NL]

i have a bit different problem with refueling station. I have (had) one on orbit, docked orange tank to it, then detached deliery rocket(unmanned) and flown it ito kerbin.

Now i have no controll over my station, i can transfer fuel across station, but: no active engines, RCS is not operational, I had 3 kerbonauts there, EVAing one of them put him od sun escape trajectory.

So i tried to refuel my mun mission craft, and it's now part of dead haunted space junk station, can't even undock.

I'm starting from 0 again , this time i'll put remote control pod on tank itself. if it will happen again f..ck KSP

This sounds a lot like a classic error: You've run out of electricity. No juice = no control! (Check the resource tab at the top right of your screen.)

If you have solar panels that are still 'stored' have one of your Kerbals go EVA and open one. If not you could dock a vessel that has a power source (RTG or solar) and use that to power your contraption.

[ZAJC3W]

That's... very odd.

If you didn't "end flight" on it, have you tried clicking on any command pods/probe cores and selecting "command from here"?

Tried many times, navbal changes , but still no controll. I can't even see engnes on left endge of the screen.

I have total of 2400 units of electric charge, 241 units of monoproppelant and 2 gigamatic solar panels at 98% exposure

Each kerbonaut goes into sun escape trajectory during EVA attempt.

BTW my station changed name to name of last ship that docked at it, i have left ships docked on the orbit and shut game down(i need at least 3 hours sleep to look like human) maybe that was source of my problems.

Flight ended, starting new solar station program

Edited July 6, 2013 by ZAJC3W

[Anachronda]

I take a slightly different approach. Instead of having a fuel depot, I have a fuel truck in Kerbin orbit.

That decoupler between the fuel tanks keeps the fuel truck from burning the fuel that it is trying to deliver.

When something needs to be refueled, I loft a gas tank and use the fuel truck to move fuel between the gas tank and the thing that needs to be refueled. Here's my standard gas tank, which makes it to low orbit with a bit more fuel than can be moved by the fuel truck.

And here's my fuel truck refueling the largest think I have ever managed to put into orbit, Big Boy X1

I only got Big Boy X1 into orbit by allowing the booster to drain those big tanks through its mainsails, so it arrived to orbit empty. Since it has nine times the capacity of the fuel truck, it'll take me 18 dockings (and 9 gas tanks) to refuel it.

On the up side, I'm getting to where I can now just fly in and dock, no muss no fuss.

[ZAJC3W]

Anachronda, You've just achevied what i'm trying to do.

BTW i think know what caused my weird problems, You cannot have 2 MechJeb modules on 1 ship/orbital station. just tried to launch mechjeb controlled carrier with mechjeb'ed cargo, no controlls, no stages visible, nothing.

even better anything with hitchhiker didn't work, incompatible mod

Edited July 7, 2013 by ZAJC3W

[Leveller]

Im about to release a few finished stationparts with or without lifters to get everything pre-made up in orbit. I will be doing it in a week or so since im currently at work out in the baltic sea.

There will be one basic orbital station with some rcs and habitat. That you can add more of to get more space and livingquarters.

The only mods i use is:

1: MechJeb cause im lazy doing the same thing over and over.

2: IonCross (oxygen mod for added reality)

I'm using lifterparts from Temstar that currently have a PM waiting if i can use hes creations in the "release". Still no answer thou.

i will be posting pics here in an hour or two of the station with explanation.

[Leveller]

So here is the promised pictures.

Basic core module:

Extra fuel for refilling other docking ships:

Trooptransport if you dont want to leave them up there for weeks:

My 2 core modules, two tankers and one transport docked together @ 200km orbit

This is still just toying around and all i can think of to make at the moment. I have started using kethane mod to mabye have a probe or tankstation at the spacestation too but i don't have much time to play at work..

It's also a work in progress to expand it.

Suggestions is always welcome.

(Pics on dropbox, currently syncing lots of files so may take some time to get them uploaded.)

[esinohio]

If your not opposed to using mods the KW Rocketry mod comes with simple straight forward refueling design that carries a decent amount of fuel and RCS to a station/ship. In addition they include one setup with an "NTR stage" that is something like a bolt on long distance engine/fuel setup. If you just take off some engines in the payload and maybe slap on some larger docking rings you'll have one decently large fuel tug. Or you could just peek at how they put it all together and mimic it using stock parts (This is always fun!).