How should I get to eve?

[fenderzilla]

I have this plan to get a space station of sorts into orbit around eve. It's not so much a space station as a starship, because it's battleship-shaped and has its own propulsion. I'm obviously going to construct it in orbit. The question is, what orbit? Would it be easier to build my whole starship in Kerbin orbit, then send it to eve, or to send the pieces individually and assemble them there?

[Rhyunix]

You want a low orbit around Kerbin to start your construction. Make sure that you can easily get to the orbit without dipping into the atmosphere to catch up with the construction site. I suggest that you send logistical equipment to Eve and build the ship at Kerbin

[fenderzilla]

thanks, but what do you mean by "logistical equipment

[Stankleberry]

Use rockets.

[DisarmingBaton5]

DISCLAIMER: I have never built a mothership or even finished a space station.

I suggest that you build three or four parts (depending on the size of the final construction) in Kerbin orbit, each with its own Eve transfer stage. Then, once in Eve orbit, arrange and dock them, then move the whole thing to a different orbit to escape the debris (of transfer stages). Before you build anything, though, plan it.

[Richy teh space man]

I'd recommend building your ship at around 1 mil kms up around Kerbin at least, there's more room to maneuver on changing your orbits to match, plus the day cycle will be a little longer, giving you more time to dock.

[Aqua667]

Docking stuff in Kerbin orbit would be better than Eve orbit. Imagine this: the super important propulsion module for the ship has arrived. Preparing to dock! Oh $%#& the ASAS chewed up the RCS mid transfer!. That would really suck. Assemble it, refuel, and head to Eve. And remember, if your planning on landing and returning, you need about 12000 DV, less if you land on a mountain.

[fenderzilla]

Mmm it looks like I should build in kerbin orbit. I want to test if this thing can fly back to kerbin, so why not test by flying it to eve.

[espm400]

I'd suggest osmosis...

[annallia]

One suggestion to counter one already given... Instead of changing your ships orbit to get out of the debris field from your launchers, do what I do for my single use tugs (final stage that docks the part to station/ship). Stick a probe core and a battery on the tug. Its light so the added weight wont prevent you from reaching orbit and it will allow you to control that stage so you can de orbit it yourself and get it out of your ship/stations way.

That said, if you are building a station, build it in eve orbit, those things can be ridiculously hard to move! If a ship build it in Kerbin orbit since you don't want to fly it all the way to Eve only to realize you forgot a part necessary for the return trip.