First modular station attempt

[kiwiak]

Today i tried making first modular space station.

For starters, i launched Core.

After boosters separation it weights 40t. No propulsion on its own, except for RCS.

It has 4 radial docking ports for smaller ships or future modules and one big docking port on bottom. Rotating ring from habitat pack looks just awesome.

Next up, was 100 t fuel/propulsion module with another habitat module from habitat pack and small return capsule on top - nautilius pod that i love for vast field of view in IVA. Due to higher mass of payload, i used KW Rocketry solid boosters for launch vehicle.

During ascent liquid boosters drained fuel from station tanks, but after orbit was achieved central module tank was refilled and useless boosters were jetissoned.

Craft uses nuclear engine from FTmN series.

After some (well... MANY) orbital maneuvers, craft approached station core. I noticed that it was quite hard pilot...

Module large docking port was covered wth capsule, so i decoupled it and apprached station, first with return vehicle.

Unfortunetly, both module and return vehicle design were flawed. Poorly placed RCS did not allowed return ship to translate properly, making docking impossible. Station core was not equipped with robotic arm that woudl alow to dock with ship unable on its own. Attempts to move station instead ship also failed. What is more, atomic engines of capsule were misplaced (radial attachment adapter from near future propulsions was placed on decoupler) rendering whole ship completly useless!

Commander Jebediah had to abandom ship and make 300m flight using his jetpack to slowly drifting away station module.

Unfortunetly without capsule RCS, module was so hard to maneuver, that making another approach to station that meanwhile drifted away was impossible. Station core on its own lacks any propulsion system, so its impossible to do it other way too.

Right now, second generation of station module is being developed (it will be certainly equipped with lazor robotic arm), and about Jeb... eventually someone will pick him up (or not). Meanwhile, he will enjoy comfortable interior of habitat module.