Do you even Spacestation?

[Colmath]

As a matter of fact I DO station. I have a modular layout with predesigned modules for each task. I dock these up with XL docking ports for additional stability:

Core with habitation and reactor (A couple of RTGs).

Refueling modules with orange tank, RCS and an array of docking ports (I have a version with XL and normal as well)

Habitation module

Lab module - in planning process

Generally I try to make my stations without large solar panels as they tend to complicate things and can be a problem if I mess up a docking maneuvers. I use these stations for multiple purpose: they serve as refueling stations and home bases for my only-in-space vehicles that do various jobs in orbit and between orbits (like landers, orbital transfer vehicles, etc). They also hold crews for later missions so I don't have to launch them all for every mission, I just rotate them out from the station itself.

The first station I made this way was Waypoint Station (the name refers to its status as a midpoint in KO @ 250 km), and Armstrong Station in Munar orbit. They both use the same array of parts ("if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"), and so will the next planned stations, one above Minmus and Duna.

[Duranis]

Just finished putting together the main parts of my Orbital Microwave Power transmitter in geostationary orbit. So far it weighs in at just under 400Tons and was built over 4 launches. Pretty happy with it as this is the first time I have done any docking successfully. This is setup for the interstellar mod in career mod to transfer power around the Kerbin system with a relay network.

Still have plans to add a few more bits to it (habitation ring, Fuel dump (regular fuel and for the nukes), docking ring).

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[bsalis]

Yes I do Spacestation. I launch them as one piece, with few parts as possible to help with lag.

I find them useful to clump craft together, and transfer fuel and crew.

[ArmchairGravy]

I'll do basic Skylab/tankers, but nothing complex.

[Flixxbeatz]

Just finished putting together the main parts of my Orbital Microwave Power transmitter in geostationary orbit. So far it weighs in at just under 400Tons and was built over 4 launches. Pretty happy with it as this is the first time I have done any docking successfully. This is setup for the interstellar mod in career mod to transfer power around the Kerbin system with a relay network.

Still have plans to add a few more bits to it (habitation ring, Fuel dump (regular fuel and for the nukes), docking ring).

-snip-

I smell a powerful PC. What are your specs?

[Duranis]

I smell a powerful PC. What are your specs?

Nothing overly special to be honest.

AMD FX 4100 Quad core

16GB Ram

Cheap 1TB harddrive

Geforce GTX 560

Have a small overclock going on the GFX and CPU but doesn't really need it. For a budget gaming system built a year or 2 ago it performs pretty nicely Can run most current games at full settings without to many issues.

[AlamoVampire]

Amazing stations thus far

[thunderstar]

i do build stations, but mostly for fuel, store crew, test a new ship in docking operations, but mostly i do buld stations for manned interplanetary travels, also i don't like gigantic 1000 parts stations, i prefer to keep them simple and the less laggy possible

[Gehlen]

I received KSP as a gift at the beginning of December last year and have greatly enjoyed building, exploring, and exploding during breaks from college classes and homework. Seen here is the culmination of what I've been able to do thus far: my Minmus Research Station (MiRS). The MiRS serves as a refueling depot and mobile processing lab for my Minmus Lander Module (MiLM) allowing me to biome hop. By my estimation once I am done collecting the remaining biomes I have not explored yet I should be returning the 3 veterans in the Command Service Module (CSM) with around 6000 science. As I am playing with Interstellar I do plan to expand the station with reactors and the Interstellar research labs when I unlock the needed parts and, provided the part count doesn't lag my computer too much, microwave power transmission as well. Currently it is in a 20x21 kM orbit around Minmus and has a part count of 480 when the CSM and MiLM are docked (as shown here) with crew space on the station proper for 10. This is also my first attempt at any sort of space station in KSP and I am rather pleased with the results so far.

<object width="800" height="700"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1"><param name="flashvars" value="id=428946443&width=1337"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="327" flashvars="id=428946443&width=1337" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br><a href="http://gehlenankhshas.deviantart.com/art/Kerbal-Space-Program-Minmus-Research-Station-428946443'>http://gehlenankhshas.deviantart.com/art/Kerbal-Space-Program-Minmus-Research-Station-428946443">Kerbal Space Program Minmus Research Station</a> by <span class="username-with-symbol u"><a class="u regular username" href="http://gehlenankhshas.deviantart.com/" >GehlenAnkhshas</a><span class="user-symbol regular" data-quicktip-text="" data-show-tooltip="" data-gruser-type="regular"></span></span> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com">deviantART</a>

<object width="800" height="700"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1"><param name="flashvars" value="id=428946448&width=1337"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="327" flashvars="id=428946448&width=1337" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br><a href="http://gehlenankhshas.deviantart.com/art/Kerbal-Space-Program-Minmus-Research-Station-2-428946448">Kerbal Space Program Minmus Research Station 2</a> by <span class="username-with-symbol u"><a class="u regular username" href="http://gehlenankhshas.deviantart.com/" >GehlenAnkhshas</a><span class="user-symbol regular" data-quicktip-text="" data-show-tooltip="" data-gruser-type="regular"></span></span> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com">deviantART</a>

[bigdad84]

As a matter of fact I do "Space Station"!

[Dirty Bob]

My stations are generally a jumbled mess of unplanned craft docked together. They also usually look like crap because of this, with no symmetry or anything resembling a design process. I like my ugly space stations though.

[dommcq]

Yes i do "space station":

Minmus Fuel Station for refueling interplanetary crafts:

[Joshington]

with Mechjeb, rendezvous is simple. match orbit plane, warp to close point, match velocity, target tar+, accelerate, match velocity, tar+, accelerate.....

I know, but if I'm gonna use mods, I might as well save time and use Hyperedit (which I do)

[User Unrelated]

Mine usually end up being a pretty messy jumble of various modules.

I've yet to have a station with more than 3 modules, though. A new update usually comes out and I'm too anxious to wait for mods to update.

I want to stick with the current update, though, so hopefully I can build some really big stations like I have always wanted.

that one was paired with a miner on the surface, and the whole miner thing would actually fly up and rendezvous.

this was pre-science, though.

[DenisKL]

Can I build a Space Station that can be seen from Kerbin? Is there an engine limitation or if I build a big SS it will be visible like a dot of light in the sky?

[Vanamonde]

Can I build a Space Station that can be seen from Kerbin?

Sadly, no. Ships are only fully rendered when you get within 2.25kms of them. Otherwise, they are little more than moving points in space.

[jedensuscg]

I know, but if I'm gonna use mods, I might as well save time and use Hyperedit (which I do)

Mods are nothing like hyperedit. Mechjeb is as far from hyperedit as you can get. Mechjeb will not do anything if you can't build a flyable craft. With hyperedit you can put a refrigerator in geo-orbit around Kerbin if you wanted to. And what he described as using Mechjeb was just using the assist functions that point you in the right direction, not flying for you.

[EndOfTheEarth]

Sometimes, yes, but not for any particular function. Usually they're just for looks. When it comes to refueling rockets I tend to just send up a new refueler to dock in LKO instead of having a massive fuel base up there and waiting. Maybe if I was more into mods I would see the point of using them for on-orbit kethane storage above Ike or one of the Joolian moons, but above Kerbin? Not really.

That said, when I DO work on a station for fun, it is usually segmented around an unmanned central core with a lot of docking ports. Next comes something to provide additional power, followed by some kind of habitation module and a dedicated visiting vehicle docking structure. From there, it becomes cosmetic: Antenna booms, science pallets, more habitation and power components, and so on.

Here's one that I built quite a while back that shows of most of these principles:

[mordin86]

Of course, space stations are fun to make. Most of them are also refueling stations for my missions.

[ncore]

I just started playing career mode and in order to reach far away planets, I build a station meant to house and transport kerbals AND their own individual landing modules. This was the first space base I ever built so it looks a little ugly, and there were things I should have made decouplers for such as engines I don't need, but hey, its my first base!

Here is a pic, sorry for the potato quality, my computer was really laggy even after setting a low resolution:

It has tons of rcs and fuel, and is powered by an engine that uses neither of them. Also, the four mini landing ships each have their own mini kethane mining plant so they can refuel anytime they want.

[ainamogel]

I "space station" for the same reasons I play the rest of KSP: because it is fun and a challenge. Here's a shot of the Fustek ring station I finished today. 24 kerbals can live on it, two to a habitation module. 21 launches to assemble in orbit, and then it gets invaded by alien doppelgangers!

[mellojoe]

I've done the big-massive frame-rate-killing station. And I've built small ones. Small ones are usually single-launch type structures. Strap a bunch of mainsails and orange tanks and hope for the best.

The big ones are usually sketched our roughly on paper first. My largest, most complex station started with basically the idea of everything in three's. Three arms, three stacks of living quarters, three giant radio antennea, and three arms of fuel. Each arm was created through simple trial-and-error. The main radio antenna were re-created and re-launched three separate times because I was never quite satisfied with them. Each piece added influenced the design of the next piece. When I put something on it, if I liked it, I kept it. If I didn't, I'd de-orbit that piece, re-design, and send it back up. Took probably dozens of launches, countless docking and re-docking, but it worked.

Most of the time I included a single-use tug to position the piece and attach it. One medium sized tug was left in place attached to the station for quite a while, but I only used it a couple of times. Most of the time the tugs would run low on fuel, and I didn't feel it worth it to send up fuel when I could just send up a new tug.

All of my "designs" basically start with a general idea, and as I see how pieces fit together it leads to other ideas. Which in turn lead to different ideas. Rarely have I ever finished where I thought I would, and often times the first idea is complete trash and thrown out. I try to find ways to use parts aesthetically that maybe aren't their original purpose. This leads to adding parts just to see what it looks like. Which leads to other ideas. Which leads to other ideas. And on. And on. And on ...... its a wonder I get any sleep at all .......

[Dingbat1967]

I've built a framerate killing station before and wasn't really enthused by it.

The largest station I built is a large fuel storage and Kethane refinery above the mun.

However I've stopped building such behemoths since even if a couple of space craft are docked, the frame-rate plunges to nil so I tend to build smaller these days.

- I tend to build strictly utilitarian stations, and I try to keep the parts count as low as I can to avoid frame rate droppage.

- Two types of station: parking hubs & fuel station.

- Single launch stations that have all types of docking ports and some fuel storage.

I'm not good at spacecraft esthetics anyhow so I'm not even trying. Butt ugly but useful is fine by me.

Here's an example of a small station from Area-51 KMP Server that I run:

And a Duna station that I put up:

Edited January 28, 2014 by Dingbat1967

[Rainbow-Dashie]

I usually send up a core, then i send up the fuel for it, so it can be a refueling station. Then as I start to realize what I forgot the first few times, I start adding the solar panels, batteries, crew areas, and science stuff that should have been sent up with the first 2 launches...

If my brain is working right I may have 2-4 modules, since i remembered everything. When my brain derps, I'll have 5-10 since I keep forgetting those dang solar panels or docking ports and I have to keep fixing my mistakes!

[Starwhip]

Well, my first "station" was made of the standard 1.25 meter parts... and had about 1000 parts. So basically:

1000 KSP parts + Intel Pentium processor + 2 GB of RAM = Essence of Lag.

Bad days, thing was "decommissioned" *cough*blownup*cough*

I've gotten really good at manual docking, and I'm efficient, too.