Building a station! But a part broke...

[Name Lips]

Hi, this is my first post here!

I am building a station in orbit around Kerbin. I'm not sure how useful the station will be, maybe it's just for practice.

I'm playing in Career mode because I liked the idea of needing to acquire science using parts that might not be up to the task to unlock the really useful parts. So it's quite possible that a lot of very important station building parts aren't available to me yet.

The first unit consisted of a command module, hitchhiker container (for kerbals to live in) and a Mobile Processing Lab (with the theory that I could dock probes there to unload their science and reuse them or something). I also remembered solar panels, batteries, and lights. Once it was in orbit I EVAed a kerbal and got him to the command module (I remembered ladders!) so he could control the thing.

Notice, however, that I forgot to add any sort of RCS or monopropellant. This made my first docking experience quite an ordeal, since I couldn't orient the station very well. But I finally managed to get my Fuel Section docked and attached, including some monopropellant tanks and RCS thrusters.

So far the station is basically a long tube.

My question is coming up. But a little more background is important.

I have an asparagus setup for putting my pieces in orbit. It's a fairly normal rocket, except at the top it has a docking clamp. Then I design a piece for my station and attach it to the docking clamp. This results in a somewhat topheavy-looking rocket.

But the main problem is when I lift off, the docking clamp between my asparagus rocket and the station piece experiences a lot of stress. It starts to wobble and eventually breaks off and everything blows up. To fix this, I built some Strut Connectors between the rocket and the station module. This strengthens the thing enough to launch with no difficulty. My thought was when I undock the docking clamp, the Struts will break.

This was my plan for attaching my Fuel Section to my Command/Science section. It seemed to work, I got them docked, and I released the clamp from my ship. The Struts broke, and the ship and station were no longer connected. The station looked nice, and I thought I had figured it out.

The Fuel Module was pretty empty though (sending it up full made my rocket too heavy) so my next job was to make a fuel tanker ship to fly up and fill up the station.

Then I designed the fuel ship and sent it up. It still takes me a while to intercept, but I finally got everything lined up (easier now that the station had RCS) and moved in to dock.

That's when I noticed the PROBLEM. The end of the station's Fuel Module didn't have a docking clamp anymore! It must have been damaged or destroyed back when the struts detached.

Luckily there was another docking port at the opposite end of the station, on the command module, so I rotated it and managed to connect and transfer the fuel.

But my station isn't the way I wanted it. It's supposed to have the command module on one end, and the new modules attached to the other end. But there's no docking port there anymore.

So here, finally, is my question.

Is there any way to ADD a docking port to the end of my station while it is in orbit? That is to say, actual in-orbit construction? Or am I stuck with only the single port on the other end?

Edited January 23, 2014 by Name Lips

[Roxette]

Is there any way to ADD a docking port to the end of my station while it is in orbit?

The only way I can think of would be by the use of the Kerbal Attachment System and adding the docking port to the configuration text file as a part that can be carried and fitted on EVA. How feasible this is in career mode at your present tech level I could not say.

[cathasatail]

Is there any way to ADD a docking port to the end of my station while it is in orbit? That is to say, actual in-orbit construction? Or am I stuck with only the single port on the other end?

Well, you cannot magically place another docking port on the end unfortunately but what I can suggest is that you create a docking module and fit it between two parts to allow other parts to be then joined onto that.

Hope that helps!

Sam

[iBeej]

Is there any way to ADD a docking port to the end of my station while it is in orbit? That is to say, actual in-orbit construction? Or am I stuck with only the single port on the other end?

Nope. Not without mods or modifying the craft file manually. And if you aren't pleased with the aesthetics of adding on multi-port dock connectors to continue building, and you want to play the game clean without mods or "cheating" it, then my advice would be to undock the broken module and deorbit it and send up a new one. That should provide some fun missions for you.

I think it would be fun to send up a craft, especially an SSTO that can dock with the now separated station module and haul it back down to a collision course with Kerbin. Then fix your launch vehicle problems and send up a pretty new module.

In fact, I think i'm going to go break my station now...

[Taki117]

Sounds like your launcher accidentally collided with, and knocked off, the docking port on the end. Only thing you can do really is to detach that module and send up a new one (I would also send up a deorbit tug to take the old module away) I also advise not strutting directly to the docking port, but rather to whatever the docking port is attached to.

[Trann]

I think it would be fun to send up a craft, especially an SSTO that can dock with the now separated station module and haul it back down to a collision course with Kerbin.

I'm partial to the possibility of repair missions: carry the part up, EVA to "move" it into position, attach/weld/seal/bolt the part into place.

To make the part portable (or not really attached to its delivery vessel), perhaps a new "part holder" part is required? Something clampy/bolty that can be interacted with.

[Name Lips]

I'm partial to the possibility of repair missions: carry the part up, EVA to "move" it into position, attach/weld/seal/bolt the part into place.

To make the part portable (or not really attached to its delivery vessel), perhaps a new "part holder" part is required? Something clampy/bolty that can be interacted with.

That would be fun, there doesn't seem to be a lot to do while EVA at the moment.

I think I'm going to do the replacement mission. I'll fly a new fuel tank up and dock it at the "wrong" end, then use the rocket to detach the old part, then reattach the correct pieces together.

I'm still not sure WHY I am building a space station. What I really need is more science. My goal was to put a little satellite in orbit around each planet and moon in the solar system and beam back some basic information. But I got distracted when I unlocked the docking clamps.

[Taki117]

That would be fun, there doesn't seem to be a lot to do while EVA at the moment.

I think I'm going to do the replacement mission. I'll fly a new fuel tank up and dock it at the "wrong" end, then use the rocket to detach the old part, then reattach the correct pieces together.

I'm still not sure WHY I am building a space station. What I really need is more science. My goal was to put a little satellite in orbit around each planet and moon in the solar system and beam back some basic information. But I got distracted when I unlocked the docking clamps.

If you want more to do on EVA you could get Kerbal Attachment System which allows you to add struts, and hook up fuel lines (among other things) while on EVA. I have used it to create a makeshift Tug/refueler for ships without docking ports.

[Taki117]

That would be fun, there doesn't seem to be a lot to do while EVA at the moment.

I think I'm going to do the replacement mission. I'll fly a new fuel tank up and dock it at the "wrong" end, then use the rocket to detach the old part, then reattach the correct pieces together.

I'm still not sure WHY I am building a space station. What I really need is more science. My goal was to put a little satellite in orbit around each planet and moon in the solar system and beam back some basic information. But I got distracted when I unlocked the docking clamps.

If you want more to do on EVA you could get Kerbal Attachment System which allows you to add struts, and hook up fuel lines (among other things) while on EVA. I have used it to create a makeshift Tug/refueler for ships without docking ports.