Permanent Mobile Inhabited Mun Base

[Lucky90]

So I started a new mission that is actually quite demanding. Much more than you could except because I'm not sending just a small living quarter off to the Mun. I've constructed a space station capable of refuelling ships and that can itself be refilled. I've also placed a small station on a 40,000m high orbit around the Mun.

So the way it works is that I sent different parts of the station, built it, then sent parts of the Mun Base one by one to dock on the Kerbin station, refuelled them in order to send them to the Mun, placed them in orbit, docked them on the Mun station and them I'm going to land on the Mun with a fairly big mobile base.

Here is how it looks:

The station

The base (it was edited serval time since then and the wheels are no more connected through docking ports. I just launched them with the modules)

The first Base module being refuelled at the station

The first Base module being docked at the Mun Station

The second Base module being docked at the Mun Station

So this is a work in progress and I'll keep updating my mission on this thread.

AND YES I WILL SEND A FUEL TANK AND A LANDER PART FOR THE BASE... I won't just throw it on the Mun lol

Tell me what you think, what you like, what you dislike. Give me advice if you want

[Rhyunix]

Have you tested that design on Kerbin? I foresee bad things happening with that docking port

[Lucky90]

Damn... Hum, I just assumed that since there is no atmosphere and very little gravity it would just work out. I tested the driving on Kerbin and it was fine, but I will admit that I didn't test the landing.

[SpacedCowboy]

Yeah, hate to be another nay-sayer, but it does look a little flimsy at that port, maybe some struts or senior port could have been used. Over all it's a pretty cool design. Do keep us updated!

[Patupi]

KAS docking struts, or quantum struts (or the strut gun from the same pack) would strengthen the docking connection up sufficiently. Or are you specifically attempting a pure stock system?

[Lucky90]

So here it is. I've done it... And it worked! I admit that the landing was a little sketchy, but to be honest, the base (including the docking ports) is surprisingly stable and it can be driven very comfortably around the Mun.

Here are the pictures:

Fully assembled base docked on the Mun station:

Landing. High on Mun orbit:

Landing: Medium height over the Mun:

I landed. It was a very (very) rough landing, but the based actually survived the 50m fall and serval other issues encountered with my poorly designed landing system lol.

Another small issue is that the decoupler at the front was installed on the wrong side so it will stay there indefinitely. I can live with that.

Others:

So overall it was a nice mission. Very well planned when it comes to the space station, the in-orbit assembly... It was only the landing that was bad, but the important is that I made it (on first attempt, no quicksave was ever used).

So yeah... Just wanted to share that with you guys

[Lucky90]

KAS docking struts, or quantum struts (or the strut gun from the same pack) would strengthen the docking connection up sufficiently. Or are you specifically attempting a pure stock system?

Pure stock. I haven't played with mods... Well... Ever.

[LordFjord]

Well done! Nice mobile base you have there.

I have built a somewhat similar mobile base recently, but I didn't assemble it in orbit, instead shot it up in one piece.

Here's a pic of it cruising around on Mun:

I used a lot more wheels as you did, in fact I am surprised that the 4 wheels aren't bending under the weight of your rover.

And I have used a few mods (Kethane and some strut parts from other mods), but the same design would perfectly work as stock craft as well.

Edited January 28, 2014 by LordFjord

[Lucky90]

That's a very cool looking base... But hell it looks heavy. It must have taken a monstrous rocket to launch that haha.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Lucky90

[LordFjord]

The one I'm currently working on is twice its size, I'll post it in a serperate thread when I get it to Eve.

The MK I in the pic above is roughly 90 tons if I remember right. MK IV has ~215 tons, with the interstellar stage it has 495 tons.

I wanted to build something big, and make use of those 200 ton sphere tanks from the torodial tank parts mod.

It's going to take ages to move that thing.

I used the modular girder segments with a wheel on each side, then attach that in symmetry mode to the orange tank -> 4 wheels and relatively stable driving.

[Lucky90]

I'll surely look forward to follow your thread.

[LordFjord]

Here you go

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/67683-One-way-trip-heavy-mobile-base-on-Eve