S3 - Stock Space Station

[ktsareload]

More of a practice docking facility really, thought I\'d share it as I\'ve not contributed much so far!

2 part design this one, with a 4-pronged launch/orbiter stage, and a return capsule with lots of RCS.

The SSS stage is a 4-pronged facility designed with seperate towers to attempt sideways docking of the module, and a nice open cavity to attempt to \'dock\' with the decoupler collar the training capsule detaches from.

Jeb\'s attempts at docking so far, however, have not been too great as you can see by screenshot4.png

[bradx954]

tried something exactly like this but command pod broke off came close thought

[Seanoog]

Thank you.

your ship was enjoyable to play with..

Now the taking off, was difficult, as it was as manuverable as a concrete slab in flight (An I like my ships sluggish to move in orbit).

But once in space, the fours pillars where likely wobbling goal posts to guide my shuttle through, was fun an education to keep my ship looping through them.

Especially good training for docking.

[Tim_Barrett]

Navaid minimized = did not orbit (most likely)

[ktsareload]

Minimised the nav aid specifically for the screenshots, actually.

ASAS on at launch, throttle up. Tip over at 15k gradually till you hit 45 degrees at around 30k. Let you apoapsis grow to around 150k, then throttle off and speed time up until you\'re a few klicks short of apoapsis. Line up along your vector of travel and max thrust till your periapsis hits roughly the same altitude.

I have actually managed to get this thing up to a 600k orbit with fuel left over.

[ktsareload]

And here we have the mk2, 6 stacks instead of 4 to give it a slightly more circular feel - plenty more fuel too for those nice high orbits.

One thing that\'s bugging me is that the stack decoupler seems to give the station a minute \'kick\' resulting in a rotation which is difficult to match for \'threading the needle\' excersises

As you can see by the two screenshots, both low and higher orbits are possible.

[ktsareload]

Right, last one from me - the mk3 version. Haven\'t taken any screenshots yet, but just got it into a 200k orbit so should be relatively straightforward for anyone who wants to try

[Tim_Barrett]

Minimised the nav aid specifically for the screenshots, actually.

ASAS on at launch, throttle up. Tip over at 15k gradually till you hit 45 degrees at around 30k. Let you apoapsis grow to around 150k, then throttle off and speed time up until you\'re a few klicks short of apoapsis. Line up along your vector of travel and max thrust till your periapsis hits roughly the same altitude.

I have actually managed to get this thing up to a 600k orbit with fuel left over.

Tip: press f2 during flight for screenies.

[ktsareload]

Cheers - thought it was F1, wondered what I was doing wrong!

[ping111]

Cheers - thought it was F1, wondered what I was doing wrong!

Heh, me too!

[BarryCarlyon]

I\'ve built a similar craft to this, but anything more that four spindles it struggles to get into stable orbit.

And with more fuel it struggles more.

But I only have the outer engines nothing inner.

I\'ve tried a 6 and a 8 to similar results.

But it gives enough time in orbit to play with the 'shuttle' on the front.

I use something like. I\'m not really aiming for Orbit as a Space Station, but as a Delivery Platform

[Jontu]

One thing that\'s bugging me is that the stack decoupler seems to give the station a minute \'kick\' resulting in a rotation which is difficult to match for \'threading the needle\' excersises

Try this modification. Remember 'very action has an equal and opposite reaction'.