I want to see your Asteroid Tugs!

[Kinglet]

I fear I may have succumbed to the Standard Template Model Asteroid Tug as well. This thing started in orbit with another half-orange grey tank + Skipper to finish circularization and do the initial plane change. I found a nice class C asteroid with a 2,000km periapsis and mostly circularized it.

Also, lifters are ridiculously easy to build and fly amazingly well. So glad that KJR functionality made it into the game, my computer is very happy. Thank you, ferram4, for all the assistance you gave the devs.

That seriously looks like you made that crater

[KissSh0t]

I wonder what happens if you attach lots of parachutes to an asteroid...

Mmmm.. I think I might try that.

[Yarrula]

Yarrula that is a very cool tug!

Thanks. I'm surprised that it worked as well as it did. It was called the Mk 1 for a reason, but it performed flawlessly the first time out.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i5ob9dq4jj5ry62/Grabber%20Test%20Mk%201.craft

Here's the craft file if you want to pull it apart and take a look. It's my first time using dropbox, so let me know if that link doesn't work.

[ArcticX9]

I wonder what happens if you attach lots of parachutes to an asteroid...

Mmmm.. I think I might try that.

This. I want to as well.

[RocketBlam]

I went with the "less is more" approach to engines. It worked fine.

[carazvan]

Everybody's been go for the huge ones with NASA boosters ... I kept it small ... an new 4-ION powered space tugg that only weights a little under 4t:

[Pipcard]

First attempt at redirecting an asteroid (to this orbit). It's a C-class.

[mhoram]

While this is not strictly an asteroid tug, I found it interesting.

I wanted to know how large class E asteroids are. So I created a scale-rocket.

The vertical bar you see consists of 18 M-Beam 200 I-Beams and large battery in the middle.

So to compare this with known things: this asteroid has the size of roughly 1.2 VAB buildings.

My idea to create a puller-tug where the engines are so far to the sides of the ship that the exhaust does not hit the asteroid is dead. :-/ But a new idea arises: A new building for storing Class E asteroids ;-)

[JedTech]

Here's my first Tug on my first Asteroid mission. Made a serious mistake very late into the game and discovered that the asteroid was orbiting in the opposite direction as me. Fortunately I had (and still have) lots and lots of fuel. I matched Velocities and reversed my orbit at closest approach.

Here's my screenshots:

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[WooDzor]

clipped 4 nuclear engines into the new structural fairing part (put them on top of 2 these square strutty things so you can decouple the new decoupler ending up with a massive explosion.. It's tricky but it works and it is pretty

my tiny asteroid base based on a tinier asteroid (Carl Sagan 140402) and the dragon like asteroid tug that sat on top of the 4 nuclear engines.

Edited April 3, 2014 by WooDzor

[NecroBones]

I completely overbuilt my tug for a class-A asteroid. I got the asteroid into LKO with about half fuel left, and this is with Poodles. Plus, I had seven detachable claw/RCS/parachute pods to position around the asteroid, which only would have been helpful on a much larger rock, so I only experimented with two of them, and left the rest docked on the tug.

Screenshots from before the grab, and after landing on the VAB roof.

[iDan122]

A nice C and my tug:

[Overfloater]

My asteroid tug is doing a fine job so far.

I named her Katherine. She's a C

;-)

Headed for a Kerbin aerobrake...

Edited April 4, 2014 by Overfloater

[Tidus Klein]

HA! I like how you used the KLAW's to make a tow bar! genius!

[NKL]

This tow bar is wonderful. I was wondering why everybody was trying to push when they got so much trouble with the center of mass balance. This is so kerbalish.

Of course IRL, pulling would be less efficient, propelled material going on the asteroid surface, counter acting the schnitzel...

[Overfloater]

HA! I like how you used the KLAW's to make a tow bar! genius!

Thanks glad u liked it ;o)

And thanks for pointing out the name for it (tow bar), I had no idea how to call it... x-D

This tow bar is wonderful. I was wondering why everybody was trying to push when they got so much trouble with the center of mass balance. This is so kerbalish.

Of course IRL, pulling would be less efficient, propelled material going on the asteroid surface, counter acting the schnitzel...

I was afraid it won't work, I totally wanted to use my tow bar... x-D

I was having LOTS of trouble lol, the whole thing behaves like a mess! But rest assured, as Katherine has been delivered to a stable 70x70 orbit ;-)

Here's what I learned: Bring an RCS pack to put it on the opposite side!!!

Edited April 4, 2014 by Overfloater

[Rune]

I've got three missions underway, but I still haven't seen anything bigger than a class C in my save. I'm curious, has signal strenght anything to do with their size among their class? because if so, one of the missions is going to catch literally a pebble. I went both for brute force and for finesse:

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So, a Nasa-style ion tug, very pretty and stuff and maneuvering the asteroid is going to take a lot of piloting skills, and then my own version of how to tame a tumbling office building floating in the dark: a big tank, a beefy nuclear tug, and four RCS tugs to serve as attitude control for the big asteroid. All mounted on top of the beefiest upper stage you can think of (the KR-2L has T/W~1 when you light it to circularize in LKO).

Mind you, I'm not too daunted by the navigation requirements, since I have managed to set <100km encounters on solar orbit for all three probes (two ion, one heavy) directly form kerbin orbit. In the case of teh ion probve headed for the big class C, I'm going to need the time to deflect it into an aerobraking pass.

Rune. I am going to like this asteroid business.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Rune

[Remkeau]

Cool design Overfloater. I've been thinking about creating a ssto also which can take home a small asteroid (A/B) in it's cargo hold... But that's for later!

I also seem to have stuck with the universal design for a probe asteroid interceptor

Which was fine for a class C with the drop tanks, but needed the help of a standard interplanetary tug to raise the apoapsis out of the atmosphere after aerobraking...

[Tankbuster32]

This is the first asteroid i captured, just an A-class but anyway, and the tug I used

and this is what it is now

I'm planning to add another solar array as well as a science lab and some habitats.

[ScottyDoesKnow]

Go big or go home!

Too small...

Quick redesign later:

3300t asteroid, 700t ship. Used less than half of its dV, maybe it was a bit much.

[KissSh0t]

Ok... my mission is now to collect asteroids and put them ontop of the VAB and no one will convince me otherwise.

*___*

[O-Doc]

Just thinking out loud. A 5000T roid is going to need approx 360 basic jets to lift. That'll be around 1000 parts for an airbreahing crane at the end of the day. I think we are closing in on a powered descent and planetary transport hard limit in tonnage....

[Camaron]

Pet Rock Challenge is the place for you!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/74920-The-Pet-Rock-challange!

[KissSh0t]

Just thinking out loud. A 5000T roid is going to need approx 360 basic jets to lift. That'll be around 1000 parts for an airbreahing crane at the end of the day. I think we are closing in on a powered descent and planetary transport hard limit in tonnage....

Nothing is impossible ( â—‰ - â—‰ )

@Camaron..

Heaps Cool~

xDDDDDD

[Camaron]

You could always just cover the thing in parachute pods.