Asteroid Bases?

[redmario14]

With the asteroids in the new update, does that make it possible to build bases on these asteroids? I feel like the asteroids would de-spawn or glitch in some way. Just wondering if anyone has done this yet?

[malkuth]

Nope once you capture them and bring them into Orbit of kerbin they are there all the time (and won't de-spawn). Asteroids are just ships.. Big ones but that is all they are. You can treat it like a Piece of a SpaceStation. And add modules to it or what not using the grapple.

[redmario14]

What if the asteroid remains outside Kerbin's atmosphere? Like just floating around in space, or in orbit around Duna or the Sun?

[ArmchairGravy]

Tonight I got a Class C into a 100km orbit. Tomorrow, the base!

[AmpsterMan]

Don't treat them as bases but rather space stations with a giant astroid attached

[Whackjob]

I think you mean Potatoroid bases. I have it on only a slightly questionable source that Kerbals are dealing with potatoroids.

[AustralianFries]

It's entirely possible to build a station around the asteroid, using the ARM system. However, since asteroids are just considered ships to the game, and due to the fact that they don't have gravity, it is not possible to build a base on them.

Edit: Malkuth just got the greatest ninja of all time.

[turkwinif]

What if the asteroid remains outside Kerbin's atmosphere? Like just floating around in space, or in orbit around Duna or the Sun?

I would imagine that if you have a ship attatched to the asteroid, the asteroid won't disappear. Then again, I could be completely wrong

[redmario14]

So, if asteroids are like ships, does that mean they blow up if they crash into the Sun, or Jool?

[malkuth]

What if the asteroid remains outside Kerbin's atmosphere? Like just floating around in space, or in orbit around Duna or the Sun?

they only spawn around Kerbin.. If you let them go and don't bring them into orbit they despawn... The is something like a 1:2 chance of them spawning around kerbin. Its on some sort of timer, Ive seen it a little bit in the code and in the debug menu working. Have not studied it much.. But its definitely on some sort of timed event for them to spawn.

And they won't despawn if your tracking them by the way.. That includes letting them go by, when you track them you can see they have a complete orbit around sun.

[makinyashikino]

With KAS, could you attach docking ports directly to the "potatoroids"? It would probably make moving the asteroid much easier as well.

[malkuth]

I think you mean Potatoroid bases. I have it on only a slightly questionable source that Kerbals are dealing with potatoroids.

Yeah thats what they are called in the code. there part name is potatoroids.. You can see it in the gamedata folder under NASA parts.

[redmario14]

If you set an asteroid on a collision course with the sun, will it explode like a ship?

[katateochi]

Yeah thats what they are called in the code. there part name is potatoroids.. You can see it in the gamedata folder under NASA parts.

At first I didn't believe you, but it is true!!

Also the title is "A potato like rock" and the manufacturer is "The Solar system". lol

[Killerdude8]

Assemble your base near the Asteroid, Don't forget Claws!!

Get some kind of Tug to push the assembly down onto the Asteroid and you're golden.

[SkyRender]

I'd say it's reasonable to declare it possible to make an asteroid base, yes.

[ddavis425]

Yeah asteroid bases are pretty fun but this quickly made my framerate drop

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[merendel]

Yeah asteroid bases are pretty fun but this quickly made my framerate drop

well it looks like 219 parts. depending on your system specs that can start pushing your framerate down.

[Frank_G]

I captured my first asteroid last night and i will use it as foundation for a science station. Every good space game needs an asteroid base! When this is done i plan on attaching a small kerbaled science base to an asteroid without changing its flight path... Just journey with it and collect all the science on the way, wherever it might go.

[lammatt]

no i think they'll still despawn if you dont have something attached to it for too long...

(i tried to unhook an asteroid, and it turns in the "?" type again.

[OrtwinS]

As long you are tracking it in the observatory or have at least 1 part attached they wont despawn.

[electronicfox]

I have a class A that I never intercepted, but did track it. It somehow got itself into a polar inclined orbit and never despawned. I also have a class E in 100km orbit with specialised docks attached to them for base-building.

[merendel]

I have a class A that I never intercepted, but did track it. It somehow got itself into a polar inclined orbit and never despawned. I also have a class E in 100km orbit with specialised docks attached to them for base-building.

Its possible for asteroids to have an encounter with Mun or Minmus that gives them just enough of a nudge after entering the SOI to end up self captureing.

[electronicfox]

Its possible for asteroids to have an encounter with Mun or Minmus that gives them just enough of a nudge after entering the SOI to end up self captureing.

That solves the mystery of my class A, its orbit skims the orbit of Minmus, so its likely to have had the nudge from there. I havent gone to collect it yet, in fact the E has been my only manual capture so far. I'm using that for testing asteroid-puller designs.

[Stilgar2300]

Kind of want to see someone kerbalize Space: 1999 on a class E astroid.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Stilgar2300