STRUCTURAL COUPLINGS for space assembly.

[aec007]

Has it ever happened to you ?

You want to build something truly big out there, without cheating to get it out there?

I did... and for lack of solid structural couplings, I resorted to using docking ports. They suck.

See I got big items out there:

That WAS an awesome 1,500+ TON ship with over 13,000 KN of thrust that became useless the moment I fire up the thrusters.

The docking ports collapsed under pressure and expand like accordions (it almost looks like a Slinkyâ„¢ under tension)... with barely any power at all, the entire assembly collapsed and exploded.

The good news, is that the game engine can actually dock all 3 docking rings simultaneously without a glitch at all !!!

I was then relegated to build skinny light structures to get up there and attach fuel tanks on the sides like this:

They work, but not as elegant... as because side loading the dock rips them apart the tanks need to be small.

It does give you the possibility of just use decouplers to "eject" the empty cans though...

But seriously, we do need some sort of structural coupling that can assemble parts in space and make joints as strong as if they were assembled at the VAB.

Anyone with me?

[pelican]

Interesting idea, however you haven't propose any solution of how it could look like. In addition building orbital structures just with docking rings has its own magic, specific difficulty and its realistic.

[Tex]

That idea with the Sr. ports is really cool... I can also see that you are no stranger to mods. I would recommend KAS, then you can simply strut the parts together.

[Red Iron Crown]

KAS is the mod for this sort of thing. Being able to strut in space is immensely useful for station building.

That's a great looking couple of ships, BTW.

[r4pt0r]

i would suggest that any proposed structural couplings work only when the tops of both are at 12 o'clock (presuming you are facing it head on) then make the connection permanent and as strong as a vab conection. this would prevent any accidental upsidedown or sideways permanent mating. other than that make them just like docking ports

Edited May 2, 2014 by r4pt0r

[Capt Snuggler]

what if they were square? (or squareish) that way as long as you design correctly the coupling is limited angles of 90° which makes the assembly a bit easier and predictable. it would also make them visually unique compared to Clamp-O-Trons, so noobies wont get them mixed up.

maybe once coupled or docked you have to EVA a kerbal to the coupling, right click and select "lock down".

Edited May 2, 2014 by Capt Snuggler

[Strikerklm96]

Maybe you could dock two ships, and then have Kerbals attach struts from point to point via EVA, or while on EVA weld the docking ports together, making it a rigid attachment. (I like the idea of Kerbals actually doing spacework)

[Vahal]

usually to make some rigid structure I use a central big docking port (2.5/3.75m depending the size of the ship core) and 4 coaxial 1.25m docking ports. The main difficulty is to build a docking ring who links all the clampotrons

That was fine but to be sure I used KAS to "moooar struts" around the junctions. Working like a charm.

[aec007]

Standard 3 lobes? like early IRL docks?

But they don't need to be... a square block at the end of a girder will do as long as the attachment has then same strength as if built at the VAB.

[aec007]

Dang!... I got KAS but never thought of strutting in space... Do you take the struts up there in the container or relocate existing ones?

Also using a Kerval to move parts is tedious and time consuming... if you can sequentially place all structural couplings in the VAB, it would be synch to assembly large ships out there.

It would also allow to have deployable proves or landers that are structurally sound with the large ship during travel at full speed.

The last picture is my EVE transport ship, which carried a massive Eve Lander up front and 3 deployable KM1 lander cans with KAS hooks to attach to the surface of Gilly. I took 9 Kervals to EVE's orbit, but chickened out and returned them safely home.

Thanks for the KAS tip.

Edited May 2, 2014 by aec007

[Sauron]

People keep suggesting KAS/quantum struts, but they fill a slightly different role. A plugin that created (permanent, presumably) and sturdier linkages between ships would be a useful thing indeed.

[Capt. Hunt]

KAS struts are handy, but they aren't nearly as strong as regular struts and I found that they have a tendency to summon the Kraken if you use too many of them.

I agree, some sort of more sturdy and more permanent docking rig would be handy.

[Nuke]

im thinking a docking port with angle snaps. it would result in a perfect dock, and then both parts of the dock would auto-weld themselves into one part.

[Vahal]

If I just need the strut, I placed the struts end points in the VAB and link them on orbit If I need some other KAS stuff, struts are stored with all other. A drawback of my five docking ports junction, the part count.

[aeTIos]

I can see how everyone's suggesting KAS for strutting the docking ports. However the docking ports keep being a b--tch under acceleration, at least so I experienced. A 'structural coupling' would be a very nice thing to have.