Station Contracts

[Baconation]

So I have a station around Minmus that I did a contract for, and have come across another contract of the same sort for Minmus. This time however, I need a station with a Research Lab and more room for Kerbals. My question is this...is the contract doable if I were to just add these modules to my existing station? Or would it have to be a separate station entirely to complete the contract?

Edited December 22, 2014 by Baconation

[sal_vager]

If the contract says it has to be a new craft built for the agency then yes, it needs to be a new vessel

[Anquietas314]

If the contract says it has to be a new craft built for the agency then yes, it needs to be a new vessel

I think what the OP was asking was if you could just launch a new module and dock it to the existing station. As to that, I have no idea.

[Bobe]

I think what the OP was asking was if you could just launch a new module and dock it to the existing station. As to that, I have no idea.

I tried that and it doesn't work.

[sal_vager]

Exactly what does your contract state?

[Anquietas314]

I tried that and it doesn't work.

Fair enough I guess.

[Laie]

There may be a way. When you dock two vessels, they become one; so it is possible for old pieces to become part of the new vessel. I don't know how the game determines which of the two vessels is to be absorbed into the other, though. I think highest mass wins, but am not sure.

[Kerbart]

You could put a "dumb" station in orbit with no command unit attached to it. Just the storage containers, lab, thermometer, solar panels, etc.

Then your "station" is a self propelled unit that docks to the existing station. Would that work?

EDIT: No it doesn't.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Kerbart

[KerikBalm]

Question not deserving of a new thread: Do the 2 spaces in the science lab count towards the station's kerbal capacity?

[tomf]

Yes science lab spaces count. Anythig that holds kerbals inside will do.

[Anquietas314]

Yes science lab spaces count. Anythig that holds kerbals inside will do.

Except the exposed seat; that doesn't count, but I suppose you could say that doesn't hold kerbals inside.

[Ziff]

I tried that and it doesn't work.

It worked for me but I was only adding additional space for Kerbals so I wonder what the factor is.

[Anquietas314]

It worked for me but I was only adding additional space for Kerbals so I wonder what the factor is.

Interesting. In that case, perhaps Bobe's combined station just didn't meet the contract requirements?

[Baconation]

Thanks for all the help!

[StrandedonEarth]

I don't think it would work.

What I like to do is take a few satellite/station contracts, build a vessel that satisfies all requirements, then launch it and move it from orbit to orbit, filling 2-3 contracts with one station launch

Edited December 22, 2014 by StrandedonEarth
Changed "should" to "would"

[Anquietas314]

I don't think it should work.

What I like to do is take a few satellite/station contracts, build a vessel that satisfies all requirements, then launch it and move it from orbit to orbit, filling 2-3 contracts with one station launch

If you don't think docking stations to satisfy those contracts should work, then.... why do you think doing that is okay? That's just as cheaty, if not more so.

[StrandedonEarth]

If you don't think docking stations to satisfy those contracts should work, then.... why do you think doing that is okay? That's just as cheaty, if not more so.

Sorry, I meant to say would, not should. And I never said my exploit wasn't cheaty, but it is profitable

[Bobe]

Interesting. In that case, perhaps Bobe's combined station just didn't meet the contract requirements?

The original station I had just required the basics (power, antenna and docking port) and space for roughly twelve kerbals. So I sent up two modules, each consisting of a Mk1-2 pod and a hitchhiker container with ports at both ends, and docked them in orbit. The next contract was identical, no extra stipulations like research labs. I tried sending a third module to extend the station and the contract was not satisfied, so ended up just duplicating the original station and it was accepted.

[Anquietas314]

Hmm. That suggests it does depend on the ship the game considers the primary one when you're docking. That's also quite interesting because the contracts don't check the "new satellite" you launched is actually the one that was put in the target orbit for satellite contracts. There's been a few cases of that mentioned here and a few other threads: Abusable Contract Mechanics. I would expect the same code is used to handle both kinds of contracts, with the main difference being the conditions for what the object is made up of.

[Srpadget]

On a related note (I think this is close enough to the original thread that it shouldn't count as hijacking):

Do the "build an orbital station" contracts need to be done in a single launch a la Skylab, or can we build them up by docking several subassemblies over multiple missions, similar to Mir and ISS?

[Anquietas314]

On a related note (I think this is close enough to the original thread that it shouldn't count as hijacking):

Do the "build an orbital station" contracts need to be done in a single launch a la Skylab, or can we build them up by docking several subassemblies over multiple missions, similar to Mir and ISS?

That's an interesting question. I think the answer is yes if one of those launches includes a power generator (solars), an antenna and a docking port. I think you can add the rest later.