Building a Space Station

[wehaveaproblem]

Grats on your first dead-stick landing! I know the runways at WIN are like any other, but they do seem smaller when emerging from all that expansive blue! And don't worry about damage and injury... any landing you can walk away from, right?

Besides AIA is required to add some wrecks to the man-made reef around the island, in order to support the animal life... WWF were never very happy we built a runway on and endangered green turtle reserve!

 

[Nemoricus]

wehaveaproblem: Thanks! The problem was that I descended too quickly while approaching the runway. I'll try not to make that mistake next time.

Oceanic: Thanks for pointing that out. WAI looked pretty nice before, but now it looks stellar.

My third construction mission is currently underway.

Components:

1 BTank101 Fuel Tank
2 BTank201 Consumables Tanks
2 BTank202 Consumables Tanks
4 BT101 Truss Elements
1 BArm RMS
2 BM212 Habitation Modules

For some reason, however, perhaps due to the vagaries of scenario files, my station ended up with a crazy spin and an orbit of 477x500. I've fixed the rotation, but reboosting the orbit will be much harder.

The construction phase has been completed. I just need to figure out how to reboost the station's orbit. I may leave that for after the XR5 leaves.

---------- Post added at 10:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:16 PM ----------



I actually took this picture during the last flight, but forgot to upload it. During the mission, I happened to notice that the Moon was very near the sun. I realised that it must have crossed it some time ago. So, I rewound time, and took these pictures as the Moon transited the sun. Now, it's not a total eclipse, but it's still pretty cool.



The ascent and rendezvous of the third construction flight for Terra Station R-01 went as smoothly as any other. Shortly after the XR5 made its burn to rendezvous with the station, parts were shifted in preparation for construction. This picture shows the station passing over Ascension Island, home base of the project, after the shifting was complete.



The first module to be added was another habitation module, on the lower side of the station wrt this picture. Soon after, the truss for the solar panels was assembled and the panels and radiators relocated to their new, possibly permanent positions. A pair of consumables tanks are presently attached to the station in this picture. The one on the node will be moved to the opposite side, this time on the trussed habitation module.



After all four consumables tanks were placed in their designated positions, the second fuel tank and the fifth habitation module were attached to the station. Some time after, the XR5 reboosted TSR-01's orbit back to its nominal 500x500 orbit.



The XR5 departed after two days in orbit and deorbited after three times around Earth. Reentry was rougher than usual, with flames being seen for a brief moment. Landing was wretchedly bad. The XR5 ended up too low and slow to make it to the runway, so main engines were engaged. However, the approach was bad, so XR5 climbed for another pass. It turned too early, and had to make a third pass. This time, it landed, but it failed to stop on the runway. However, vertical speed at touchdown was within tolerance and the XR5 escaped damage.

A few notes. Boosting the station was a frustratingly difficult task. I ended up pointing the station prograde at apoapsis, using the XR5's docking port view as a guide. +Y linear RCS was used to raise the station's periapsis. However, this raised TSR-01's apoapsis to 507 kilometers. It proved impossible to point the station retrograde to make the next correction. Pointing it prograde and using -Y RCS worked did the job and the station is now in its nominal 500x500 orbit.

Some fun facts. The station currently masses 111 tons, not counting any docked vessels. The XR2 docked to the station is another thirty tons. The XR5, on the other hand, massed 421 tons while it was docked. This is almost four times the mass of the entire station. I'm slightly amused and greatly appalled that so much mass was put into orbit that then had to be deorbited at the end of every flight.

Still, I have to consider the fact that the XR5 isn't fuel limited here. It's volume limited.

Now, I need to decide what to bring up for the fourth construction flight. It will include a Dragonfly for sure, just to make things a bit easier. The Dragonfly will also be equipped with a URMS.

I'm also going to bring up a pair of solar panels to extend the station's power generation capabilities before I add further habitation modules. Any thoughts as to what else I should bring up, space permitting?

 

[pattersoncr]

Your station is developing the dumbbell shape which is ideal for gravity gradient stabilization. Make sure you have "gravity gradient torque" enabled. It should end up sitting with the long axis vertical. Adding a couple of truss sections between the habs and the fuel tanks will make the effect stronger.

 

[NukeET]

Your station is developing the dumbbell shape which is ideal for gravity gradient stabilization. Make sure you have "gravity gradient torque" enabled. It should end up sitting with the long axis vertical. Adding a couple of truss sections between the habs and the fuel tanks will make the effect stronger.

Thanks for the tip Chuck!

 

[Nemoricus]

Maybe I'll add a few truss elements later.

Anyways, the fourth construction mission/second personnel transfer mission went well.

The payload was:

1 BTank101 Fuel Tank
2 BP101 Solar Panels
1 Dragonfly-class tug
2 BCM101 Communications Modules

In addition, the second permanent crew for the station was also brought up.



The launch began shortly before local sunrise and went into sunlight shortly after the end of scram engine ascent. However, the plane change maneuver required was larger than usual, though still well within mission tolerances.

Rendezvous and docking went smoothly and construction began as soon as the station came out of Earth's shadow.



The Dragonfly-class tug was attached to the space station just as TSR-01 passed over Indonesia. Shortly after, one of the new solar panels was added. After this, the station again went into shadow and construction had to be temporarily halted. When the station again came into sunlight, the other solar panel, both communications module, and the third fuel tank were added to the station.



As usual, the XR5 remained in orbit for two days to ensure that all systems were operational. This image was taken just as the station passed over Ascension Island. The XR5 departed the station with the first crew, leaving the second to continue operating the station.



Reentry was again smooth. After aligning with the runway, the XR5 was a bit high, so it had to dive to lose altitude. However, touchdown was at safe velocities. The next mission will be in two weeks.



I landed on the runway! Two wheel sets, anyway. However, I managed to stop before the end of the runway and didn't break anything. This is my best landing so far, and completely deadstick to boot!

 

[dnt462]

you inspired me to build a space station myself but i don't know how to put stuff into the payload bay, could someone either tell me or direct me somewere to help me. And your station looks like its comeing along well.

 

[Nemoricus]

[ame=http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3426]This addon[/ame] provides configuration files for placing modules in the XR5's cargo bay via its payload management and payload editing systems.

[ame=http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3262]Universal Cargo Deck[/ame] is a pretty flexible way to pack cargo into an XR5 more efficiently than its own payload system will allow. It's pretty straightforward to use, too. My only gripe is that it doesn't prevent its cargo from docking to other items it's grappling.

In other news, I'm currently on my fifth construction mission to Terra Station R-01 and am planning several Moon missions and a Mars mission using the station as a base.

How exactly should I set up an XR5 for an extended interplanetary mission? LOX is a given, and the supplies for the crew can be included in the total mass of the cargo, but how much living space should I allot by means of CHMs?

 

[dnt462]

thanks, im currently trying to attach solar panels but like you had it keeps saying its docked so i cant use the rms to move them

 

[Nemoricus]

My latest mission has been completed, but I failed to take very many pictures.

Cargo:

2 BN301 Trussed Nodes
4 BT101 Truss Elements
2 BM230 Trussed Habitation Modules
1 BTank101 Fuel Tank



This is one of the few pictures I took during this mission. Ascent, construction, and reentry went smoothly. I didn't do so well at landing, though. I circled too soon, descending too quickly, and snapped the gear upon landing. Only minor injuries, though. However, that's the last time the desert XR5 is ever going up. It may be cursed. I'm getting a better sense of atmospheric flight, though.

There are two missions planned for next time. The first is the sixth construction mission and third personnel transfer. The second is a visit from executives of the corporation sponsoring this station. They will be going up in an XR2 to celebrate the beginning of the station's fully operational phase. They will then be headed off to the Moon for a business meeting, discussing plans for a lunar station.

Further construction of Terra Station R-01 is planned, however. This visit and celebration is to mark the beginning of its commercial operation.

 

[Hmuda]

How did you overcome the spacecraft3-dependent parts problem in the end? I'm thinking of making my own station with the XR5 and SBBs and want to know how to do it. Placed a comms module down on WAI, but didn't manage to put it into the cargo bay by any means.

So far I have the URMS installed in the cargo bay so I can operate that instead of the SBB arm (the picture was just a test run).

Now the only thing remains is chosing a suitable Inc, altitude and a way to load SC3 stuff in the bay.

 

[Nemoricus]

I copy entries from the XR5 SSBB4.1 parts scenarios.

It works pretty well.

 

[Hmuda]

Thanks, I'll look into that.

 

[Nemoricus]

My latest pair of missions have now been completed.

The first was the sixth construction mission and second crew transfer mission.

Cargo:

2 BP101 Solar Panels
2 BT101 Truss Elements
2 BM001 Half-sized Habitation Modules
2 BR101 Radiators
1 BM211 Full-sized Habitation Module
1 BM212 Full-sized Habitation Module
2 BCP01 Cupolas



Station shortly before rendezvous and docking.

Ascent was nominal, with only a slight relative angle of .11 degrees, so a single direct transfer maneuver was planned in place of the usual plane change and transfer maneuvers.



During the first construction session, the fuel boom was extended to its final length and one of the new radiators attached and deployed.



Over the next two sessions, the other radiator, the new solar panels, the four habitation modules, and the two cupolas were added, bringing the station to operational capacity.



Some gratuitous shots of the station over South America.



The corporations executives launched and docked with the station the following day. Congratulations were given and the station was declared officially operational.

The executives then departed for the Moon and the XR5 undocked after several days in orbit.

Reentry was hotter than usual, with flames being seen for a sustained period. However, alignment with the runway was good at the end of it.



Vertical speed, on the other hand, was not. I snapped the gear, again with no injuries. However, I landed on the runway, so I'm going to call the glass half-full on this one. What probably happened is that I deployed the airbrake too soon. Oh, well, maybe next time.



The executives meanwhile enjoyed a smooth and uneventful trip to the Moon.



This picture was taken shortly before PDI.



Landing went smoothly, though I overshot by about a kilometer. Aurora base lacks a VOR transmitter, so I had to guess at my range from the base and the direction of my velocity when I began my descent. All things considered, though, it was a good landing. At touchdown I had about seventy percent RCS left and just under ten percent of main fuel remaining. Not bad, no?

 

[Brycesv1]

not bad at all. lately iv been building a super station. when its all said and done it will have about 4 kilotons of mass and be fully inhabitable by civilians. its about 30% done atm.