Universal Dockable Engines

[RangerPL]

It's easy for me to imagine this stuff, but I had an idea.

Why not make a set of powerful engines with a docking port at one end. These could be used for general space station propulsion, TLI of large objects like the Esalab or the Cassiopee orbital lab. If it were designed with Payload Manager, it would be even better, because you could create a "train".

I came up with this when thinking up schemes to perform the TLI of a Cassiopee orbital lab. I realized that I don't really have a booster that it can be docked to. If I used Velcro or Payload Manager, it would not be possible to dock a DGIV to the end of the whole stack and fly somewhere.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Something like the [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1127"]Delta Tug[/ame]?
This particular addon isn't universal, but it's the same idea right?

 

[RangerPL]

Yeah, but the DT is based on payload manager. It would be better to have something like the Smerch tug (by kulch), but instead of a payload adapter, it could have a docking port.

So that I could assemble a large ship in orbit, or use it to reboost my space stations.

 

[jedidia]

So that I could assemble a large ship in orbit,

http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=1391

 

[RangerPL]

That was just an example. As far as I know, they're not dockable right?

 

[jedidia]

nope, we are using a merge system, so you actually get ONE spacecraft instead of a hundred connected ones, but there's not much thrusters yet anyways. I'm still occupied with making decent meshes for all possible parts (currently texturing the VC, never done that before...), but in... erm... let's say 6... no, better 12 months, there will be tons of stuff to put together. Hrm... yes, that's right sir!