KerbalX

Details

• Type: VAB
• Class: station
• Part Count: 67
• Mods: 3
• KSP: 1.11.1

Mods

• New Tantares
• New TantaresLV
• Squad (stock)

The original plans for the Mir space station centered around the 37K modules which were built around being carried by the Buran space shuttle. However the Buran’s development delays meant it wouldn’t be available for constructing the space station and most of the 37K modules were cancelled. They were largely replaced by the 77K modules which were heavy modifications of the FGB (Functional Cargo Block) that was one half of the TKS spacecraft.

The Kristall module became the second 77K module to be docked with Mir in 1990, just six months after the previous one. It primarily served two functions – materials processing (hence the name of the module) and a docking adapter for the Buran space shuttle. It also had the distinction of the only semi-permeant module to be moved to different locations around the Mir Core Module. It started out as connected to the -Y port (port end) on the Mir Code Module’s docking adapter but was moved to the -X port (front end), then the -Z port (bottom end) when the Spektr module, the -X port to dock with the Space Shuttle and finally back to -Z port when a docking adapter was installed.

The Crystal module is a loose approximation of the Kristall module although there is no way to simulate the materials processing furnaces although it can be moved around the station as desired. The difficulties with shuttle docking are dependent on what you use for a shuttle but the -X port does give it more clearance room and a reduction in unintended torque upon docking.

The placement of the module will require you to retract the solar panels and in some cases you can only safely re-extract one of them. If you want to be historical then you should keep in mind the undeployed solar panel on the Kristall was eventually re-located to the Kvant-1 module.

Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.11.1.