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Storage bay, whats it for?


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The main function is to protect parts inside frim heat, and to reduce drag.  But note that parts must be attached via the nodes (green spheres) to be excluded from drag.   Then you can attach pays that are attached to the nodes,  and so forth.   Items placed directly on the floor,  ceiling or sides will still cause drag. 

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Really, they don't do a lot. You can stick a command seat inside a 2.5M service bay to make a cheaty low-mass command pod. If you have to attach a small part to a large stack, you can put it inside a service bay to help keep your stack from being too bendy. For extremely heat sensitive parts they provide protection. If you go for lithobraking, the service bays make nice soft pillows for the rest of your craft to land on top of.

 

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5 minutes ago, bewing said:

You can stick a command seat inside a 2.5M service bay to make a cheaty low-mass command pod.

Well, actually, you can do it with a 1.25m one, if you do it right.

One of my Duna landers used a 2.5m service bay with a science bay in the center with the other experiments around it, and using symmetry, six command seats. It worked perfectly.

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9 hours ago, Aegolius13 said:

But note that parts must be attached via the nodes (green spheres) to be excluded from drag.   Then you can attach pays that are attached to the nodes,  and so forth.   Items placed directly on the floor,  ceiling or sides will still cause drag. 

I'm not sure that is true anymore. 

I've just tested it and, as long as the doors were closed, items surface attached were shielded and produced no drag. 

G587L8C.png?1

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"So it does!" said Pooh. "It goes in!"
"So it does!" said Piglet. "And it comes out!"
"Doesn't it?" said Eeyore. "It goes in and out like anything."
 
Like Eeyore I find it a handy place to put things in.  Stick a light in there too so you can find them in the dark and you're all set.  I like to put science stuff in there so I don't have to remember where I stuck them on the ship.
 
Oh and if your rocket falls over and traps you inside your capsule, if you have one of these just below the capsule open the doors and you can EVA (if the doors are correctly oriented).
Edited by kBob
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In addition to the above, it allows you to adapt a small Mk.0 controller to larger Mk.1 or 2.5m rockets without incurring a drag penalty.

Put the small Hecs or Okto inside, and it becomes properly sized for the stack.

Mainly, I use it to contain instruments, batteries, and what- not during launch in early career. Draggy bits in the nose are bad.

Best,
-Slashy

Edited by GoSlash27
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There are also a couple of mods: Kerbal Inventory System and Kerbal Attachment System, or KIS/KAS for short, that allow you to attach new parts to a ship, or whatever, while your flying them. And with those mods, I use both large and small storage bays all the time to transport new and/or spare parts to a ship or station I may want to add something to.

Edited by Just Jim
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I LOVE the 1.25m service bay.  Built an entire tiny SSTO out of them, with a chair, full RCS, docking, and power system:

https://kerbalx.com/fourfa/Nano-SSTO

OmLP9VV.jpg

Early career I always have one on the bottom of the Mk1 command pod.  Science parts inside stay protected from reentry heat and get recovered, and the bay is essentially a heatshield all by itself with its high temp rating.

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I have a 2.5 service bay saved as a sub assembly that I use on lifters that I know will be going to orbit so that I can de-orbit that stage.

i.e. in the service bay is: Probe core, Reaction wheels, Solar panels, communication equipment (usually the antenna is sufficient) some batteries and enough mono prop that I need to de-orbit that stage.

- I could even add some parachutes to make these stages recoverable!

when its required i just grab the subassembly and pop it on knowing it has everything I need.

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2 hours ago, Callmedave said:

I have a 2.5 service bay saved as a sub assembly that I use on lifters that I know will be going to orbit so that I can de-orbit that stage.

i.e. in the service bay is: Probe core, Reaction wheels, Solar panels, communication equipment (usually the antenna is sufficient) some batteries and enough mono prop that I need to de-orbit that stage.

- I could even add some parachutes to make these stages recoverable!

when its required i just grab the subassembly and pop it on knowing it has everything I need.

I do the same thing with a "science bay." One of the benefits of this is that since the root is the storage bay, which has free nodes top & bottom, you can attach it on either end. 

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