A craft to get Commsat to any orbit without leaving any stages in space

[Alchemist]

Version 0.11x3

The only not standart part is Commsat.

Operation manual: decouple the last LFE stage when still in suborbital tracetry (or with periapsis below 30 km) in order to keep space clean of lost stages. Use translation RCS for circularisation.

Takeoff

Releasing the satellite on escape trajectory (the upper stage still has 50% its RCS fuel)

The ship is capable of achieving escape speed so it can get the satellite to almost any orbit and return the capsule back to Kerbin without letting anything except the satellite orbiting the planet 8)

The ultimate way of using RCS for clean space

[Alchemist]

A bit more upgraded it. And made it to KSO and back.

Flight report:

Main engine cutoff. Burning rest of the accelerator stage\'s RCS fuel

Ready to jettison the accelerator stage and let it fall back to Kerbin. Orbital stage\'s fuel reserve: 4 RCS tanks.

2 RCS tanks left. Minor circulasrisation needed

[Alchemist]

KSO - 24h period (note the timestamp)

Separating the satellite. Fuel left: 1.5 RCS tanks

Deorbited!

Landing

[Ferrit]

Very, very well done!

I like the use of RCS for the final stage.

[Alchemist]

Precise orbit allignment is almost ipossible without them. The challenge is to circularise the orbit with RCS only from suborbital (or at best with perikee in atmosphere) trajectory when carrying payload. And deorbit after that.

The problem with my first SatLayer (in 0.10.1) was that it\'s main stage ended in the same orbit as the satellite (and for deorbit an SRB was used) - and the sip\'s controlability was such that it was good if it ends in any LKO not drops the satellite back to atmosphere.

RSC gives a thruster that doesn\'t has to be in the end of the ship (or doesn\'t make the ship\'s nose too large with something mounted on the sides) - and so doesn\'t need to be dropped just before the satellite.

[CarolRawley]

I like the design, but...

Dumping highly volatile and dangerous materials onto Kerfrica to keep space clean?

[Alchemist]

1 stage less, 1 stage more... Could have chutes added, but they don\'t save these liquid stages.

Jeb about safety of stage deorbiting: If it falls on someones head it\'s still better than if I run into it at orbital speed