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I feel that a system that can generate heat tiles on the desired surface of a fuel tank (standard methalox tanks not hydrogen tanks however), wing or command pod/cockpit should be implemented. Unlocked somewhere in the tech tree, aka not unlocked by default, you have to earn it. Perhaps a universal part that when applied to a fuel tank, wing part or aircraft cockpit, becomes procedurally generated and snaps to the surface of part you applied it to. ( similar to how fairings work but it automatically just covers the side of the part you apply it to). It can't be destroyed unless the part it is attached to is destroyed. (or, it could simply act like just adding a texture to a side of a part which is much simpler and less resource intensive because it doesn't add a literal part to the craft) It would add weight to the part it is attached to proportional to the size of the heat tiling generated. Heat tiles would protect the part exposed to the airflow underneath them from aerodynamic heating but would not effect aerodynamic forces because that would cause a lot of issues with building crafts. They simply shield one side (or both if you apply it to both sides) from heating to a certain degree and add weight to the part they are attached to. I feel this would add an extra level of realism and fun factor. This also brings me to an issue: heating is not simulated by skin temp and internal temp like it was in ksp . It's just a generic temperature by part mechanic that isn't very realistic. It also creates part balance issues. I feel for the thermal system in ksp2 to work properly it needs to take in to account both skin temperature and internal temperature. Anyway for a thermal tiling part system to work, skin/internal temperature would need to be separate things. thanks for reading!

Wow, KSP2 reentry heating is no joke! I just killed Valentina trying to get back from orbit without a heat shield, like in KSP1. Big no-no! Love it!

ok so first of all i posted this initially on the discord channel under feedback... so we are all aware of what the new reentry effects look like. and how they conform to the shape of the craft and change color depending on (temperature? could that be a factor?) and atmosphere composition now i'm not complaining about how it looks, it looks hella awesome. HOWEVER... my ONLY 2 complaints (really just suggestions at this point) is that it lacks 2 very simple but effective things that would make it look hotter and more violent/dangerous. that being sparks from bits of your ship burning off, and bow shock: the super compressed plasma IN FRONT of the ship which creates a VERY bright hazy glow on the leading surfaces which is honestly even more simple than the sparks. and here is the improved reentry effect i really hope the devs decide to implement (image edited in krita so sparks and bloom were manually applied). the sparks are simple, just get a second and slightly larger layer of the reentry effect but instead of a fire texture it's animated sparks. this would go well with the plasma colors in other atmospheres because the sparks are glowing hot molten metal so they are ALWAYS orange. As for bow shock, that is exceptionally simple. just a 3rd shader layer but very short, only to cover all the surfaces that are exposed to the reentry effect and it is VERY bright. and as such creates A LOT OF BLOOM (i'm talking halo 3 mcc levels of bloom) so the bloom (or light bleed for those who are not well versed in lighting terms) creates a hazy glow around the part surfaces visible to the effect which gives a crude but effective visual bow shock. if implemented properly this ought to make reentry look far better as well as convey more of the danger of reentry. i mean this improved effect looks like something you would see in a movie and the players deserve nothing less than jaw dropping spectacular

Currently creating the models for this mod. The goal is to add some unique heatshields to the game in time for the re-entry update that will be coming! Sizes to get shields: XS, S, M, L, XL Not sure if I'll make a procedurally generated heatshield. I would love to but I'll need help figuring out how that works. This is the first model I'm working on. It's for medium sized tanks. I've also made a Budget Starship to test out the hexagon heatshield. More to follow as I'm still actively developing other mods! Showcasing a new heat shield in Kerbal Forge!

Just a suggestion for when reentry heating is added. When SpaceX boosters come back from space to land they do a reentry burn that not only slows them down but also decreases the amount of heat damage done to the craft. You can see it in this video here: Being able to use your engine as a heat shield would make room for some very cool challenges and last minute saves. The plume fx adapting would also be a nice touch.

Art of Reentry (AOR) Stylish and slightly functional heat shields to protect your kerbals or more important science devices, For Kerbal Space Program. By zer0Kerbal, originally by @Rareden adopted with express permission and brought to you by Moho HVAC See More Discussions and news on this mod: See Discussions or KSP Forums Changelog Summary for more details of changes : See ChangeLog Known Issues for more details of feature requests and known issues : See Known Issues GitHub Pages : See Pages Help Wanted Localization Installation Directions 1 Use CurseForge/OverWolf App (currently does not install dependencies) or Dependencies Kerbal Space Program 2 Supports Either 3 Module Manager Module Manager /L Deadly Reentry Lite Deadly Reentry On Demand Fuel Cells (ODFC) GPO (Goo Pumps & Oils') Speed Pump (GPO) TweakScale red box below is a link to forum post on how to get support Be Kind: Lithobrake, not jakebrake! Keep your Module Manager up to date Credits and Special Thanks @Rareden for creating this glorious parts addon! see Attribution.md for more comprehensive list Legal Mumbo Jumbo (License provenance) How to support this and other great mods by zer0Kerbal Connect with me Track progress: issues here and projects here along with The Short List this isn't a mod. ;P↩︎ may work on other versions (YMMV)↩︎ Be Kind: Lithobrake, not jakebrake! Keep your Module Manager up to date!↩︎

So I’ve heard about some setting in the game files where you can make the reentry effects much cooler. Can someone help me find that, and figure out how to change it?

Something I've always felt that's been missing from KSP since the implementation of Re-entry effects, is the lack blackening/scorching/discoloration resulting from re-entry heating. Seen here on the Apollo 11 capsule after splashdown: So I'm just wondering; is there a mod (WIP or otherwise) that provides that visual effect?

The title is a little confusing so here is some context. I have a ballistic craft that I'm using for the Quest for Hypersonic challenge (link in my sig!). I've just done a Jool gravity assist and am speeding toward Kerbin at 8000 m/s but before I hit the SRBs and boost up to 10000, I want to see if anyone knows what the max survivable reentry speed with a heat shield.

Yes this is urgent as my custom Space Shuttle is in the reentry process while the game is paused, so I built it with a different design as the common one, I got a mastodon engine at the back with 4 thud engines with 2 jet engines at the sides, and with a wing that goes all the way from cockpit to the Mk3 to 3.75m adapter, without front canard, and the problem is when I do the 40 angle pitch up the vehicle slows down but it keeps going up, tho no thrust is being applied, what should I do now in-reenrry?? Remember, it's urgent.

I have tested numerous times, but when i really do the mission, EVERYTHING FAILS. First, i use a Rhino transfer stage and 4 of my base modules has a bottom 2.5m tank, the first time i try this everything was successful, but when i really do the mission IT FLIPS. So I know that CoL need to be above CoM to be stable during reentry, I tried again but with a nuclear transfer stage, and the bottom tanks are locked. I tried, and the reentry was still the same, but now when i perform insertion, the orbit changes, and again with time warp, that was enough to throw the maneuver nodes off a thousands of Dv. Next, when i reenter (with the bottom tanks full), IT FLIPS, AGAIN. I also did try to see what's wrong with the CoM and CoL in SPH with the 12 inflatable heat shields inflated, and no CoL appears. BUT STILL FLIPS, I've lost all my sanity doing that mission since I was recording. Please Help.

Originally written by @pizzaoverhead. The mod hasn't been updated since game version 1.6.1 and the author hasn't been around or replied to my email inquiry. I enjoy the mod so I'm adopting it. Original thread here: Features This mod adds code to display an unused stock particle effect for reentry, featuring a plasma trail and sparks. Pics: Video: Installation Unzip to \GameData Dependencies None Downloads Spacedock GitHub Source License Continued from orginal: GPLv2 To-do List Add ability for user to adjust visual options such as trail length, sparks only, etc. Change log Please report any issues here or on GitHub, thanks!

I have three kerbals hanging on to the back of a heat shield during reentry. The heat shield is 2.5m, so more than enough room for all three to fit. Yet they still overheat and explode even after many tries. Do they actually have to be in a pod for the heat shield to work properly? Here is the scenario: https://imgur.com/a/Q2FAfSp

I have encountered a bit of a problem while designing how the re-entry of a large rocket will work. I have a 3-2 converter at the top of my rocket under my command pod. It would be the heaviest thing on the rocket with a mass of almost 17 tons while full. During reentry, the rocket would almost certainly flip and burn up. Question: Is there any way to drain all of the fuel off of a tank without accelerating or moving? If I could, it would reduce the weight to just under 2 tons which should be easily manageable.

How did this happen? I blame kopernicus, but I can't delete it cause I need it for sigma. The reentry effects trigger about 20 m/s.... help.

In the first half of this year, I did a lot of reentries with a Mk1 pod and a matching service bay underneath and it always went flawlessly, with the craft properly orienting retrograde and staying there even without SAS. When I fired up the game earlier this week after several months, however, I'm suddenly finding reentry nigh impossible with this arrangement: if it orients even 10° away from perfectly retrograde due to the pilot not yet having hold-retrograde for SAS, the whole craft violently flips prograde and plows into the ground at 600 m/s. Attaching a heat shield to the bottom of the service bay not only makes the issue even worse, but the heatshield actually generates so much lift that it nearly flips the rocket after first stage separation. Turning on the center of mass indicator in the VAB shows that the center of mass refuses to budge from the pod, even with a service bay and a heatshield full of ablator underneath. This most definitely did not use to be the case a few versions ago. What happened? Did an update modify the Mk1 pod's aero characteristics? Before anyone asks, I do not have FAR or any mods that affect aero. Granted, the Mk1 pod also didn't use to start violently spinning at the beginning of EVA that makes returning nearly impossible. And since I updated to 1.4, the "edit vessel in VAB/SPH" button on both the Launch Pad and the Runway is permanently dark and unclickable.

ok, i was designing a rescue SSTO, it works pretty well except by the fact that the probe loses signal in reentry at high speed, but if i take off and reach a higher speed within the atmosphere, the blackout doesn`t happen. I would like to know if it is a know bug or i`m doing something wrong and how i can avoid this (if possible at all). the probe module is in the tail section of the SSTO. Images of the test I made without a pilot. this is without orbiting (infinite proppelent used and different engines than the original so i could reach the speed) as seen, no modifiers on the signal reception below is the test after orbiting (reentry) with the same craft in the image above. lower speed, pretty much same altitude (but it remains without signal until about 9km).

Hey all, I'm trying to do a crewed lunar flyby in RSS, and I don't really have the tech yet to build a crewed lunar orbiter yet. I was planning to use the science I got from the flyby to unlock better engines and allow a follow up orbital mission. I was planning to do a nice free return trajectory, but I seem to be having serious problems plotting what I am after. Ideally, I want a free return trajectory with the lowest possible perilune (for the science), that is less than 15 days from launch to reentry (life support), and especially a posigrade reentry. I've learned the hard way that even a lunar rated heat shield is generally not enough protection for a retrograde lunar return reentry. Delta-V is not really a barrier, as I have around 4 km/s in the transfer stage. I keep either getting retrograde reentry trajectories, or trajectories that barely enter lunar SOI and take 13+ days to complete. I guess I don't really understand how free returns actually work. I am also curious about the Apollo 13 trajectory, and specifically how the "PC+2" burn (that shortened flight time) worked. Thanks!

">View post on imgur.com">Album will appear when post is submitted apparently i also need help figuring out how to put an imgur album in here

I've been playing in a career save for a while, but recently I've started noticing that spacecraft landed with the same anmount of ablator they had at launch. I've done some testing and it turns out that nothing is destroyed on reentry at all (at least not from overheating). I have no idea what caused this. I've even tried deleting all the mods (which makes all the spacecraft in orbit incompatible, but still...). Can anyone help me out with this? The save file There is a long list of mods I'm using, but as I've said, the issue appears without them too

Nothing to see here. Move along. Maybe go install "Trajectories" and, in map view, zoom out.

Okay, I have googled, and I have searched the forum, yet found no answer. Here's what it is: I play only sandbox, and I build funny little ships that I fly to the Mun, mostly. When I set up my return trajectory, I can see where it will hit Kerbin. But Kerbin will, of course, keep rotating. So I often end up burning huge amounts of ∆v in a last-minute course alteration just so that I can hit an ocean. If I don't use such huge amounts to first circularize and then set up a nice reentry. I can build my craft so that I'll be lugging quite enough ∆v for all of that. But I don't wanna. I don't need to hit an ocean. I know I can land on land, no worries. I know it was once undesirable to hit an ocean, if memory serves. But I am of the firm conviction that spacecraft that don't have landing gear go in the water. That's how I roll. Or splash and bob, as the case may be. So. What part of the game have I totally missed learning about? What mod did I not find? What is the trick? From what I understand, the Apollo spacecraft didn't exactly first circularize and then set up reentry. But were put on the right trajectory, right from the Moon. And even came down near the right aircraft carrier. If those pinkskins could do it, I'm sure the Kerbals should be able to, also. Problem is how to get me able to do it, also. I'm sure it's elemental, trivial, everybody knows about it. I suspect there might be something in the game I just have failed to learn about, inexcusable as that may be. So, as humiliating as this may be for me. Please somebody explain to me how I can aim for an ocean from the Mun. Thanks.

Okay, so in pursuit of orbital tourism contracts in my first career game, I designed my first spaceplane. Not a HOTOL SSTO, just a fancy-looking Dynasoar equivalent -- boosted vertically, maneuvers in orbit with a rocket motor on the aft end, reenters and lands more or less like a Space Shuttle (except parachute recovery at the very end, because my R&D hasn't produced retractable landing gear yet -- hey, give me a minute!). A little "simulation" testing (launch and revert) verified that the orbiter handles well enough in both boost and glide, and even reentry -- and a little tweaking on the booster got it under control during the early parts of boost, when there's a lot of aero force available on those wings (swivel engines and fins on the boosters FTW). Everything was great until I'd been reentering for five minutes or so -- starting from a 75 km orbit, I set up a periapsis of 48 km. I held approximately 30 degrees above prograde through reentry, though that tended to drift in a pitch-positive direction (because I was using heading hold while flying around Kerbin). When I was getting down a bit, I started to run low on battery, and since I had way too much fuel on board anyway, I ran the main (Swivel) engine at low throttle to get some power from the alternator, but I don't think the thrust was enough to contribute to the heating issue (well below what was needed for level flight in earlier atmospheric testing) -- but by the time I was down to 39 km, both the Mk. 1 Cockpit and the RCS sphere in the chin position were very close to their temperature limit (but the Crew Cabin, main wing, canard, and 800 fuel tank weren't even showing thermometers). That's the point at which I reverted the flight, hoping the problem was simply one of reentry profile. I'm aware that reentering too high will burn away an ablator with little braking effect, while going too low will overheat things and/or kill Kerbals due to excessive G loads; I'm sure there's a similar tradeoff in reentering a spaceplane. I just don't know what it is. Here's a VAB image of the vessel as flown. I've since pulled half the Lf/O out of the 800 tank (might replace it with a 400 tank, if that proves helpful, though I really need the length to keep the COM from moving too much as main fuel burns off), moved the monopropellant sphere inside a service bay (between the crew cabin and reaction wheel) and mounted a pair of batteries inside the service bay as well -- but I doubt that'll have much effect, other than improving my ability to make a couple orbits and still have electricity to operate the SAS and reaction wheels. Booster has Swivels on the core and the two boosters that also have fins, Reliants on the other boosters. Asparagus staging dumps the Reliants first, keeping the Swivel boosters until atmosphere is thin enough the wing doesn't want to make the stack flip end over end. The 10+ T orbiter reaches orbit with a full tank, if flown optimally, which means if I can lick the reentry this Taxicab generation could also fly tourists on Munar flyby missions. Would I be ahead to reenter higher, lower, or at a higher or lower angle of attack, or am I just approaching the whole spaceplane thing wrong?

Sorry for the lack of screenshots: I'm not home a/t/m, but this has been bugging me. With sufficiently advanced tech and a bit of trial-and-error, I've been happy to find that landing capsules is pretty "easy button.": Enter a low (<100km) orbit Drop periapsis to 40km Turn on SAS Set SAS to keep the nose pointed retrograde Watch the lightshow pop the 'chutes. This is pretty much the same regardless of what other stuff I have hanging off the back of the capsule - cargo bays, empty fuel tanks, science containers, etc. With a heat shield, enough radial-mount parachutes, and a reentry speed <2600m/s, it's pretty safe. The problem is specifically when I have a "tourist box" consisting of a Mk1-2 command module on top of a hitchhiker container and a heat shield. Very simple, right? Except it wants to tumble - even with SAS on, it'll spend a good chunk of the reentry stuck about 20 degrees off-axis. I've got plenty of electricity. They're surviving reentry, and I know that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, but I won't lie - it makes me nervous. Is there something inherently off-balance about the hitchhiker container? Is there a way to balance it better? Or maybe change the aerodynamics of it so it's more stable? (I could put on some reversed tail fins... or would that interfere with takeoff?) TIA

I just lost an expedition (six tourists, one pilot) because the Hitchhiker exploded during reentry on the way back from the Mun, despite having a 2.5m heatshild directly attacked to it. Why did this happen?