1.0.4 Cargo Bays Causing Objects Adjacent to Belly to Overheat and Explode on Pad or Runway

[inigma]

Need help with this one. I can't figure out why large advanced SAS units explode inside the External Tank due to overheating while the craft just sits on the launch pad. I have a stack of 30 offset inside to make controlling the shuttle possible. One explodes due to overheating and then others.

KSP 1.0.4 plain vanilla. No mods. Fresh download.

Windows 7 Pro.

First reported to me in 1.0.3.

Craft file: http://kerbalx.com/inigma/STS-6-Space-Shuttle

Simply load craft in VAB, then CLOSE the cargo bay doors, hit launch, and wait for physics to load. Boom! Consistenly duplicatable.

Update 1: this appears related to whether or not the mk3 cargo bay doors are closed. Closed? Explosions. Open? No explosions. Please confirm. The cargo bay doors have to be closed for it to trigger.

Update 2:

Squad:

Further testing has allowed me to create this simple SAS Cargo Bay Heat Bomb based on this bug:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

craft file: http://kerbalx.com/inigma/SAS-Heat-Bomb-Bug

The results are obvious. This is an orientation issue (east, west) with the mk3 cargo bay and at least in my test, a SAS unit attached to an attachment point connected to the belly, with the SAS units just at or going over the lip of the top of the cargo bay. With the closed mk3 cargo bay belly facing east or west on the pad or runway, the effect causes the mk3 bay to somehow trigger a overheat reaction slightly below the top of the bay targeted at the middle sas unit. And it does not have to be a SAS unit. It can be other parts.

If the cargo bay belly faces north or south, the effect is not triggered.

Granted, I don't make craft like this, however when I have a fuel tank attached to the bay loaded with SAS units for my shuttle, it causes explosions. This craft above is just a simplified version showing up the effect in all its simplistic glory.

The work around is simply to launch with your craft with mk3 cargo belly facing north or south and not east or west.

Update 3: Bug report submitted to tracker and confirmed already by Squad: Bug report submitted: http://bugs.kerbalspaceprogram.com/issues/5181

Please add your own simplified test bug craft files and steps to duplicate to the report, or submit a new report if you think your experience is unrelated.

Update 4: And of course a video. In good taste. Exploiting... er exploring the bug a bit.

Edited June 26, 2015 by inigma
changed topic to better reflect bug discovery, added bug report info

[Majorjim!]

I am experiencing the same thing. Except with other parts. It seems random, sometimes the parts are clipped, others not.

Have you tried renaming your Physics.cfg?

[katateochi]

I've had mechjeb modules exploding on the pad, but that was in 1.0.2, not had anything go awry like this in 1.0.3, but it was an infrequent thing anyway, so I may not have launched enough times to have it happen in 1.0.3/4 yet.

[inigma]

I am experiencing the same thing. Except with other parts. It seems random, sometimes the parts are clipped, others not.

Have you tried renaming your Physics.cfg?

Is that a step? what to rename it to?

Also the exploding sas is consistently duplicatable. Simply load the craft and load launch pad, wait for physics, and boom.

[Majorjim!]

Is that a step? what to rename it to?

Also the exploding sas is consistently duplicatable. Simply load the craft and load launch pad, wait for physics, and boom.

Name it to anything. I just did that but sadly it did nothing. parts are still exploding on the pad.

When you say load the craft, do you mean your shuttle?

[LittleBlueGaming]

Downloaded the craft file, no explosion for me. All stock.

[inigma]

Name it to anything. I just did that but sadly it did nothing. parts are still exploding on the pad.

When you say load the craft, do you mean your shuttle?

Yes load the shuttle. Then hit Launch.

- - - Updated - - -

Downloaded the craft file, no explosion for me. All stock.

Win or Linux?

[LittleBlueGaming]

Yes load the shuttle. Then hit Launch.

- - - Updated - - -

Win or Linux?

Win 7, 1.0.4.

[sal_vager]

No explosions here, though I suspect it's overheating due to the mass above it, and MajorJim is correct, try renaming Physics.cfg to Physics.old, this will prompt KSP to make a new file from internal defaults, Physics.cfg files can be different between versions as adjustments to physics are made.

[BudgetHedgehog]

I suspect it's overheating due to the mass above it

Doesn't that tend to happen on a more.. geological scale rather than with rockets?

[inigma]

Sal did u try lifting off then? I tested in a fresh download from ksp store so im not sure if the physics rename will work since its not been party to an update. Its fresh. Ill try anyways.

Here's a pic someone captured

Edited June 24, 2015 by inigma

[inigma]

More info here. Several STS testers report that explosions go away entirely if the mk3 cargo bay is kept open. But the moment it is closed, there are explosions of SAS modules due to overheating.

[LittleBlueGaming]

More info here. Several STS testers report that explosions go away entirely if the mk3 cargo bay is kept open. But the moment it is closed, there are explosions of SAS modules due to overheating.

Yeah, launched with the bays closed and it did explode.

[sal_vager]

I didn't try lifting off, no, can you see which one blew up?

[inigma]

I didn't try lifting off, no, can you see which one blew up?

Try launching from VAB with the mk3 bay closed.

Its a middle module in the stack that appears to explode first. Then others. As noted above this appears to be duplicated when closing the mk3 cargo bay.

- - - Updated - - -

I updated the OP with duplication instructions. This appears to be mk3 cargo bay related.

[Speadge]

hi, i have the same problem with my cargo bay on a spaceship.

it happens when i have the new radiators attached.

i tried to rip modded parts of my craft so u can test it.

when u detach the radiators of the cargo bay, it stops exploding

http://ul.to/41lfh4ed

hope that helps

[inigma]

Additional information:

This is only isolated when launching from the VAB. When launching same craft from SPH, closing the mk3 doors has no effect. No explosions. But time and again, when I launch from VAB, with mk3 doors closed, the moment they shut, explosions happen.

- - - Updated - - -

Actually its not an SPH or VAB isolated thing.

It's ORIENTATION of the mk3 shuttle bay. I avoided all explosions simply by turning the entire craft around 90 degrees. If I turn it 180 degrees and then launch it, explosions happen with cargo bay doors close. This happens whether its VAB or SPH. The the mk3 cockpit belly faces NORTH, its not an issue. No explosions.

[inigma]

Sal and company,

Further testing has allowed me to create this simple SAS Cargo Bay Heat Bomb based on this bug:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

craft file: http://kerbalx.com/inigma/SAS-Heat-Bomb-Bug

The results are obvious. This is an orientation issue (east, west) with the mk3 cargo bay and at least in my test, a SAS unit attached to an attachment point connected to the belly, with the SAS units just at or going over the lip of the top of the cargo bay. As long as the closed cargo belly faces east or west on the pad, the effect causes the mk3 bay to somehow trigger a overheat reaction slightly below the top of the bay targeted at the middle sas unit.

If the belly of the closed cargo bay faces north or south, no reaction is triggered. This I think is key.

Granted, I don't make craft like this, however when I have a fuel tank attached to the bay loaded with SAS units for my shuttle, it causes explosions. This craft above is just a simplified version showing up the effect in all its simplistic glory. The work around is simply to launch with your craft with mk3 cargo belly facing north or south and not east or west.

Updating OP.

Edited June 25, 2015 by inigma

[monstah]

I'm having the both the small and large inline batteries explode in my ships due to overheating, in random times during the mission.

Ugh. Waiting for 1.0.5, I guess?

[IggyHitokage]

Anyone found any relation to the overheating and physical timewarp? While I'm using mods, a few of my parts of my station are overheating when I approach 4x physical timewarp. The Condition Flux (using debug menu) rapidly spirals out of control from 0 to -50, to 100, to -50 to 10-20 digit numbers til it explodes.

[sal_vager]

Looks like there's way too much mass on those SAS units, they just can't take it, I'll try to fix the vessel.

[Speadge]

Looks like there's way too much mass on those SAS units, they just can't take it, I'll try to fix the vessel.

hey sal,

check my post onpage2.

it seems to be the same bug with mk2 SPH plane and NO SAS Units used.

Problem appears at loading the craft on the runway, no start / liftoff necessary

[Majorjim!]

hey sal,

check my post onpage2.

it seems to be the same bug with mk2 SPH plane and NO SAS Units used.

Problem appears at loading the craft on the runway, no start / liftoff necessary

The part overheating bug is NOT confined to just that reaction wheel. I have had two seperate parts overheat on the pad.

[inigma]

Looks like there's way too much mass on those SAS units, they just can't take it, I'll try to fix the vessel.

Sal did u see my post here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/126574-1-0-4-Large-SAS-Units-Exploding-Due-to-Overheating-While-Just-Sitting-on-the-Launch-Pad?p=2039984&viewfull=1#post2039984

I can duplicate this bug with just a closed mk3 cargo bay, a girder and three sas units. In fact if I replace the top sas unit with a nose cone, the middle sas unit will still explode. So I dont think its a weight issue unless a nose cone is too heavy too. Please read that post.

[Majorjim!]

Sal did u see my post here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/126574-1-0-4-Large-SAS-Units-Exploding-Due-to-Overheating-While-Just-Sitting-on-the-Launch-Pad?p=2039984&viewfull=1#post2039984

I can duplicate this bug with just a closed mk3 cargo bay, a girder and three sas units. In fact if I replace the top sas unit with a nose cone, the middle sas unit will still explode. So I dont think its a weight issue unless a nose cone is too heavy too. Please read that post.

I can recreate a the part overheating bug too with other parts. Please don't get blinkered by your own issue. Squad need to know this is not just affecting one part.