How do I stow a satellite in a cargo bay?

[Geoclasm]

Given the following satellite

which has no available stacking nodes, and to which I would really rather avoid attaching any decouplers (separators are okay)

How can I go about storing this in a cargo bay to get it into orbit?  The root is the RCS tank.

[MoonMan22]

Hello,

Well there are a few options i can think of quickly. You can re-attach the Communotron 88-88 that you have there on top and re-attach it centered but not to the attachment node. This will allow you to connect something over it like a docking port (using the docking port will allow u to decouple without a decoupler) to the attachment node.

 

You can also use the small hardpoint attachment to attach it radially.  

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2016 by MoonMan22

[Dfthu]

You could try a radial decoupler and then attach that to the cargo bay.

[fourfa]

Your antenna on the top is 'physicsless."  That means that it has mass, and drag in the atmosphere, but they're applied at the center of mass of the whole probe.  Meaning, you can mount the antenna on the side of the center stack with no problems whatsoever.  Then use the node currently at the top for a docking port, separator, decoupler.  You can dial the decoupling force down to zero in the VAB, if that's the reason you don't want one.

While you're at it (apologies if you know this already), you can save a lot of RCS fuel if you mount the RCS blocks at 90 degree increments instead of 45.  Or rotate the probe core 45 degrees to match the RCS blocks.  Also FYI, that one battery will not be enough to complete transmission of the M700 data, regardless of the big solar panels.  Two will.

[FullMetalMachinist]

3 minutes ago, fourfa said:

That means that it has mass, and drag in the atmosphere, but they're applied at the center of mass of the whole probe.

A small nitpick. Physicsless parts add their mass and drag to the first "physicsful" part that they are attached to, not the CoM of the ship. So for example, if the antenna were attached to the battery, the actual battery part would magically have its mass and drag increased. The CoM of the ship has nothing to do with it. This is important to note because if you attach a physicsless part to something that is already not balanced to the CoM, then the imbalance will become worse, because the off-balance part will become even more so. 

Otherwise, yes, very good advice. 

[Geoclasm]

Alright thanks. I will look into those suggestions. The main reason I don't want to have a decoupler is not the force they eject with but I just don't want the remains sticking off the probe. At the moment I attached a side-mounted docking port JR and am using a cargo bay with a docking port stacked on two octagonal struts. It's... pretty unwieldy...

[Geoclasm]

28 minutes ago, MoonMan22 said:

Well there are a few options i can think of quickly. You can re-attach the Communotron 88-88 that you have there on top and re-attach it centered but not to the attachment node. This will allow you to connect something over it like a docking port (using the docking port will allow u to decouple without a decoupler) to the attachment node

This. I think I will give this a shot - it looks the most promising. Thanks for the tip.

[maceemiller]

32 minutes ago, fourfa said:

Your antenna on the top is 'physicsless."  That means that it has mass, and drag in the atmosphere, but they're applied at the center of mass of the whole probe.  Meaning, you can mount the antenna on the side of the center stack with no problems whatsoever.  Then use the node currently at the top for a docking port, separator, decoupler.  You can dial the decoupling force down to zero in the VAB, if that's the reason you don't want one.

While you're at it (apologies if you know this already), you can save a lot of RCS fuel if you mount the RCS blocks at 90 degree increments instead of 45.  Or rotate the probe core 45 degrees to match the RCS blocks.  Also FYI, that one battery will not be enough to complete transmission of the M700 data, regardless of the big solar panels.  Two will.

Nice advice

[FullMetalMachinist]

20 minutes ago, Geoclasm said:

I just don't want the remains sticking off the probe.

When placing the decoupler, use the wasdqe keys to flip & rotate the part prior to placing it. The small arrows on the side of the decoupler point to the side it will decouple from, so just attach it so that the arrows point towards the probe. (Note that you have to rotate the decoupler using wasdqe before you place it. Placing it and then rotating using the Rotate gizmo doesn't give the desired results) 

Now, if your cargo bay that the probe is launched in is part of a reusable ship, then you might not want the decoupler to stay attached to that either. You have two solutions available. The first is simple, use a stack separator instead of decoupler. They detach from both ends.

The second option is a docking port, and can be used in a few different ways. First, you could place just one port on the inside of the cargo bay, then attach the probe to the open node on the port. While in orbit, right click the port and select "decouple port" (or something like that, can't remember the exact wording). The second option is pretty much the same, but you put the docking port on the probe instead of the cargo bay. The third is, of course, to put a docking port on both the cargo bay and probe. 

Note that if you go with either of the 'only one docking port' options, you can decouple but won't be able to re-dock. For that you will need a port on each part. 

Edited February 1, 2016 by FullMetalMachinist

[Foxster]

I think I'd be tempted to throw it up as it is and not bother with a cargo bay - after moving the aerial. 

btw...what's the RCS for?

Edited February 1, 2016 by Foxster

[Geoclasm]

8 minutes ago, Foxster said:

I think I'd be tempted to throw it up as it is and not bother with a cargo bay - after moving the aerial. 

btw...what's the RCS for?

RCS are just a design decision. Sort of a "Just in case". Ocasionally you get a mission to adjust the position of a satellite, and since I plan to have these in orbit for a while, it may come up.

[MoonMan22]

1 hour ago, Geoclasm said:

This. I think I will give this a shot - it looks the most promising. Thanks for the tip.

Hope that works out! If you still need help you can send over the craft files and I'll do it so you can see.