tfw you finally set up your space station

[zachdude777]

but then you accidentally accelerate and re enter earths atmosphere

[Tyko]

Ouch sorry...I have a strict rule (that I mostly stick to) once a station is in position. I turn off any engines. I also turn off the engines of any ships that are docking with it. Once they on final approach and only using RCS I turn the engines off. This has helped to avoid accidental accelerations.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Tyko

[Sharpy]

Eh, I never build that low. Sure short burns happen now and then, but it's never dangerous.

[Kyrt Malthorn]

I haven't done that one yet.

 

I have, however, initiated a burn with a recently undocked spacecraft from map view and plowed headlong through the middle of my space station...

[Fearless Son]

Yeah, I build stations in LKO, but not that low.  Need to leave a little space between the station and the atmosphere for docking modules trying to rendezvous from behind its orbit where they can go into a lower orbit to catch up.  

[fourfa]

41 minutes ago, Kyrt Malthorn said:

I have, however, initiated a burn with a recently undocked spacecraft from map view and plowed headlong through the middle of my space station...

Oh man, I've done that too. It was such a spectacular mess, with all the staff surviving intact, that I was tempted to play through it just for sick fascination. In the end I F9'ed and made a very strict undocking procedure. 

As long as you dock anywhere but the prograde side of the station, you'll be safe. Unfortunately if you use the most logical setup (initial launch to a low phasing orbit, with station in a higher orbit) you always approach  the station's prograde side. Simply park anywhere but there - or make the station stable enough that you can rotate the docked craft off prograde without wobbling apart. 

[septemberWaves]

How to avoid this: manually shut down all main engines before any docking maneuvers (if you have a lot then it might help to have an action group for them, but vehicles designed for vacuum with more than a few active engines on the same stage tend to be rather uncommon). This is also a good idea to do once landed, so you don't accidentally lift off.

[Servo]

10 hours ago, eloquentJane said:

 This is also a good idea to do once landed, so you don't accidentally lift off.

I've never accidentally deorbited a station, but I've taken off with more than my share of Apollo style descent stages accidentally.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Servo