Test TR-18A Stack decoupler splash down

[Guest]

Hi everyone.

I started a few weeks ago with KSP because a friend showed me the game, and I loved it. Now in the carreer-mode I have trouble with the contract "Test TR-18 Stack decoupler splash down".

The splash down is not that difficult, I can do that with no problems, but how can I test the decoupler so I've finished my contract.

The with contract "Test heat shield (0.625m)"  can no issues after I've found out that there is a test-switch on the heat shield, but the only option I see on the decoupler is the "crossfeed" (whatever that means..)

Hope you can help me futher. I also saw the topic "How to splash down things" but I cannot seem to find the solution in that topic.

Best regards
Dave

[Deddly]

Welcome to the forum, Dave!

It should be enough to simply press space to stage the decoupler whilst it's in the water

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Deddly said:

Welcome to the forum, Dave!

It should be enough to simply press space to stage the decoupler whilst it's in the water

Thanks Deddly, both for welcoming me, and responding to my question

Then nothing happens. My vessel has following parts from top to bottom;

parachute
MK-1
TR-18A decoupler (turned with A so my decoupler stays on my command-pod)
Solid fuel engine

First stage is engine (start)
Second stage is decouple of the egine+fuel
Third stage is parachute

This way, I get in air, my fuel will ran out shortly and I decouple my engine but my decoupler stays on my vessel.

Is that the correct way or should I add another decoupler below my first decoupler.

Parts are then;

parachute
MK-1
TR-18A decoupler (turned with A so my decoupler stays on my command-pod)
TR-18A decoupler
Solid fuel engine

First stage is engine (start)
Second stage is decouple of the egine+fuel with the second decoupler.
Third stage is parachute

This way I keep one decoupler on the bottom of my vessel.

Hope to hear from you if this is the correct way (or a possible way)

Dave

[Deddly]

I'm not sure I understand correctly, but it sounds to me like you are staging the decoupler whilst in the air. You need to wait until you are actually in the water before pressing space to stage.

Can you give us a screenshot of the contract text?

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Deddly said:

I'm not sure I understand correctly, but it sounds to me like you are staging the decoupler whilst in the air.

You mean with ".... staging the decoupler ...." pressing space-bar so my engine/fueltank and decoupler with get removed from my vessel ?

[Deddly]

11 minutes ago, dgreebe said:

You mean with ".... staging the decoupler ...." pressing space-bar so my engine/fueltank and decoupler with get removed from my vessel ?

That's right. The contract usually requires that you press space-bar in the water, not in the air.

[Gordon Fecyk]

The stack decoupler still needs to be attached to your craft when you're splashed down, and you need to stage it (press space) then. At that point the test will be successful.

Try attaching two decouplers to your craft: One to separate the rocket from your pod, and one to do the test with. Put one decoupler on a stage after your parachute. Here's an example starting at four minutes in; just pretend that it's back on Kerbin and not on a hacked game that uses Eve as its starting planet.

[bewing]

Yes, using two decouplers would work. Fire the first one to remove the engine. Then wait until you are in the water to fire the second one.

 

[Spricigo]

For the purpose of ksp contracts a test is activating the part either by a context menu or staging.

The problem is that it only count if done while the required conditions are meet, in you case [splashed down].

Warning: Given the randomly generated requirements its possible to get ludicrously difficult contracts relative to its rewards. Learn to identity and avoid those contracts (except as a  challenge)

Also notice that, since you just need to activate the part, it don't matter if it is 'properly setup'. For example you  may remove all fuel of a SRB you need to test at altitude to reduce mass or have a decouple with nothing attached to it.

 

 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Gordon Fecyk said:

The stack decoupler still needs to be attached to your craft when you're splashed down, and you need to stage it (press space) then. At that point the test will be successful.

Try attaching two decouplers to your craft: One to separate the rocket from your pod, and one to do the test with. Put one decoupler on a stage after your parachute. Here's an example starting at four minutes in; just pretend that it's back on Kerbin and not on a hacked game that uses Eve as its starting planet.

Yes!, that did the job. i finally got my contract completed..

Thanks for helping me... getting back to my new job and looking for more money.

 

[Geschosskopf]

11 hours ago, dgreebe said:

Yes!, that did the job. i finally got my contract completed..

Thanks for helping me... getting back to my new job and looking for more money.

You can do this with only 1 decoupler, too.  Just put it on top of the probe core and attach radial parachutes around its circumference.  Arrange the staging so the test decoupler is last in the stack after the parachutes.  Aerodynamics don't really matter because you're just going to lob it a few hundred meters, just enough to get wet, with the smallest SRB that will get it that far (usually very little fuel and thrust limited down to about 1.3 TWR or so).  So staging would be SRB fire, decouple SRB from probe core once over water, deploy chutes, splash, fire test decoupler.

For even more money recovered, attach the test decoupler upside down.  Then, when it fires, it'll still be attached to the probe core, along with the parachutes around its edge, so you recover everything except the SRB and its decoupler.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Geschosskopf