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KSP Realism Overhaul reentry bug?


Alabastine

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Hello KSP fans!

I have recently installed a full RSS, RO, RP-0 version of KSP (just like scott manleys instruction video) since I really admire the realism of it and the challenges it brings.

I am now working on the first sattelite to safely re-enter from orbit, but of course it explodes in style during reentry. The thing is I don't know why and it might actually be a bug, or I am just missing something. I hope you guys can help me! the problem:

For reentry I aim the periapsis at about 65-70 km height, I have a probe body (able avionics package) and some science experiments all with a heatshield attached and a parachute. Even though everything is definitely behind the heatshield during reentry, first the two antennas kind off on the side of the shield start to heat up and eventually explode. Weird, but I don't care about that. Later however, when the G forces really start to pile up, my probebody starts to heat up! It will then eventually explode and since it is a structural part of the vessel that means game over. I don't understand since the body is not directly behind the heatshield, it is in the middle and it is one size smaller than the shield. I have tried this with multiple reentry trajectories but it always happens.

I hope you guys can help me! Here is a screenshot of the situation just before explosion, notice that all other parts (including wider ones) are fine:

Bloody image does not want to insert, it's here: https://imgur.com/a/ftCQd

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My immediate suspicion is that your heatshield is too small, and not fully shielding everything behind it. Behind your heatshield, your reentry vehicle should taper inwards like this: (>

Heatshields are not magic deflector shields, and reentry plasma likes to curl in a bit from the edge of your heatshield. The cone of your reentry vehicle has to come to a point inside the cone of the reentry plasma.

Your other parts are probably also frying, but the Able avionics package has the lowest heat tolerance out of all the parts on your reentry vehicle (573K internal, 773K skin), so that's what explodes first.

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Just to reinforce what @Starman4308 said. Your reentry vehicle is not a good design for anything except suborbital. That small shield can't protect something the same diameter as itself. Your experiment package and just about anything else above is exposed to convection heating and you should expect to have  bad time of it.  Frankly, the material bay should be taking damage and eventually melting a lot sooner than it probably already is. (it most likely would be aluminum, weakening at 450K and outright liquefying at 850K)

A 2.5m shield would protect it from a reentry from full orbital speeds.

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Thanks guys. I know real reentry craft are a lot more tapered in than this, but the parts that are just as wide as my craft are absolutely fine (unless the craft is not pointing straight down). And the probe itself is quite a bit smaller than the shield (and science experiments). So would this probebody survive reentry at all? Like without putting a ridiculously oversized shield on it? (In my opinion 2.5m is ridiculously oversized for a small 0.6m or whatever the exact size probebody)

Since it took quite a while for this post to be approved by mods I indeed noticed the temperature tolerance of the avionics package is quite low. I tried the exact same design but with the early controllable core. This guy has a lot higher temp tolerance and indeed the entire thing survived reentry without dificulties. Apart from the fact that a slight wobble would incinerate the photo experiment. But that can be managed.

Did you guys ever reenter the avionics package? And did it indeed require a 2.5m shield?

Thanks for the advice!

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