SSTO booster re-entry HELP newbie here

[EmilOCD]

So I manage to make my own SSTO and put it into orbit but I also want my booster to comeback because it's too expensive (I'm playing in Career mode). Can someone please help or make a tutorial about booster re-entry. Kinda like falcon x boosters of spaceX :) is there a mod? or you can do it on stock?

[Rocket In My Pocket]

Well technically if there is a booster involved it's not an ssto.

It can be done stock assuming the booster actually makes stable orbit, otherwise it'll be auto deleted while you are busy flying the rest of the ship.

Plenty of mods address this via stopping time, or making save states, another mod just assumes the booster is saved based on certain parameters and awards you the money. My suggestion would be to just not care, on stock settings you'll be drowning in funds quickly, so no real reason to scrimp and save unless you enjoy that sort of thing.

[Geonovast]

Just now, Rocket In My Pocket said:

Well technically if there is a booster involved it's not an ssto.

It can be done stock assuming the booster actually makes stable orbit

You kinda contradicted your own point there!  If the booster with payload makes it to orbit and doesn't dump anything off on the way, it is an SSTO.  Detaching and de-orbiting the booster after a stable orbit is achieved doesn't make it stop being an SSTO.  Single Stage To Orbit, not Single Stage To Orbit And Back

 

7 hours ago, EmilOCD said:

Can someone please help or make a tutorial about booster re-entry.

Basically, your booster will have to have its own probe core, batteries, power generation (assuming you don't de-orbit it immediately), orientation system (reaction wheels), landing gear and something to stop it from slamming into the ground.  The falcon boosters used powered landings, personally I'm just fine using parachutes to recover booster/SSTO lifters.

I'm not sure which mod they're from, but there are Falcon legs available.  I use them all the time.

 

Essentially what you'll want to do, after getting into orbit, is swing your booster around retrograde.  Do a small burn to bring your PE down to 30-40km.  Ideally your booster will be designed to help keep this orientation during re-entry.  Airbrakes up top can help, but be careful: they have an oddly low heat tolerance.  I will usually put a smaller fuel tank at the bottom near the engine so I can pump any remaining fuel to it, to keep the CoM low.

At this point, it's really no different than landing a ship.  Deploy your parachutes, extend landing legs when you're slow enough.  If you have some fuel left and are gentle with the throttle, you can help the parachutes out on landing.

[Fraston]

10 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

You kinda contradicted your own point there!  If the booster with payload makes it to orbit and doesn't dump anything off on the way, it is an SSTO.  Detaching and de-orbiting the booster after a stable orbit is achieved doesn't make it stop being an SSTO.  Single Stage To Orbit, not Single Stage To Orbit And Back

 

Basically, your booster will have to have its own probe core, batteries, power generation (assuming you don't de-orbit it immediately), orientation system (reaction wheels), landing gear and something to stop it from slamming into the ground.  The falcon boosters used powered landings, personally I'm just fine using parachutes to recover booster/SSTO lifters.

I'm not sure which mod they're from, but there are Falcon legs available.  I use them all the time.

 

Essentially what you'll want to do, after getting into orbit, is swing your booster around retrograde.  Do a small burn to bring your PE down to 30-40km.  Ideally your booster will be designed to help keep this orientation during re-entry.  Airbrakes up top can help, but be careful: they have an oddly low heat tolerance.  I will usually put a smaller fuel tank at the bottom near the engine so I can pump any remaining fuel to it, to keep the CoM low.

At this point, it's really no different than landing a ship.  Deploy your parachutes, extend landing legs when you're slow enough.  If you have some fuel left and are gentle with the throttle, you can help the parachutes out on landing.

Or, if your really up for a challenge, do a hoverslam!

[Rocket In My Pocket]

22 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

You kinda contradicted your own point there!  If the booster with payload makes it to orbit and doesn't dump anything off on the way, it is an SSTO.  Detaching and de-orbiting the booster after a stable orbit is achieved doesn't make it stop being an SSTO.  Single Stage To Orbit, not Single Stage To Orbit And Back

Good point lol!

If we're being technical though wouldn't that be a DSTO? Double stage to orbit lol?

I mean if we end up with two separate stages in orbit how can it be a single stage to orbit? 

[Geonovast]

6 minutes ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

Good point lol!

If we're being technical though wouldn't that be a DSTO? Double stage to orbit lol?

I mean if we end up with two separate stages in orbit how can it be a single stage to orbit? 

Because it separates after achieving orbit.  If the ship makes it from the pad to orbit (at least 70km x 70km) without detaching anything, then it's an SSTO.  What happens after achieving orbit is irrelevant, as far as SSTO status is concerned.

[Darinth]

There's a bit of a blurry line in what constitutes an SSTO. My general requirements are

A: Must make it to orbit without losing any parts through staging (feel free to activate parts through staging, just no dropping stuff)

B: After it's payload is release, must be able to land again to be reused without refueling (reuse is the whole point behind SSTOs)

What you do between point A and B is on you.

[GrouchyDevotee]

Pic's?

[Zeiss Ikon]

The beauty of a vertical launch SSTO is that you can generally reenter with retrograde hold, and the engine bells will keep everything else from overheating.  I've built this kind of SSTO, originally by accident ("Wow, look at that, I have orbit and haven't had to stage yet!").  A Twin Boar (with a second 6400 tank plus a 2.5-1.25 adapter tank on top) can loft at least 15 T to LKO, while also carrying a probe core and its batteries, reaction wheel unit, six heavy landing legs (mounted for horizontal landing) and twelve parachutes (also mounted for horizontal recovery) -- and reserve enough fuel to deorbit.  Pay attention when you reenter, and you'll be landing within 50 km of the Space Center by the time you've flow the lifter a few times.

Now, 15 T doesn't sound like much, but you could send a direct-launch lander based on a Mk. 1 Command Pod to either the Mun or Minmus with less mass than that.  You could probably get a probe of that mass to a flyby almost anywhere in the system (Moho is a maybe).

[Cavscout74]

29 minutes ago, Zeiss Ikon said:

You could probably get a probe of that mass to a flyby almost anywhere in the system (Moho is a maybe).

The original version of the science/relay orbiter I put around Moho last night is 11.11t with the modded NERV transfer stage.  So at least with mods, its definitely Moho-capable for 15 tons - and the transfer stage had at least a few hundred dV remaining IIRC.  The non-Moho version is ~2 tons lighter.

 

Edited May 11, 2018 by Cavscout74

[Zeiss Ikon]

49 minutes ago, Cavscout74 said:

The original version of the science/relay orbiter I put around Moho last night is 11.11t with the modded NERV transfer stage.  So at least with mods, its definitely Moho-capable for 15 tons - and the transfer stage had at least a few hundred dV remaining IIRC.  The non-Moho version is ~2 tons lighter.

 

And that's orbiting Moho, as I recall, so not just enough dV to get there, but enough to capture, at least with NERVs (or presumably ion propulsion).  I was actually thinking of chemical propulsion, but a Spark or Ant and a Bagel tank (formerly called a Round 8) under a low-mass probe has a startling amount of dV and weighs very little.  If you can launch a Twin Boar, you probably also have the stuff to make a probe that can go where you need to go.

[Geonovast]

This is definitely not the best launch I've had with this thing.  It's been awhile since I've launched one.  I usually have ~200 m/s left when I switch on the re-entry tanks.  This launch ended up having exactly what I needed.  Worked for the point at hand.

Booster is mostly stock.

Edited May 12, 2018 by Geonovast

[Vanamonde]

This question about how to play the game has been moved to Gameplay Questions. And welcome to the forum.  

[RizzoTheRat]

On 5/11/2018 at 4:36 PM, Geonovast said:

I'm not sure which mod they're from, but there are Falcon legs available.  I use them all the time.

 

Essentially what you'll want to do, after getting into orbit, is swing your booster around retrograde.  Do a small burn to bring your PE down to 30-40km. 

Kerbal Reusability Expansion for the legs, it has parts from Falcon, New Shepherd and some others. 

I go for a more aggressive deorbit than above though.  With my Skipper powered SSTO I give it 200m/s retrograde, which brings the periapsis to below ground, as I find with a shallower descent the engines overheat as they spend too much time soaking up the heat.  I think the optimum deorbit profile depends a fair bit on the crafts drag profile.  Twin boars are apparently very good as they have a lot of drag so slow you down before they build up too much heat. 

[Corona688]

On 5/11/2018 at 1:05 AM, EmilOCD said:

So I manage to make my own SSTO and put it into orbit but I also want my booster to comeback because it's too expensive (I'm playing in Career mode). Can someone please help or make a tutorial about booster re-entry. Kinda like falcon x boosters of spaceX is there a mod? or you can do it on stock?

I shall gaze deeeeeeeep into my crystal ball.

Let me see  Omens... Portents...  Ah.

If a man knocks on the door Thursday at 3 pm, don't answer.

Sorry, without a picture of what I'm working with, that's the best I can do.