Engine won't light on the darkside--can't see why

[Loren Pechtel]

I'm in a low orbit about Minmus trying to rescue Kerbals.

I have a SpaceY Penguin engine for propulsion, just over 3000 m/s of delta-v left, just over 13000 in battery charge available.  The craft it controlled by a probe core, it went up empty.

When I'm on the darkside I can use the SAS to point where I want to but it won't hold and I can't light the engine.  When I'm in sunlight (I have solar panels) it works like it should.  Why won't my huge battery power it?!?!

[Geonovast]

I don't think it's a dark / light side thing.  I think it's a signal problem, an you're in limited probe control mode.  This means that the probe can do "on-off" type of control, like set SAS mode.

Hitting Z to go full throttle should work, you just can't adjust the throttle.

If that's not the case some screenshots would really help.

[Loren Pechtel]

6 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

I don't think it's a dark / light side thing.  I think it's a signal problem, an you're in limited probe control mode.  This means that the probe can do "on-off" type of control, like set SAS mode.

Hitting Z to go full throttle should work, you just can't adjust the throttle.

If that's not the case some screenshots would really help.

That certainly could be it but I've never had it happen to me before.  I never hire, I always get my staff from rescues.

[bewing]

Have an actual pilot onboard to avoid Limited Control mode.

 

[Draalo]

Assuming you are starting from Kerbin at daytime and have troubles when you are entering the nightside:
If you cant see Kerbin from your vessel, you have no communication link. In this case you need relay sats. Or fly manned.

a) disable ComNet (settings)

b) enable extra groundstations (settings)

c) as bewing said: fly manned with a pilot

 

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by Draalo

[Gargamel]

5 hours ago, Draalo said:

b) enable extra groundstations (settings)

Won't help if you don't have LOS to Kerbin. 

[Fearless Son]

As others have said, probably limited control due to not being able to communicate clearly with Kerbin.  If you want to control any probe on the far side of any extra-Kerbin celestial body, you are going to need some form of relay to bounce the signal around.  Alternatively, a crewed ship with a pilot which has line of sight with the probe can also remotely guide the probe, even if neither can communicate with Kerbin.

In your case, you probably just need to wait until your probe orbits back around Minmus so it can see your ground-based radio dishes again, you should have control back at that point.  Then it's just a matter of timing right to rendezvous with your rescue target.  Once the Kerbal is on-board, you should be good to go even if the probe goes to the far side again.