1st Day In KSP - What Am I Doing Wrong

[Guest LTrotsky]

I bought KSP today on Steam.

Went to career mode. There are 3 Kerbits, no research (no science), and around 6 or 8 parts in the entire space program.

Tried 4 times to build a simple rocket. There are 2 types of engines, either solid or liquid (the latter requiring a fuel module also). There is one command module. If you try to leave it unmanned the thing doesn't launch. Why did I try to leave it unmanned? Read on.

Every time I made a simple rocket, really the simplest possible as there are only a few parts to work with, the same thing happened. Launch, engine eventually runs out of fuel, vessel eventually runs out of momentum, vessel eventually drops back down, parachute eventually deploys (I am hitting the spacebar for stages), parachute eventually rips off, vessel and kerbit die on impact. Not a very promising space program. Not very many options.

Watched all the in-game tutorials.

Looked at some of the basic tutorials on youtube, none of them are in the state of my game - they all have "decouplers" for example. The simple vessel I made crashes because the engine doesn't separate from the command module. There is no way to add a separation stage. No decouplers at the start of the career mode. That's why, on the final attempt, I tried to launch the same rocket without a pilot. Won't launch.

I thought of making a rocket with no command pod, but then I thought . . . hmm, maybe the career mode is really just a dead squib.

Suggestions welcome, and obviously needed.

[Giggleplex777]

You should try sandbox first.

[boomerdog2000]

At the moment career mode has just been introduced so there are no tutorials for it yet. So yes trying out different designs and gaining experience in sandbox first is probably the best until the game is complete enough to have working tutorials.

[Whackjob]

Nah, the career mode is the tutorial. Stick with it! Can you post a picture of this rocket you've got that loses its chute every time? Are you speeding up time during the fall down when the chute rips off? Let's see the picture, we can advise you from there.

Also, welcome aboard!

[lincourtl]

Career mode makes you earn the parts by performing science. Believe it or not, you can go all the way to Minmus just using the parts available at the start of career mode. But you're not Scott Manley, so try just sticking an antenna and one of the goo containers on a capsule, and putting it out on the launchpad. EVA a Kerbal, and have him collect a surface sample. Do a crew report. Examine your goo. Recover your vessel for SCIENCE! You'll very quickly get more advanced parts.

[Nabiscovinco]

1. Welcome to the game!

1a. Judging by the amount of explosions described, you are well on your way to a sucessful, super violent and deadly space program!!!

2. Yeah, try sandbox. Career is still in development, and all the parts need to be researched.

Just find a good Youtube channel or two and watch some videos. KSP is really a trial and error type game.

[RocketPilot573]

Don't worry, the parachute is only meant for small ships like a lone command pod, not the whole rocket. But since you have not unlocked decouplers, then I recommend that you use the rocket engine to slow the fall before the parachute fully deploys (this happens at 500 meters above the surface). This should reduce that huge strain on the connection. Also, you will unlock unmanned rockets later in the game.

[razark]

Can you describe exactly what the rocket you built is? Also, are you using time compression when the parachute opens?

[HafCoJoe]

I would almost suggest not even trying to launch first flight. Just put a command pod on the launch pad, hop out, and collect an EVA report and a ground sample of the launchpad (right click on the Kerbin). after that hop back into the pod and recover the vessel by scrolling above the altitude measurement. those 2 tests should give you enough science to research the first node. with that you can probably figure out the rest.

Best of luck my fellow rocketeer!

ps: I was like you when I first started demo KSP 2 years ago

[FlamedSteak]

Command pod (with a parachute) on top of a single solid rocket booster.

The SRB may not survive the landing, but the rest of it should be okay.

[Guest LTrotsky]

Nah, the career mode is the tutorial. Stick with it! Can you post a picture of this rocket you've got that loses its chute every time? Are you speeding up time during the fall down when the chute rips off? Let's see the picture, we can advise you from there.

Also, welcome aboard!

Thanks.

Really, it's just the absolute basic rocket. There's virtually nothing to choose from. There is 1 command module to choose from. There are 2 engines, and one fuel module. (I've tried both). There's a communotron. There's a structural girder, but I don't use that. There's one parachute module.

The flight path is basically 70 to 80 degrees, so yes during the ballistic phase it speeds up.

With the liquid engine I tried to cut engines at half fuel around 2000m and drift down, using the rest of the fuel to soften the landing. For some reason, however, the game is running at about 1 fps, and I didn't have enough control (meaning, I would press the thrust button, and then about 5 seconds later something would happen). Hit the ground at 38m/s.

[ScottWAR]

Use the command pod. Add one small solid fuel rocket. Add one nose with parachute. In the lower left click on the little plus sign to add a stage and drag the little rocket engine icon into the lowest stage by itself.

Launch and keep pointed up till it stops and falls back to the ground. Watch your altitude,...and when it gets around 1500-2000 hit the space bar to activate you second stage,...which will deploy your parachute. DO NOT use time warp when the parachute is deployed. Your ship should float to the ground,...the used solid fuel rocket may blow up,..but the command module should survive.

Hit esc, and choose Space Center. Then click on the facility with the sat dishes, click on the flight that's listed on the top left.....then click on the "recover" button at the bottom left. Confirm,...and you should get 5 Science points. Use those in the research building to unlock the next set of parts.........which includes a decoupler.

Good luck.

[Wallace]

a capsule 1 tank and one engine shouldn't rip off the parachute, sounds like something is going wrong unless you made a huge rocket.

You can get to the decoupler without doing a launch tho, if you make a rocket that is just a pod and an aerial you can do a crew report sat on the pad, then hop out and do eva report and a soil sample on the launch pad and get enough science points like that to get the next tech level.

[Guest LTrotsky]

1. The parts available are : 1 command pod, 2 engines (liquid or fuel), 1 parachute, 1 communotron, 1 girder. That's it folks, no goo containers or anything else.

2. FPS is estimated at about 2. (Its a relatively new machine with a good GPU)

3. The flight path is about 70 to 80 degrees. The vessel speeds up after the engine cuts out and is ballistic.

4. None (zero) of the youtube basic tutorials I've looked at show the game in the state it is in for me. Not much help there.

5. Flamed Streak : no, the parachute rips off with a vessel consisting of an SRB that doesn't, won't, or can't separate after it's empty. All components and Kerbit destroyed.

6. I tried using the liquid fuel engine and using the engine to land safely. See item 2. 38m/s impact.

7. Avera9eJoe : I will try that I guess

[Apophis775]

I had a similar problem. I used a solid-fuel rocket with a command pod and the parachute deployed and detached itself, leaving Jeb to fall to his death, which knowing he was dead, meant that he would exit the pod and make an EVA report on his way. It said something along the lines of being in a precarious position.

After this, I just put a command module on the ground, walked out, gathered some samples and reports, then recovered and teched up.

[Tollazor]

Or use the modular girder segment. Attach it radially (to the sides of your rocket) and stick parachutes on the ends of them.

Deploy your parachutes before you pick up too much speed can help.

If you are accelerating time, going to stage 3/4 acceleration can make parachutes rip off.

There is a very high chance that if you haven't played KSP much yet, with only first node parts "Sorry, you will not go to space today"

[99TheCreator]

I bought KSP today on Steam.

Went to career mode. There are 3 <b>Kerbits<b> , no research (no science), and around 6 or 8 parts in the entire space program.

Kerbits...

<i>Kerbits...<i>

<b><i>KERBITS...<i><b>

[FITorion]

Make your rocket small.

Parachute.

Pod.

2 fuel tanks.

Engine.

Do not use time warp at all. Within the atmosphere it can rip your space craft apart if you don;t know what you are doing. Once you're out of the atmosphere it's fine.

Right click on the pod to do science. You can send just a pod out on to the pad... do a crew report... then get the Kerbal out and do an Eva report and take a surface sample right there on the launch pad. Recover them and you'll have enough science to unlock decouplers without ever even needing to launch.

[FlamedSteak]

The only time I've had a parachute tear off was when I came screaming into Kerbins atmosphere head on at over 2,500 m/s......good times.

Usually anything not held on by struts will tear off the command pod before the chute will tear off.

[Kerba Fett]

I think you might be deploying the parachute too high. Try building a rocket with a command pod, parachute, solid booster, and antenna. This should get you up to about 20 km if you go straight up. When you drop you'll pick up speed, but slow down once you get back in the thicker atmosphere below 10km. Deploy your chute at about 5 km and it should provide some drag. When it fully deploys at 500m the shock will rip the spent booster off the pod and you'll float down nice and gentle.

The reason for the antenna? At the top of you arc, transmit data and I think you get extra science points.

After the landing go to the space center and recover the pod to complete the mission. Once you unlock the next tier of parts you can try multi staged liquid fueled rockets.

[CpPolar268]

Quoted from Jeb:

"NEEDS MOAR BOOSTERS!!!"

[Lazro]

A helpful tip: Do not, and I repeat, do NOT, EVER, EVER timewarp at the highest setting with a parachute deployed. That ends badly for everyone.

[Alistone]

Every time I made a simple rocket ...parachute eventually rips off, vessel and kerbit die on impact. Not a very promising space program.

Suggestions welcome, and obviously needed.

The parachute should be attached directly to the top of the command pod. It is very common for the vessel to break apart when the parachute fully deploys at about 500m above the ground; so the parachute should always (essentially) be attached directly to the command pod.

Additional problems can occur if your ship is too heavy for just 1 parachute to slow it down enough. Experience can teach you where to add additional parachutes, but usually it will simply rip the command pod off the rest of the vessel when it fully deploys above the ground. If this happens to you, perhaps try a smaller rocket to start with so, or add more chutes, or try to land in the water.

A final issue which may or may not be part of the problem is that if you stop descending the parachutes will "cut loose". So if you saved fuel in your rocket to slow down just above the surface you need to be careful that you don't completely stop your descent because if there is "slack" in the parachute lines they will automatically cut free.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Alistone

[SRV Ron]

Make your rocket small.

Parachute.

Pod.

2 fuel tanks.

Engine.

Do not use time warp at all. Within the atmosphere it can rip your space craft apart if you don;t know what you are doing. Once you're out of the atmosphere it's fine.

Right click on the pod to do science. You can send just a pod out on to the pad... do a crew report... then get the Kerbal out and do an Eva report and take a surface sample right there on the launch pad. Recover them and you'll have enough science to unlock decouplers without ever even needing to launch.

Everything is being placed in the 0 location of staging. Set staging to place the engine in the lower or 1 command. That will prevent the parachute from deploying during launch.

So long as you don't use more then 4 fuel cans on your first rocket, pop the chute when speed falls below 450 m/sec, and land in the water, you should be OK.

[Alistone]

I think you might be deploying the parachute too high. Try building a rocket with a command pod, parachute, solid booster, and antenna. This should get you up to about 20 km if you go straight up. When you drop you'll pick up speed, but slow down once you get back in the thicker atmosphere below 10km. Deploy your chute at about 5 km and it should provide some drag. When it fully deploys at 500m the shock will rip the spent booster off the pod and you'll float down nice and gentle.

I frequently deploy chutes before I even enter atmosphere... There is no "deploying your parachute too high" problem unless you are intentionally trying to rip pieces off your ship.

Intentionally deploying the chute "late" to increase the shock to the vessel in order to break pieces off is probably not the best advice for a person who is still trying to learn to keep their vessel in 1 piece.

[Behumat]

Try turning off the SAS (the T key?) I find this creates more drag and slow me down as I tumble through the atmosphere like an out of control washing machine. You could also try deploying the chute lower down. I like to wait until I'm around 1500m, well below the re-entry burn and wind. Lastly, if this still isn't working, it may simply be a case of too much mass creating too much stress. Try adding more parachutes.