Testing parts in the ocean (splashed-down requirement for contracts).

[PTNLemay]

I must be missing something terribly obvious, but I can't seem to figure it out. I accepted 2 contracts, one asks me to test a Sepatron 1 while splashed down on Kerbin, the other asks me to test a LV-909 while splashed down on Kerbin.

http://i.imgur.com/2gHYins.png

I made a quick hop from the launch pad, splashed into the water, activated each and... the contracts won't accept as completed. So what am I missing? (The pic shows my second attempt, by the way, where I haven't activated the Sepatrons yet.)

Edited July 18, 2014 by PTNLemay

[LethalDose]

Did you activate them with staging in the water?

[PTNLemay]

Hmmm, that does appear to be it. Activating one of the sepatrons manually does nothing (same with throttling up the engine that was turned on earlier), I have to actually trigger a stage to properly get the contract to register it.

Thanks!

Here's the silly thing I ended up using to do it. Since I needed something else to soft-land in the water (I didn't trust the parachutes to do it on their own). http://i.imgur.com/aaPPwPJ.png

Edited July 18, 2014 by PTNLemay

[LethalDose]

According to other posts on the forums, it can depend on the contract, apparently (sometimes you have to stage, sometimes you have test manually). It should state which is which in the contract.

[Torrack]

Most of the contracts I have encountered require the part to be activated via staging (and NOT by use of the throttle or 'right clicking' interface). It's not so bad when you're relatively stationary but some of the altitude and speed requirements can make it quite challenging to get your staging 'just right.'