Claw

I think the wrong part of mhoram's point was latched onto. You WILL miss out on Oberth by not burning at PE, especially from such an elliptical orbit, but I don't want to turn this thread into an Oberth thread because those go for pages and pages. Anyway, with an 80 km x 80,000 km orbit... - The orbital period is roughly 10 Earth days. Sure, you can lower this down by burning retrograde at PE to adjust the orbital period for the next pass, but then you're basically reducing the benefit of making such a huge orbit to begin with. And you'll need to put your craft into orbit well in advance to join up, refuel, and readjust the orbital period for a timing pass. So you'd typically require two orbits. - Probably the bigger problem is, as stated above, more often than not your elliptical orbit won't be pointing in a convenient ejection angle. That's all fuel that you were trying to save. Personally I think it's easier to orbit around the Mun, or along the Mun's orbit. You're looking at a difference of about 350dV, including burning away from the Mun. (That's all assuming you don't have to make any corrections on the elliptical orbit.), However, the ejection angle problem just about goes away, and with the roughly 1.5 Earth day orbital period, you get window visits more often without having to play with orbital periods as much.

Kerbal Alarm Clock now makes backups as well. And it seems that it makes lots of them.

That might be worth a bug report if you're not using any mods. Try to replicate it and see if there's anything goofy that you did. (Like undocking, flipping around, and redocking to a different port...)

This would be sweet, especially if it actually recorded stuff and maybe you could play it back. (Although I vaguely remember there being a mod like that.)

At the risk of tooting my own horn, here is a tutorial I wrote. Section 4 talks about Center of Mass design. There is also Center of Lift considerations and it explains how to tweak fuel levels. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/65638-Basic-Airplane-Space-Plane-Aero-Tutorial?p=905336#post905336 One more thing to keep in mind. When you fine tune the CoM/CoL relationship, remove the landing gear. Because landing gear is massless in flight, it causes the CoM marker in the SPH to be incorrect. The CoM usually shows too far forward for most designs, which causes the craft to be unstable.

If you want to meet up with an asteroid BEFORE it gets to Kerbin's SOI, I just made a tutorial thread. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75759-Asteroid-Rendezvous-Outside-of-Kerbin%E2%80%99s-SOI I hope it's useful. Good luck!

Asteroid Rendezvous Outside of Kerbin's SOI Purpose: I've seen a few videos and walkthroughs for rendezvousing with an asteroid in Kerbin's SOI, but I wanted to meet up with asteroids and do it outside of Kerbin's SOI. Incidentally, this takes less math and timing. This is a stock tutorial. Although I have MechJeb and Kerbal Alarm in the pictures, neither is required for this walkthrough. I mostly left MechJeb attached to make sharing vehicle stats easier. MechJeb didn't fly any of this, it was all by eyeball. (Or maybe everyone already knows how to do this and that's why there isn't a tutorial?) . . . . . . . . . . The demos/tutorials I have seen that meet up with an asteroid in Kerbin's SOI generally require about 2000 dV. Turns out, meeting up with an asteroid outside of Kerbin's SOI also ends up needing about 2000 dV. (Actual amount depends on how fast you want to get there, and how far away the rock is) So if your gut feeling is "I don't want to meet up outside the SOI because my craft will be crazy big" I encourage you to give it a try. Using this method, you can meet up with an asteroid in about 1/3 to 1/4 of the time versus waiting till it reaches Kerbin's SOI. If that didn't make sense, imagine that an asteroid is roughly 150 days away from a Kerbin encounter. With this method, you can rendezvous with the asteroid in about 50 days from launch. That means you are at the asteroid 100 days prior to the Kerbin encounter. The exact timing will depend on a lot, but the point is that you can meet it much further out. Even better, if that same asteroid is on a Kerbin impact trajectory, it's going to take a lot less dV to deflect it when it's still 100 days from impact. Step 0: Select your asteroid and build your craft to meet your goal. . . . . . . . . . . The Asteroid This method is for joining up on most Near Kerbin Asteroids on any inclination, but selecting one that is in a fairly flat orbit compared to Kerbin will make your first attempt easier. Once you figure out how to join up on an asteroid, getting to any inclination becomes pretty easy (even if it's straight polar). The Demo Craft The only purpose of my craft in this demo is to rejoin on the asteroid. As such, it's pretty minimal and consists of the claw, a probe core, a PB-Nuk for power, FL-T800 fuel tank, and a 909 engine. This craft has roughly 5500 dV. After rendezvous with an asteroid, it has about enough dV to capture a Class A & B asteroid into orbit around Kerbin. At a minimum, you will need roughly 2000 dV to join up with most Near Kerbin Asteroids, pack whatever extra dV you need for your own mission. Step 1: Launch to match the inclination with the craft orbit opposite of the inbound asteroid. . . . . . . . . . . Yes, I said opposite! I'm going to assume you already know how to launch, but I'll walk through how to match the inbound inclination and direction by eye. If you are familiar with meeting up with inclined space stations, this method will be similar. I generally launch into a roughly 80x80 orbit. 1a. Target your asteroid: To determine the asteroid's inbound path, put your craft out on the launch pad. Click the launch button, but don't actually start to fly it. Go to MAP mode and target your selected asteroid. Targeting the asteroid plots the asteroid's hyperbolic orbit around Kerbin. 1b. Find the asteroid's inbound hyperbolic orbit leg: Focus on Kerbin (double click on the planet or press TAB until Kerbin is in focus). Follow the asteroid's orbital path and find the end with a circle. This is where the asteroid LEAVES Kerbin's SOI. You'll want to pay attention to the other leg of the orbit, where the asteroid ENTERS Kerbin's SOI. 1c. Line up the asteroid's hyperbolic orbit with Kerbin's Center of Mass: Adjust the view so that the asteroid's inbound leg is in the foreground, and the outbound leg is behind Kerbin. Make the orbit lines overlap with eachother and Kerbin's center of mass circle. 1d. Line up your launch point and the asteroid's hyperbolic orbit: Time accelerate until KSC (and your craft) lines up with the orbit lines and CoM circle, then launch. When you do your gravity turn, go to map mode and steer your orbit line so it matches up with the orbit lines. You can usually eyeball it, but also you can also use the AN/DN node that pops up to fine tune to 180 degrees inclination. 1e. Get into orbit like you always do: You can further fine tune your craft's inclination (using the AN flag) if you want to. It's not required, but it can make setting up your transfer node a lot easier. Step 2: Execute the asteroid transfer burn, and fine tune (< 1,000 km intercept). . . . . . . . . . . 2a. Locating the first asteroid transfer burn: The asteroid's hyperbolic path will have a periapsis over Kerbin (PE). Place your first maneuver node on the craft's orbit at a point that is directly underneath the asteroid's PE. 2b. Set the first transfer burn so the intercept flags and the AN/DN flags are clustered together: This is the money maker step. There's lots of info here, but work through it slowly. No need to rush, and take an extra orbit if you need to. ** The key goal is to get the "intercept flags" as close as possible with the AN/DN flag overlaid. The closer all these flags are, the better. However, your burn will be very sloppy and correction will be required, so don't kill yourself matching nodes. Just get all three flags clustered together as close as possible. It will help this step if you zoom in on Kerbin with the maneuver node in the foreground, and the asteroid orbit intersection in the background. The best order I have found: - Pull the Green prograde marker to 1000-1100 dV. This will cause the intercept flags to show up. - Adjust the maneuver node location backward or forward slightly. Find a spot that minimizes the intercept distance. - Adjust the magenta axis to minimize the intercept distance further. - Adjust the blue axis to get the AN/DN flag back to the intercept distance flags. - Adjust the magenta axis a little more to minimize the intercept distance. Try adjusting each axis a little at a time and check how the distance changed. If the intercept distance gets higher, adjust that axis back to what it was and proceed to the next axis. Adjust each axis several times. The goal is to get down to 1,000 km, but don't kill yourself to get there. 2c. Execute the burn: For my simple probe craft, the initial transfer burn takes about 2 minutes. Be as precise as you can, but don't chase the marker all over the place. When you end this step, your intercept distance will likely be higher than what you planned with the maneuver node. 2d. Setup and execute a correction burn: ** Keep the intercept flags and the AN/DN nodes clustered together! I like to do an early correction burn to fix the orbit now, rather than wait till later in the flight. The correction burn is usually around 100 dV. Set the node a few minutes in front of your craft (but not too far) and adjust. Do essentially the same as in step 2b with smaller changes in each axis. After you've set the node, you can slide it back closer to your craft for execution. Repeat as many times as you want, but once your burns are down around the 0.5 m/s area, you'll simply waste time and effort. Sometimes you won't be able to execute a correction that gets the intercept distance any closer (depending on inclination and ejection angle). Also, the intercept distance flags can be pretty unstable here. Don't worry, you can fix it later. - After you get some experience with the initial transfer burn, you can shave off some intercept time by making the transfer burn a little longer prograde, but you'll have to play with the other axes more to keep the AN/DN and Intercept flags clustered. - You may want to reduce the thrust output of the engine using tweakables to really fine tune the correction burns. - After you have executed most of the correction burn (down to 10 dV or so left in the burn), delete the maneuver node. Mouse over the intercept flags and burn slowly while watching the intercept distance decrease. If the intercept distance starts to increase, shut down the engine. Step 3: Update the trajectory upon leaving Kerbin's SOI (< 100 km intercept). . . . . . . . . . . I like to check the trajectory after the craft leaves Kerbin's SOI for any errors. Sometimes there isn't much change and sometimes the intercept distance grows a lot. The orbit outside the SOI is also a bit more stable and you can fine tune more if you need. The idea is just like before. Adjust the magenta, then the blue markers. Keep the intercept distance flags and AN/DN node clustered together. Step 4: Update the trajectory approaching the asteroid. (< 10km intercept) . . . . . . . . . . This will be your last real correction. The timing on this will be dependent on your how far away your intercept distance currently is, but about 1 Kerbin Day (roughly 1 Earth Day) prior is a good place to start. If your intercept distance is smaller, you can wait a bit longer to do the correction. This is where you want to try and get your intercept distance down below 20 km. Getting down to less than 1km is possible, but be wary of getting run over by the asteroid. Step 5: Final burn and rendezvous. . . . . . . . . . . In my opinion, the final burn is just as easy to execute as rejoining on a craft in orbit around Kerbin. That's because the orbits will be fairly closely aligned already, so small mistakes won't send you racing off away from the asteroid. The speed difference will be in the range of 700-1700 m/s, and that's how much total dV you'll need for the burn. 5a. Calculate the orbital speed difference: This step is pretty easy, but unfortunately requires some math (but the only part that does!). Mouse over both the asteroid and your craft and write down their orbital speeds. You'll use the difference to set up the maneuver node. In the pictures, the asteroid is 8957.2 m/s and the craft is 9877.3 m/s. So the dV required to match orbital speed is 8957.2 - 9877.3 = -920.1 m/s. The negative means we need to slow the craft down to meet the asteroid, so we'll have to set up our maneuver node by pulling on the green retrograde marker. If the speed is positive, then pull the prograde marker. 5b. Right at the intercept flags, set up a maneuver node. This step give you a sense of timing and burn rate when approaching the asteroid at high speed. It takes less than two minutes for an asteroid to go from out of visual range (>99 km) to past your craft. Having a maneuver node can help keep from getting run over. Create a node right at the intercept and AN/DN flag cluster. Green, Magenta, then Blue Markers - Set up the orbital speed by pulling the green prograde marker until the dV matches the number you calculated in the above step (-920.1 m/s for this example). - Pull the magenta marker to change the craft's orbital inclination until it matches the asteroid's orbital inclination. You can do this by eyeball, or pull until the AN/DN shows zero (0.0 degrees). (Ended up being about 3 dV for inclination change in the example.) - Pull the blue marker to change the angle of the orbit. You will need to pull on this marker until the total dV for the maneuver node equals your target closure speed (1769.9 m/s in the example). Look at the Navball. You should now have maneuver steering overlaid on the retrograde marker overlaid on the target marker. All three should line up. 5c. Burning Using Target Mode You can execute this step whether you set up a maneuver node or not. The node gives you timing, but you can eyeball it if you want. If you set up a node, the node steering, target marker, and retrograde marker should all be lined up on the Navball. If the node steering is a bit off, focus your steering on the target and retrograde marker. - Dock like you normally do. Work in slowly and claw on, as perpendicular to the surface as possible, and pointed at the CoM of the asteroid. 5d. HELP! I messed up and my closest approach is still 20 km away from the asteroid. No problem. Simply point your craft at the circular pink target marker and burn for whatever closure you want. Bear in mind that whatever dV you put in for closure you'll have to take out to join on the asteroid. Take your time. Even if you're 20 km apart, traveling at 50 m/s relative to the target will get you there in less than 7 minutes. (Time warp with caution) Why can you get away with this? Unlike rendezvous in Low Kerbin Orbit, you don't have to hurry and get there out of fear of orbital mechanics causing the asteroid to run away. The orbits are huge, so closely aligned, and the body you're curving around (the Sun) is really far away.

For future reference, there are two ways to rescue your game in a situation like this. In both cases, stay right where you are and press Escape to pause the game. Don't exit back to the tracking station or space center. Don't quicksave, and don't leave. 1) Go to your save folder and copy the persistent.sfs file. Rename it something else. Exit and copy your copied file back over to persistent.sfs 2) Force close the application without exiting the game. Don't "exit to tracking station," just close the program. The game will not save over the persistent.sfs file. After that, you can restart the game and go back to your save game. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but it will rescue your game more often than not.

Thanks for the words vexx32. I was wondering why and I'm glad to know it isn't errant memory.

Excellent! I'm glad to hear it worked for you.

There is also a setting in the main menu settings page called In Flight UI. You can use the slider to set it to max.

Besides having stuff too close to the hatch, I also think sometimes the act of grabbing the ladder itself imparts force on a kerbal. So if you are slightly above, below, rotated, or to the side of a ladder, grabbing on causes the kerbal to get a bit of extra force. I notice this a lot when I'm free floating EVA and can't get my kerbal to pitch up toward the hatch. (i.e. he goes at it head first) If you're grabbing the ladder on the capsule itself, sometimes rapidly hitting the "F" key will get you onto the ladder and into the capsule quickly.

I have noticed that they seem a bit sturdier in 0.23.5, although they still break. Also, if you're going to play with this and see how much abuse they can take, be careful about quicksaving. There's a bug (or Easter egg apparently) that causes partially or fully deployed chutes to be miniaturized upon quickloading. If you quicksave after they've deployed, then quickload, the chutes will be miniature and will not slow your craft down.

Hahaha, He does look like he's hanging his head...

I tried to replicate your ship and didn't have any problems with it. Although I also didn't have the lift vector pointing off randomly either. . . Is it happening before or after you stage off the outer four engines? What mods are you using? I don't see anything obvious in the picture except how high the boosters are mounted. Sometimes mounting them that high induces twist. As fuel burns off and TWR climbs, the twisting gets worse. However, that usually results in rolling and not pitching. Having winglets on twisting boosters can also make it twist more or wobble (especially if they are active and react with SAS). Check to see if they are mounted straight, and I would recommend turning on angle snap (I see that it's off). If you don't know what angle snap is, it's the button that has the circle with a dot in the lower left corner. Click it and it turns into a hexagon with a dot. Also make sure the boosters are mounted centered on the decouplers. It's easy to miss the center and mount them on the edge of a decoupler.

Kerbal save file structure. Opening the persistent.sfs file (or your quicksave.sfs) that is having the problem and search for the name of your lifeless kerbal. Depending on how your kerbal was reclassified as debris, you may end up in the "vInfo" section. Scroll up a bit and you'll find the section below. The section you are looking for should looks something like this (scan for the highlight). The part in Green applies to the first fix. The part in Red applies to the second fix. VESSEL { pid = b82d98c25b2f443aa8860ed8f75800d9 [COLOR="#008000"] name = Bill Kerman (may be a kerbal's name or maybe something like "rover debris") type = EVA sit = LANDED landed = True[/COLOR] landedAt = Runway splashed = False met = 16.6599999999967 lct = 64.9600000000042 root = 0 lat = -0.0480859624145008 lon = 285.275460918723 alt = 69.3523798584938 hgt = 0.2269046 nrm = 0.001151793,0.999998,-0.001655803 rot = -0.6987035,-0.2909136,0.1108325,0.6441265 CoM = 0,0,0 stg = 0 prst = False ref = 0 cPch = 0.564 cHdg = 1.068 cMod = 0 ORBIT { SMA = 300813.344265337 ECC = 0.994822915303913 INC = 0.0480859633693031 LPE = 89.9859059129259 LAN = 106.650886644004 MNA = 3.14159265358979 EPH = 81.6600000000009 REF = 1 } PART { name = kerbalEVA uid = 1342249348 mid = 859081327 parent = 0 position = 0,0,0 rotation = 0,0,0,1 mirror = 1,1,1 istg = 0 dstg = 0 sqor = -1 sidx = -1 attm = 0 srfN = None, -1 mass = 0.09375 temp = 19.49158 expt = 0 state = 0 connected = True attached = True flag = Squad/Flags/default rTrf = referenceTransform crew = 1 EVENTS { } ACTIONS { } MODULE { [COLOR="#FF0000"] name = KerbalEVA isEnabled = True state = Ragdoll[/COLOR] step = 1.208333 packExt = False lightOn = False flags = 1 EVENTS { PlantFlag { active = True guiActive = True guiIcon = Plant Flag [1] guiName = Plant Flag [1] category = Plant Flag [1] guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } MakeReference { active = False guiActive = True guiIcon = Control From Here guiName = Control From Here category = Control From Here guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } [COLOR="#FF0000"] OnDeboardSeat { active = False guiActive = True guiIcon = Leave Seat guiName = Leave Seat category = Leave Seat guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True }[/COLOR] RenameVessel { active = False guiActive = True guiIcon = Rename Vessel guiName = Rename Vessel category = Rename Vessel guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { } [COLOR="#008000"] vInfo { vesselName = Bill Kerman vesselType = 9 rootUId = 1342249348 }[/COLOR] } MODULE { name = ModuleScienceExperiment isEnabled = True Deployed = False Inoperable = False EVENTS { DeployExperiment { active = True guiActive = True guiIcon = Deploy guiName = Take Surface Sample category = Deploy guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } CollectDataExternalEvent { active = False guiActive = False guiIcon = guiName = Take Data category = guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 1.5 externalToEVAOnly = True } ReviewDataEvent { active = False guiActive = True guiIcon = Review Data guiName = Review Sample category = Review Data guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } ResetExperiment { active = False guiActive = True guiIcon = Reset guiName = Discard Sample category = Reset guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } ResetExperimentExternal { active = False guiActive = False guiIcon = Reset guiName = Discard Sample category = Reset guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 1.5 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { DeployAction { actionGroup = None active = False } ResetAction { actionGroup = None active = False } } } MODULE { name = ModuleScienceExperiment isEnabled = True Deployed = False Inoperable = False EVENTS { DeployExperiment { active = True guiActive = True guiIcon = Deploy guiName = EVA Report category = Deploy guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } CollectDataExternalEvent { active = False guiActive = False guiIcon = guiName = Take Data category = guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 1.5 externalToEVAOnly = True } ReviewDataEvent { active = False guiActive = True guiIcon = Review Data guiName = Review Report category = Review Data guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } ResetExperiment { active = False guiActive = True guiIcon = Reset guiName = Discard Report category = Reset guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } ResetExperimentExternal { active = False guiActive = False guiIcon = Reset guiName = Discard Report category = Reset guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 1.5 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { DeployAction { actionGroup = None active = False } ResetAction { actionGroup = None active = False } } } MODULE { name = ModuleScienceContainer isEnabled = True EVENTS { StoreDataExternalEvent { active = False guiActive = False guiIcon = guiName = Give Data (0) category = guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 1 externalToEVAOnly = True } CollectDataExternalEvent { active = False guiActive = False guiIcon = guiName = Take Data (0) category = guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 1 externalToEVAOnly = True } ReviewDataEvent { active = False guiActive = True guiIcon = Review Data guiName = Review Stored Data (0) category = Review Data guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { } } MODULE { name = FlagDecal isEnabled = True flagDisplayed = True EVENTS { ToggleFlag { active = True guiActive = False guiActiveEditor = True guiIcon = ToggleFlag guiName = ToggleFlag category = ToggleFlag guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { } } RESOURCE { name = EVA Propellant amount = 5 maxAmount = 5 flowState = True isTweakable = False hideFlow = False flowMode = Both } } ACTIONGROUPS { Stage = False, 0 Gear = True, 0 Light = False, 0 RCS = False, 0 SAS = False, 0 Brakes = False, 0 Abort = False, 0 Custom01 = False, 0 Custom02 = False, 0 Custom03 = False, 0 Custom04 = False, 0 Custom05 = False, 0 Custom06 = False, 0 Custom07 = False, 0 Custom08 = False, 0 Custom09 = False, 0 Custom10 = False, 0 } DISCOVERY { state = -1 lastObservedTime = 0 lifetime = Infinity refTime = Infinity size = 2 } FLIGHTPLAN { } CTRLSTATE { pitch = 0 yaw = 0 roll = 0 trimPitch = 0 trimYaw = 0 trimRoll = 0 mainThrottle = 0 } } If your kerbal is frozen in the T-pose, but unattached to anything. Specifically look at the top part, where it says: name = [COLOR="#008000"]Bill Kerman [/COLOR]- - - (this may say "Rover Debris" or something similar depending on the name of your crashed vehicle) type = [COLOR="#008000"]EVA[/COLOR] sit = LANDED landed = True landedAt = Runway splashed = False Seems the poor kerbals are sometimes showing up as "type = base" or "type = Debris" which makes them unresponsive. If it's wrong, then change it to "type = EVA". EVA must be all capitals. You can also fix his name while you're here. You may also need to scroll down and fix this section. If "vesselType" is set to something else, you'll need to change it back to "vesselType = 9" vInfo { vesselName = Bill Kerman vesselType = [COLOR="#008000"]9[/COLOR] rootUId = 1342249348 } Depending on how long he has been frozen, he may have become unassigned. Check the crew section at the end of the save file (thanks to zetrocker). You may have to put him back "On a mission" by setting "state = 1" and revive him by setting "idx = 0" CREW { name = Bill Kerman brave = 0.5 dumb = 0.8 badS = False state = [COLOR="#008000"]1[/COLOR] ToD = 0 idx = [COLOR="#008000"]0[/COLOR] } If your kerbal is frozen sitting in an External Command Seat and unable to get out. For this fix, this is the first section you're looking for. (Red in the above kerbal structure.) MODULE { name = KerbalEVA isEnabled = True state = [COLOR="#FF0000"]Ragdoll[/COLOR] Change his state (make sure your capitalization matches): "state = Seated (Command)" and reactivate his "Deboard" ability OnDeboardSeat { active = [COLOR="#FF0000"]True[/COLOR] guiActive = True guiIcon = Leave Seat guiName = Leave Seat category = Leave Seat guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } You might need to double check the IDs and connection nodes, but if he's frozen in the seat and not labeled as debris, then the nodes are probably okay. If anyone is having non-responsive kerbal problems, please let me know what you see. Also, if you notice anything else please share!

This is an attempt to address the ragdoll, non-responsive kerbals on EVA. So if your poor guys are unresponsive, frozen, immobile, limp, or otherwise stuck in place...read on. I've been seeing this problem in many threads this weekend, so I'm trying to combine the threads into one place. It is triggered by bumping, dropping, or otherwise activating the kerbal's ragdoll state, including crashing a manned external command seat. There is now an add-on fix posted here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/97285-0-25-Stock-Bug-Fix-Modules-%28Release-v0-1-5-22-Nov-14%29 This will prevent kerbals from turning into debris. If you already have kerbals that are debris, this will recover them. If you don't want to download an add-on, then continue reading. There are two possible fixes depending on how your kerbal is frozen. 1) Kerbals frozen during EVA standing up or in T-position on the ground. (This one is mostly fixed in version 0.23.5.464.) 2) Kerbals stuck in a command seat, but unable to get out or control. (This one still seems to be happening to people.) Both fixes are in the next post. FIRST STEP: Make sure you have at least 0.23.5.464 or better installed. Some of this was fixed. If you have a corrupted Stock save game with 0.23.5.464, please post it. There are also steps on how to fix your save in the next post. Threads Command Seat Problems: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75420-Command-Seat-Kerbals-becoming-statues http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75223-Astronauts-becoming-unresponsive-to-commands-if-bumped-while-in-External-Command-Seat Ragdoll EVAs: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/74822-Kerbal-stuck-on-ground http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75453-Kerbals-taken-as-debris-can-t-control http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75343-EVA-Reload Kraken & Crash Related EVAs: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75269-Career-Mode-2-Bugs http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75386-Is-there-a-way-to-recover-from-this-bug-%28Nullspace%29 http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75365-EVA-on-Kerbin-Crashes

Sometimes I have trouble targeting from visual mode (Not sure if that's what you're doing.) If that's the case, you can usually target from the map view.

At 100 tons, you'd need a lot of wheels and a really wide wheel base. Unfortunately I think the structural parts would be too bendy and the center of the rover would take most of the weight. If you manage to design something, I would keep a docking port or something sticking out so you can put more fuel on it if needed. You could try a sky crane approach too. Although that sounds pretty tricky with a rock that big.

Refueling station location seems to be a fairly person preference. Personally, having refueling stations at Minmus or on the outer edge of the SOI aren't useful. I prefer at the Mun or less. Having a station far away from Kerbin means you miss out on some Oberth effect. You can get around this by doing your initial burn toward Kerbin (essentially setting up an eliptical orbit), then doing the interplanetery burn at Kerbin PE. This has the advantage of refueling around 600-700 dV compared to leaving straight from LKO, but requires some trickery with Setting up the orbits. - Minmus has the disadvantages of an inclined orbit and a long orbital period. The inclined orbit makes setting up interplanetery trips more annoying, and the long orbital period make transfer window timing difficult to control. You are at the mercy of Minmus' long orbit. You also miss out on Oberth from Kerbin unless you sling back toward it. - The edge of Kerbin's SOI misses out on Oberth, but you would be able to refuel the 900-1000 dV it takes to get there. If you planned on slinging back to Kerbin for some Oberth, you are going to be at even more mercy of the very long orbit time. - Mun orbit is nice because you can use Munar gravity to help capture incoming and outgoing craft, and the orbital period isn't so crazy long. You still have to do some orbital burn trickery that takes a bit of practice. It's not inclined and only has a difference of about 100-200 dV when compared to Minmus.

It might be easier to move your base.

Close. The old ASAS module used to allow the craft to also automatically use flight control surfaces when SAS was active. The basic SAS module would only supply torque when SAS was active. Flight controls were added to all basic SAS ability. So the extra ASAS function is now obsolete.

Yep, like Starstrider said. Select the ? and then click on the blue botton. It looks like a satellite dish. If you want to stop tracking them (to reduce clutter), select the asteroid (from the list on the left or directly from the orbital map) and click the red "untrack" button at the bottom left.

If you go to the KSC complex screen, there is a flagpole in front of the astronaut complex. Mouse carefully and select it, then you can change the flag for that savegame (instead of just for a mission).

Unfortunately, it's pretty common that the docking ports status breaks. The link below will take you to a post that explains how to fix it in your save file. Please PLEASE make a backup copy before you edit it. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/71301-Docking-port-trouble?p=998917&viewfull=1#post998917 Good luck!