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Kerbal EVA Crash tolerance?

SlabGizor117
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Claw

Claw

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Posted
I`d heard that they can survive any impact to their heads but the bodies are made from very fragile stuff.

Indeed. I've had kerbals survive from full reentry from LKO, while others have disappeared stepping off a lander. Their odds of survival can be greatly improved by going in head first (kerbals fear not!) or by activating the jetpack and softening the landing (or diverting yourself sideways).

Oh, and one thing about kerbals hitting the ground and ragdolling: The kraken sometimes takes them in sacrifice...

Cheers,

~Claw

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SlabGizor117

SlabGizor117

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To be fair this is just as true for people IRL.

That's a good point actually... Reminds me of when Scott Manley did an AMA, he said he'd like to go to Io the most, as far as what would be the coolest planet to stand on, although the radiation would kill him fast. Another person commented and said, "Yeah, probably Mars would be better, less radiation and... less cancer." And then a third guy comments and says "You get cancer on Earth too" XD I don't know why I thought that was so funny, but it was... :P

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Cirocco

Cirocco

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as stated before, highly variable. Kerbal helmets are made of miraculum (or something similarly named. Possibly bulls***ium): a substance that somehow allows them to survive impacts that would easily kill them otherwise. I've seen kerbals hit the ground at several dozen m/s and survive by landing on their helmets. Without helmet I'm not entirely sure. Depends on what you speed perpendicular to the landing surface is as well: you can have a kerbal survive if he lands on a flat surface with high horizontal but low vertical velocity. He'll just slide a long time.

I haven't thoroughly tested it, but I'd wager something like 5-8 m/s velocity perpendicular to the landing surface?

just a guess.

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InterCity

InterCity

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I've investigated:

Bodies didn't withstand anything over 15 m/s, but I routinely save doomed kerbals by eva on head. I've had one withstand a flight from a plummeting plane at about 150 m/s.

To think about it, I've never killed a kerbal by falling on his head.

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goldenpeach

goldenpeach

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Highly variable. I've had Kerbals explode from relatively low-velocity collisions on the Mun, yet survive free fall from 35 km on Kerbin.

[...]

What explain the 35KM altitude survival is the terminal velocity.

For those who don't know, terminal velocity apply to every bodies with an atmosphere and designate the maximum speed you can reach during a free fall. This maximum speed is caused by the drag: as you accelerate, the drag increase which cause you to "slow down"; basically, the terminal velocity is the equilibrium between the force of gravity and your drag.

So, no matter how high you fall, you won't go faster than the terminal velocity(*), which explain why you can survive a 35 KM fall on kerbin: as Kerbin has an atmosphere, you reach your terminal velocity before touching the ground: you would reach the exact same speed if you started your fall from 10KM. However, as the Mun don't have an atmosphere, there is no drag which mean you'll be alway accelerating(as long as you are into the good SOI).

(*) of course, you fall from high enough, your inertia could permit you to touch the ground faster. that's not because it "disable" terminal velocity in any way, but because the drag didn't have enough time to slow you down.

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Rematog

Rematog

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Posted (edited)

Has anyone tried to "rescue" a Kerbal trapped in orbit by flying close by (to be able to take control), then using jet pack to de-orbit burn and aerobrake in, using jet pack to assume safe landing angle (faceplant) and retroburning just before "touchdown"......

How high do they bounce?

- - - Updated - - -

Landing with kerbal body will draw attention from International Association to Stop Kerbal Abuse

Wrong organization, It would be Kerbal Astronautics Office of Safety, KAOS....... duh duh duhhhhhh, duhhh! :cool:

Edited by Rematog
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Deutherius

Deutherius

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Has anyone tried to "rescue" a Kerbal trapped in orbit by flying close by (to be able to take control), then using jet pack to de-orbit burn and aerobrake in, using jet pack to assume safe landing angle (faceplant) and retroburning just before "touchdown"......

How high do they bounce?

As the kerbals are subject to terminal velocity, they don't bounce as high as you might expect. Here's a video of a kerbal bouncing from Mun return trajectory.

Anyway, if you meant the career contract to save a kerbal... They have to get into a chair/capsule for one of the contract objectives, so you'll at least need to randezvous and board first. Dunno about then, maybe you can get back out again and try landing just the kerbal.

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Mythos

Mythos

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They have to get into a chair/capsule for one of the contract objectives, so you'll at least need to randezvous and board first. Dunno about then, maybe you can get back out again and try landing just the kerbal.

What about EVA deorbit, reentry, aiming for KSC, land on the runway, just put a capsule, step in and recover? :D

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  • 1 year later...
xteric

xteric

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Posted (edited)

Well their feet also seems to be made of un-scratchable material (sometimes.)

XTE Space Branch observed this as Virphe Kerman Succesfully flew an orbiter into orbit (duh) and then flew a succesful maneuver to orbit the Mun. The fuel was however depleted upon descending and left the craft in an highly uneven orbit (apo- and perioapsis differing with about 500 000 meters). Virphe Kerman (who is known for successfully mimicing the infamous Jebadiah Kerman who is now a pensioneer.) then decided to go on EVA and jetpack down to the surface!

Upon slowing down the jetpack was empty at about 200m/s horizontal speed over Mun which the mission control knew wasn't enough at all with experience of other incidents.

Virphe Kerman chanted her last will in live TV expecting to be turned into mundust in a matter of seconds. Seconds later Virphe Kerman collided with the surface at about 230m/s horizontal speed and 5m/s vertical speed.

BUT ASCENDED AGAIN

Virphe Kerman described it in live TV as "bouncing" and readings showed she was moving at 40m/s horizontal speed

She then faceplanted into a crater wall and stood upon her feet then "surfing" down the wall and taking safe ground at the bottom.

 

Sorry for the story I just felt like telling one XD. Anymays the conclusion is: Badass kerbals can scratch their feet across munar surface at 200m/s and survive.

I am too lazy tho to lead a rescue mission :P

 

Edited by xteric
Correction of important grammar.
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Mjarf

Mjarf

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Posted (edited)

It makes sense that they have a higher survival chance when landing on their head. Kerbals have huge heads and they obviously recruit "less intelligent" Kerbals as astronauts. This means that a Kerbal astronaut has a very robust head because of their small brain. I'm also theorizing that the flat top of their head creates some sort of air cushion when it collides with the inside of the helmet on impact. 

All of the above is of course just a theory.

i find their big stubby feet adorable btw. ^_^

Edited by Mjarf
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Cunjo Carl

Cunjo Carl

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I've actually noticed exactly the opposite effect from @mythbusters844. Even in 1.1.2, landing falling kerbals feet-first on Kerbin is 95% surviveable if you hold shift+W and give yourself a healthy lateral component (fly forward) as you fall.  I think @xteric's story is a great case and point! I've also noticed a higher proclivity to bounce at higher timewarps if you have this lateral component. Not that I find myself crash landing a lot... :)

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