Simple bug in "Test Ion Thruster" contract

[Daripuff]

I don't know if this is something to do an "official" bug report on, since it's not anything complex, nor does it affect gameplay much, nor require anything to replicate.

Simply, if you do not have the ion engine unlocked, and you accept the contract "Test PB-ION Electric Propulsion System in flight over Kerbin", you will be given the prototype engine to use, but you will not be given any prototype Xenon fuel tanks to use, and therefore you cannot use the engine, and therefore cannot complete the contract without unlocking the ion engine through the tech tree.

[GluttonyReaper]

You should still be able to complete the contract - even if the engine doesn't actually produce any thrust without fuel tanks, as long as you stage it in the correct conditions, the game should still count it as being complete.

[celem]

Indeed, this is a very useful loophole. There are others too. Testing a mailsail on escape trajectory out of Kerbin is not an insignificant challenge if you dont use said mainsail to reach the escape velocity.

If its a 'right-click run test' style contract then obviously you can use the engines. If its a 'activate through staging' style contract then you can still light the engines as long as you right click to activate and dont stage till you get where you need to be.

As mentioned it also doesnt need to thrust, which is why 'test x landed on kerbin' is free money, just stick the engine direct to a probe core, launch, spacebar, recover.

I also fell for this one and accepted the 'test ion thruster' so that i would get early access to it, then realised i had no xenon. I actually researched the node to fill the contract because i didnt know about the 'no thrust needed' bit.

Edited March 22, 2015 by celem

[Renegrade]

If its a 'activate through staging' style contract then you can still light the engines as long as you right click to activate and don't stage till you get where you need to be.

You can also re-stage the engine by putting it in a stage above the current one (you can even create a new stage on the fly for this purpose), which will also fulfill the contract.

[Vanamonde]

Moved to Support, so the right people can see it.

[keeper]

I just completed that one ... on a sub orbital trajectory.

Knowing i dont have the fuel yet, but we did try without and succeeded.,

[Tw1]

Indeed, this is a very useful loophole. There are others too. Testing a mailsail on escape trajectory out of Kerbin is not an insignificant challenge if you dont use said mainsail to reach the escape velocity.

Bring a second mainsail?