Flipping over an dying on re-entry

[davidpsummers]

So I tried to use the Science Jr on my nascent, 1.0, career mode. I was aware of the changes and put a heat shield on. The problem is that upon re-entry (from a decently high apoapsis) the capsule flipped over, heated up, and exploded, killing Jeb! A retry (with brave Valentina going when Jeb had just died) with reaction control module was able to keep it orientated.

So the bottom line is either

a) have sufficient attitude control to counter aerodynamics (how much, not sure).

reenter with just a capsule that will orientate itself.

In some other threads, they deploy a parachute. Though even if the game lets you, I'm not sure how a parachuter survives re-entry.

Edited April 30, 2015 by davidpsummers

[Blu_C]

The problem is with how the heat shields assign their mass currently. The part somehow adds its mass to the Center of Mass instead of simulating the mass where the part is actually attached. This causes huge stability problems for some craft (especially with a smaller number of parts), making them likely to lawn dart. There is already a fix for it in the mods section, and there will likely be a hot patch coming out in a week or two (the devs tend to be pretty good about releasing hotpatches pretty fast when serious problems are uncovered with a new release).

[davidpsummers]

The problem is with how the heat shields assign their mass currently. The part somehow adds its mass to the Center of Mass instead of simulating the mass where the part is actually attached. This causes huge stability problems for some craft (especially with a smaller number of parts), making them likely to lawn dart. There is already a fix for it in the mods section, and there will likely be a hot patch coming out in a week or two (the devs tend to be pretty good about releasing hotpatches pretty fast when serious problems are uncovered with a new release).

OK, that will help, though, of course, it is always possible to design a ship that is too top heavy. When we get advanced, this will make aerobraking large probes "interesting". I guess, if you don't have a heat shield, you will be limited by how much heating you can withstand?

[Etsu]

I'm not using a heat shield and my craft is not exploiting.

[Blu_C]

I'm not using a heat shield and my craft is not exploiting.

Returning from lower orbits is easy without a heat shield (or if you have an engine between you and the air). For things like returning direct from Minimus, or when trying to land on Eve, you need to be much more careful or actually take a heat shield.

One alternate method that I've been using is air breaks. These are absurdly good and if you have them deployed at higher altitudes they will bleed off a ton of speed before you reach the thicker portions of the atmosphere.