Heat shields and pods

[seaces]

Do we need to use heat shields on the pods? I mean shouldn't some heat protection be already in place on the pods so that we do not need to place an extra part?

Edited May 2, 2015 by seaces

[Slugy]

There should have been (as in DRE) - but there isn't.

If you take multiple orbits with ~40km periapsis to slow down you can get a mk1 back safely without one.

[Mastikator]

You can check the "Maximum temperature" of a part. Pods have 2400 degrees, most rocket parts have 2000 degrees, science and utilities are typically down to 1200-1000 degrees. It's heat resistant and doesn't ablate. So you don't always need to put heat-shields on pods.

[Chaos_Klaus]

There should have been (as in DRE) - but there isn't.

And why should it be that way? Just because a completely different mod did it that way?

What is the use of having a build in heatshield when you might want to reenter with something attached to the bottom instead? Use the heat shields with the pod. When you come from low kerbin orbit, you don't need all the ablator though.

[seaces]

So i did some crazy stuff now to see how the pod reacts to heat. So placed MK1 pod on three tanks and two busters and just let it go up and up vertically got rid of busters and tanks when they were done. Came down vertically the pod survived without shield but it was a close call the G was wel in the red. Then I tried the same but this time while i was falling down i left the tanks...the pod couldn't hold this. Next test was again tank plus pod plus shield. No problem....however the pod was going so fast that one poor chute didn't have a chance. So it seems unless you are heavy and go to extreme like me the pods will just do fine without the shield...at least did the Mk1

[Monger]

Pods can take quite a punch. For early non-orbital and low orbit missions you don't need it. Ironically, you don't need it either if you take a quite steep reentry, because more dangerous than the friction is the long exposure to it, i.e. the pod is unable to cool down efficiently. However, you will get other problems with a a fast descent (i.e. being unable to break fast enough)