Issues with sub-orbital lifters disintegrating.

[Joseph]

I recently upgraded to 1.0.2 from .25, and while the initial shock of the changes was acute, I did manage to work myself into some decent gameplay and designs. Playing Career Mode, I like to be able to recover as much as possible of my launches, and since SSTOs are no longer capable of significant payloads, I've been using various sub-stage rocket designs to carry payloads into orbit.

With my current unlocks, this primarily revolves around the LFB KR-1x2 "Twin-Boar" and a ring of 8 Turbos around it's waist, as well as a probe core and chutes to control it's decent back down into the atmosphere. I've used this pattern, as well as one that doesn't use jets, to boost loads of 10 tonnes or less into sub-orbital trajectories up to about 130km, at which point I stage off the payload and stabilize it's orbit under it's own power. I've had as many as 15 launches go off without a hitch, and that was even doing it poorly [excessive heating, etc.], but every time, she held firm and landed safely.

My issue is that, looking back, I loaded an earlier save to change some of my Tech Tree purchases, and now I can't get it to work at all [no, I didn't change any part unlocks involved]. She takes off just fine, gets beautifully into her coasting phase, but whenever I stage the payload and begin it's stabilization burn, about halfway through the burn, the lifter [several km behind] randomly explodes. No overheating, no re-entry [still over 100km up], she just disintegrates, with literally EVERY part detaching from every other.

Is anyone else having such issues, and if so, can you recommend a fix?

[Bill Phil]

Too fast too low.

Probably.

[Aerindel]

Add a probe core to your lifter section and then switch to it after you separate, see what the destruction log tells you after it blows up.

[Joseph]

Too fast too low.

Probably.

This is happening long AFTER I'm out of the atmosphere.

Add a probe core to your lifter section and then switch to it after you separate, see what the destruction log tells you after it blows up.

It has one, and I did that... instead, the PAYLOAD disintegrated... I slowed it down, and noted that the trajectories began going erratic and changing suddenly for no reason.

It kept doing it, so I did a repairing install, seems to be stable again. I kinda suspect the fact that this was my first craft equipping the K.L.A.W. might have had something to do with it.

[Kevin Wing]

I was having a similar problem last night. A ship I built would start shaking wildly then explode for no discernable reason.

There was some part damage during a stage separation, so I went back and added separatrons and ensured a clean separation event, but to no avail. Just kept shaking wildly and exploding.

That got me thinking that there may be a bug I'd discovered. So I made a few saves in the launch process hoping to be able to help by sharing the saves with Squad.

Then I tried an older ship that I'd used half a dozen times previously, and it would explode also. So, then I wasn't so sure that what I was seeing was related to the build or parts.

Then I rebooted, and everything worked fine afterwards.

So, blah blah blah, by all that I guess I'm just saying, did you try rebooting?

[moogoob]

Did either of them use the Kraken container AKA the size 2 service bay? It's been known to go all erratic and destructive-like.

[Joseph]

So, blah blah blah, by all that I guess I'm just saying, did you try rebooting?

... <.< ... I did a repairing install... THIS IS SCIENCE, we can't always just try out the easiest solution!

Did either of them use the Kraken container AKA the size 2 service bay? It's been known to go all erratic and destructive-like.

Negative, only questionable part involved was the KLAW itself.

[Keith_Bones]

Is the engine exhaust from the circularization burn pointed anywhere near the exploding body? I know you said you put separation boosters on, but I have no idea how far the heat from the exhaust actually reaches.

[Joseph]

Is the engine exhaust from the circularization burn pointed anywhere near the exploding body? I know you said you put separation boosters on, but I have no idea how far the heat from the exhaust actually reaches.

The issue seems to have a momentary bug, and I think it's fixed.

However, as for your query, no. The lifter was sum 20km+ behind the orbiter by the time it wigged out, so the orbiter's engines wouldn't have done anything to it.

[SkyRender]

PSA: The KLAW causes all sorts of issues with spontaneous unplanned disassembly. Fortunately it usually does not destroy whatever it's attached to, but anything it's not attached to is fair game. This includes parts that used to be attached to the vessel it's a part of and even newly-launched ships.

[Enorats]

If it's blowing up several kilometers behind (or in front if you're staying with the lifter instead of the payload) then it sounds to me like an issue with the game applying physics to the ship. The game loads the ship and begins applying physics right around 2.3k out from a target, you can easily notice when it happens as you approach a large ship or station as it freezes for a second or two right at that point every time.

I've had several stations spontaneously explode into all their component parts just as the game begins to apply physics to them at this point as I approach them with another ship. It's rather frustrating, as there's nothing that can be done to stop it it seems.

[NecroBones]

The game loads the ship and begins applying physics right around 2.3k out from a target,

The distance recently has been extended out to around 25km, if I'm not mistaken.

[CocoDaPuf]

I was having a similar problem last night. A ship I built would start shaking wildly then explode for no discernable reason.

Well that first part sounds familiar. Is there a service bay on that particular ship? I've found that if there's any clipping at all inside a service bay, the whole ship will occasionally start shaking uncontrollably until it risks tearing itself apart. You can temporarily end the tremors by opening and closing the bay, but it will happen again.

So at any rate, that might not be your problem, but it is a known issue.