Rocket Testing Contract Question

[Anrui]

I accepted a contract to test the Skipper engine between a certain range of altitudes above Kerbin at a certain speed, ya know the usual. I figured easy enough and I ride the rocket all the way to the set altitude at the right speed with all parameters filled. All got checks on it. Sweet!

Nope. Somehow still didn't complete. As soon as I went out of the altitude it acted as if I hadn't just completed the contract. I landed successfully later thinking that it might give me the completion but nope. Still marks as incomplete.

Do you have to start up the engine at that altitude? Or is it ok to just ride the engine up and through said altitude while completing the parameters?

[Randazzo]

You have to activate the engine via staging when all the parameters have been met. That means if it's already running, you'll have to create another stage beneath it and hit spacebar a couple of times until it ticks over. I've never actually tried it while the engine is running, but it may work.

Alternatively, sometimes you can right click on the engine and there will be a "Run Test" option. I'm also not sure what conditions make that available, it seems like it doesn't always work for completing the contract.

[Steelsunoa]

Yes, you will either need to activate the engine within those parameters (have it as another stage, etc) or right click the part and click on "run test". If I had to guess, since it's an engine, it probably wants you to activate the engine once you reach the given altitude and speed.

[cybersol]

Creating an extra stage and re-staging it when the conditions are met should work. You may have to press space twice to activate the next stage after messing with staging. I guess that is some kind of safety feature.