Parachutes in 1.0.4

[simsatellite]

Just updated from 1.0.2 to 1.0.4 and restarted my career. In 1.0.2, I had rockets that just shoot straight up and free-fall back down and slowed with parachutes for doing sub-orbital tourist contracts. In 1.0.4, my chutes always rip off unless I deploy them so late that the pod crashes and explode before the chutes can slow them down enough (had to deploy somewhere below 1000m to not have them rip off, but that's too little time to slow down in 1.0.4.)

My craft is very basic (only unlocked the really cheap techs so far): Mk16 chute / 2 radial chutes - command pod - command pod - heat shield - decoupler - hammer SRB - decoupler - hammer SRB (I need the second command pod for a pilot for SAS, otherwise rocket will flip.) I tweaked the SRB so that I get around an apoapsis of 80,000m or so.

I did manage to get something workable and economical by adding a flea SRB (and an additional Hammer stage) that fires during descent to slow me down to < 200 m/s before deploying the chutes. Are there other solutions to make the chutes usable? Spamming a lot of radial chutes also look like it may work (it worked with the 1 pod version) - not because they slow me down in time if I deploy really late, but because they seem to add a ton of drag that slows me down even before I deploy them. Adding draggy parts seem like such an inelegant solution though, and I don't know if that approach will scale well when I build heavier crafts (not to mention wastes a lot of fuel on ascent.)

Also, what exactly changed in 1.0.4 that seems to have nerfed the chutes so much? Reduced air drag so crafts don't hit terminal velocity as quickly as well as raising the terminal velocity? Or is some part of the atmosphere a lot less dense now that it doesn't decelerate crafts as much? Understanding what changed will help me redesign all my old crafts much quicker.

Edited June 27, 2015 by simsatellite

[tutike2000]

Drag seems to have been decreased, so you don't slow down as much. And chutes get destroyed at lower speeds than they used to, so you need to slow down more than you did before.

Flying straight up is kind of suicidal now.

[Kerbart]

Your chutes should fully deploy around 1000m above terrain or there's not enough time for them to be deployed (they open slower now to reduce G-forces).

Your chutes should be pre-deployed once velocity drops below approx. 250 m/s. If you only slow down that much below 1000m then you have a problem, obviously.

With two command pods you might simply be too heavy to slow down substantially with a 1.25m diameter. Also, how do you re-entry? Come in too steep and your descent trajectory is simply not long enough to slow you down enough.

[simsatellite]

Flying straight up then free fall straight down. Worked fine in 1.0.2 - it was an easy way to do tons of tourist contracts with my eyes closed literally (press T, space bar, then every time I don't hear rocket noises, press space bar again ) So I take it in 1.0.4, I either have to fall at an angle (which means I also have to launch at an angle) or pack some small rockets for the descent (which I've done successfully, just can't do it with my eyes closed)? Do airbrakes or drogues work well in 1.0.4? I'm very very far from those techs though...

[tutike2000]

Do airbrakes or drogues work well in 1.0.4? I'm very very far from those techs though...

Haven't tried them, but I suspect the airbrakes will be a lot safer than drogues. Ever since Squad added airbrakes drogues have been a bit obsolete.

[imaspacestation]

Don't forget you can right click on the parachute part and it will display in the context menu if it's safe to deploy it or not.

[RW-1]

Don't forget you can right click on the parachute part and it will display in the context menu if it's safe to deploy it or not.

I saw that last night, a nice addition ...

[Kryxal]

My suborbital tourist design is a capsule and two inline cockpits, it works well enough with a small chute and a pair of radials ... BUT I need to apply torque so as not to face prograde when nearing sea level or I don't slow enough. Actually, I usually point to the horizon when I hit the top of my arc (75 km with a standard rocket and 5 of the -200 tanks, detached with a bit left over)

[simsatellite]

Actually, I usually point to the horizon when I hit the top of my arc (75 km with a standard rocket and 5 of the -200 tanks, detached with a bit left over)

This is actually a simple and effective solution, worked fine with my 2 command pods variation, thanks!

[Scotsman]

I'm having a similar but maybe different problem. I'm at the same point in the game after starting a new career - earning some sweet early tourist money. However, I'm finding that my speed doesn't reduce nearly enough to save me when coming back down. I've tested it with just a pod, science junior and couple of wings and a heat shield on a fairly horizontal re-entry from maybe 110km up. I'll get up to 800 m/s around 70km up and by 15km i'm doing a blistering 1200 m/s and I burn up. Am I being a terrible pilot or is something wrong with my game? I haven't played since 1.0 and I'm on vanilla.

Also, I've noticed my heat shield doesn't appear to be wearing. It keeps it's 200 units of ablator. After my speed gets too high and I get too low, I lose control and can't keep my shield towards my retro, then everything explodes. Any help would be good.

P.S. Removed and reinstalled the game via steam twice, once using the delete then verify technique.

[Sharpy]

Drogues work from 500m/s downwards, so they won't help with a very steep reentry. Airbrakes work at any altitude and they work well. They are very important parts nowadays and putting them on your spacecraft is a wise practice, especially that they can save you from overheating as well, creating drag at speeds where chutes have no chance to survive.

Yep, get used to the airbrakes, they are godsend with the new aero.

Have a pic of airbrakes on an asteroid.

[Starhawk]

Hello Scotsman, and welcome to the forums.

First, if you lose control in atmo, your centre of mass is not in the right place. You want the CoM as close to the blunt end as possible to ensure stability during reentry. At only 0.2 tonnes, the science junior is very light. So if you put it below the command pod you have an unstable reentry vehicle.

It sounds like you're not coming in shallow enough. As long as you spend enough time in the medium-thick atmosphere, it should be able to slow you to safe speeds.

There is no need for a heat shield for the mission described. You will never use up any of the ablator. The command pods can withstand reentry from the Mun or Minmus without a heat shield, as long as it's shallow enough.

Hope this helps.

Happy landings!

p.s. It's probably better to start your own question thread than post in an older one that's already marked as 'Answered'.