Service modules

[ibanix]

What are these things useful for? I can't figure out how to stuff something inside while I'm building the ship, unless it's not anchored, which seems like a bad idea. Are they just for returning stuff from space?

Edited July 2, 2015 by ibanix

[Reddeyfish]

they're a container for small parts. For example, if you want to have a HECS probe controlling a 1.25m rocket, it will be more structurally sound and more aerodynamic if you have the probe inside a service bay.

you can also put things like solar panels and goo canisters inside them so that they won't generate drag when launching.

[klesh]

Be sure to turn off angle snap when placing stuff inside, or else it gets placed in there backwards. Also, don't let anything clip into the doors. Test them both open and closed.

[DeMatt]

I can't figure out how to stuff something inside while I'm building the ship,

While you're in the hangar, you can right-click on the Service Bay and open it. Don't forget to close it again afterwards, or you'll have it hanging open on the launch pad.

You can also right-click many other parts to adjust their stats - fuel in fuel tanks, engine thrust, etc.

[Nansuchao]

A little suggestion. If you're planning to build a manned ship with just the capsule return, try to avoid o put scientific experiments inside. If you try to take the data from EVA, due to the bugged collision, you can lost your Kerbal in space or accidentally destroy your ship (solar panel most of times).

[Skorpychan]

They're for getting things up to space and down from space in a drag-free heat-free manner. Stick stuff to the upper and lower surface, or to the interior nodes, after opening it in the right-click menu.

I have one saved as a subassembly, with a few batteries and a load of science stuck in there, and an aerial on the side.

[Snark]

For example, if you want to have a HECS probe controlling a 1.25m rocket, it will be more structurally sound and more aerodynamic if you have the probe inside a service bay.

^^ This. By far my most common reason for using these things is that you have to go ridiculously far up the tech tree to get probe cores that are > 0.625m.

<rant>That just seems silly... seems like there should be a budget version of the big cores that give only the benefits of the low-tech things but just happen to be larger.</rant>

Anyway, the service bay gives an easy way to put small probe cores inline in a big rocket.

Another handy use is for lighting. I like to give my landers a couple of downward-pointing lights so I can see the surface better when landing (especially if there's any chance I need to land at night). I like to mount a couple of lights inside a service bay, then go into the "Action Groups" UI and tie the bay's "toggle" action to Lights. It works like a charm: when I turn on the craft's lights, the bay swings open. When I turn them off, it swings shut again.

[moronwrocket]

Also, don't put things too close to the bay, radially. The colliders sometimes mis-detect the thing as being in the bay, even when it's not.

[ibanix]

They're for getting things up to space and down from space in a drag-free heat-free manner. Stick stuff to the upper and lower surface, or to the interior nodes, after opening it in the right-click menu.

I have one saved as a subassembly, with a few batteries and a load of science stuck in there, and an aerial on the side.

Wait, it has interior nodes?

[Sharpy]

Wait, it has interior nodes?

Yes, it does.

You can stuff a command seat with a kerbal inside, in a pinch.

[Mars Mullo]

^^ ......

<rant>That just seems silly... seems like there should be a budget version of the big cores that give only the benefits of the low-tech things but just happen to be larger.</rant> .....

I found that tweek scale is your best friend to get around that limitation. You can tweek cores.