Kerbin Orbital Escape Pod [1.0.4]

[OrbitalEscape]

Single Kerbal pod that will safely return to Kerbin from orbit (with parachutes attached). Tested up to a 500km orbit. Has built in retro rockets.

Download: Kerbal Stuff

Version 0.5

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I plan to add built in parachutes.

Here is the primitive IVA

I am not responsible for instantaneous disintegration during reentry.

Edited July 14, 2015 by OrbitalEscape

[DGatsby]

Love it!

[SuccinctLemon]

Very nice. Are the engines thottalable + gimbals?

[Neutrinovore]

I was all set to download this part, until I saw that it's only the diameter of a clamp-o-tron JUNIOR. A kerbal can't fit through a Jr., it says so right in the description.

Yes, I know, I could just fudge it and say 'well, just in this one case', but I do like to try to keep things on a somewhat realistic basis in my game, at least as far as whether Kerbals fit in or through certain parts, that's all.

If the design were changed a bit to allow use of a bigger docking port or hatch, I'd definitely be interested.

Anyway, just giving my 2 cents.

[Randazzo]

This looks neat! Another for the list.

I was all set to download this part, until I saw that it's only the diameter of a clamp-o-tron JUNIOR. A kerbal can't fit through a Jr., it says so right in the description.

It may say that in the description, but it's never stopped kerbals from transferring through it. It's .625 m in diameter, which is just a little over two feet wide. Not comfortable certainly, but if it fails... well, they've got something to bury you in.

[OrbitalEscape]

Very nice. Are the engines thottalable + gimbals?

No, they are solid fuel boosters that cannot be shutdown. There is no gimbal but the pod has plenty of SAS torque.

[OrbitalEscape]

I was all set to download this part, until I saw that it's only the diameter of a clamp-o-tron JUNIOR. A kerbal can't fit through a Jr., it says so right in the description.

Yes, I know, I could just fudge it and say 'well, just in this one case', but I do like to try to keep things on a somewhat realistic basis in my game, at least as far as whether Kerbals fit in or through certain parts, that's all.

If the design were changed a bit to allow use of a bigger docking port or hatch, I'd definitely be interested.

Anyway, just giving my 2 cents.

Hhmm, I understand that the docking port is a bit small but I had designed this to be as small as possible to barely fit a Kerbal. I had taken a Kerbal on EVA to size it up next to the pod to make sure it a Kerbal could reasonably fit. I do plan on making an external hatch for the next update. Thanks for the input!

[Jivaii]

Wouldn't work with CLS....gonna have to pass by this part.

[Errol]

Wouldn't work with CLS....gonna have to pass by this part.

Instead of posted something defeatist like this why not post asking if CLS support is on the road map for this mod? Or suggest support gets added. Who knows, perhaps the mod author is newer to KSP and hasn't heard of CLS yet.

[Jivaii]

Instead of posted something defeatist like this why not post asking if CLS support is on the road map for this mod? Or suggest support gets added. Who knows, perhaps the mod author is newer to KSP and hasn't heard of CLS yet.

It's not defeatist, CLS will not allow for kerbal transfer via Jr docking ports. You would need to make a MM patch to clone the Jr docking ports, with a line of code to make CLS think it's a full docking port.

[OrbitalEscape]

Wouldn't work with CLS....gonna have to pass by this part.

Now that you can transfer crew between docked ships in stock KSP, most people don't have a use for Connected Living Space.

It's not defeatist, CLS will not allow for kerbal transfer via Jr docking ports. You would need to make a MM patch to clone the Jr docking ports, with a line of code to make CLS think it's a full docking port.

I have no knowledge of how to make plugins or code for KSP so if you wanted something like this for this pod then you would have to help or show me some kind of tutorial.

[Jivaii]

I use CLS for realism, it's not very realistic to go through your fuel tanks, now is it?

As for the docking port issue, I'll see if I can't locate an open-source model and write up the config file for it.

[Nothalogh]

clamp-o-tron JR. docking port.

That doesn't make sense for an escape pod as it is non traversable by Kerbals, and they'd have to EVA to get in the pod.

Realistically, I think a 1.25m dia blunt nosed bullet shape about 3m in length that aerobrakes with a lifting body style reentry.

Pitch, Yaw, and Roll can be controlled by pop out airbrakes at the rear.

No need for propulsive landing so fuel requirement is only enough to move to low orbit and deorbit on a shallow trajectory, actual landing would be done via parachute, with secondary and tertiary backups.

One other thing, the docking should undock with the force of a decoupler, to blow the pod safely free of the malfunctioning spacecraft.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Nothalogh

[Kuansenhama]

How much does it mass? I might download this mod and stick a whole bunch of them on my space station for emergencies.

[Jivaii]

Honestly, I'd like to see it as a radially attached, decoupler enabled, survival pod. But what I would like to see would require bits from at least 4 mods.

[TheCardinal]

Honestly, I'd like to see it as a radially attached, decoupler enabled, survival pod. But what I would like to see would require bits from at least 4 mods.

Well, radially attached, decoupler enabled is possible.

Modify the part.cfg in the following way

Change attachRules = 1,0,1,1,0 to attachRules = 1,1,1,1,1,0

and add (just before the final })

MODULE

{

name = ModuleAnchoredDecoupler

anchorName = anchor

ejectionForce = 260

explosiveNodeID = srf

}

The (dis?)advantage of this model is that it sinks halfway into the craft when sideways attached but it has no consequences for launching the escapepod. I use the MK16 parachute which also improves the streamline. And i added an altimiter set at 600 meters to automatically deploy the parachute.

I have no idea if the escapepod (or parachute) will survive reentry. (Haven't tried that yet)

- edit -

none of the parts survive reentry, so the heatcapacity of the escapepod should be leveled up.

Edited July 11, 2015 by TheCardinal

[Changestormer]

Love it. I've been wanting something like this since I built my first station; I stick to career mode and it *hurts* me to cheat so I NEED this.

And it's better than every Escape Pod I've ever made, so I won't be critical; it's a emergency pod, I'm sure they keep a jar of kerbaline brand regalithium jelly handy so they can squeeze through a jr. docking port in emergencies.

I've been trying various ways to make it so a non-pilot can live through de-orbit in one, and I was looking for suggestions; sticking a probe core on top, then a corvus combo 'chute/dock on top of that seems to work, but it isn't real realistic.

Maybe some form of additional integrated "dumb" attitude system, that fires off a stability/orientation keeping system at the same time as the de-orbit burn is happening? i don't remember seeing anything like that out there, though.

if the pinwheeling could be fixed, I could slap 3 sepratrons on it for de-orbit, and fire the integrated rockets just before it hits the ground like with the Soyuz? you could do away with the chute that way, which would be a plus for realism....a device that you hope you never use, but works when it has to shouldn't have moving parts.

So I guess my big problem with it is the de-orbit pinwheel when there isn't a pilot onboard; suggestions?

[Windspren]

It's not very realistic to go through your fuel tanks, now is it?

But then how else will my Kerbals go swimming in space? Do you expect them to swim in monopropellent tanks instead?