Overheating on Reentry

[Castille7]

Working on a project and having Overheating Problems on Reentry, this idea in the picture is looking silly and at the moment doesn't seem to be helping. I noticed recently that the Radiators can be extended and will try this next but not sure what is working for others. Do smaller craft tend to heat less? Should I use a different fuselage? I need some ideas to make this project a success. The Craft is called Space Tech Model: Sat-9 and is capable of deploying 9 Satellites from it's tail end into orbit and return to base BUT the return to base is where I am needing help.

What worked for me was the idea from DCWarHound

"You don't need radiators or airbrakes. Circularize your orbit at around 72km and then bring your Per down to 50km.tilt the plane up for maximum drag so most of the planes belly is facing toward the direction that you're heading towards."

Not saying others ideas won't work, this is the technique I decided to try and it answered my question, Thank again DCWarHound!

Edited July 28, 2015 by castille7
Question Answered

[kurja]

Radiators won't help with re-entry. Try a shallower trajectory, and nose up early on to stay longer in the thin air? And airbrakes are very helpful.

[FungusForge]

If those are radiators, remove them all. Radiators are extraordinary at collecting and passing heat, and having them exposed during reentry is suicide. They will heat up and pass the heat directly to the part they are attached to.

Even on 120% heating Mk3 and Mk2 fuselages, as well as the wings are fine in LKO reentry.

[Castille7]

Radiators won't help with re-entry. Try a shallower trajectory, and nose up early on to stay longer in the thin air? And airbrakes are very helpful.

I'll try those ideas next and I will release this craft on the spacecraft exchange forum at a later date, it's really fun deploying the Satellites, seeing them drift through the structure is an cool site to see, I got the idea from an old James Bond movie

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If those are radiators, remove them all. Radiators are extraordinary at collecting and passing heat, and having them exposed during reentry is suicide. They will heat up and pass the heat directly to the part they are attached to.

Even on 120% heating Mk3 and Mk2 fuselages, as well as the wings are fine in LKO reentry.

We'll do! thanks for the help!

[steve_v]

Holy ...., that's a lot of radiators

You should be able to nail a re-entry without any special parts (and with some practice) but airbrakes will help a lot.

[Castille7]

Holy ...., that's a lot of radiators

You should be able to nail a re-entry without any special parts (and with some practice) but airbrakes will help a lot.

I think I put the first Armadillo in space!....lol

[DCWarHound]

You don't need radiators or airbrakes.Circularize your orbit at around 72km and then bring your Per down to 50km.tilt the plane up for maximum drag so most of the planes belly is facing toward the direction that you're heading towards.

I also had the same problem:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/129386-How-to-safely-enter-the-atmosphere-and-land-my-SSTO-SP

I've also made a large SSTO that can take an orange tank to LKO and still return to land without parachutes,heat shields or airbrakes.

[kurja]

You don't need radiators or airbrakes.Circularize your orbit at around 72km and then bring your Per down to 50km.tilt the plane up for maximum drag so most of the planes belly is facing toward the direction that you're heading towards.

Airbrakes aren't ofc necessary by any means, but they can be very helpful - I usually put one or two on the dorsal side close to the rear end, and enable their automatic use for pitch control during re-entry; there's normally a tendency to pitch towards prograde vector during high aoa re-entry, and the brakes work wonderfully as extra control surfaces.

[Castille7]

You don't need radiators or airbrakes.Circularize your orbit at around 72km and then bring your Per down to 50km.tilt the plane up for maximum drag so most of the planes belly is facing toward the direction that you're heading towards.

I also had the same problem:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/129386-How-to-safely-enter-the-atmosphere-and-land-my-SSTO-SP

I've also made a large SSTO that can take an orange tank to LKO and still return to land without parachutes,heat shields or airbrakes.

Try and try again situation here I guess, thanks for the technique to use I will use this and post my achievements soon

[Sharpy]

BTW, these seem to be the Thermal Control Systems, not Radiator Panels. They don't work while folded. Right-click, "Deploy" and good luck landing the resulting hedgehog.

And really, all that effort when four airbrakes would do the job far better...

[Castille7]

Airbrakes aren't ofc necessary by any means, but they can be very helpful - I usually put one or two on the dorsal side close to the rear end, and enable their automatic use for pitch control during re-entry; there's normally a tendency to pitch towards prograde vector during high aoa re-entry, and the brakes work wonderfully as extra control surfaces.

I've built many different crafts using the Airbrakes also but this my first attempts with the re-entry crafts, thanks for the help I'll keep everyone posted

[steve_v]

...the resulting hedgehog....

Pics will be spectacular though.

[Evanitis]

Would you forgive me if I audibly laughed upon seeing your first pic?

If you wouldn't, I'll just keep that information to myself and will not mention it to anyone.

[Castille7]

BTW, these seem to be the Thermal Control Systems, not Radiator Panels. They don't work while folded. Right-click, "Deploy" and good luck landing the resulting hedgehog.

And really, all that effort when four airbrakes would do the job far better...

I only had a few on the top forward section of the craft and haven't experimented with the Thermal Control Systems or the Radiator Panels, I was just checking there results Watson

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Would you forgive me if I audibly laughed upon seeing your first pic?

If you wouldn't, I'll just keep that information to myself and will not mention it to anyone.

I am a very humorous person, please laugh it does the body good and like I said is looks like an Armadillo! ...lol

[Goddess Bhavani]

OMG..... can you deploy all the thermal control systems and post a pic... It will be glorious

[kurja]

OMG..... can you deploy all the thermal control systems and post a pic... It will be glorious

Wait those things cover the bottom side too?! lol

[Castille7]

OMG..... can you deploy all the thermal control systems and post a pic... It will be glorious

Sure, I need sometime to do it, I hope to post it later today

[Sharpy]

Or just post the .craft file. I'd be happy to try that.

[Castille7]

OMG..... can you deploy all the thermal control systems and post a pic... It will be glorious

Here is your request, I couldn't take just one pick after seeing what happen!

Thermal Control Systems a Maximum!

Edited July 27, 2015 by castille7

[GDJ]

Radiators won't help with re-entry. Try a shallower trajectory, and nose up early on to stay longer in the thin air? And airbrakes are very helpful.

X2 on this.

[Castille7]

OMG..... can you deploy all the thermal control systems and post a pic... It will be glorious

Thermal Control Systems at Maximum

Sat-9

Here is the Craft File for those who would like to play with the Thermal Control Systems

Space Tech - Sat-9 Rad

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Or just post the .craft file. I'd be happy to try that.

Your Craft File Request

https://files.secureserver.net/0sFVPwK1KJk6Ey

Edited July 27, 2015 by castille7

[kurja]

well that's one way of reducing thermal mass - explode it away