Random stowed chutes

[Galileo Kerbonaut]

Since when did parachute deployment became a random thing?

I used one particular rocket more than 5 times. Nothing was changed to its design but all of a sudden the parachutes wouldn't open anymore because they're stowed. I know this tends to happen when the chutes are too close to a service bay, but how can it be random? If it worked once, let alone 5 times, it should work all the time? Shouldn't it?

[Snark]

Can you provide a bit more detail? What do you mean by "wouldn't open anymore because they're stowed"? Can you describe exactly what happens in-game?

Also, when you say "X used to work but now it doesn't", can you clarify what you mean by "used to"? i.e. what happened between now and then? Was that a pre-1.0 experience and now it's broken post-1.0, or something else?

A screenshot might help.

[Pecan]

Cargo/service bays are random, aren't they? They don't appear to have any other function like heat or drag reduction, so I assumed they were just there to add failures.

(Sadly, only half-joking. More or less given up on them, since it's almost impossible to convince KSP the things you want in them ARE inside, and the rest outside).

[Snark]

Cargo/service bays are random, aren't they? They don't appear to have any other function like heat or drag reduction, so I assumed they were just there to add failures.

(Sadly, only half-joking. More or less given up on them, since it's almost impossible to convince KSP the things you want in them ARE inside, and the rest outside).

Depends on how you use them. I've never had a single problem or bug with a service bay, ever. My guess is that the way I'm using them must not be how most folks try to use it, but I find them really handy.

My main uses for service bays:

- Put a probe core in them (handy during the part of career before the larger-size probe cores become available)

- Put the little 100-charge radial batteries in them (handy way to avoid drag, before the larger battery sizes are available)

- Put landing lights in them (couple of Mk1 illuminators; I then go into action groups and tie the "Lights" action to the service bay, so that it swings open/closed when I toggle the lights)

- Put science instruments in them, to protect during reentry

...and perhaps the added factor that I don't get greedy (i.e. don't try to pack too much in there, allow a comfortable margin between the stuff in the service bay and the outer surface of the bay).

In any case, I don't want to derail the topic here, the original question was about parachutes-- hope to get some more detail there.

[Galileo Kerbonaut]

Thanks for the replies! Here's a little more detail about the situation:

I built a very simple rocket using the MK1 pod, a heat shield, some fuel tanks, the LV-909, the LV-T45 and some boosters. I used a service bay, attached to the MK1, and put some batteries and goo canisters in it. I attached radial chutes to the MK1, keeping in mind that they are as far from the service bay as possible.

Launch to LKO with no problems. Re-entry, no problems. Deploying the chutes, also no problem. Landing safely and everybody's happy. So after using this rocket for 4 launches I was surprised to get the message: Unable to deploy chutes because they are stowed. Nothing was changed to its design and it all worked fine before.

I went back to the VAB and changed the offset for the chutes just a tiny bit; problem solved. But still, Jeb is dead and I have no idea why it all worked the first few times and all of a sudden it failed. There has to be a reason for it unless it truly is random which is hard to believe.

[Snark]

Launch to LKO with no problems. Re-entry, no problems. Deploying the chutes, also no problem. Landing safely and everybody's happy. So after using this rocket for 4 launches I was surprised to get the message: Unable to deploy chutes because they are stowed. Nothing was changed to its design and it all worked fine before.

I went back to the VAB and changed the offset for the chutes just a tiny bit; problem solved. But still, Jeb is dead and I have no idea why it all worked the first few times and all of a sudden it failed. There has to be a reason for it unless it truly is random which is hard to believe.

Hm, that is indeed weird.

Just to confirm: In between the 4-times-when-it-worked, and the 1-time-when-it-mysteriously-didn't, did anything significant happen to your game? e.g. a version update to KSP, install a new mod, anything like that?

If the answer is "no" (which I kinda get the impression, from your post, just wanna make sure), then I'm stumped-- sounds like a bug. Your ship design sounds pretty simple and innocent.

[Galileo Kerbonaut]

Your guess is spot on. I am baffled as well. I was aware of the stowed chute problem, but I've never seen it behave like this.

[m1dane24]

Had the exact same problem a few days back - Unable to deploy chute while stowed - somewhere along that line. Never encountered before so i had a wee bit of panic at the disco time. Fortunately, i always have spare chutes which i only deploy if i see that the initial group of deployed chutes are not enough - never hurts to add 1 or 2 more chutes somewhere

[Sharpy]

If there's a service bay or a cargo bay anywhere on the vessel (regardless of the location of the chutes) opening it should un-stow it.

Worse if you jettisoned it somewhere on the Mun two days ago.