Why does my rocket keep exploding?

[Guest]

"TT-70 Radial Decoupler collided into Rockomax Fuel Tank

Rockomax Fuel Tank Collided into Rockomax Fuel Tank

AV-R8 Winglet collided into Rockomax Fuel Tank

Structural failure on linkage between Rockomax Fuel Tank and Rockomax Fuel Tank"

and so it goes

This sounds to me your external boosters aren't actually attached to your decouplers, they're radially attached to the central fuel tank. Check your booster placement is on top of the decouplers.

Also, you might try using the Hydraulic Detachment Manifold, as that seems to have better performance separating heavy objects.

[MajorThomas]

Jetpacks work really well as a ladder replacement on Minmus, the Mun and even Duna. But not on Kerbin or Eve (gravity too high). To turn on your Kerbal's jetpack, use the R key. Then it's WASD Shift Ctrl to thrust in the 6 different directions.

[Clear Air Turbulence]

Check your booster placement is on top of the decouplers.

That's interesting. When fixing the Kickbacks on my new ship, I noticed that somehow they won't go on the top of the TT70s. The end up fixed to the body of the main booster, with the decouplers somehow inside them. That looks bad, but try as I might I can't get it to sit properly

[Clear Air Turbulence]

By the way, how do I mark this thread as answered?

[Sirine]

Check the top sticky thread for switching to answered.

Don't let mechjeb hijack your 1st moon landing experience. You have only one chance to feel the achievement.

[Clear Air Turbulence]

No first time I landed without mechjeb all right.

Quicksave was my friend.

But the rescue mission is going to be a real challenge. I have to land in a specific spot. That will be interesting.

In general I use Mechjeb to check whether a given ship works, eliminating my own cack-handedness as a factor. If it does, I know I should be able to pilot it manually thereafter without disasters.

[Clear Air Turbulence]

OK, landed & managed to get both Kerbals back into the pod.

Now I have to figure out how to get back home with almost no fuel in the tank.

[Clear Air Turbulence]

That was interesting.

I did not have enough fuel to get back all the way.

But I think I sort of by accident ended up doing a gravity slingshot in reverse using Mun. One of my orbits had me going into Mun encounter, then mun escape with a drastically slower velocity.

Now I have just enough monoprop left to try aerobraking. I may just get these guys home.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Clear Air Turbulence

[nekogod]

If all else fails point the rocket retrograde and have the kerbals get out and push with their jetpacks.

[wumpus]

If all else fails point the rocket retrograde and have the kerbals get out and push with their jetpacks.

Note that this trick relies on the fact [exploit] that kerbal jetpack monopropelant is infinitely restored by going back in the capsule. In practice, this is terribly slow even for single-kerbal capsules that are "almost home", so I don't know how long it will take for the bigger capsule. On the other hand, it will take nearly as much delta-V for a rendezvous as to get to Minmus (air braking saves a *lot* of delta-V).

[ainamogel]

Blush... Note to self: read the thread next time.

Ainamogel

Edited September 21, 2015 by ainamogel

[nekogod]

Note that this trick relies on the fact [exploit] that kerbal jetpack monopropelant is infinitely restored by going back in the capsule. In practice, this is terribly slow even for single-kerbal capsules that are "almost home", so I don't know how long it will take for the bigger capsule. On the other hand, it will take nearly as much delta-V for a rendezvous as to get to Minmus (air braking saves a *lot* of delta-V).

Indeed it is slow, but I'd rather do that than revert/quickload because my craft ran out of fuel with a 71km orbit