How do I get the parachute on top of the pod?

[JackBush]

Here's what I'm making:

http://imgur.com/oTXRadl

Above is my rover attached to a drop-off thingy which, once the main ship is landed, will lift off and gently lower the rover to the ground. (If this doesn't make sense, shout!) The Mk-2 pod will slide in under the decoupler okay but I can't get a parachute on top of the pod and have it attach to the decoupler. Should I be using some other method? Or what?

[Rocket In My Pocket]

Use side mounted parachutes? You can't mount anything on top of the top mounted parachute for obvious reasons.

You could also use another service bay between the decoupler and the command pod and place the parachute inside the service bay, just remember to open the service bay doors before you try and use the parachute!

Best of luck!

[ineon]

If you are up for using mods you can use the Kerbal Inventory System and Kerbal Attachment System (KIS & KAS). These will allow you to use an engineer on EVA to attach a parachute to the pod after separating.

You will need to send the parachute up either one the main rocket, or keep a useful cache of stuff on a space station. Don't forget your wrench.

Edited December 16, 2015 by ineon

[JackBush]

20 minutes ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

Use side mounted parachutes? You can't mount anything on top of the top mounted parachute for obvious reasons.

You could also use another service bay between the decoupler and the command pod and place the parachute inside the service bay, just remember to open the service bay doors before you try and use the parachute!

Best of luck!

Oh, I love the idea of the service bay. Would never have thought of that! Thanks. I might stick some side parachutes on, too.

2 minutes ago, ineon said:

If you are up for using mods you can use the Kerbal Inventory System and Kerbal Attachment System (KIS & KAS). These will allow you to use an engineer on EVA to attach a parachute to the pod after separating.

I don't have those mods but I was planning on taking an engineer as well as scientist because someone had said the particular wheels I have (best I can get at this point) are prone to break but an engineer can fix them. So presumably I could put the parachute inside the service bay (as Rocket suggested above) and have him attach it when we're ready to come home. Yes? Thanks, by the way.

[ineon]

12 minutes ago, JackBush said:

So presumably I could put the parachute inside the service bay (as Rocket suggested above) and have him attach it when we're ready to come home.

Yep.

The parachute-in-the-service-bay is a good idea, and requires less fiddling on EVA, The only problem that I have had with it is accidentally having the CoM higher up than the service bay meaning that the pod landed the wrong way around. That was an easy mistake to learn from.

KIS also has it's version of service bays, but it has the small advantage of the parts in the bay not a 'real' part of the ship - they are part of the ships inventory.  That way they don't take up the parts limit, and physics does not need to simulate them.

Edited December 16, 2015 by ineon

[Snark]

24 minutes ago, JackBush said:

...but I was planning on taking an engineer as well as scientist because someone had said the particular wheels I have (best I can get at this point) are prone to break but an engineer can fix them.

The someone was me.  Just make sure that the engineer is level 3 or above, because you have to have level 3 to be able to fix wheels.  This comes as an annoying surprise to a lot of players who find out too late.

This is significant because level 3 takes some doing.  There's no way to get to level 3 without stepping outside Kerbin's SoI.  So unless you've done something like sent up a "peeker" to get outside the SoI and come back, you won't have an engineer high enough to fix wheels.

[JackBush]

10 minutes ago, Snark said:

The someone was me.  Just make sure that the engineer is level 3 or above, because you have to have level 3 to be able to fix wheels.  This comes as an annoying surprise to a lot of players who find out too late.

This is significant because level 3 takes some doing.  There's no way to get to level 3 without stepping outside Kerbin's SoI.  So unless you've done something like sent up a "peeker" to get outside the SoI and come back, you won't have an engineer high enough to fix wheels.

My apologies, Snark, for not taking a moment to find out who that "someone" was. I'm playing in the Science mode and everyone of my Kerbals in the party room or whatever that's called has five stars. Is that what you mean by "level"?

[Snark]

1 hour ago, JackBush said:

I'm playing in the Science mode and everyone of my Kerbals in the party room or whatever that's called has five stars. Is that what you mean by "level"?

<stupid_joke> No, that just means they've received very favorable reviews on Amazon. </stupid_joke>
(sorry, couldn't resist)

Yeah, then you're good, everyone's level 5 and can do everything. 

In career mode it's harder, since everyone starts at level 0.  Getting to Kerbin orbit will take you to level 1.  Landing on Mun and Minmus will get you to 2.  Need to peek outside Kerbin's SoI to get to 3.  Getting beyond 3 requires visiting other planets.

 

Edited December 16, 2015 by Snark

[JackBush]

Thanks for that.