Do you use the LES?

[Geonovast]

2 minutes ago, ZooNamedGames said:

I've used flipped decouplers to have the same effect and it can save an AG slot in the process as well as make it possible to stage off.

That works too!

For a parachute, you could do the flipped decoupler with an interstaged fairing.

[ZooNamedGames]

3 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

That works too!

For a parachute, you could do the flipped decoupler with an interstaged fairing.

I have in the past used a fairing facing downwards to emulate Apollo's Blast Cover ( )

With the fairing top being placed above a docking port above a decoupler to get it as realistic as possible. Parachutes have been radially attached to the top lately and clipped inside as Mercury/Gemini and Apollo all had parachutes located underneath protective covers. Something KSP does not make available to have as all parachutes are end parts and don't allow you to build ontop of them. As Gemini and Apollo had their docking ports ontop of the parachute systems.

 

[EpicSpaceTroll139]

55 minutes ago, ZooNamedGames said:

I've used flipped decouplers to have the same effect and it can save an AG slot in the process as well as make it possible to stage off.

You can enable staging on docking ports via right click menu in the editor. Voila! No extra mass of a decoupler, and no lost action groups!

On a side note: While I incorporate the LES on my crewed rockets, I kind of wish the tilt-motor was less powerful. The launch escape system should send the capsule up in an arc off to the side capable of allowing an abort from the pad, not into a violent tumble of death that brings the trajectory so low that the parachute only deploys enough for 50-50 chances of survival.

Thus a reasonable portion of the time I have an additional sepratron or something to reduce that tumble.

Edited March 3, 2018 by EpicSpaceTroll139

[Pit_2]

I don't like using the stock LES much because of the aforementioned sideways kick it does rather than a steady sideways arc.  On stock Apollo-style missions I'll use one but I don't think I've ever actually had to abort with one, because if things go south I just revert the flight.

I do, however, use it with the Soyuz mod when I launch Soyuz spacecraft.

[suicidejunkie]

No.

On ignition, if something goes wrong, throwing the capsule's chute is generally the best idea for me.  The rest of the rocket may pinwheel around until the SRBs burn out, or clip the ground and stop burning early.  Some amount of lithobreaking is guaranteed, but the capsule should impact last and safely.

Early in the launch, if something goes wrong and the crew isn't immediately dusted, then it is a matter of cutting engines, and then waiting for deceleration.  Throwing out chutes and firing separators (not necessarily in that order) will then allow a safe landing, and the amount of vehicle that will attempt landing is decided by the pilot based on the situation.

Mid to late in the launch, the upper stage can abort to orbit, or flip+burn to decelerate / tumble to decelerate and then make a standard landing.

[Kimera Industries]

No. The stock LES spins the capsule so much it's impossible to use because half the time it's pointing DOWN while the LES SRBs are firing. If I really want a usable LES, i.e. historic rocket recreation like Apollo, while keeping the aesthetics, I'll empty the LES of fuel and clip some separatrons inside the nozzles. This was a solution I came across while making a Soyuz recreation. I wanted to make the LES as accurate as possible. This involved multiple fairings, as it splits in half and leaves the SM behind, but the big problem was that the Soyuz's LES has 2 series of SRBs that fire if the LES tower hasn't been jettisoned yet.  I was using the stock LES for the first part, but it would get it spinning so much that the next set of SRBs pushed the craft toward the ground. I solved the problem by clipping separatrons into the LES and emptying the LES of fuel, as mentioned before. This also had the added bonus of having a longer burn time than the stock LES. The devs should fix the LES's spinning problem, but with their attention focused on KSP2 and the fact that no one really uses them anyway, it's unlikely to happen.

[tg626]

Yes. Saved some Kerbals too.

Sometimes I set up abort to decouple and fire the LES, and then AG10, 9, etc. for following steps. Usually tho, it's just the abort key followed by spamming the spacebar.

[Royalswissarmyknife]

I play with no revert I put it on my craft and it has saved my kerbals once

[AtomicTech]

I've rarely used a launch escape system in an actual situation but often include a fully working launch escape system for aesthetics!

[Gargamel]

Oh looks like an old thread got some good fresh replies!    
 

Ever since I started playing with a part failure mod, it’s almost required for me.  But I also like building larger launch vehicles, so often the stock LES is under powered for the application, so I have to use the abort action key to MECO, stage the upper stage, and then power it away from the craft.   
 

@chimera industries I believe there’s a modded LES out there that tweaked the thrust vectors to be more reasonable for lighter craft.   

[jimmymcgoochie]

The only time I really use launch escape systems is in RO/RP-1, I’ve used them a few times to extract the crew from problem situations, most often due to engine failures. Otherwise, revert to launch is my LES.

[Geonovast]

At this point, I'm not a fan of the stock LES.  It's waaaaay too spinny.  I do like the concept of playing with abort systems, however, which is why I made a mod that adds a couple stock-alike pusher abort systems that can still function as RCS tanks if you make it to orbit just fine.

[Gargamel]

3 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

At this point, I'm not a fan of the stock LES.  It's waaaaay too spinny.  I do like the concept of playing with abort systems, however, which is why I made a mod that adds a couple stock-alike pusher abort systems that can still function as RCS tanks if you make it to orbit just fine.

Linky?

[Geonovast]

Just now, Gargamel said:

Linky?

 

[Kimera Industries]

On 4/21/2023 at 9:04 AM, Gargamel said:

I believe there’s a modded LES out there that tweaked the thrust vectors to be more reasonable for lighter craft.   

Thanks! I've looked into that and am seriously considering breaking my rule of no mods...

Even if I never need LES because I can revert the flight, it's always fun to watch it in action before I do so.

Especially if you spent literally 3 DAYS trying to get the stupid stabilizing grid fins to deploy on your stupid Soyuz because you just have to have a realistic Abort Sequence!

(In case you're interested, I'd say it's the most realistic LES I've seen for a stock Soyuz, so definitely worth it)

[Rutabaga22]

I put LESs on my spacecraft for the roleplay part of missions. If something goes wrong, ABORT!!!!!!! But I usually revert after just because it's a little easier. I have also had some times where I used it to deorbit due to major structural failures.

[Gargamel]

19 hours ago, chimera industries said:

Thanks! I've looked into that and am seriously considering breaking my rule of no mods...

Even if I never need LES because I can revert the flight, it's always fun to watch it in action before I do so.

Especially if you spent literally 3 DAYS trying to get the stupid stabilizing grid fins to deploy on your stupid Soyuz because you just have to have a realistic Abort Sequence!

(In case you're interested, I'd say it's the most realistic LES I've seen for a stock Soyuz, so definitely worth it)

Getting a successful abort is a really cool feeling.   That’s what I love about the launch failure mod I use, it’s only active in atmosphere and after a pad launch I think, so once I reach space there won’t be random failures.   

Here’s my greatest successful failure to date, although it wasn’t an LES, and  not even planned as an option,  just some good remote piloting to save the station for recovery:

 

On the pad:

Uh Oh!  Lost a booster!   It fell off!

 

Remaining SRB boosters jettisoned,  dumped most of the fuel, booster core chutes deployed (using a booster recovery mod too, hence why they have chutes, although those might also be from the space tug which also had chutes), and stable orientation:

 

Gentle retro burn for a soft splash down;

And sploosh!   
 

I was able to recover the main booster core and the very expensive core piece of the station I was building.     Sorry for the dark pics, I wasn’t really planning on doing a photo shoot at the time.   But apparently I had time to hide the ui for each shot.  

[Kimera Industries]

On 4/29/2023 at 9:51 AM, Gargamel said:

Getting a successful abort is a really cool feeling.  

That’s what I love about the launch failure mod I use, it’s only active in atmosphere and after a pad launch I think, so once I reach space there won’t be random failures.   

It really is such a great feeling, in my mind, it's totally worth the extra few minutes (or hours, in some cases) to tweak it until you like it!

BTW, what mods are you using? (For the launch failure mod / those space station parts)

[Gargamel]

On 5/2/2023 at 4:50 PM, chimera industries said:

BTW, what mods are you using? (For the launch failure mod / those space station parts)

Well, I think it’s called launch failure by @linuxgurugamer    And the station parts are Stock alike station expansion?    Been a while since I looked at their names.   

[dandoesstuff]

nope. it's almost there for decoration

[DigitalEva]

I build with it in mind for manned flights (I don't mess with sending shuttle-style craft up). I've had to stage it a few times, and it works flawlessly. I usually just set up abort to remove the capsule and fire the LES, then Action group 1 for dumping the LES and deploying the parachutes. Action group 2 handles the TWRJET procedure (decouple from docking port and activate LES) for me. Once that happens, if an abort is needed, I have to aggressively mash the space bar while praying to the kraken.

[Cosmic Sailor]

I tried a career mode without quicksaves, and I used it for every craft including probe missions. The reasoning was I'd just lose the launch vehicle if something went wrong. I quit that save when I was testing a new abort system. I aborted too close to the ground, and as the parachutes were opening the entire craft smashed into the ground with Jeb inside. He might have survived if I hadn't used abort systems in the first place.

[N_Danger]

I used it last Friday