Docking mission / training -> Reentry = burned

[Zappt]

Hello

I'm playing the training mission docking (rescue 2 stranded Kerbals). After docking and rescuing them I fly back to Kerbal but there is a big problem: The "Rescuer" ship has no heatshield. Is there any way to slow down or reducing the entryspeed? I tried to burn what is left of my fuel (retrogade at reentry) but I'm still to fast (parachutes get destroyed).  My periapsis was 15km (I'm wondering if this is important???)

Any tips?

Thx a lot! 

 

 

[Snark]

I haven't actually done that mission, but in general 15 km is a really low Pe for reentry.  Try raising it to 30 km or so.

Flying engine-first during reentry generally helps-- for craft lacking a heat shield, the engine is usually by far the most heat-tolerant part on the craft.

[bewing]

Wait until you are down to around 60km before burning your remaining fuel (retrograde). Then start your craft tumbling. Tumbling is one of the best ways that there is to scrub speed. And I would set my Pe at something more like 59km -- scrubbing speed in the stratosphere is often very useful, and it can be a nice thing to spend a lot of time there.

[mk1980]

the tutorial is actually over when you dock the two vessels, so there really isn't any need to land the rescue ship on kerbin.

if you try to do it anyway and if you have fuel left in the "service module" of the rescue ship, use some of it to lower the orbit first (both PE and AP), but save enough fuel to put the PE into the atmosphere. then do a retro burn that gets your PE somewhere inside the atmosphere. make sure to put the 2 rescued dudes in the command capsule (not the hitchhiker cabin!) and just decouple the lower part of the ship. the capsule alone can easily survive the reentry and will slow down very quickly once it hits the lower layers of the atmopshere. a heatshield isn't required-the capsule is sturdy enough to survive on its own.

the PE altitdude is really not that important. i actually like a lower PE better (to speed up the reentry). i've even successfully landed that type of capsule after burning the PE down to -200 km below ground. they get a little hot for a few moments and then slow down extremely fast. a PE somewhere in the atmosphere works just as well. once you hit the atmo, turn retrograde and then you can actually turn off the SAS. the capsule will automatically but the blunt end into the airstream if no outside forces (SAS torque) apply.

[wumpus]

12 hours ago, bewing said:

Wait until you are down to around 60km before burning your remaining fuel (retrograde). Then start your craft tumbling. Tumbling is one of the best ways that there is to scrub speed. And I would set my Pe at something more like 59km -- scrubbing speed in the stratosphere is often very useful, and it can be a nice thing to spend a lot of time there.

This can be a pretty slow process, but if you still have your engine attached (and have fuel) you can always decrease your PE as you slow down (unless it exploded during a pass.  Then you get to wait).  As long as you don't see those heat bars (or you think you can stand a hotter pass), keep (slowly) decreasing PE.

[Jarin]

On 6/20/2016 at 0:15 PM, Zappt said:

(parachutes get destroyed)

Are the parachutes actually burning off on re-entry, or are they shredding when you try to open them?

[FullMetalMachinist]

3 minutes ago, Jarin said:

 

On 6/20/2016 at 2:15 PM, Zappt said:

(parachutes get destroyed)

Are the parachutes actually burning off on re-entry, or are they shredding when you try to open them?

 

Or are they not destroyed at all, and the staging icon is just red, meaning it's currently unsafe to deploy? 

[Zappt]

Thx a lot guys for your nice replies! It worked! I used a bit of everything in this thread and now it was a huge succes. I'll use and test your diffrent technics in the normal game, where I can save and reload

Thx a lot again!

 

Edited June 24, 2016 by Zappt