Launch Pad Testing

[Ncog Nito]

Hello.  I am new to the game, and already highly addicted to it, and I have the contract testing the thumper rocket booster on the launch pad.  I've tried this several different ways and cannot complete the contract.  Does anyone have a moment to give me a hand?

[Cunjo Carl]

Welcome to the forums, @Ncog Nito, and glad you're enjoying the game. A truism of ksp contracts is they're real sticklers for tiny details. To see the requirements for your mission midflight (and which of those requirements are currently being met) click on the page icon on the top right. Also, some parts need to be 'tested' and this is accomplished by right-clicking the part and clicking the 'test part' button on the bottom of the popup. (both shown in pic)

If this doesn't help for your mission, send us a screen cap of the mission details or the contract requirement list like in this pic and we can give more specific advice. Posting images can be done by uploading your screen cap to a image hosting service (imgur or postimage work simply) and copy-pasting the link they provide right into your post.

The contract system isn't perfect, and if you're certain you've completed a mission but KSP won't mark it as completed, you can do it yourself by pressing alt+F12, selecting contracts -> active and then clicking 'complete' for that mission. It happens.

Oh, alt+F5 and alt+F9 are save and load for during flight. During longer missions they can make things a lot easier and less harrowing. Whether you want things to be easier and less harrowing is up to you

Good luck, have fun, use the help forums plenty while learning and hopefully see you 'round!

[bewing]

Everything Cunjo Carl says is very good info. But I am puzzled, and so I want to check a few more things.

The first point is that testing an engine on the launchpad is the easiest possible contract there is. So if you are having difficulty with that one, then it seems like something must be wrong. So, first question -- I assume that you still have a pure stock game with no mods at this time?

Generally, how you test an engine on the launchpad is that you take a command pod, attach an engine, take all the fuel out of the engine (usually you don't really want to take a flight!), hit Launch, wait for the ship to load, hit Space to activate the engine (and complete the contract), and then click the "Recover Vessel" button to get your ship and crew back.

Now, this assumes that the contract really does say "on the launchpad". Not many of them do!

[Dark Lion]

If Cunjo Carl didn't solve your problem, you may have encountered a bug.

I'm cruising through trying to be helpful to others and this question remembered my own issue in the past with one of the first ever contracts. Maybe one of you can help, as this has happened to me a few times since I like to start my career completely over when updates roll around.

So do you remember when you first start a career? You get four contracts available before you ever even touch the first structure or part, if you look. The one I'm referring to is something like "Launch your first vessel from the launchpad or runway." Also, there's one for collecting science anywhere around Kerbin, one for escaping Kerbin's atmo and another for achieving orbit, which is all great, because I don't have any problems with completing all three in a single launch... sometimes... but more often than not, I'll complete those three contracts and somehow still not have completed the "Launch your first vessel from the launchpad or runway." I'm in a stable orbit for crying out loud! How have I NOT launched? I promise a complete and total lack of BS here. No debug menu, no Hyperedit.

Is this a bug I've yet to stumble across perusing the forums here? Perhaps it has something to do with reverting the flight? With the basic starter parts, it's really hard to nail the launch to orbit, so sometimes it takes me a few tries.

I suppose it's not really that big of an issue, but in the beginning, your limited funds IS. When I'm just starting out, it REALLY helps to get every single contract and return every single part that you can.

[bewing]

 

Well, at the very beginning of the game you are only allowed to accept 2 contracts at your T1 Mission Control. Depending on which two you accept and complete, some of the others may disappear. Getting to stable orbit, and getting above 70km are pretty obvious. The experiment one just needs you to do any science experiment. Launching from the pad or runway means exactly that. I usually accept the first two contracts, put 14 unit of fuel into a flea, attach a command pod, a parachute, and 2 goos. Take runway data, Launch from the runway to 400m altitude, take airborne data, float back to the runway, take more runway eva data, roll the ship down off the runway onto the grass, and take all the KSC data -- then recover. And that covers the two initial contracts, while still leaving the next two on the list for the next launch.

 

[Urses]

The big question may be the text of the contract.

Is it :" activate part through staging" or "if all conditions are met use the "Run Test" option through part dialog"

The funny thing there is the "Run test" option triggers the staging, but staging does not trigger the "Run test".

Funny Kabooms 

Urses

E: @TheLionsBite

I have sometimes this issue too and i Think for completing this contract it has to be a "plane" on Runway or "Rocket" at Launchpad. I didn't tried this jet but maybe rename the Vehicle may help there? If i get this issue i go mostly in VAB and shoot one FleeRocket for triggering

Edited March 27, 2017 by Urses

[Dark Lion]

15 minutes ago, Urses said:

I have sometimes this issue too and i Think for completing this contract it has to be a "plane" on Runway or "Rocket" at Launchpad. I didn't tried this jet but maybe rename the Vehicle may help there? If i get this issue i go mostly in VAB and shoot one FleeRocket for triggering

OH! That's probably my issue then... I despise the nature of the VAB editor and use the SPH for every build, plane or rocket. Since my first launch in career is always a rocket, and I always launch it from the runway, you just might be onto something there. I'll try and remember to test this theory by launching it from the launchpad next time I start a new career... (which is probably soon with 1.3 on the way.)

[bewing]

Nope, I use the runway to launch a little rocket and my contract completes.

 

[Ncog Nito]

Well...the part is the BACC "Thumper" Solid Fuel Booster, it is supposed to be test on the launch site, on Kerbin, and I am to activate the test through the staging sequence when all conditions are met.  Kerbin and launch site both have green check marks on the contract tab when I am at the launch site.  The part does not have a test engine tab when I click on it.  I've tried launching a rocket with the booster, emptying the fuel from it, attaching the TT18-A Launch Stability Enhancer to it (to keep it on the pad through the launch sequence), I've even had my poor little Kerbal do an EVA from the top of the rocket, on the launch pad, while the engine was firing, and the Stabilitity Enhancer was attached, and still no completion (although I did get some nice science points from the EVA, radioed in, with a scientist, LOL...love this friggin game!  Guys that came up with this game are geniuses.)  I have completed 27 other contracts and this one is the only one giving me issues at the moment, it's got me stumped.

 

Edited March 27, 2017 by Ncog Nito
Forgot to mention to TheLionsBite and bewing about not having any other contract issues...so far.

[bewing]

What you are describing should have worked easily. The fact that it didn't work should be impossible, at least 2 different ways. So that starts to bring up the concept of a corrupted download that makes your Thumpers not work right for contracts. So, did you get your game from Steam? Have you done a file verification on it?
 

[vblinov]

Having same issue on KSP.XBOX edition. No mods and obviously from the store. The job asks to test RT-10 from the Launch Site. Tried to launch it, or "run test" from both launchpad or runway. I can see that both green check marks for conditions are green, but neither activation or "run test" does not complete the contract.