Few noob questions

[Emperoreddy]

Had a bunch of small questions. Figured one thread would be best. 

I noticed when returning from LUNAR orbit that the maneuver nodes does not show the predicted orbit after Mun escape when it does in the reverse. On this trip I simply guessed and adjusted after escape. Is there a mod that allows for better flight planning? And what do you guys do to get around this in the stock game?

 

Do you guys end up with a lot of extra stages just floating in space cluttering the place up? I noticed with bigger rockets, or if i bring too much fuel I would leave a lot of junk in weird orbits? Do you guys plan for ways to avoid that, send missions to clean up, or just let the garbage pile up in LKO?

At what point in career mode do you start to worry about Comm Networks? There doesn’t seem to be any obvious contracts or cues to lead the player to knowing that it is time to put some satellites in orbit before trying to venture further out. 

Speaking of what to do next. I have unlocked all of the third tier science stuff, and I am pretty loaded with lunar science but not sure what to unlock next outside of electronics for Solar Panels. Suggestions? I guess Mun and Minmus landers would be my next endeavor. 

Finally. How the hell does NASA IRL return anything in one go without aerobraking? I don’t think I could get anything heavy back without doing a couple of orbits in the atmosphere to bleed off some speed. 

[Vanamonde]

The projected path is displayed from the perspective of the world whose sphere of influence you currently occupy. It can look funny but still be correct. Perhaps share a picture? 

Yes, most of us leave some extra stages floating. In fact, real space programs leave lots of stages floating.

You can reduce it by designing your stages to run out of fuel where they will collide with something, but it's difficult to entirely eliminate, and most of us don't try. 

Personally, I don't make much of a comm network at all. I simply send my missions only as far as my current antenna take will carry. I do leave repeater sats in orbit around other worlds to cover times when my direct line of sight to KSC is blocked, but that's all. Others have other approaches. 

As for what to do next, you can get quite a bit of science by beaming back data from one-way probes near the sun or other planets, even if they don't land. I don't really go by tiers, though, so I'm sorry I don't remember which parts are where. I go for science parts first, to maximize the return on my missions. 

NASA uses heat shields, as you should.

Welcome to the forum. 

[Chel]

13 hours ago, Emperoreddy said:

Do you guys end up with a lot of extra stages just floating in space cluttering the place up? I noticed with bigger rockets, or if i bring too much fuel I would leave a lot of junk in weird orbits? Do you guys plan for ways to avoid that, send missions to clean up, or just let the garbage pile up in LKO?

Well if you've completed your mission (or just have some time), you can go to the Tracking Station (the building to the right of the VAB with the dish towers). Click on the debris, and click 'Terminate'. This will get rid of it. But be warned, as if you terminate a spacecraft with Kerbals inside it, they will be killed. 

[Geonovast]

18 minutes ago, The_Cat_In_Space said:

Well if you've completed your mission (or just have some time), you can go to the Tracking Station (the building to the right of the VAB with the dish towers). Click on the debris, and click 'Terminate'. This will get rid of it. But be warned, as if you terminate a spacecraft with Kerbals inside it, they will be killed. 

I just set my max debris down to like 10.  Keeps things tidy and eliminates that risk.

[Chel]

1 minute ago, Geonovast said:

I just set my max debris down to like 10.  Keeps things tidy and eliminates that risk.

Wait... you can do that? Tell me more! 

[Geonovast]

7 minutes ago, The_Cat_In_Space said:

Wait... you can do that? Tell me more! 

Ok, so maybe not ten, lowest it's letting me set is 21.  Just go to settings at the main menu, under the General tab, you get a slider for Max Persistent Debris.

Default is 250.  Range is 0 - 10000 ( I wouldn't recommend 0)

Edited March 11, 2018 by Geonovast

[Chel]

1 hour ago, Geonovast said:

Ok, so maybe not ten, lowest it's letting me set is 21.  Just go to settings at the main menu, under the General tab, you get a slider for Max Persistent Debris.

Default is 250.  Range is 0 - 10000 ( I wouldn't recommend 0)

Ok. I'll try it when I get on KSP this afternoon (I'm at school now)

[Emperoreddy]

6 hours ago, Vanamonde said:

The projected path is displayed from the perspective of the world whose sphere of influence you currently occupy. It can look funny but still be correct. Perhaps share a picture? 

Yes, most of us leave some extra stages floating. In fact, real space programs leave lots of stages floating.

You can reduce it by designing your stages to run out of fuel where they will collide with something, but it's difficult to entirely eliminate, and most of us don't try. 

Personally, I don't make much of a comm network at all. I simply send my missions only as far as my current antenna take will carry. I do leave repeater sats in orbit around other worlds to cover times when my direct line of sight to KSC is blocked, but that's all. Others have other approaches. 

As for what to do next, you can get quite a bit of science by beaming back data from one-way probes near the sun or other planets, even if they don't land. I don't really go by tiers, though, so I'm sorry I don't remember which parts are where. I go for science parts first, to maximize the return on my missions. 

NASA uses heat shields, as you should.

Welcome to the forum. 

I see. I didn’t even realize you can still other parts of the orbit by changing focus. I was wondering why my lunar insertions looked so damn odd. 

How are you able to beam back Science from probes outside Kerbal’s system? My direct connection seems to lose almost all signal strength by the Mun. 

Does upgrading the tracking station increase the range?

[James Kerman]

12 minutes ago, Emperoreddy said:

Does upgrading the tracking station increase the range?

Yes, and as you get through the tech tree you unlock better antennae with better range (if you right click on the parts in the VAB/SPH it gives you the range for each tracking station upgrade).  Another option is to put a relay satellite in high kerbin orbit to extend range.

[Chel]

18 minutes ago, Emperoreddy said:

I see. I didn’t even realize you can still other parts of the orbit by changing focus. I was wondering why my lunar insertions looked so damn odd. 

How are you able to beam back Science from probes outside Kerbal’s system? My direct connection seems to lose almost all signal strength by the Mun. 

Does upgrading the tracking station increase the range?

Yes, but if you are transmitting stuff over long distances you will need to have other probes with 'Commnet' antennae on them. Your transmission of science will go through one (or more, depending on range) of those antennae, and then go to the Space Center. Kinda like signal boosting. For more info, visit this thread: 

 

Edited March 12, 2018 by The_Cat_In_Space