MünBase Hurdle

[Bakkerbaard]

Okay, so I got this going on.

I figured I'd give the base building thing another go and I'd send up the whole thing in bits. My plan was to take the antenna bit on top of the lander and RCS it over to the Command Hub. I decoupled the mast from the docking port up and told MechJeb to fix it for me, but as it turns out, the eight RCS ports don't provide enough power to do anything but topple the mast and roll it around a bit. While amusing, I find communications and solar panels generally perform better when pointing up.

So, plan B was to launch the lander again, detach the antenna in flight and get MechJeb to fix it for me, but for some reason I can't fire the engines anymore. I'm sure they're not broken, but even if I got that thing up again I doubt I'd be able to manage the decoupling, instructing MechJeb and safely landing the pod again in what I expect to be a small window.

Anyone have a good idea? It's all sandbox, so basically I'm only limited by my own stupidity.

Also, I'm thinking of maybe just building a crane and sending that over. I've got a couple of more flights to make anyway, but I can't seem to find the parts to construct a crane arm, which I thought were in KIS/KAS. I've yet to look into crane building manuals, but I'm here posting the question anyway, so I figured I'd squeeze in this question too. So would that even work? Grab antenna, drive it over and put it on the roof?

One more thing: To a KSP veteran there's probably a lot wrong in that picture, but right now I'm just either doing things because I can or to see if I can. And esthetics. Esthetically I wanted a large metal rod on my Command Hub because it looks spacey. This isn't even the worst I've sent into oblivion.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Bakkerbaard
type-o

[bewing]

Crane arms are generally in Infernal Robotics.

Are you planning on installing KIS/KAS anyway? If Dotty is an engineer, she'd still need an electric screwdriver, at least.

I think your problem with control is that you are on the Dark Side of the Mün. From where you are landed you need a relay in the sky to give you comms back to Kerbin, and control over probe cores.

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by bewing

[Bakkerbaard]

1 hour ago, bewing said:

Crane arms are generally in Infernal Robotics.

Are you planning on installing KIS/KAS anyway? If Dotty is an engineer, she'd still need an electric screwdriver, at least.

I think your problem with control is that you are on the Dark Side of the Mün. From where you are landed you need a relay in the sky to give you comms back to Kerbin, and control over probe cores.

 

I should have been clearer, I suppose. I have KIS and KAS installed and I just nabbed IR Next (patch 7) - building a robot arm is proving... challenging. I also briefly had the clarity of mind to bring an electric screwdriver for Dotty who is in fact an engineer. I am trawling google to find out how to use an electric screwdriver right now, something I never thought I'd have to do. ;o)

The control connection isn't a problem either, as there's a relay sat going round and when I activated MechJeb it actually did work. The problem is basically that I completely ignored ther concept of gravity and figured the RCS thrusters would work just as well on the Mün surface as they do in orbit.

[bewing]

Well, then the next question is whether Dotty can just detach the whole dish + girder assembly and either put it in her inventory or drag it across the surface to the other craft -- and then stick it on with the screwdriver.

 

[Bakkerbaard]

That was plan C just now. But I'm having trouble working KIS. I posted a question on that in the KIS thread, but I'll summarise here.

I've been going through the User Guide, so I know I need to use X or H to detach and G+drag&drop to put something in my pocket. Or, Dotty's pocket. But in an experiment I managed to unscrew a 1x6 solar panel exactly once and I can't replicate it again. Plus, as it was lying there on the ground I tried picking it up, but no dice. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm certain it's something I'm screwing up, as I don't really see anyone else having that problem.

There's room in Dotty's inventory, she's within reach of the panel, the part turns blue when I press X over it. All seems to work as intented apart from the last step.

[RizzoTheRat]

Might be too big or heavy for her, there's a limited about of space in her inventory, and an individual Kerbal can only lift 1 tonne regardless of local gravity.  However it is the weight having another kerbal standing next to her means she can lift 2 tonnes, etc.  You can also move stuff around by picking up at the limit of your range in one direction, and putting it down the other side of you.  To get it up high you need to attach the part to the side of your vessel, climb up above it, detach and then reattach above you, etc.  Time consuming but gets there in the end.