How to split a vehicle in two parts without losing control of one?

[BigFatGuy]

I've got the stock "Steam" version of the game, no mods.

Let's say i wanted to create the Dragon/SpaceX system. Launch with a payload, separate from the launch vehicle, then do something intelligent with both halves, like return to a safe landing, dock with another vehicle, etc.

I've created rockets with an orbital payload, where there is a "drone" on each half of the vehicle, as well as batteries, fuel, and actuators.

however, despite my best efforts, the entire vehicle powers itself off the satellite's batteries, and the rocket becomes debris immediately after separation, despite having electrical power and fuel onboard.

What am I doing wrong?

[Vanamonde]

If both segments have a probe core or capsule with a pilot aboard, each should be controllable. However, in the stock game the one you are not operating yourself may be automatically eliminated. Craft which orbit too low or pass into the lower atmosphere will be auto-deleted under the assumption that they've crashed. 

As for why one part becomes designated as debris, pictures of your craft might help with diagnoses. 

[paul_c]

There's 2 issues here: one that you currently have, is that I think you're missing a controller on the detached part. When you build a vehicle, the first part you lay down is the "root" and that's where the control will be, when other parts are detached. Those detached parts should be renamed with "probe" or "ship" appended to the name, if it has a remote probe or a crew-carrying component on it (or relay if it has a relay antenna).

The second problem will be, its not possible to "pause" one part, while you control the other. So you'll need to do something clever with making sure one of the parts can autonomously keep flying itself, or be able to switch between them at the right time. For example if you were to recreate the SpaceX Falcon, jettison the first stage (and then switch to it, or just one of them, to fly it back) you'd have nobody flying the second stage and it would probably overshoot its orbit badly or not make it into orbit.

There's also an issue that parts which ought to look after themselves (eg bits parachuting down), below a certain height, don't get modelled properly and can just blow up as mentioned above.

[BigFatGuy]

Turns out, I'm an incompetent boob. :-)

If two drones separate, and one has all the antennas, the other shuts down.