Struts are too heavy

[Draradech]

Struts weigh 50kg, per connector - 100kg total. This is absurd and can cost you 100s of m/s dv for small craft just by adding a few struts.

[Vl3d]

But struts have to be heavy to bear the load. You want mini/light struts?

[Draradech]

So you think it's reasonable that 4 strut connectors weigh more than a fully functional micro satellite, dropping its dv from 2369m/s to 861m/s?

[The Aziz]

But do you need 4 struts on a micro probe?

https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/EAS-4_Strut_Connector it has always been like that.

[Draradech]

I don't like to compare it to KSP1, because "it has always been this way" is not a good argument against change. But since you started that: in KSP1 only the first placed connector has weight, so I can strut from the lower stage to my satellite without affecting its dv at all.

What sort of heavier-than-lead material are the connectors supposed to be made of? It doesn't make sense visually compared to the other parts. How is that much mass supposed to be in that tiny thing? That's why I included the comparison picture in the top post.

Edit: This also makes KSP2 struts currently twice as heavy as KSP1 struts (both ends weigh 50kg each). I actually like the fact, that both ends are real parts in KSP2, it allows much greater control over the positioning and orientation of both ends. They just need to be much lighter.

Edited March 9, 2023 by Draradech

[airtrafficcontroller]

What? Struts were the answer for anything and used to weigh 42kg, we just lost one easter egg.

[The Aziz]

They used to cost 42. 

[Vl3d]

2 hours ago, Draradech said:

So you think it's reasonable that 4 strut connectors weigh more than a fully functional micro satellite, dropping its dv from 2369m/s to 861m/s?

What are you using the struts for?

[Draradech]

3 hours ago, Vl3d said:

What are you using the struts for?

This is obviously an extreme example, the first time I noticed was on a lander more similar to the following (both the lander and the transfer stage lose more than 200 m/s dv). I know that the struts aren't technically needed in either of these examples - I just don't like them floating there. But given how noodely the rockets currently are, putting a few dozen struts in a bigger project is often necessary, and shouldn't increase the dry mass by multiple tons.

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