Parts request: Radial heat shields and sample containers

[cocoscacao]

Sample containers
It would be nice to have a way to send back surface samples, without shipping Kerbals back with it. A storage unit for remote guided small rockets.

Radial heat shield

Something like KSP 1 static radiators, but with ablator. Heatshields always come on places where I need docking ports, parachutes... Maybe it's my lack of imagination, but I wish to design a rocket that can withstand entry heating on its side.

[NexusHelium]

6 hours ago, cocoscacao said:

but I wish to design a rocket that can withstand entry heating on its side.

Same here. Something like a starship style reentry with proper heat tiles and not just slowing down and hoping for the best would be fantastic in the game. Maybe they could add that if they were placed and they conform to the shape of the rocket (like heat tiles would and do) to a certain extent too.

Edited April 16 by NexusHelium

[steveman0]

On 4/16/2024 at 4:09 AM, cocoscacao said:

Sample containers
It would be nice to have a way to send back surface samples, without shipping Kerbals back with it. A storage unit for remote guided small rockets.

You can use any probe core for this.

+1 for radial heatshields. I know several asked for this for spaceplanes. Good to have for general use.

[cocoscacao]

9 minutes ago, steveman0 said:

You can use any probe core for this.

Really? Probe cores transfer samples???

[steveman0]

1 minute ago, cocoscacao said:

Really? Probe cores transfer samples???

Yep, any control module can store any science collected. Whichever returns home first will contribute the science points to your total.

[cocoscacao]

@steveman0 Huh... I'd say that's a bug, as it doesn't really make sense .

[Flush Foot]

10 minutes ago, cocoscacao said:

@steveman0 Huh... I'd say that's a bug, as it doesn't really make sense .

Why? As it stands now, a probe-lander goes down to a surface, does all of the science, transmits [or not] the data-version of the experiments while also being 'credited' with the sample-versions.

All that the probe has to do is 'be connected to a vessel that did the science' (or else connected to a vessel that was previously connected to a vessel that had connected to another vessel <any number of connections ago> that did the science) to get 'credit' for all science on-board, same way a crewed return craft can bring home the samples that were collected by probe-landers.

[cocoscacao]

29 minutes ago, Flush Foot said:

crewed return craft can bring home the samples that were collected by probe-landers.

I'm specific about surface samples. You need Kerbals for that. Storing those in capsules... yeah ok... but in probe cores? Not as much. It's supposed to be just a piece of electronic, without any sort of storage space.

[Flush Foot]

@cocoscacao: there is the <buggy> sample-arm... it can (unless I am mistaken) 'replace' the Kerbal on EVA, if mounted correctly.

[steveman0]

12 minutes ago, cocoscacao said:

I'm specific about surface samples. You need Kerbals for that. Storing those in capsules... yeah ok... but in probe cores? Not as much. It's supposed to be just a piece of electronic, without any sort of storage space.

I like to picture a little pneumatic mail tube that shoots the sample up the side of the craft into a slot on the probe core. It's a box, it could have room for a tiny bit of dirt.

[cocoscacao]

@steveman0 I mean... I can suspend my belief that much, but I like to picture it as a single purpose, highly specialized part. 

[Flush Foot]

2 minutes ago, cocoscacao said:

single purpose, highly specialized part

Like this?

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Collection arm/maneuver

Or this?

NASA’s Perseverance Rover doing science

[cocoscacao]

@Flush Foot They aren't used for guiding a rocket.

[steveman0]

7 hours ago, cocoscacao said:

@steveman0 I mean... I can suspend my belief that much, but I like to picture it as a single purpose, highly specialized part. 

Yeah, that would be cool eventually. I would guess they thought of it and it's somewhere low on the priority list if I were to guess. Good to put it out there as something you'd like to see. Just wanted to make sure you knew that there's at least a gameplay solution in the interim.

[Scarecrow71]

On 4/16/2024 at 1:09 AM, cocoscacao said:

Radial heat shield

Something like KSP 1 static radiators, but with ablator. Heatshields always come on places where I need docking ports, parachutes... Maybe it's my lack of imagination, but I wish to design a rocket that can withstand entry heating on its side.

I'd actually like to see square heat shields that could be fitted onto the square structural panels.  Or even curved ones that can be fitted onto the fuselage (like you are mentioning above) so spaceplanes have actual heat shields like the space shuttle.

[cocoscacao]

1 hour ago, Scarecrow71 said:

that could be fitted onto the square structural panels

Out of curiosity, for what use case? They are usually very durable. Btw, round structural panels is something I'm missing, though purely for cosmetic reasons.

Edited April 18 by cocoscacao

[NexusHelium]

1 hour ago, cocoscacao said:

Out of curiosity, for what use case? They are usually very durable. Btw, round structural panels is something I'm missing, though purely for cosmetic reasons.

Cosmetic purposes are what I live for in this game.

[Bingmao]

For shielding I would love to see a paint-brush tool to "spray" ablator on parts.

With definable thickness which would affect durability and mass

[cocoscacao]

10 hours ago, Bingmao said:

to see a paint-brush tool to "spray" ablator on parts

Especially cool for more realistic spaceplanes. But I think we can kiss that idea goodbye

[Apogee-23]

In KSP 2, there is a sample-grabbing arm that can let you take surface samples without the need for crew.

[Lowi_Sace]

On 4/16/2024 at 10:09 AM, cocoscacao said:

Radial heat shield

Something like KSP 1 static radiators, but with ablator. Heatshields always come on places where I need docking ports, parachutes... Maybe it's my lack of imagination, but I wish to design a rocket that can withstand entry heating on its side.

For regular round parts this would be very nice. For MK2/3 parts it should be a part variant (one with and one without heath tiles) since these parts have a upper- and underside. The same goes for wings (just add part variants).