Do you use probe components to de-orbit large booster stages?

[Markus Reese]

Of late, I have been planning components by stages for docking components together in space. To remove boosters, I have been using probe components to guide parts to re-entry. Do you do the same?

[Imaginer1]

I was always really annoyed by debris, and I planned to- but I learned about the debris persistence option, so, I never need it."

[Uberick]

If I'm doing a "mission", then I do. If I'm just testing and putting things up for fun, I don't worry about it.

[Sarge82nd]

I don't do it, too much effort

[Markus Reese]

I was always really annoyed by debris, and I planned to- but I learned about the debris persistence option, so, I never need it."

Ha ha, yeah. I have thought of that too. But something inticing about some debris kicking about. And the bit of challenge in countering

[FlamedSteak]

Too much effort to deorbit the later stages and it doesn't bother me now that it's not being tracked by the map.

The chances of actually running into space junk is pretty minimal.

[Blaylock1988]

I usually do my best to limit debris. I design lower stages to run out just before the Pe rises above 30km during circularizing. I put batteries, small solar panels, probe bodies, and extra fuel on upper stages so that I can deorbit those as well.

[Fel]

Well, if it is a large enough "Stage", I'll go ahead and de-orbit it rather than ignore it... perhaps I just like imagining this

[Motokid600]

A set of 8 sepatrons is more then enough to deorbit most of my major ascent stages. It's real nice to just have to point the craft prograde and fire. Don't know if it'll work after circularization

[TooManyErrors]

No, I just leave all of my debris on a suborbital trajectory when I decouple.

Edited June 5, 2013 by TooManyErrors

[Sma]

For the most part I just leave the debris floating around. A few times in the past I made a ship to go around collecting spent tanks and what not. I've got one ship that can sort of grab tanks by the engine bell and push them into Kerbin. Though another option is to put docking points on all stage tanks, would make it much easier than using landing legs as grabbers lol

[Dunbaratu]

The only real problem I have with debris is that it makes it very hard, and in some cases actually impossible, to click on a target ship for rendezvous maneuvers when there's debris in the same exact orbital ring as the intended target ship. This is because the map view user interface sees your mouseclick as a click on the orbit ring, NOT a click on the ship, and there isn't enough to disginguish the debris's ring from the ship's ring when they're the same (as often happens if you're doing a lot of work in the same orbit on a space station.)

So I had to set debris to zero once just to let the darn game let me click on the actual vessel. Then I put the debris option back on and got in the habit of de-orbiting debris.

[Fel]

The only real problem I have with debris is that it makes it very hard, and in some cases actually impossible, to click on a target ship for rendezvous maneuvers when there's debris in the same exact orbital ring as the intended target ship. This is because the map view user interface sees your mouseclick as a click on the orbit ring, NOT a click on the ship, and there isn't enough to disginguish the debris's ring from the ship's ring when they're the same (as often happens if you're doing a lot of work in the same orbit on a space station.)

So I had to set debris to zero once just to let the darn game let me click on the actual vessel. Then I put the debris option back on and got in the habit of de-orbiting debris.

Move the mouse to where the "Altimeter" (uhh, Altitude Meter?) is while in map mode.

Also, Download Haystack because it is still faster than moving around orbits to get the vessel you want.

[CalculusWarrior]

I do sometimes, when I remember. Then again, now that 0.20 has the option of not ever seeing your debris again, I'm taking the most lazy route and just decoupling willy-nilly. Last I checked I was up to over 50 spent boosters in orbit...

[Tripod27]

there's generally a 0% chance of you running into debris, even if your orbits cross (it's not like you can just fly near the space station and dock with it, debris is the same thing, just unwanted, explosive docking) and if you mouse over the top of the map in game you can make it hidden anyway, so it doesn't get in your way while clicking stuff

[AndreyATGB]

I don't, because my lifters mostly need another ~100 dV to circularize so they just fall down since my ship finishes the circularization with its own engines. The only time I leave debris is a mid-transfer burn for example. If I use up all my additional docked fuel tanks, I just dump them. They usually remain in solar orbit or an extremely elliptical Kerbin orbit.

[Brotoro]

Yes, I add the necessary hardware to return booster stages from space. Sometimes I actually DO it. Other times I just say, "It has the equipment, it has the fuel, I've done these returns dozens of times so I know it works.....so let's just take it as read that I have returned this booster...and then I delete it.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Brotoro

[jwenting]

can now just delete it from the command center if it becomes too much clutter.

[Stazi]

Since 0.20 I've been trying to keep space clean and not needlessly risk any Kerbals, this includes cleaning up debris when able. All my designs include a probe core in the final stage before the payload, simply to de-orbit things if I end up not needing the payload engines to reach orbit. Back in 0.19 I had a piece of debris actually come quite close to a station at a significantly higher velocity, so I'm trying to avoid having things like that happen again.

If I'm feeling extra super lazy though, I might just 'end flight' the debris from the tracking station to save time.

[Splode]

I usually do, but sometimes I forget/can't be bothered. I like doing it because if I do it properly, I have a bit of fuel left, so I can de-orbit it later OR use it as an emergency refueling station.

[KevinW42]

For circular orbits around Kerbin, yes. If it's a highly elliptical orbit or if it's outside of Kerbin's SOI, then I don't really bother.

[Daze]

As you can see from my creations in the topic in sign, yes i do! Only in interplanetary i leave debris

[rosenkranz]

I always put a probe on my orbit insertion stage just in case it doesn't run out of fuel before circularization. That said though, I always try to make sure the insertion stage runs out before the periapsis gets above 0m and add some dV to the transfer stage to make it up.

[MR4Y]

With 0.20's new tracking station, I just delete all debris and leave only the necessary parts on, like flags and things like that.

[Klajan]

Most of the time depends where the stage is going to be. If it is within a Orbit I use often i deorbit it, otherwise I usualy just leave it in orbit. Or make a quick trip into deep space for fun