Empty Command Pod

[Gert]

Hello all.

I am a new player of Kerbal Space Program, and i have mannaged to send a few things in orbit around the planet, but i also have a few Kerbals in orbit,

with no possibility to return to the planet.

So I would like to send a rocket with an empty command pod, and pick up the poor Kerbals. who are stranded in outer space.

how can i send an empty command pod into space?

[lucidLemon]

One thing you can do is to launch a ship with both a capsule and a probe on it (be sure to include an RTG, or solar panels and batteries). Once you launch it, EVA the kerbal, and end his flight. Then go to the tracking station, select your ship waiting on the pad, and take off.

Alternatively, you can attach two command pods to one ship, the second pod will be empty.

[austin4050]

Or just put more than one command pod that are able to carry kerbals onto a ship

[SDIR]

Best to attach a hitchhiker storage container, not too heavy and can hold several kerbals. Alternatively, you can eva your kerbals while on the pad or have a platform that moves back on launch. Currently there is no way of starting off with an empty pod.

[POTKC]

Get this mod: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/robotic-mk1-2-pod/, I made it a while back and updated for 0.20 just so I could recommend it to you. You do need to EVA the Kerbals anyway, though.

Edited June 18, 2013 by POTKC

[capi3101]

Hitchhiker, definitely. Slap eight radial chutes on that. Use an RC-L01 RGU for the command module on top. Put an FL-R1 RCS Tank below it and eight blocks, and that's all you really need. Eight tonnes on the nose. If you absolutely have to have liquid fuel (which, admittedly, is helpful for getting to a rendezvous faster), put an X200-8 tank and a Poodle engine on it - that'll add another 7 tonnes to it. A fifteen tonne payload launcher is pretty easy to build - the Proton-K will do up to eighteen and still make orbit, if you're looking for a quick design. You could use the eight tonne design with the Proton; with so little mass, the first two stages will get you to a 100k orbit without breaking a sweat and you could use the third stage for maneuvering.

Hell...that third stage incorporates RCS...you might be able to get away with putting just the probe core, Hitchhiker and chutes. 4.2 tonnes. A second Hitchhiker would up that to 6.7 tonnes and give you enough capacity to rescue up to eight Kerbals.

Forgot to power the stupid thing...four PB-NUKs will do the trick or you could try your luck with batteries. That'll add another .32 tonnes to the design. I suppose you could also use a quad of OX-STATs; only .02 tonnes for the same amount of electrical power. Might need to try that my own self...

Edited June 18, 2013 by capi3101

[Nuin]

Story: I have lost Killian McKerban (all my Kerbals start with the letter K) on a trajectory towards Minmus. After some bad course correction, I ended up accidentally burning up his remaining fuel. Hoping that the severely odd orbit he was in would eventually pull him into the SOI of Mun for an emergency RCS landing, I waited a few days of orbiting. Unfortunately, the Mun grabbed him quickly for a slingshot and threw him out of Kerbin's SOI and now he has an orbit which goes around the Sun!

I figured that since he was still pretty close to Kerbin that I could send a rescue probe, so I am trying a few designs to bring my buddy back. I have confirmed that starting a build with a capsule, adding a probe with generator, and having the Kerbal EVA on the launchpad to be a solution to sending an unmanned capsule-probe to retrieve Killian. I sure hope this works!

[zanzibar196]

An alternative to the hitchhiker would be to start with a command pod, and attach a 2nd command pod somewhere else on the ship... Here is a video demonstrating how it works:

[Jas0n]

You could also use Kerbal Manifest mod to remove the kerbals after loading, make sure you put a probe and electricity supply.