Asymmetrical satellite launch?

[Eastistheway]

Hey guys! Let me start out by saying how much I love this community and how addicted I am to this game!

I've had it about two days, so I'm still mainly working with satellites and trying to figure out intercept trajectories and stuff.

I've gotten a few permanent(ish) satellites around Kerbin, and one good one around the mun.

These are really small, symmetrical satellites that I just mounted on the to of my rocket.

So onto the problem,

I want to get a larger satellite to Minmus (or beyond) so I built a really sweet satellite that I'm really attached too.

it has all the science stuff (I know it's useless but you gotta have principles) ave lights and stuff, a little heavy but...

Also it is asymmetrical as hell. I'd really like it to stay that way.

I have it mounted in a large fairing assembly, with fairly large rockets (though I've tried about six redesigns by now)

EVERY EFFIN TIME I get to around 3000 meters it noses down super hard resulting in an unrecoverable death spin screw up. I've tried covering it in rcs and sas equipment to no avail. Also tried to ballast out the satellite as much as I can without being absolutely matching symmetry-wise. Everything else is symmetrical.

Please help! it's so frustrating! Is this just bad rocket design? Or should I give up on asymmetrical things? I just get this bad-a satellite into some far away orbit!

running kw mod and some parts mods. Sorry for the weird spacing or punctuation, my phone hates this forum apparently.

[bigpapabearxx]

We need pictures of craft COM, COL and COT.

[Eastistheway]

I'll post them up as soon as I can. Tried several different designs though, some short/tall, overkill/minimal. Com is always very low, near the base (hard to tell if it is exactly centered though) , cot is always centered from the bottom (haven't made it past stage one though). I'll have to check the col, though.

[Frederf]

Instability trend is likely due to a large dynamic air pressure (Q) due to high speeds in atmo. Also, shifting CoM due to fuel burn can upset the apple cart.

My advice is to ascend slower and with less AOA while moving the CoL further aft with some fins.

[arq]

I've done some work with asymmetric payloads, but I just added extra fuel tanks on radial couplers to get the CoM nicely centered.

[Sumyunguy]

You might be able to build an asymmetrical satalite by orbital construction. Develop an Apollo style rocket with the LM and CM in their respective places, but switch the CM for the station core and the LM for an added section.

Achieve orbit around the planet of your choice, then detach the addon from the bottom and maneuver it using RCS to an asymmetrical port on the station core. (+-- <~like this where (+)is station core and (--) is the addon)

I'd figure this setup would allow for symmetrical craft up until the orbital construction,

allowing, in theory, smooth ascent. I haven't done this myself with a space station or probe, but it might work.

[Tw1]

Asymmetrical satellites are generally hard to control. Infact, asymmetric space vessels in general are generally a bad idea, unless you get good at counterbalancing.

One solution is possibly adding SAS. Lots of SAS. Make it a really SASsy satellite or rocket.

[Eastistheway]

Thanks for the great responses everyone. Seemed to be that the asymmetry (really the amount and weight of asymmetry in relation to my launch vehicle) was the problem. Bigger rockets, more sas, smaller satellites, less asymmetry seems to "work" but is also a headache. Think I'll stick to orbital construction for the weird stuff!

[allmhuran]

There are a couple of ways to make asymmetrical payloads easier to launch.

One is to have a very wide base of thrust. This reduces the effect of the payload.

A more extreme (and less efficient) way is to attach a small rocket engine, like a 77, at one end of the rocket that points its thrust in the direction that the rocket tends to yaw. So if your rocket is too heavy on the right, have the rocket exhaust at the top pointing to the right (or bottom pointing left). Then put this little rocket in an action group. As you ascend, use the action group to turn this little engine on and off as needed to keep yourself flying straight.