Probes disappearing

[Thunder555]

Hey guys

I'm quite new with Kerbal space program, so I don't know all the tricks in this game yet.

At the moment I'm having a problem with my probes disappearing in atmosphere.

Here's the thing:

I made this space plane that is supposed to carry up to 4 probes to atmosphere of a planet and drop them off with parachutes (craft file: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByXRIbLpNYqoc3RHNEx0SWZlOTQ/edit?usp=sharing ). They seem to drop off just fine at first but in few moments they just disappear.

Any idea what's wrong?

[Aphox]

The game only renders craft out to 2.2km or somewhere in that area. After that, if a craft is in atmosphere, it's automatically destroyed unless you can somehow switch focus to it before it's de-rendered. It would be best for you to create a craft that carries the probes into full exospheric orbit, and drop them into atmosphere from there so you don't lose your craft.

Edit:

If you're already doing that, you might want to make sure you have probe cores on your probes, otherwise they'll be labelled as debris and you can only track them through the debris tab in the tracking station, assuming you have persistent debris enabled.

(Thanks Kasper)

Edited September 28, 2013 by Aphox

[cantorobriar]

As before, if a craft is in the atmosphere, it will eventually crash into kerbin. It has to at least be in low kerbin orbit, which is about a 70km-70km orbit. If you get too far from a craft, you can't see it, but it's still there(unless it crashed). Go to the tracking station to view it.

[Thunder555]

Thanks for the quick responses.

That rendering range thing seems to be the issue. With this new knowledge I tried circling within 2km of the probe while it landed and it didn't disappear.

Still, kinda makes my craft bit useless since the idea was to make semi accurate drops when flying over the target and return back to orbit without wasting fuel.

Back to the SPH/VAB then

[Kasuha]

Correct me if I am wrong, but IMO things left in distance are not destroyed, at least not immediately. The game stops simulating physics for them and they get to "in orbit" state where they start following their orbital trajectory - which is basically free fall. Then if the game finds them below surface of the planet, only then they get destroyed.

A piece of junk left alone can pass the planet well within its atmosphere without being affected by air resistance and I guess that with a bit of effort you can get a probe circling in ~30 km height above Kerbin forever unless you switch to it.

So if you drop the probe while accelerating upwards, you could be able to switch to the probe, watch it land, then switch back to the plane still safe in the air and guide it back to orbit.

Edit: okay, I am wrong. Somewhat.

I got a probe orbiting Kerbin with periapsis of 25 km, no problem. But once it crosses some 23 km height it disappears.

Edited September 28, 2013 by Kasuha