How low can Jeb hold on?

[numerobis]

Jeb ran out for an EVA report at 35km during re-entry. His body has never been found. The only reason we even know he left is that the capsule survived landing at 120 m/s, and he had just taken down an EVA report about conditions at 45 km (the entire science payload was destroyed).

How low can I reasonably expect Bill to safely take an EVA report on an unpowered reentry from orbit?

[toomuchbrew]

Is this a serious question?

[AletzN1]

I think it is a legitamate question.

but back to topic, I think it would be when you start to slow down,

AKA when the difference in drag between the capsule an the kerbal starts to matter.

[lajoswinkler]

The height doesn't matter. It's the speed of the rushing air that throws him off, obviously.

[Steve-S]

It's his inability to hold on under the G load of deceleration from the atmospheric effects on the ship. I tried to take an EVA reading on re-entry and the Kerbal landed long before the ship did. Apparently they are rather aerodynamically shaped.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Steve-S
typo

[numerobis]

Of course this is serious!

At 45 km on Kerbin, I can always sneak out, get a EVA report, and sneak back in. At 35 km, the kerbal always flies off during re-entry. I've gotten an EVA report by skipping out at the top of the flight of my first rocket (an SRB with a capsule on top); that's easy to screw up.

[Specialist290]

As others have mentioned, you might want to consider that at those altitudes for a normal reentry from orbit, your atmospheric drag is going to be a very significant force acting on the vessel as a whole. The capsule and your kerbonaut probably have different aerodynamic properties resulting in different terminal velocities, even given KSP's wonky atmospheric model.

[numerobis]

OK, so what's the maximum force that a kerbal can exert to stay on the ladder of a capsule, and what is a kerbal's coefficient of drag? I can work out the remainder. KSP has no turbulence, so it's all simple.

I was expecting others to have tried this trick and have a better ballpark than "somewhere above 35 km and below 45 km" for where you can easily step out of the capsule and get back in.

[magnemoe]

If the kerbal has something to stand on like putting an small pod on a 2.5 meter tank they can take pretty much any g like Eve aerobraking and parachute release. parachute release tend to kick kerbals out of seats. On Eve they might survive this.

So just putting an small strut or two below the stairs and you are safe.

[GavinZac]

Unlock the command seat which appears to have an invisible seatbelt which prevents unaided Kerbal reentry. Hmm... I'm actually not sure if the EVA report or the Crew report comes from the seat. Well, another experiment to run!

[Psycix]

Try to go slower. Use retrorockets to slow down, or be creative and make some sort of helicopter.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Psycix

[numerobis]

Sure I could hover, but that's not really the goal of the exercise. I want to be reentering freely from some orbit, say 100 km circular.

I don't see how a platform should help. As noted, Kerbals have less drag than the spacecraft. But maybe I'll try it.

[Kerbonautical]

Sure I could hover, but that's not really the goal of the exercise. I want to be reentering freely from some orbit, say 100 km circular.

I don't see how a platform should help. As noted, Kerbals have less drag than the spacecraft. But maybe I'll try it.

Other than the command seat I don't see how your gonna do it. At 35 Km your hitting the point that the atmosphere starts to become significantly dense. There's no way a Kerbal is going to be able to hold on at that height without some form of engine to slow yourself down. Realistically a number of the parts of our ships wouldn't even survive a typical re-entry so I don't see how a Kerbal on a ladder stands a chance. We're lucky Jeb hasn't been cooked like a Christmas turkey using a command seat.

[numerobis]

I'm not stuck on sticking kerbals heads out at 35km. I'm interested in knowing how low you can go.

[tavert]

I don't see how a platform should help. As noted, Kerbals have less drag than the spacecraft. But maybe I'll try it.

If you put a decoupler or a large fuel tank above the capsule, the Kerbal will collide with it and usually stay on the ladder in my experience.

[monophonic]

I'm not stuck on sticking kerbals heads out at 35km. I'm interested in knowing how low you can go.

Looks like you'll have to be the pioneer here. Maybe do a quicksave, tell Jeb to stand outside during re-entry and check at which altitude he falls off. Then quickload and get him inside just before then. Or, if save/load doesn't suit you, use another (expendable) kerbal for the test run.

[Person012345]

Why not just test it.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Person012345

[toomuchbrew]

Of course this is serious!

I don't mean to be insulting, but why would you try to EVA during re-entry?

If Squad made the EVA report viable during re-entry, shame on them. I know we are talking a game, based on science, but stepping outside of your protective capsule during a re-entry is pretty foolish.

[SunJumper]

I think the upper atmosphere EVA report happens from 20km to 50km, the upper limits of which is not affected by air speed, so an EVA report is definitely safe at the upper limit. As for how low, I think Jeb will still fall off a 'ladder' if his pod is falling at terminal velocity with a parachute fully open...

[numerobis]

tavert may win this thread; I'll test it tonight!

As to why: Why do anything in KSP? Answer: Because it's there!

[Psycix]

I think the easiest way is to simply launch a rocket straight up to a 50km apo.

At about 40km up when the craft is slowing down and about to fall back, hop in and out and spam some reports.

[FOARP]

I'm interested to know the answer to this one - I managed to mess up a Minimus expedition and leave the three pilots stranded there. I've sent a three-seater with a single pilot to pick them up, and I'm wondering if I can't get the extra Kerbal just to hold on the outside ladder during re-entry.

[Padishar]

Just strap a probe core to it and send it without any pilot...

[numerobis]

The problem with holding the ladder all the way back from Minmus isn't the atmosphere so much as the fact that you can't warp faster than 4x.

[Skorpychan]

I don't mean to be insulting, but why would you try to EVA during re-entry?

If Squad made the EVA report viable during re-entry, shame on them. I know we are talking a game, based on science, but stepping outside of your protective capsule during a re-entry is pretty foolish.

Kerbals have no concept of 'foolish', remember.