Can i have help with staging on my rocket?

[Essence of Adventure]

I know I've been posting a lot, sorry, its my first day on KSB and im a newb. But can someone please help me so I can actually launch a rocket?

[BeefTenderloin]

Your bottom engines have no fuel - Add a fueltank underneath that decoupler! Then, drag that parachute into stage 0 - You want that to activate on the way home! Also, move the decoupler under the capsule, instead of that reaction wheel. Then, drag the launch struts into your stage 4. That way, they release when you press space for the first time.

Good luck!

[Johnno]

Your staging is reversed. You can drag the stage groups around, at the bottom you'll want the launch clamps and any engines you want to fire up at launch, at the top (group zero) your parachute for the pod.

Your three engines at the bottom won't get fuel through the decoupler, I'd say remove them (and the decoupler) and just launch the rest of the rocket until you learn more about design.

[LeFudge]

I'd say remove them (and the decoupler) and just launch the rest of the rocket until you learn more about design.

Get rid of the bottom part, add two more fuel tanks of the same size in there. That rocket should be able to put you into space for a short while.

[Sirrobert]

The staging is very mixed up. I can't open KSP atm so I'll have to explain by words. Someone will probably drop a screenshot later

Firstly, move the stabalizers all the way down. Move the parachute all the way up.

Now the engines: The bottom 3 engines need a fuel tank above them. Fix that first. Decouplers don't transfer fuel, so put the fueltank between the decoupler and the engines. Than, move all 3 those engines into the same stage tougether, so they all fire at the same time. The decoupler that's above those engines needs to be in the stage above the engines.

So from bottom to top, the staging needs to be:

Lowest engines + stabalizers

Decoupler above those engines

Engine above that decoupler

Decoupler under the commandpod

Parachute

Each time you hit spacebar, it will activate the next stage. So once the first engines run out of fuel, hit spacebar will fire the decoupler and drop the engines away. Hit spacebar again activates the next engine. Once that is empty, you ran out of fuel and will start to fall back eventually. Hit space bar will fire the decoupler, and now the commandpod will fall alone. Hit spacebar again will open the parachute. Do this at about 5km above the surface.

A couple of extra remarks: You can put the stabalizers at the bottom of the rocket rather than at the top. Not big a deal now, but it's alot safer if you build bigger rockets. No need to worry about parts that stick out hitting them.

This rocket does not need the stabalizer part under the commandpod. The pod itself has more than enough torque to keep the rocket under control. Adding that much more will make the controls very sensetive. There is such a thing as to much torque

[Goldham]

Move those Winglets down too, they cause instability when above the CoM which can be shown by pressing the leftmost button right below the Symmetry button

[Oddible]

Remember the whole point of staging is dumping some of the weight that you no longer need, after dumping a stage you still need to have a functional engine and fuel to continue your journey. You can think of horizontal or vertical staging. Your current ship has vertical staging, you're dumping the bottom section. However, in your ship you are merely dumping the engines! You'll no longer have engines after you stage! Try something simple first (actually I think I've never in my life used that three way adapter thing). Just put a command pod at the top, a fuel tank, and an engine. Then put a decoupler, then another fuel tank and another engine. Make sure the staging is correct on the right side (the bottom most stuff need to be at the bottom of the list) - and put everything in its own stage. Launch and hit your space bar to trigger dumping the stages when they fuel tank at the bottom is out of fuel.

[SRV Ron]

A somewhat simple three stage design that can be sent to orbit Mun and return. Note staging is bottom to top;

6. the three SRBs ignite

5. the three SRBs, first stage, are staged

4. the LV-45 is ignited

3. the LV-45 booster, second stage, is staged

2. the LV-909 is ignited

1. the LV-909 booster, third stage, is staged

0. the parachute is deployed

No reaction wheel is needed. The built in the capsule one is sufficient for this flight.

Edited October 27, 2013 by SRV Ron

[sojourner]

In ksp, contrary to real life, the staging numbers are reversed. Stage 0 is the last to go while stage 4 is the first to get used.