repacked Parachutes deploying at max altitude instead of intended altitude.

[SeventhArchitect]

Ok, there is a big problm here with the parachutes that might be a glitch or simply game physics-intended use. Repacking parachutes it possible however many times a parachute is deployed. Well, here is the story...

Upon launching my Dart Mk I Single person crew spaceplane to Duna, I activate the parachutes to land safely on the mars-like planet. I repack them through EVA, begin the half year trip back to Kerbin. Upon reentering Kerbin's atmosphere, I activate the parachutes once more (hotkeyed them last time).

Now, the whole problem is that that right there is supposed to work perfectly. Flawlessly. Without error. Instead, whenever I get low enough in Kerbin's atmosphere that the parachutes are supposed to deploy (high altitude, no fuill drag yet), they tear my ship in half. Like they deployed at the 500 meter mark.

At first, I thought this was an error on my part, and isntead of traveling at 2.7 km/s, I pulled it down to 1.9km/s in early atmosphere thanks to a simple retrograde burn. Ship still torn in half at high altitude.

The parachutes, I have no idea whats going on, but it seems they are deploying fully at the max altitude they are supposed to deploy, and the results tears apart my ship, and leaves it to crash into Kerbin. I have lost the flight twice due to this, ahving sent the Dart Mk I to Duna four times, and made it back twice.

Made it there first time, crash landed on Duna, trying to land it like a spaceplane should be landed.

Made it there second time, landed via parachutes, left the breaks on, flipped it over, and it got destroyed. (extremely powerful engines)

Made it there third time, Landed well enough, made it back to Kerbin, died upon impact, ship torn apart.

Made it there and back fourth time, but lost both port side and starboard side wing engines. Not intentional. Impacted Kerbin, ship torn to pieces by parachutes.

Someone

[Claw]

Well, it depends a little on which parachutes you are using. If it's the basic, little ones, then deploying at high altitude at 1900 m/s is a bit rough on them. You'll want to aerobrake for a while and wait till your speed is down around 500 m/s or less (depends on number of chutes and weight). Full deployment around 100-200 m/s (again cutes and weight dependent).

If the initial deployment altitude isn't what you want, you can right click on the chute and change the atmosphere pressure number. It might still be low if you changed it for Duna. In which case the streamer portion will come out at very high altitude on Kerbin.

There is a parachute planner online, but I don't have the link with me at the moment. I'm sure someone will post it before I do.

Edit: Also, make sure you aren't entering Kerbin's atmosphere too steep. Your ship won't have time to bleed off speed in the atmosphere before the chute wants to deploy.

By the way, you can also quicksave (F5) and quickload (F9) if you make a mistake. Unless that isn't your play style.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Claw

[Geschosskopf]

I have found that the only way to make repacked chutes work correctly is to NEVER fire them with the spacebar. ALWAYS fire them with an action group, both the 1st time and all times you use them thereafter. If you ever use the spacebar on them, they're permanently hosed.

[Wooks]

I have found that the only way to make repacked chutes work correctly is to NEVER fire them with the spacebar. ALWAYS fire them with an action group, both the 1st time and all times you use them thereafter. If you ever use the spacebar on them, they're permanently hosed.

If this is correct you deserve my eternal loyalty.

[Geschosskopf]

If this is correct you deserve my eternal loyalty.

It works for me. But I have yet to try it with untweaked chutes. Can't vouch for if you change their parameters, although I suspect that should be OK. It seems to me that using the spacebar on any part does something irreversible to it, so you need to avoid it for anything you plan on using again, unless you have time to do the parts 1 at a time with right-clicking.