Your "Rules" on unmanned flights?

[Doozler]

Now the challege becomes ... how MANY kerbals can you rescue at one time?

I like the idea of a space bus.... [snip] And a boat-load of parachutes for a safe landing.

Oh no what have I done?? :rolleyes:I was imagining having a cluster of one-man pods for individual re-entries to Kerbin, but now I'm going to have to bring the bus down in one piece! It might not be too elegant as I've not unlocked all the parts yet (that's what everyone was doing at the Mun - getting science!)

I guess the science will have to wait now I'm morally obliged to get a bus made!

[Doozler]

I will not use probes for science if a manned landing is possible. Also unmanned probes can not dock to anything, however manned ships can dock to unmanned stuff.

I like this one. It would mean I couldn't use the ever-useful "move station to dock with broken craft" technique though.

[mellojoe]

When it comes to parachutes on a large object, I've found "drogue" chutes to be invaluable. If you have regular and drogue chutes, you can land just about anything from nearly any speed. Well, within reason. Give yourself a shallow approach to scrub off speed in the high atmosphere, and drogues + chutes = safe landing. Without drogues? You may have to do the small 1-man pod system you were originally thinking.

[Pecan]

Map satellites first (SCANSat) then unmanned landers, then manned. Everything has a probe-core of some sort, since it's first tested unmanned and might be used that way later too. Stations (bases if I bothered with them) and tractors/tugs need 1 crew, 2 crew + spare space if >month in space (I've sailed single-handed across the Atlantic a few times so I know what 1 month feels like ^^). Stations may be unmanned if 'mothballed'. 'Dumb' fuel modules are unmanned and can dock but would normally be tug-assisted. (If docking unmanned I'm assuming they're controlled by the crew in whatever it is they're docking to).

Next time around RT2 will add another level of satellites to everything.

[Red Iron Crown]

I've sailed single-handed across the Atlantic a few times so I know what 1 month feels like.

First off, very impressive.

Second, I wonder how the two compare. A spacecraft would need far less watchkeeping, as there's no weather or traffic to contend with as the ship falls through space. The solitude factor is definitely there, though.

[Pecan]

If you have a laptop with you; KSP! (Do you think Jeb would play the Sims or something if he were in space - "Look, strange alien 'humans' stuck on a planet"). If you have a laptop and satellite comms - the internet! Otherwise boredom is the biggest problem - and eating all the food in the first week because you're so bored ^^. There's very little traffic (might not see anything for several days) and sod all else to look at in the middle of an ocean and weather-sat systems make avoiding really big weather easy(ish).

If I had to do it again I'd probably go mad(der) and get off half-way. On the other hand, if I was locked in a small plastic box (yachts ~30-50ft) for 30 days with someone else I'm not sure both of us would make it either. Ask yourself - is there anyone I could cope with in close confines 24/7 for four weeks with no-one else to talk to and no-where else to go to get away from them?

[TerLoki]

I use unmanned craft all the time, even when assembling manned stations and ships. Even before I installed TAC life support I launched everything unmanned and sent the crew up to rendezvous later. Yeah, it's more launch intensive, but it ensure that they have a way to get back.

The one time I did send up the crew with the payload I forgot that my return capsule only had room for three and launched four kerbals, and the ship had no extra docking ports, so when they returned from their flyby I had to send up Bob in a rescue capsule, disassemble the ship in exactly the right order, then bring both capsules back for a landing simultaneously docked nose-to-nose up until the last moment when I was sure they'd land within render distance of each other. Yeah, unmanned payload launches for the win.

[mellojoe]

If you have a laptop with you; KSP! (Do you think Jeb would play the Sims or something if he were in space - "Look, strange alien 'humans' stuck on a planet"). If you have a laptop and satellite comms - the internet! Otherwise boredom is the biggest problem - and eating all the food in the first week because you're so bored ^^. There's very little traffic (might not see anything for several days) and sod all else to look at in the middle of an ocean and weather-sat systems make avoiding really big weather easy(ish).

If I had to do it again I'd probably go mad(der) and get off half-way. On the other hand, if I was locked in a small plastic box (yachts ~30-50ft) for 30 days with someone else I'm not sure both of us would make it either. Ask yourself - is there anyone I could cope with in close confines 24/7 for four weeks with no-one else to talk to and no-where else to go to get away from them?

Sorry to go too far off topic, however:

A friend of my father's did that whole "row across the atlantic" challenge a few years back. 2 people in a rowboat. I think the winners completed in around 70 days. He and his mate took closer to 80, I think. The documentary about it included a story of a young husband + wife team who were in their first year of marriage. He got sick and quit about 2 weeks into it. She continued on without him and finished in about 90 days. They did not stay married.

I can't imagine being locked up with only one other person for a week or more. 30 days is right out. Anyone who can do these long term missions (boating, space, whatever) is a better person than I.

[merendel]

For me if its designed to crash intentionaly or to never return (map/com sats) and is not a longterm base/station it gets a probe. Most other things get kerbaled. I do utalize RCS drones for construction aids but theres usualy a few kerbals around on whatever is being constructed. That said I to tend to make it so my pods can be controlled remotely in a pinch, normaly with a Mechjeb box stuck to the side

[nadreck]

Redoing Career mode in 0.23 I have been using unmanned craft to bring more science modules (two docking ports, radial chute, RCS tank, a materials bay, 2 goo containers, and 4 of each of gravioli, thermometer, etc) to Mun and Minmus from Kerbal to be brought down to different biomes by landers brought up to orbit, have the landers refuel from the ship bringing fresh modules and swap modules so that the ones with "exposed experiments" can be returned to Kerbin. I have a rover lander design that has left many stranded Kerbals (though that is not a science lander, just fun one for joy riding in interesting places like the canyons). One of my landers orbiting Mun is a two man lander can based one that has a docking port on the side so a lander rover can refuel from it. It has yet to refuel one as I keep smashing them and having to pick up the pilot. I had expected to use far less science modules but a variety of accidents, mostly non fatal, left me needing to have more, I think I have sent roughly 25 to Mun and 10 to Minmus and still haven't maxed out science from there yet. So for rescue's I generally use manned craft, but for most support logistics I use unmanned ones. Bill is my only surviving "original three". Oh and I have Bob's first clone in my first Minmus Nuclear lander on his way back to Kerbin in a very precarious position, he has to land a vehicle with no parachutes because the design was flawed and the hatch doesn't open on the 1 man lander can. He will be landing a 4 engine nuclear craft with nearly empty fuel tanks (any more fuel and it would have a thrust to weight ratio < 1).

NOTE my goal in career mode 0.23 has been to use the least elapsed time to unlock the whole tree AND secondary target of least amount of elapsed time to return at least one Kerbal to Kerbin from the surface of every body except Jool and Kerbol in the least elpased time. Also aiming for the lowest loss of life. So far I am at about 8100 science points out of the required 10738 to unlock the whole tree and I am at 11 days of elapsed time. I have Al on his way to Mojo on a higher than optimal energy orbit, and a nuclear powered tanker with a couple of spare science modules in a similar orbit. I will shortly launch two more tankers and two more manned vehicles, one of them being a spare lander with a 2nd seat, but a single pilot, and the other a kerbal can based orbital station. I have yet to plan out the Eve fleet, but it can launch soon on a high energy trajectory. Had I had more time to play since 0.23 came out I would have been further along.

[The Destroyer]

I use probes for almost anything except landing. Of course, rescuers are sometimes manned, sometimes not.

In other words: Who cares. I'll use manned or unmaned however I like!

[Doozler]

Ok, Bus sent to Munar Orbit, piloted by Jeb. I thought bus driving would be beneath him, but it pointed out is was still technically a dangerous experimental craft! Took far too long, but this was the heaviest craft i've landed and launched. I also made a vague attempt to get it close to KSC!

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Edited March 23, 2014 by Doozler

[LethalDose]

The rules I use for unmanned vessels:

Remotech2

That is all.

[MarvinKitFox]

I use manned when the mission absolutely, definitely, must be done by <s>human</s> Kerbal hands.

Otherwise, it's probes all the way.

I even mount probe bodies on my booster tanks, and drop them 5% before empty. The probe then steers it to disposal, or at least off the busy spacelanes.

[federally]

The rules I use for unmanned vessels:

Remotech2

That is all.

This and life support to make unmanned more necessary.

[NecroBones]

I really don't have any "rules" for how I use unmanned craft. I've sent unmanned rescue ships to pick up stranded Kerbals, I send probes all over the place, and use probe cores so I can de-orbit spent stages (I usually build in a small reserve fuel tank for this), and so on.

My rules for manned missions are more strict. I don't send my guys anywhere with a plan to strand them. If they accidentally get stranded, I send a rescue mission. If they die, I hit F9. I have never lost a Kerbal permanently, and will not lose one on my watch!

[NASAFanboy]

My rules?

Orbiters first. Landers second. Kerbals last, and if the budget allows (Yes, a budget) a small research base or station (Station usually, they're cheaper).

Probes when possible, whenever possible. Faster missions (Manned missions require planning; probes can be shot off quickly) for cheaper costs (Of course) with better science paybacks (I often remove science modules from manned vessels to make room for habitats and life support functions). Disposable, too (90% of my probes are left at their destinations.).

Probes are like surgery gloves. They serve their purpose, keeps my hands clean of Kerbal blood, and can be tossed away at the end of the day. Cheap, very cheap compared to manned mission.

[DaPatman]

I only have two rules when flying probes:

• No Flight Engineer (Build Engineer is fine during design, as long as it's gone before launch.)
  
• Not allowed to attach Kerbal Alarm Clock alarms to probes (Unattached raw time alarms are fine.)
  

[Ravenchant]

When unmanned craft are acceptable? It's closer to "when manned ones are acceptable" here... only around 20% of my launches carry Kerbals, and even the crew delivery vehicles have probe cores

[SkyHook]

No rules on unmanned craft, I use them whenever the mission is dangerous, monotonous, or too easy to require Kerbals. That's it, really.