Contract to test part X on escape trajectory

[BioSehnsucht]

Got one of these for one of the radial decouplers. What constitutes escape trajectory? Leaving Kerbin for Kerbol SOI? to the Mun? Just escaping the atmosphere isn't enough.

Edited July 18, 2014 by BioSehnsucht

[Claw]

Do you happen to have a picture of the contract?

[FenrirWolf]

Escape velocity should mean you're going fast enough that your trajectory leaves Kerbin's SoI

[CattyNebulart]

Got one of these for one of the radial decouplers. What constitutes escape trajectory? Leaving Kerbin for Kerbol SOI? to the Mun? Just escaping the atmosphere isn't enough.

Most of those refer to being on a trejectory that will make you leave Kerbin SoI but before you escape it... as you head further in the tech tree you might get ones for other planets too.

[Geschosskopf]

Got one of these for one of the radial decouplers. What constitutes escape trajectory? Leaving Kerbin for Kerbol SOI? to the Mun? Just escaping the atmosphere isn't enough.

Nope, entering Mun's SOI doesn't count, you have to be on a path that will take you completely out of Kerbin's SOI, as if going to another planet. The conditions are satisfied when:

1. You're out of the atmosphere

2. Your blue path ends in a circle at the edge of Kerbin's SOI and you have an orange path around the sun after that.

You can achieve these conditions while still very close to Kerbin, so it's not that hard to do the contract then fire slightly retro to get back to orbiting Kerbin, then land the ship if you so desire. The other options are to do this with a throw-away probe or do it while you're on your way to Duna or whatever.

As Catty said, later on you'll get similar contracts for other bodies, usually starting with Mun. These can be done with flyby passes because the way KSP physics works, you're always on an escape trajectory as soon as you enter the SOI of a new planet or moon. But of course you can also land there and then do the contract on the way home.

[Moonfrog]

Basically it means, the same trajectory that you would use to enter the orbit of the sun. Like you thought to enter the Sun's SOI.

[EtherDragon]

Basically escape trajectory is any hyperbolic trajectory.

[Warduk]

Hi there, I got the same kind of contract, but with Skipper engine. Can I activate the engine before the ship reaches escape velocity? I think not, Skipper it's a huge engine just to carry to above the atmosphere.

[Skorpychan]

Hi there, I got the same kind of contract, but with Skipper engine. Can I activate the engine before the ship reaches escape velocity? I think not, Skipper it's a huge engine just to carry to above the atmosphere.

Yes. To 'test' the part, just right-click on it and select 'run test'.

[Warduk]

Yes. To 'test' the part, just right-click on it and select 'run test'.

Thanks!!! I'll try

[pincushionman]

Yes. To 'test' the part, just right-click on it and select 'run test'.

Depends on the terms of the contract, no? Some say "use 'test part'" while others say "through the staging menu."

[Skorpychan]

Depends on the terms of the contract, no? Some say "use 'test part'" while others say "through the staging menu."

'Run test' works for both.

[Srpadget]

Sometimes there is no "Run Test" option. The game does not appear to be entirely consistent about that.

However, you can still use the engine to get to orbit, but activate it via the staging menu and meet the terms of the contract. Two ways to do this:

Method 1: Place the engine in the staging sequence in accordance with the point in the flight profile where you will "test" it. To use it before that during ascent, activate the engine by right-clicking the engine and selecting the Activate Engine command. Then later, you can "activate" the engine normally by staging it with the space bar, and the contract will complete.

Method 2: Place the engine in the staging sequence in accordance with the point in the flight profile where you will use it during ascent. To test it, add a new stage at the appropriate point in the flight sequence (using the staging icons at the bottom right of your screen) and drag the engine's staging icon into it. (You can continue using the engine during this period.) Then, at the appropriate point in the flight, you can "stage" that engine AGAIN using the space bar and the contract will complete. NOTE: The first time you stage after rearranging the staging sequence in this way, you will probably have to hit the space bar TWICE. (But only the first time after rearranging; after that, staging will behave normally again.)