Checklists

[ap0r]

I've made these checklists and improved them over time. They have saved me hours of frustration and many kerbals. Any feedback will be appreciated. Also for some reason the forum inserts random spaces on the text and that seems to cause misalignment. I can send the original txt file at a request.

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PRE-LAUNCH

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Staging......................................................CHECK

Action groups..........................................SET & CHECK

Abort sequence.........................................SET & CHECK

RCS.....................CHECK ALIGNMENT RELATIVE TO CENTER OF MASS

Communication antennas.......................................CHECK

Science stuff................................................CHECK

Electricity source...........CHECK BASED ON EXPECTED MISSION NEEDS

Batteries.....................................ADEQUATE FOR MISSION

Lights........................................ADEQUATE FOR MISSION

Parachutes...................................................CHECK

Ladders......................CHECK BASED ON EXPECTED MISSION NEEDS

Crew..........SELECT BASED ON MISSION AND NECESSITY OF EMPTY SEATS

Staging................................................CHECK AGAIN

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LAUNCH

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Optimal launch window....................TIMEWARP TO T-00H:01M:00S

Target.................................................SET & CHECK

Orbital parameters.....DETERMINE BASED ON TARGET RELATIVE POSITION

Navball...................................ENSURE CORRECT ALIGNMENT

Navball...............................................SURFACE MODE

Aerodynamic controls (if installed)...............FREE AND CORRECT

SAS...............................................ENABLE IF NEEDED

Engine...................................SET DESIRED INITIAL POWER

RCS...............................................ENABLE IF NEEDED

Prayers.......................................................SAID

Somewhat controlled explosion................................BEGIN

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LIFTOFF & INITIAL ASCENT (KERBIN)

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Altitude and vertical speed.......................CHECK INCREASING

1 KM...........................BEGIN GRAVITY TURN (5º INCLINATION)

Normal/antinormal inclination................BASED ON TARGET ORBIT

Ascent speed profile.............AIM FOR 250 M/S AT 10 KM ALTITUDE

5 KM..................................GRAVITY TURN 15º INCLINATION

10 KM.................................GRAVITY TURN 35º INCLINATION

15 KM........................................AIM FOR 350 M/S SPEED

25 KM.................................GRAVITY TURN 45º INCLINATION

Navball.....................................SWITCH TO ORBITAL MODE

Apoapsis..................................CHECK OUTSIDE ATMOSPHERE

Orbital injection burn...................................CALCULATE

50 KM................................JETTISON AERODYNAMIC FAIRINGS

65 KM..........................................DEPLOY SOLAR PANELS

Launch escape tower..........................JETTISON IF INSTALLED

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ORBIT INSERTION

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Orbital injection burn......................PERFORM WHEN NECESSARY

Reaching ascending/descending node...MATCH INCLINATION WITH TARGET

Orbital parameters...........................................CHECK

Orbit corrections..............................PERFORM AS REQUIRED

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RENDEZVOUS

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Rendezvous manoeuvres........................DETERMINE AND PERFORM

Obtain closest aproach.............................LESS THAN 10 KM

Nearing closest approach point.......SWITCH NAVBALL TO TARGET MODE

At closest approach point.................MATCH ORBITAL VELOCITIES

Ship orientation............................PROGRADE TO THE TARGET

Initial approach burn...............OBTAIN ADEQUATE RELATIVE SPEED

Ship orientation..........................RETROGRADE TO THE TARGET

Relative velocity.....REDUCE WHILE MAINTAINING APPROACH TRAJECTORY

2 KM to rendezvous...ENSURE RELATIVE SPEED IS LOW ENOUGH FOR ABORT

Camera...........................................SET TO CHASE MODE

Control from.................................INTENDED DOCKING PORT

Approach speed.....................LOW ENOUGH FOR AN ABORT ANYTIME

100 mt to rendezvous...........................KILL RELATIVE SPEED

Desired docking port.................................SET AS TARGET

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DOCKING

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Rocket engines.............................................DISABLE

Docking port.................................UNCOVER IF APPLICABLE

Orientation............SET AS DESIRED RELATIVE TO THE DOCKING PORT

Position............TRANSLATE TO PROLONGATION OF DOCKING PORT AXIS

Relative speed.................................OBTAIN CLOSURE RATE

75 mt to dock.................................RETRACT SOLAR PANELS

40 mt to dock...........................RELATIVE SPEED UNDER 2 M/S

Control mode.......................................LOW SENSITIVITY

Alignment and relative speed..............................MAINTAIN

5 mt to dock..........................RELATIVE SPEED UNDER 0.2 M/S

Alignment and relative position...................CONFIRM VISUALLY

Docking port magnets...............................WAIT FOR ACTION

When docking is confirmed...........................RELEASE BREATH

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AFTER DOCKING

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RCS........................................................DISABLE

SAS........................................................DISABLE

Solar panels clearance.......................................CHECK

Solar panels....................................DEPLOY IF POSSIBLE

Science data....................................TRANSFER AS NEEDED

Crew............................................TRANSFER AS NEEDED

Fuel & oxidizer.................................TRANSFER AS NEEDED

Monopropellant..................................TRANSFER AS NEEDED

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UNDOCKING

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Science data....................................TRANSFER AS NEEDED

Crew............................................TRANSFER AS NEEDED

Fuel & oxidizer.................................TRANSFER AS NEEDED

Monopropellant..................................TRANSFER AS NEEDED

Action groups..........................................SET & CHECK

Control...................CONFIRM EITHER AUTOMATED OR CREW ONBOARD

Control from..........................................DOCKING PORT

Control mode......................................HIGH SENSITIVITY

Solar Panels...............................................RETRACT

Docking port................................................UNDOCK

SAS.........................................................ENABLE

RCS.........................................................ENABLE

Relative speed.....................................OBTAIN -0.5 M/S

Clearances to other vessels...............................MAINTAIN

10 mt away....................................ACCELERATE TO -1 M/S

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AFTER UNDOCKING

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Solar panels clearance.......................................CHECK

Solar panels................................................DEPLOY

Fuel & oxidizer...................................CHECK QUANTITIES

Monopropellant......................................CHECK QUANTITY

Staging......................................................CHECK

50 mt away.......................................ACCELERATE FREELY

Docking port...................................COVER IF APPLICABLE

500 mt away..............................SET NAVBALL TO ORBIT MODE

1 km away....................................ENABLE ROCKET ENGINES

Orbit..............................MOVE TO A LOWER OR HIGHER ORBIT

10 km away...............................MANEUVER TO DESIRED ORBIT

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AEROBRAKING

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Desired aerobrake orbit.......................CALCULATE AND OBTAIN

Solar panels....................RETRACT BEFORE ENTERING ATMOSPHERE

Solar panels...................DEPLOY AFTER LEAVING THE ATMOSPHERE

Orbit corrections................................PERFORM AS NEEDED

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REENTRY AND ATMOSPHERIC LANDING

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Desired reentry orbit.........................CALCULATE AND OBTAIN

Solar panels....................RETRACT BEFORE ENTERING ATMOSPHERE

G meter....................................................MONITOR

At 10 KM altitude or 300 m/s..................DEPLOY DROGUE CHUTES

Navball........................................SET TO SURFACE MODE

Landing gear................................................DEPLOY

Landing lights.................................ENABLE IF NECESSARY

Radioaltimeter.............................................MONITOR

At 3 KM altitude................................DEPLOY MAIN CHUTES

Speed......................MAINTAIN WITHIN DESIRED DESCENT PROFILE

At touchdown.......................................CUT ALL ENGINES

Solar panels......................................DEPLOY IF NEEDED

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NON ATMOSPHERIC LANDING

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Desired initial approach orbit................CALCULATE AND OBTAIN

At 10 KM altitude......................SET NAVBALL TO SURFACE MODE

Landing gear................................................DEPLOY

Landing lights.................................ENABLE IF NECESSARY

Vertical velocity.................ENSURE THAT YOU CAN STOP IN TIME

At 5 KM altitude............DETERMINE AND MAINTAIN TOUCHDOWN POINT

Radioaltimeter.............................................MONITOR

At 3 KM altitude..........ABORT/GO DECISION POINT (REMAINING FUEL)

Lateral velocity.......................REDUCE TO MINIMUM NECESSARY

At touchdown.......................................CUT ALL ENGINES

Solar Panels......................................DEPLOY IF NEEDED

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[Volcanix]

Nice work

Reminds me on my flight simulator days..

[Heimdall5008]

New point for landings:

After landing, disable SAS.

That one killed my first two Mun landings. First one tipped over after secure landing because SAS tried to counterbalance the slight uneven surface. On the second one my batteries where depleted by SAS (before I had solar panels availible).

[ElWanderer]

New point for landings:

After landing, disable SAS.

That one killed my first two Mun landings. First one tipped over after secure landing because SAS tried to counterbalance the slight uneven surface. On the second one my batteries where depleted by SAS (before I had solar panels availible).

Ah yes, I always turn RCS and SAS off now, after a lander slowly burnt through almost all its monopropellent just from sitting on a slight slope. I was lucky I noticed the exhaust plume before it could empty the tanks completely.

[ap0r]

Thanks for the feedback! It is appreciated

[ElWanderer]

One thing I learned the hard way: when deploying landing gear (to land), don't just hit the button to cycle the gear. Visually confirm the gear is down. Because the first press after launch is meant to raise the gear, I often cycle up/down/up early in a mission so that I've confirmed the gear works and the next cycle is down. But one time I didn't do that, didn't check and ended up smashing my engines to pieces and flipping my lander.

[ap0r]

One thing I learned the hard way: when deploying landing gear (to land), don't just hit the button to cycle the gear. Visually confirm the gear is down. Because the first press after launch is meant to raise the gear, I often cycle up/down/up early in a mission so that I've confirmed the gear works and the next cycle is down. But one time I didn't do that, didn't check and ended up smashing my engines to pieces and flipping my lander.

Yes, i usually check my landing gear when outside atmospheres.