Launching probes from "mothership"

[iSjaak]

Hi there,

I can't quite figure out how to make a single ship from which to launch multiple probes. The premise is that I would like to launch a 'mothership' as it were from which to launch individual probes. So I fly by a moon or planet, park the ship in orbit, launch a probe which lands on the body by its own and then the sip moves on to the next body. I have a main ship with 4 probes attaches with radial decouplers. Problem is if I decouple, there appears to be no way to control the probe. It simply drifts away uncontrollably. The individual probes are outfitted with OCTO command modules, engines and parachutes. Even if I switch to 'control from here' and then decouple, it doesn't work.

Am I just that stupid?

Thanks in advance dor any help.

[KerikBalm]

Use the [ and ] keys to select different ships within 2.5km, or go to map view and click on the vessel you wish to control, and select switch to.

[Scarecrow88]

Also make sure your probes are fitted with batteries and a means to keep the batteries charged.

[Geschosskopf]

...I have a main ship with 4 probes attaches with radial decouplers.....

Assuming the advice above solves your problem, you might want to consider attaching the probes with either docking ports or stack separators (EDIT the blue things that come loose on both sides). If you use radial decouplers, the probe will end up with half the decoupler stuck on 1 side so will be out of balance when flying by itself.

[Jimbimbibble]

Also, make sure the probe's battery is not dead when you release it.

[capi3101]

Not much else I can add here - check to make sure your probes are independently powered, and I would second the advice to use stack separators (or even stack decouplers; the little ones work great on probes, especially if you attach a BZ-52 to the sides of your ship and then stick them on from there). Switch control with the bracket keys after it's decoupled and pray you haven't screwed anything up design-wise.

[Kasuha]

Unfortunately there is no radial decoupler that does not stay permanently attached to the probe.

I use docking ports Jr. for the purpose. It can be attached radially itself and can serve as a decoupler.

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[juanml82]

Attach the decouplers to a BZ-52 or a cubic strut and you'll be able to mount them radially.

OTOH, the docking ports allow you to recover the probes if you so desire.

[Kasuha]

OTOH, the docking ports allow you to recover the probes if you so desire.

Only if you have docking ports on your probes, too. But you don't have to. You can attach anything to a docking port and it will be able to decouple it cleanly. Unless you attach it to the port radially by mistake.

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Edited August 22, 2014 by Kasuha

[RexKramer]

I'd add that the docking ports have much less mass that the same-size decoupler, and as already pointed out you only need one per probe.

I built an orbiter with several tiny 'escape pods', for rescuing Kerbals. The best solution was to use docking ports to detach the 20 escape pods. I also tried the tiny decouplers, but quickly realized there was a significant weight savings with the docking ports. Also, an additional 20 decouplers makes your staging sequence fairly confusing..

[FleshJeb]

If you go the decoupler route, make sure you disable fuel crossfeed on them. Otherwise, the mothership engines may drain the probe tanks.

EDIT, days later: "I meant docking port", grrr

Edited August 26, 2014 by FleshJeb

[thomasjkenney]

Flip the decoupler 'upside-down' so it doesn't stay attached to the probe. Using a decoupler will block cross-feed, docking port won't. Also, when using decouplers for the probes, move them to a separate stage and put them at the very top of the staging. Manually (right-click) operate the decoupler when it's time to release.

[Cerberus738]

here is my jool ship. after the 5 separate the transfer section can be used to refuel other vehicles. was planning on putting it around laythe and having the probes deploy from there

[gbleck]

Built an ion powered mothership with orbital only probes using decouplers and cubic struts. Smallest possible probes with no dv needed so i left the decouplers on the probe side. They stay in an eccentric orbit and transmit science as needed at what ever alt is required. 12000 dv on the single ion probe and 6 probes + mothership as a probe.

[iSjaak]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I've outfitted the ship with clamp-o-tron jr's. Problem now is it gets into space beautifully, but when I click the docking ports I can't undock. It only allows me to "control from here", with no other options. Also, mounting a separator on a BZ-52 doesn't seem to work.

[capi3101]

Make sure you've got your separators on the BZ-52, not in the BZ-52. That one got me a few times in the early going...

A visual might help -

Left hand side of the screen, just to the right of the Stage 1 stack seperator icon, you see a probe there attached to a CSM using BZ-52 and the tiny stack decoupler. Note how it looks - if the separator was in the BZ-52, it'd appear to be about half as tall, and it wouldn't decouple properly. It's also aimed so that the separator will stay attached to the CSM, thereby freeing the ant engine to work on the probe.

In the VAB, that particular combination looked like there was no physical connection whatsover...that was kinda freaky.

As far as the docking port goes, what options are you given? Is there just "control from here", or is there also one that says something like "decouple" or somes-uch? You shouldn't see "undock" when there's not a corresponding docking port on your probes.