Fixing a single mystery goo container to a craft without sacrificing balance

[Moonfrog]

This a problem that has eluded me really long time, still not come up with a solution for it. Does anyone know a method of attaching a mystery goo container so that u don't have to compensate with sas? I find it quite annoying since I only want to add one goo container to my craft for science, but feel forced to add two simply for balance.

In small ships not a big problem, in larger ships 2 becomes 4 than 6 than 8. It soon adds up.

Just wondering if anyone came across a handy situation for this, not too bothered by weight, if it involves a girder or something that's fine, how do u do it so theres only one container. That's all I want.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Moonfrog

[Kasuha]

When I decide I only want one I mount it on top instead of the parachute and use two radial parachutes on sides of the pod.

To mount it perfectly, select x2 symmetry and keep moving it around until the two images exactly overlap, then press Shift+X to reduce symmetry to x1 and place the part.

[Murph]

I either accept the imbalance (it's often no big deal), or add 2 of them with symmetry. You say that you're "not too bothered by weight", so just add the 2nd goo tank. Alternatively, you can balance it out with the matching radial RCS tank, or some other radial bits like batteries.

[Wanderfound]

Cargo bay, mount it inside. SP+ or one of the half-dozen other mod options.

[Red Iron Crown]

This is a case of the masslessness of many small parts being a disadvantage, you could be using them to balance the goo container without adding anything redundant.

[capi3101]

Kashua's probably given you the best solution for your specific problem. You could do the bottom of your craft as well but that's generally where you want to put, you know, the rest of your rocket...

Geshosskopf would tell you to take four to your destination - if you pop them all open at the same time, you collect all the data possible for the Goo cannister for that biome and never have to visit it ever again...

[Zylark]

...or go get the Universal Storage mod. Not only does it shrink very significantly both the Goo container and the Science Jr pod, they even get put into small wedges which you can fit four of inline on a 1.25m vessel - eight on a 2.5m vessel. Stack them and you can fit even more. Also comes with wedges for the Dmagic Orbital Science mod plus various utilities and fuel storage.

[cantab]

The mod RCS Build Aid may help. It will show whether your main engines exert any torque when they fire, not just your RCS. That way you can add another part for balance, which could be a lighter part placed further out.

[Laie]

Just wondering if anyone came across a handy situation for this, not too bothered by weight, if it involves a girder or something that's fine, how do u do it so theres only one container. That's all I want.

I'm actually in the "bring four and be done with it" camp. Or rather, bring one and a lab, that's me.

Is there anything else you need only one of? Put that on the other side. If it's not exactly the same weight, move the lighter one further out using weightless struts or a decoupler or something (remember not to fire that decoupler, though). It doesn't need to be 100% balanced... There is a "good enough" that can usually be reached with little effort. Further finetuning may benefit your ego, but won't actually make any real difference.

Even without building aids, you can just lauch with SAS turned off and look how quickly or slowly it tips over.

Before you add useless weighty parts, remember that SAS modules are comparatively lightweight. You can get three of them at the weight of a single girder... and they may serve you better, too.

[SunChaser]

Why do you want to use only one canister? They are pretty light and if you aren't using NEAR/FAR they produce less drag than a thermometer or barometer (heh). I'd go with the advice of those who say just bring four and you won't really need to return to that biome for science again.

[Moonfrog]

reason is, the amount of science u get for one biome from one mystery goo canister is much smaller than one science jr. Also I can't put copies of my science data into the same command pod. Which means if I have 2, I have to bring both back with me.

[capi3101]

reason is, the amount of science u get for one biome from one mystery goo canister is much smaller than one science jr. Also I can't put copies of my science data into the same command pod. Which means if I have 2, I have to bring both back with me.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic here - so your problem is.....what exactly?

Seriously. The mass of a Mk 1 Command Pod and two Goo containers is 1.14 tonnes; you can bring that down with a small chute and survive at ground elevations up to 5,000 meters on Kerbin according to the Parachute Calculator; with four containers you'll survive up to about 3,500 meters. And side chutes are a measly 15 Science points after Goo; they can bring down heavier loads no sweat. Four goo containers = don't have to go back to wherever you went for Goo experiments again; you wind up milking the biome for every drop of science that it could possibly ever be worth.

Long and the short of it: there's no real reason not to haul up more than one goo container at a time, unless you really really want to just take one. Your call.

[problemecium]

^ I politely disagree here. I recently built an unmanned Mun lander designed to fit within a small fairing or cargo bay and with minimal equipment. On the micro-probe scale, something weighing 0.15 tons becomes a serious issue to account for and even when placed very close to the exact center can throw the center of mass way off, or, when you only have 45 units of fuel to work with, can eat up too much dV and prevent the ship from being able to return to orbit.

That said, I don't have a solution either, so I'll just be watching the thread for clever ideas.

[Laie]

On the micro-probe scale,

I'd say you have no business putting a goo container on such a micro-probe. The transmission value of goo is, what, 30% nominal? Horribly bad at any rate. Not only does your micro-probe turn into a mini-probe (at best), you also get comparatively little science for all the extra the effort. If you send goo or material bays, by all means plan for recovery.

[psyper]

I wonder if you could create a copy of a FL-T100 Fuel Tank and replace the fuel with the goo canister code - not an elegant solution but it could do the trick. Or another way - any modders out there prepared to make a non-radial-attached goo canister?

[cantab]

I'm sure I've seen one before. Couldn't tell you the mod though.

But the easier way would be to use the banana for balance, it weighs the same as the goo I think.

[AlexanderB]

Perhaps use a strut and clip the goo in the hollow lattice, that should put it just about on the center of mass.. The strut pretty heavy though, probably cheaper to just send two goo's.

[Moonfrog]

My problem is that on some of the more complicated ships I build which involve command module ships and smaller landers that rejoin with command ships and then jettison there science bays to save space. Can only collect 1 science data of a biome. Science lab is very large to take with me. With much larger vessals even 0.15 can escalate into a lot of fuel. I don't want a second goo canister from which I can't harvest the data from anyway.

Thx people for suggesting stuff.

[StrandedonEarth]

You can take the data from a second goo can if it is from a different biome or situation (high, low, flying, landed, etc). For a single you can just stick a goo as high as possible on the back of the Mk1 capsule, opposite the hatch, and it won't throw off the CoM that much

[LordFerret]

I usually put two goo containers on, so that, as StrandedonEarth points out, multiple experiments can be performed. I also have brought the Science Lab to Mun and Minmus, in my rover complex...

[Moonfrog]

interesting. Although I didn't really solve the problem I was looking for I did come up with a solution to fix m obsessive compulsive need for neatness. I might build a rocket with 2 command pods, so that way when I use 2 mystery good containers I can carry two of the same biome, one in one command pod, one in the other. Sort of solves it.

thx for suggestions again.

[Kryxal]

Landing cans would work too, or transmit the first, return the second.