Beginners question about thrust vectoring and steering

[Milseburg]

Hi Everyone,

i recently discovered this great game on steam and iam trying to get into it.

Iam playing science mode and it makes me wonder why i can steer my rockets even if there is no engine with thrust vectoring build in and or active.

For example a simple rocket, that consisting out of a RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster or the simple LV-T30 Liquid Fuel Engine with just the fuel tank and the mk1 command pot to it, is all the time perfectly controllable. That makes me somehow wonder.

Otherwise great game!

Thank you, greetings from Germany.

Michael

PS.: Ivegot no game chaning mods in there, just: RCSsounds, HotRockets and Chatterer.

[Guest]

Command modules contain small gyroscopes that provide some degree of rotational control. SAS and ASAS modules are fitted with rather powerful gyroscopes to facilitate rotational control and stabilization. Translation controls still require RCS engines to function.

[Alshain]

There are various things in the game that can affect your craft's direction.

1. SAS (i.e. Control/Reaction Wheels, i.e Torque) - Explained by WildLynx above, all command pods have it to some degree (right click the part in the editor to see how much).

2. Advanced SAS - Addon parts to increase the SAS ability.

3. Control surfaces (including active winglets).

4. Gimbaling Engines (i.e. Thrust Vectoring) - Engines that aim! Brilliant! Again, right click the part in the editor to see it.

5. RCS

6. Steerable wheels (only on the ground of course, must be enabled for landing gear, rover wheels are on by default).

Anything I missed?

Edited October 14, 2014 by Alshain

[Jimbimbibble]

That pretty much covers it. Just remember that you can steer small rockets with the command pod but you will need something else if you want to steer a big rocket.

[Reactordrone]

And if you run out of electricity you'll no longer be able to steer with the reaction wheel/SAS modules.

[mhoram]

There are various things in the game that can affect your craft's direction.

1. SAS (i.e. Control/Reaction Wheels, i.e Torque) - Explained by WildLynx above, all command pods have it to some degree (right click the part in the editor to see how much).

2. Advanced SAS - Addon parts to increase the SAS ability.

3. Control surfaces (including active winglets).

4. Gimbaling Engines (i.e. Thrust Vectoring) - Engines that aim! Brilliant! Again, right click the part in the editor to see it.

5. RCS

6. Steerable wheels (only on the ground of course, must be enabled for landing gear, rover wheels are on by default).

Anything I missed?

7. Engines that are not aligned with the center of mass

8. Drag on rocketparts

9. Lift on rocketparts

10. Collisions with other objects

Thanks for 3 and 6 - did not have them in my list.

[wasmic]

There are various things in the game that can affect your craft's direction.

1. SAS (i.e. Control/Reaction Wheels, i.e Torque) - Explained by WildLynx above, all command pods have it to some degree (right click the part in the editor to see how much).

2. Advanced SAS - Addon parts to increase the SAS ability.

3. Control surfaces (including active winglets).

4. Gimbaling Engines (i.e. Thrust Vectoring) - Engines that aim! Brilliant! Again, right click the part in the editor to see it.

5. RCS

6. Steerable wheels (only on the ground of course, must be enabled for landing gear, rover wheels are on by default).

Anything I missed?

Since version 0.22 (I think? Or was it 0.23?) there's no difference between SAS and ASAS. They're now called SAS and Reaction Wheels respectively, with SAS being the computer systems that try to hold keep your craft pointing the same direction (SAS is automatically included in all reaction wheels, probe cores and command pods) and Reaction Wheels that generate torque. Reaction Wheels are available as dedicated parts (which are called SAS modules. Yeah, it's confusing) and is built into command pods. However, SAS is also capable of making use of control surfaces, thrust vectoring and RCS in its fight to keep your craft pointed straight.

[Claw]

Since version 0.22 (I think? Or was it 0.23?) there's no difference between SAS and ASAS. They're now called SAS and Reaction Wheels respectively, with SAS being the computer systems that try to hold keep your craft pointing the same direction (SAS is automatically included in all reaction wheels, probe cores and command pods) and Reaction Wheels that generate torque. Reaction Wheels are available as dedicated parts (which are called SAS modules. Yeah, it's confusing) and is built into command pods. However, SAS is also capable of making use of control surfaces, thrust vectoring and RCS in its fight to keep your craft pointed straight.

The SAS/ASAS/torque functions are no longer split, which is what I think you are saying but it sounds a little confusing. All parts with torque are also ASAS capable now (or most people just say SAS). So when you attach any torque/SAS/ASAS labeled parts, they control all engine, torque, and flight control inputs automatically.

Cheers,

-Claw