parts [1.12.x] Sounding Rockets! Start small. Dream big!

[DJRWolf]

If I had one of these rockets, and attach it with a stick to a rover, then, I'd be able to drive somewhere else on Kerbin, and launch the rocket for science there, right ?

The sticks are very weak. It almost comes off when the ship loads on the launch pad so I don't think it will last being driven around. You may have to go for a radial decoupler instead.

Also, RoverDude, when you say there are plans for a folding balloon do you mean just the small weather balloon or the blimp as well? Because I can see an Eve lander use a couple of the blimps to handle most of the dV needed to get back up to space. Kinda like that rocket I posted a few days back being able to get into Kerbin orbit on just half a FL-T800 tank and a LV-T45 engine boosted by two small Karbonite SRB's. I would guess without the two small Karbonite SRB's it would take the entire tank of LFO but still it just goes to show this mod can be used to help a much larger rocket launch with a lot less delta v needed.

[UnanimousCoward]

ok, and also, does it work with the 0.2.0 prerelease?

It is only for the 0.2 pre-release. It adds a passive antenna to the avionics package. There's a different mm config earlier in the thread for 0.1.

[Taki117]

For the balloons, what determines at what altitude they burst? For example, I have found that they are great for completing the altitude record tests, but I would like them to carry me to a specific altitude, and then stop. (Specifically I am trying to get to 60km I believe) but whenever I try I am going too fast and my apoapsis is around 200km, or the balloon pops before I get there.

[DJRWolf]

I think the balloons pop by about 50-55km up. So I don't think you will ever be able to hit 60km with one. There is also too little air up there for an air breathing engine to work so you will need a rocket.

[Nitrous Oxide]

The sticks are very weak.

The sticks fall off automatically when you hit 5 m/s, no physics. The sticks are sturdy for their actual purpose of propping things up on the pad.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Nitrous Oxide

[RoverDude]

Short reply as I am in the studio

Sticks are just for propping up pre launch.

Foldable balloons, foldable blimps.

[Shania_L]

I think the balloons pop by about 50-55km up. So I don't think you will ever be able to hit 60km with one. There is also too little air up there for an air breathing engine to work so you will need a rocket.

The balloons burst at an atmospheric density which is set in the config file, 0.0001 for both the weather balloon and blimp.

With careful adjustment of the raise and lower controls you should be able to maintain an altitude, however they do tend to "act up" when decelerating fast.

[madsailor]

I noticed that sounding rocket experiments are still functional on planets/moons beyond Kerbin. Is this intended behavior? It seems like that takes this mod from beginning-game to at least mid and possibly end-game with all the extra science that can be mined. All in a way that seems at odds with the original use of the part/experiment.

[RoverDude]

Yes it is by design. And stuff needs to be tested on other planets no?

We already have parts that extend a bit into the tech tree - i.e. it's not just starting stuff, but also other 0.35m parts (like the aerospike).

[Railsmith]

Just found this mod, and blew a few hours in the release and pre-release. I love how it's almost an alternative to the BTSM mod, and a hell of a lot of fun. Can't wait to see what more you come up with, but for now I'm content playing with little rockets for hours on end. Cheers.

[DJRWolf]

Just found this mod, and blew a few hours in the release and pre-release. I love how it's almost an alternative to the BTSM mod, and a hell of a lot of fun. Can't wait to see what more you come up with, but for now I'm content playing with little rockets for hours on end. Cheers.

Just wait for the balloons/blimps you can store and inflate later. Just think of how that will help with exploration of places like Eve and Jool.

[basic.syntax]

This, or a limited version of this idea - would fit well with the "Barn" KSC first tier, that is expected for KSP 1.0.

(IDK about balloons in stock. Maybe a really really weak one, just to go through the motions of a progression in flight technologies.)

[fatbrother]

Excellent idea and implementation! For me, it returned the fun of first days when I discovered the KSP!

Didn't you thought about adding a stick stabilizer, like ones used in small fireworks? Small fins seem too big for your upper stage, even visually. And firework-like rocket with science payload would definitely look cool.

Also, your big lower stage is good as a first stage for small LF rockets, I use it as a booster stage for orbital rockets. Don't you think it's somewhat overpowered? Or are stock SRBs overpovered and/or off balance?

[seronis]

The sticks fall off automatically when you hit 5 m/s, no physics. The sticks are sturdy for their actual purpose of propping things up on the pad.

I had to tweak the sticks to make them massively weaker. The stick should break as soon as the rocket ignites in my opinion. If i make a launching base with 12 rockets on sticks facing in different directions (i want a cluster launch) none of the rockets actually take off because the sticks dont detach.

[Cydonian Monk]

I had to tweak the sticks to make them massively weaker. The stick should break as soon as the rocket ignites in my opinion.

Sort of what I did, except I changed them from the method RoverDude is using and gave them a really weak radial decoupler module. (Partially because I don't like using a plugin if I don't have to....)

Still loving these little parts. This game needs more tiny things in it.

[RoverDude]

Excellent idea and implementation! For me, it returned the fun of first days when I discovered the KSP!

Didn't you thought about adding a stick stabilizer, like ones used in small fireworks? Small fins seem too big for your upper stage, even visually. And firework-like rocket with science payload would definitely look cool.

Also, your big lower stage is good as a first stage for small LF rockets, I use it as a booster stage for orbital rockets. Don't you think it's somewhat overpowered? Or are stock SRBs overpovered and/or off balance?

Stick stabilizer is already in the box And the little SRB is comparable (actually a bit worse) than the stock ones. The key benefit is that it is small.

I had to tweak the sticks to make them massively weaker. The stick should break as soon as the rocket ignites in my opinion. If i make a launching base with 12 rockets on sticks facing in different directions (i want a cluster launch) none of the rockets actually take off because the sticks dont detach.

They detach automatically past 5m/s if you radially attach them. Don't use the attachment nodes - those are for making bigger sticks.

Sort of what I did, except I changed them from the method RoverDude is using and gave them a really weak radial decoupler module. (Partially because I don't like using a plugin if I don't have to....)

Still loving these little parts. This game needs more tiny things in it.

The reason I didn't use a decoupler is because I did not want one available at start because it would be abused. And there are probably other bits in that plugin that you need

[MoeKitsune]

Right now ​I have the sudden urge to recreate the HAVOC concept.

[Cydonian Monk]

The reason I didn't use a decoupler is because I did not want one available at start because it would be abused. And there are probably other bits in that plugin that you need

Oh, I know. I've poked around at the various bits and bobs in there, and tweaked as needed. Still need the USI plugin for the baloons, obviously.

I can exercise some self control in not using the sticks as "decouplers" in that sense. I tend to add a weak (1-2 force) radial decoupler to all the mod parts I want to keep and use long-term (as I've done with the various experiment pods you added in the newer version). That way if/when something happens down the road (such as when Kerbal Engineer completely reworked its parts, or when a plugin some part need stops working due to KSP changes and/or its developer moving to greener pastures) I can just load the craft the parts are on and "stage" them away.

[pacbard]

Does anyone have a real fuel config for sounding rockets parts?

[Nitrous Oxide]

Right now ​I have the sudden urge to recreate the HAVOC concept.

You have no idea how much I've wanted to try that in KSP since I've read about it. Now that RoverDude's making these balloon parts, dreams are coming true.

[Schitzree]

It's kind of confusing what part to put down first to build a sounding rocket. Payload Truss?

[Guest]

Is it possible to edit the cfg files to make the "meteorological" and "aerodynamic" experiments work only inside atmosphere's, of the bodies that have atmospheres (Kerbin, Duna, Eve, Laythe and Jool?)? I really like the idea of sounding rockets but they feel "slightly" (very when abused) over powered in terms of science return and payload mass. Its a great idea but meteorological meteorological experiments maybe should only work in high atmo/low space and aerodynamic experiments should only work in "flying"/high atmo (ie not in places that dont like seem correct meteorological and aerodynamic experiments when landed/splashed on kerbin or lets say on mun/minmus).

I dont want to sound like i'm speaking bad about the mod, i think sounding rockets and simple weather balloons fits very well in ksp, but i'm such a min/maxer that i fear my worse nature will cause me (and others) to abuse them. I'm not sure it its possible to limit them, but sounding rockets may be better suited to within the pre-munar boarder of kerbin space (in english... not useful on past high space around kerbin ie closer than the mun?)

@RoverDude i would really like to hear your thoughts on this, maybe i am not understanding the vision of this mod?

[RoverDude]

Payload truss first.

Also - the science return and weight are totally in line with other science bits - it just gives you a few extra choices. The situation mask is pretty permissive, and also by design. So I see it as no different than the other science bits folks add.

[zxczxczbfg]

Quick question: Did the issue with KJR ever get fixed?

It's been awhile since I visited this thread, and I can't find anything mentioning it.

EDIT: Ah, seems it did.

Edited February 7, 2015 by zxczxczbfg

[KhaosCorp]

Ok.....my head is about to explode over here...

Did the ballon and bits get removed?

Told some fella on the Steam forums about em.....have now spent an hour looking for them. Even on fresh install with only USI stuff there are no ballons, or the lil box experiments.

Seriously.....kinda starting to feel like a nutter over here.....