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

RoverDude

By RoverDude
in KSP1 Mod Releases

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rabidninjawombat

rabidninjawombat

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Sweet, now if you were to add a tiny solar panel (not powerful, so that you'll need more than one for a single Communitron 16), this could easily become the best mod for early game satellites (like establishing a rudimentary COMSAT network in RemoteTech)... cheap, light, and early enough in the tech tree that each early game satellite doesn't feel like a waste, while saving your money for the actual manned program. :) Not to mention how well they work with KCT, being a lot quicker to build and launch than typical stock rockets.

Of course, I can already achieve this with TweakScale and existing panels, but it's just a suggestion. :sticktongue:

Well the sounding rockets (IRL) are not really ment to go orbital, they are specifically ment for sub orbital research. :)

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Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous Oxide

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Well the sounding rockets (IRL) are not really ment to go orbital, they are specifically ment for sub orbital research. :)

Yeah, but technically you can get the SR payloads in orbit by other means, which was more what I was getting at. IE: how to keep these parts relevant in the transitionary period from sounding rockets to comsat networks, because they're rather cool looking. Stayputnik is more expensive and bigger (longer to build in KCT), so it's easier at the start of the game to build a satellite network using the same cores as the sounding rockets (have 'em built already) but not using exclusively sounding rockets to go orbital. Errr, now that they use ElectricCharge anyways... I was just thinking more than anything. A basic solar panel earlier in the tech tree would be nice is all I'm saying... they could make the parts a bit more versatile into the mid-game (which I guess was never the intention of these, I just like them a lot).

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rabidninjawombat

rabidninjawombat

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Yeah, but technically you can get the SR payloads in orbit by other means, which was more what I was getting at. IE: how to keep these parts relevant in the transitionary period from sounding rockets to comsat networks, because they're rather cool looking. Stayputnik is more expensive and bigger (longer to build in KCT), so it's easier at the start of the game to build a satellite network using the same cores as the sounding rockets (have 'em built already) but not using exclusively sounding rockets to go orbital. Errr, now that they use ElectricCharge anyways... I was just thinking more than anything. A basic solar panel earlier in the tech tree would be nice is all I'm saying... they could make the parts a bit more versatile into the mid-game (which I guess was never the intention of these, I just like them a lot).

Hehe.. I like em alot too. To each their own.

I honestly wish the first couple tiers of tech were more expensive (so i could have more excuses to play around with the sounding rockets :P)

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RoverDude

RoverDude

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Sweet, now if you were to add a tiny solar panel (not powerful, so that you'll need more than one for a single Communitron 16), this could easily become the best mod for early game satellites (like establishing a rudimentary COMSAT network in RemoteTech)... cheap, light, and early enough in the tech tree that each early game satellite doesn't feel like a waste, while saving your money for the actual manned program. :) Not to mention how well they work with KCT, being a lot quicker to build and launch than typical stock rockets.

Of course, I can already achieve this with TweakScale and existing panels, but it's just a suggestion. :sticktongue:

Foldable panels fit in the 0.625m payload package ;) Also - everything got a TWR revision and a mass/aero check so they are a bit tougher to get to orbit now, even with FAR.

Hehe.. I like em alot too. To each their own.

I honestly wish the first couple tiers of tech were more expensive (so i could have more excuses to play around with the sounding rockets :P)

Oh they have bits that dig deep into the tree - i.e. the new tanks and aerospike engine. They are meant for long term use in your career.

I do however have to do my price balance.

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RoverDude

RoverDude

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Nope on both counts.

SR ISP went down to be slightly inferior to the stock starting SRB. Difference is fuel capacity and max thrust.

The aerospike pops up a lot later in the tech tree, and has a slightly inferior ISP to the stock aerospike.

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aeroeng14

aeroeng14

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Love, love, the new parts! The buildable science payload and smaller parts are a perfect fit for early tech tree flights. Too bad the payload parts are a little hard to see in the VAB, being 0.375m, for all the modeling work that went into them. As an aerospace engineer and amateur rocketry enthusiast, I also enjoy seeing the small greebling on the new aerospike engine. Really gives it a just-starting-out look and feel.

Next I'm going to try and build some blimps and weather balloon packages. Oh the possibilities for air launched, upper atmospheric rockets. Keep up the great work RoverDude.

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KhaosCorp

KhaosCorp

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Does the weather balloon have a max altitude? Just got the pre-release and started sandbox for some testing...at 47k meters the craft explodes...just poof of smoke and everything is gone. Exit to space center and the craft can be seen and selected in tracking station. If the craft is flown from tracking center all parts are there save for the balloon envelope.

I can repro it and get ya a dumplog if ya want...but did this a couple times and nothing that stood out in debug log.

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Black-Talon

Black-Talon

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A pre-release is up. THIS IS A PRE-RELEASE AND YOU MUST DELETE YOUR OLD SOUNDING ROCKETS FOLDER!

http://i.imgur.com/SOjeZAQ.png

Note: This is just on Dropbox for now as this is not the official release. File is SoundingRockets_0.2.0_PRE.zip

Tech tree is fully integrated. Your starting bit should be a payload truss (you can find it and it's fairings in structural). Best is to turn off snap and surface attach your batteries, probe core, and science packages. The gyro and chute have their attachment point in the middle as they should be center-attached on the payload truss and fit neatly inside of a 0.35m payload package.

Parts include:

Winglets in three sizes

0.625m LFO tank

0.35m LFO tank

0.35m RCS stabilizer

0.625m Solid Fuel rocket

Short/Long 0.36m Solid Fuel rockets

Radially attached probe core

0.625m and 0.35m payload trusses with matching fairings

Four radially attached science payloads

Radially attached parachute

Nosecones with parachutes in 0.35 and 0.625m sizes

Launch stick

0.35m gyroscope (acts as an SAS)

0.35m stack decoupler

Radially attached mini battery (lousy EC/weight ratio but good for a starter one)

0.35m-0.625m adapter (hollow, so it does not block engine thrust)

0.35m aerospike LFO engine

Enjoy!

There is A LOT of "Yes yes yes!!!!" in here!

Love the battery and the little science experiments that can be loaded onto the truss.

The look of everything is really great.

The new base engines feel right at first try.

Not sure what I think about the balloons yet but wow!

Simular of the aerospike and LF/Oxy tanks

Can't say I like the Isp gets worse in lower atmosphere but that's minor

Also odd to have SAS Stability on a Tier 1 part imo - plus it can't do anything?

I do think you still have a "StowedDrag" on the nosecone/chute that causes the tail sections to plow into the rest of the rocket. But that's a guess.

I've barely touched it so far but love it - was about to start a new career anyway so I'll throw it in and provide feedback as I go!

Thanks for the awesome toys!!

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RoverDude

RoverDude

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Does the weather balloon have a max altitude? Just got the pre-release and started sandbox for some testing...at 47k meters the craft explodes...just poof of smoke and everything is gone. Exit to space center and the craft can be seen and selected in tracking station. If the craft is flown from tracking center all parts are there save for the balloon envelope.

I can repro it and get ya a dumplog if ya want...but did this a couple times and nothing that stood out in debug log.

That's probably about right... weather balloons do explode at a certain altitude, but I'll do a couple of checks with the latest changes - the older code was flinging you up to the stratosphere, the newer code should be a more realistic ascent, but should still get you to 60K or so. I have not done a full pass on balloons yet.

Not sure what I think about the balloons yet but wow!

Can't say I like the Isp gets worse in lower atmosphere but that's minor

Also odd to have SAS Stability on a Tier 1 part imo - plus it can't do anything?

I do think you still have a "StowedDrag" on the nosecone/chute that causes the tail sections to plow into the rest of the rocket. But that's a guess.

Balloons are a WIP :) Give them a bit more time, but start playing - especially in making realistic ascents, etc.

The ISP numbers are based on the KSP Aerospike, just slightly worse.

The reason there is SAS is that I didn't see the value in making two different probe cores. Once you unlock a reaction wheel you're golden, but that's later in the tree anyway.

The drag bit is a FAR thing... Now that the parts are done for this, if you folks want to mess with FAR configs I will happily take them in :)

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Black-Talon

Black-Talon

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The drag bit is a FAR thing... Now that the parts are done for this, if you folks want to mess with FAR configs I will happily take them in :)

I meant in stock. I'll play with FAR soon enough. What in suggesting is that in stock the tail of a sounding rocket pushes into the upper stage. You've changed the stock drag parameters of the Nosecone from 0.3 to 0.1. But on parachute parts the config value that determines the drag on that Nosecone in flight is the 0.22(?) value assigned to stowedDrag. I think you'll find the Nosecone separates much nicer if you set stowedDrag = 0.1 inside the parachute module. I believe that the stock parachute parts don't have the other drag parameters set at all.

But besides all that, it's awesome. :-)

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Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous Oxide

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Don't know if you caught it or not RoverDude, but I noticed the models on the new science modules are a bit mixed (your filenames don't match the part names quite exactly)... Meteorology (payload 1) has the Mini-science model (payload 3) and vice-versa, and likewise with the engineering and metronomy models. A simple rename of the model files should fix. :)

Edited by Nitrous Oxide
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Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous Oxide

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Talk to Squad ;)

Mhmm, someone suggested that they merge all the altitude missions as pre-conditions under "Reach Space", which imo is a better approach (how many people don't even realize those missions are there?)... but alas all we can do for now is play the game as it is. :P

I just run a few quick missions to 70km with a rudimentary rocket, then start sciencing with sounding rockets. :D

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