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

[RoverDude]

All experiments are supposed to be in start.  Sounds like something is messing with your tech tree....

[Goddess Bhavani]

I loved sounding rockets last year and love it even more coming back to KSP in 1.2 and starting off with 3 and 4 stage sounding rockets that go to the edge of space

Edit:

I wonder if its possible to not auto-jettison the sounding rocket boosters - this actually flies really well!

Edited October 22, 2016 by pandoras kitten
cruise missile!!!1

[GrubbyZebra]

Roverdude,

Just starting using this as part of the USI Constellation download I installed on 1.2. I love the idea of starting small and building up. One weird "glitch" I've noticed is that a few seconds after the booster separates, my rocket will accelerate very quickly (gettign mach/heat effects) and climb several thousand meters before decelerating to apogee. I don't have a way of recording this unfortunately, but I'll try to grab some screen shots if they will help. 

Edit: Screenshot.

Edited October 24, 2016 by fwdixon
add photo

[GrubbyZebra]

On 10/22/2016 at 8:41 AM, pandoras kitten said:

I loved sounding rockets last year and love it even more coming back to KSP in 1.2 and starting off with 3 and 4 stage sounding rockets that go to the edge of space

Edit:

I wonder if its possible to not auto-jettison the sounding rocket boosters - this actually flies really well!

If you make the rocket motor the root part, it won't auto-jettison

[Drew Kerman]

On 10/22/2016 at 8:41 AM, pandoras kitten said:

I wonder if its possible to not auto-jettison the sounding rocket boosters - this actually flies really well!

you can also use this patch

@PART[SR_Rocket*]:FINAL
{
  !MODULE[USI_DropTank]	{ }
}

This will take care of all the solid rocket boosters

[Vorg]

Not sure if this is an over sight or intended, but the small probe core doesn't seem to work any more. Made a rocket with the SR probe core and reaction wheel and I could not effect it's flight. Reverted the flight and on the pad kerbnet shays no connection. Put a com 16 on and still nothing sitting on the pad until I extended the antenna. Then I had a link.

 

It seems the SR payload fairings may not be protecting ether. Would need more testing, but the com 16 gets broke by areo forces shortly after launch even with the first stageTWR turned down to 2.5

Edited October 25, 2016 by Vorg

[RoverDude]

@vorg - Add an antenna (specifically, that nice surface mount variant included in the same node as the Comm-16)

Edited October 25, 2016 by RoverDude

[phalcon-23]

On 10/18/2016 at 6:01 PM, RoverDude said:

All experiments are supposed to be in start.  Sounds like something is messing with your tech tree....

I had the same issue, I believe its from the unmaned before manned tech tree mod...

 

Line 472

@PART[SR_Payload_02]:NEEDS[UmbraSpaceIndustries,!SETIctt,!SETItechtree,!ETT,!OpenTree,!RP-0]:AFTER[UmbraSpaceIndustries]
{
	@TechRequired = advConstruction
}

Line 577

@PART[SR_Payload_01]:NEEDS[UmbraSpaceIndustries,!SETIctt,!SETItechtree,!ETT,!OpenTree,!RP-0]:AFTER[UmbraSpaceIndustries]
{
	@TechRequired = miniaturization
}

line 777

@PART[SR_Payload_03]:NEEDS[UmbraSpaceIndustries,!SETIctt,!SETItechtree,!ETT,!OpenTree,!RP-0]:AFTER[UmbraSpaceIndustries]
{
	@TechRequired = advExploration
}

line 737
@PART[SR_Payload_04]:NEEDS[UmbraSpaceIndustries,!SETIctt,!SETItechtree,!ETT,!OpenTree,!RP-0]:AFTER[UmbraSpaceIndustries]
{
	@TechRequired = precisionEngineering
}

 

[MarcAFK]

I've rearranged some stuff in my tech tree to make the early game somewhat more interesting, and I'm making great use of sounding rockets. Such as:

As long as the thrust has been scaled back to avoid excessive drag this design is good enough to reach the edge of space, however with 0 flight control each launch is hit and miss. Which is good on a way because every launch can end up in a different biome for science. However communication range is a problem, I lose contact near the ground, but for only 1,000 kbucks and very fast build times (Kerbal Construction Time), this was essential for getting through the first few tech levels.

Of course it's more efficient to launch a bunch of experiments at once, I cheated slightly by moving the small gyroscope down to stability, but made it significantly less effective, this is my basic science package at the moment:

There's a goo pod and 2 more batteries on the other side, I launch it with this:

Barely powerful enough to get the .3 ton payload into space, and very unstable requiring constant input during flight, a small mistake is enough to cause loss of control, I'm looking forward to reacton wheels or better yet an SAS equipped probe core. I moved the stock rockets around a little too, I won't get the reliant or swivel until Advanced rocketry, making me rely on the sounding rockets very heavily, though I have unlocked the spark and twitch, but they have terrible isp XD

[PocketBrotector]

I highly recommend RLA stockalike for those applications - it has enough specialized size0 and size00 parts to make suborbital sounding rockets and even .625m satellite launch stacks a lot of fun.

[Spike88]

On 10/25/2016 at 7:13 AM, phalcon-23 said:

I had the same issue, I believe its from the unmaned before manned tech tree mod...

 

Line 472

@PART[SR_Payload_02]:NEEDS[UmbraSpaceIndustries,!SETIctt,!SETItechtree,!ETT,!OpenTree,!RP-0]:AFTER[UmbraSpaceIndustries]
{
	@TechRequired = advConstruction
}

Line 577

@PART[SR_Payload_01]:NEEDS[UmbraSpaceIndustries,!SETIctt,!SETItechtree,!ETT,!OpenTree,!RP-0]:AFTER[UmbraSpaceIndustries]
{
	@TechRequired = miniaturization
}

line 777

@PART[SR_Payload_03]:NEEDS[UmbraSpaceIndustries,!SETIctt,!SETItechtree,!ETT,!OpenTree,!RP-0]:AFTER[UmbraSpaceIndustries]
{
	@TechRequired = advExploration
}

line 737
@PART[SR_Payload_04]:NEEDS[UmbraSpaceIndustries,!SETIctt,!SETItechtree,!ETT,!OpenTree,!RP-0]:AFTER[UmbraSpaceIndustries]
{
	@TechRequired = precisionEngineering
}

 

Is there anyway to make a MM patch to make all of the experiments available from the beginning when using SETI/Unmanned before manned?

[Merkov]

33 minutes ago, Spike88 said:

Is there anyway to make a MM patch to make all of the experiments available from the beginning when using SETI/Unmanned before manned?

If you're just looking to use it for your own purposes (i.e., not distributing it as a mod) then making a small personal MM patch using :FINAL is a good way to make tweaks to your own game. Something like this:

@Part [SR_Payload_0*]:FINAL

{

@TechRequired = start

}

Please note, I just quickly typed this up at work, so it isn't tested, but it LOOKS right to me . The "*" is a wildcard character, which should allow all four of the experiments to be picked up with one line of code.)

:FINAL forces this patch to be applied after all others, which is why you should never use it in a mod for distribution (because then no other mods can apply a patch after yours if needed) but it's perfect for personal patches because you can let all of your mods do their thing, then apply exactly what changes you see fit for your game.

Disclaimer: I am pretty new to modding in general, so there may be a better/more nuanced way to do what you're looking for, but this should get you started.

[Goddess Bhavani]

I love using the payload trusses of the sounding rockets for satellites and probes. They look much neater than the rectangle early career trusses. The top part of this primitive munar probe is built around a sounding rocket payload section.

[jd284]

Grid Fins - How do they work?

Is there any guide on how to use grid fins? I tried to use them like on the Falcon 9, to allow a supersonic first stage to land safely.

However regardless of how I placed them, the rocket didn't even launch right, as soon as it picked up some speed, even without control input and the grid fins still retracted, they generated large control forces (the yellow arrows with F12).

Am I doing it wrong? How do I do it right?

I expected it to work like this:

1. Launch rocket with grid fins retracted, so they don't generate lift.

2. Extend grid fins after separation, use them to steer the rocket while supersonic/transonic.

3. Land

[RoverDude]

That's basically it - they are just control surfaces.

[jd284]

OK, so there's no way to deactivate them so they don't mess up the launch? I have to hide them in a fairing or something?

[blnk2007]

 

4 minutes ago, jd284 said:

OK, so there's no way to deactivate them so they don't mess up the launch? I have to hide them in a fairing or something?

Do you have regular fins below them to keep the rocket flying straight? It would also be easier to help with a screenshot.

[jd284]

Well I can't have regular fins below because they'd mess up the landing (going engine first).

What I wanted is something like this: Falcon 9 grid fins
You see them there at the top of the first stage. Retracted during launch, deployed for the landing engine-first.

Here's a simple example of what I have:

There's no control input from me. The grid fins are retracted so I hoped they'd have no lift, but you can see the huge yellow arrows coming from them anyway, and in a really weird direction too. Also red drag arrows.

So it looks like the only way this will work is by hiding them in a fairing.

[RoverDude]

Log a github issue I will see what I can do.

[jd284]

OK, I made a ticket. Thanks for looking into it.

[Stratickus]

On 10/25/2016 at 1:39 AM, Vorg said:

Not sure if this is an over sight or intended, but the small probe core doesn't seem to work any more. Made a rocket with the SR probe core and reaction wheel and I could not effect it's flight. Reverted the flight and on the pad kerbnet shays no connection. Put a com 16 on and still nothing sitting on the pad until I extended the antenna. Then I had a link.

 

On 10/25/2016 at 4:06 AM, RoverDude said:

@vorg - Add an antenna (specifically, that nice surface mount variant included in the same node as the Comm-16)

I may be wrong, but I think vorg was referring to the M-315 Probe Core, not the SR Avionics Package unlocked at the Starting tech node.

In either case, I am curious if the lack 1.2 Data Transmission, KerbNet Access etc is intended for the M-315? Not having these features makes sense to me for the Avionics Package, but less so for the M-315.  I had assumed that since it is unlocked deeper in the tech tree and at the same tier as OKTO, it should have capabilities on par with the OKTO while taking its adorable package size into account. Unless this is as intended since it is so small.

Cheers,

[tomf]

The small cube pack chute seems to be reporting its unpacked size or something in the VAB. Start a new rocket with just a core like stayputnik - the hight in the engineers report will be 1m. Attach a single pack chute to it and the height jumps to 10.7m

[Vorg]

Someone who knows how to set up the cfg's want to do a set of Snark Indicator Lights for the science parts in sounding rockets and maybe some of the other parts in RoverDudes mods?

[WintericeUK]

Quick question, is the parachute for the 0.6m nosecone supposed to come out at a 45 degree angle? It almost looks like its one parachute of a twin-chute setup in a way...

[Dazpoet]

A tad bit weird question here.

Does this mod depend on any of the stuff in the Squad folder? I'd like to have a save with only this mod visible in the VAB so I'm wondering if I can just flat out remove the Squadfolder?

The reason I'm asking is that I'd like to put KSP up on a smartboard at a school and let students try and build small sounding rockets as part of their bottle rocket science project. However having all the large things available very quickly leds to them leaving the SR idea and going for ZOMGEXPLOSIONSTROLOLOL rather than an educational experience.