Deploy a probe mission question (yes, yet another)

[Goldshe]

So I adapted a "position satellite" mission because of a glorious payout of ~200k with expenses of around 15k.

Criteria for this mission is to

-launch an unmanned drone that has an antenna and power,

-reach specific keostationary orbit,

-keep line of sight with xyz,

-have a mystery goo unit,

-maintain stability for 10 seconds.

Now I did all that and everything is checked except the first one. The "Launch a new unmanned probe that has power and an antenna" is not getting checked. No, I didn't use an existing satellite, I used a template for a design I had used before, slightly modified it. Yes, it has a Communotron 16. It has also about 82 excess power. Why isn't the mission completing itself?

[Anquietas314]

Does your satellite have solar panels? Batteries do not count.

[ghpstage]

To meet the power criteria your probe must have either a solar panel or generator, the latter being too big, expensive and high tech to be justified.

[Master Tao]

Welcome to the forums! I've merged your duplicate threads.

I'll just add that RTGs are much more useful for probes to the outer planets.

[Anquietas314]

I'll just add that RTGs are much more useful for probes to the outer planets.

They're also at the very end of the (stock) tech tree. Plus satellite contracts I find are most worthwhile at Kerbin/Mun/Minmus (mostly due to the amount of time you'll spend in timewarp to get a transfer window for anywhere else).

[Commander Jebidiah]

The problem with his contract is the first objective.

launch an unmanned drone that has an antenna and power

In these contracts you can't repurpose an old Sat that's in orbit, These contracts require you to Launch a New ​satellite not use an old one.

[Anquietas314]

Commander Jebidiah:

No, I didn't use an existing satellite, I used a template for a design I had used before, slightly modified it.

From the OP. No, that isn't the problem; it sounds like it's the very common problem of trying to use batteries.

[ghpstage]

4 (one per side) of the very cheap, first available solar panels are more than sufficient for running a simple probe at Jool, even with a fairly limited battery supply.

Eeloo I haven't tried, but it it does spend quite some time within Jool's orbit.

Edited January 1, 2015 by ghpstage

[ProjectAris]

usually I put 4 solar panels on and enclose my satellite during ascent, once I'm about to start my orbiting thrust I pop off the cover and extend my panels. That way you won't get stuck with them retracted and be dead in the water

[tsotha]

You put four extendable panels on a probe? What are you doing that requires so much power?

For sat contracts around Kerbin I use three single panels. Cheaper, no physics, and I never have to worry about running out of energy before extending them or breaking them off during aerobraking.

Edited January 3, 2015 by tsotha

[Anquietas314]

For sat contracts around Kerbin I use three single panels.

I actually use 2, taking care to make sure they're always aligned with the equator (that way at least one will always be in sunlight) . 100 funds isn't much, but it helps

[Wanderfound]

One will do, if accompanied by a single battery and a probe core. Use tweakables to lock off the internal battery of the probe core; if you get stuck with your solar panel facing the wrong way and a dead battery, unlock the internal battery, use that power to rotate the panel towards the sun, then lock it off again.

[Anquietas314]

One will do, if accompanied by a single battery and a probe core.

Yeah, but that means you need to be paying a lot more attention to how the probe is oriented . You want a battery anyway though for doing night-time maneuvers

[Spheniscine]

For sat contracts around Kerbin I use three single panels. Cheaper, no physics, and I never have to worry about running out of energy before you extend them or breaking them off during aerobraking.

I tend to use six... probably more than absolutely needed, but I like to angle and stagger them to make sure that I don't screw myself over by being at just the wrong angle for the sun to catch them...

Like this: http://www.lets-play-sphen.com/?p=509 (there's one behind the satellite)

[WuphonsReach]

You put four extendable panels on a probe? What are you doing that requires so much power?

If you have Remote Tech installed, that can drive up your power requirements (0.01/s for the DP-10, 0.13 for the Comm-16, and the longer-range dishes/omnis run into the 0.75-1.00 per second range).

Some of the DMagic / SCANSat orbit instruments pull 1.5/s (if you like to dual-purpose your sats by putting them to work after fulfilling the contract).