Decoupler cannon?

[cicatrix]

I am at work right now so I cannot check this out myself, but an idea struck me - if we have an ejection force in decouplers then we can theoretically stack them on top of each other and make them decouple simultaneously to get things to orbit. Of course, this should be a big stack for planets like Kerbin, but on low-g planets this might actually work. Or not?

[InterCity]

I'm pretty sure nerd3 has done that in one of his KSP let's plays (can't find the video because of school proxy filter). Didn't work very well, though; he gained just a little less than 100 meters on Kerbin. The force is so tiny that it's better and cheaper to use actual engines.

[cantab]

I'm not sure if you're better firing simultaneously or in a sequence. I have seen someone make space from kerbin using the nasa decoupler, which for some strange reason is physic less.

[Wanderfound]

You can't reach orbit with a point-source thrust; you need a circularisation burn. Enough decouplers will do for a direct exit, though; for example...

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/39947-From-the-launchpad-to-the-Mun-in-13-seconds

[Joonatan1998]

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/TR-38-D

Is a massless part, this means one can have huge amounts of DeltaV only limited by part count (and cost) in a very light craft. (the lightest probe core + massless parts)

If you want to launch things into space straight from the surface you usually have to make the whole craft from massless parts.

[pizzaoverhead]

[cicatrix]

Oh, I see, every grand idea I had so far had already been tried by someone else. Fun though.

[ShawnPhillips]

Or you could open the Part config file and up the ejection force. I launched a few kerbals to their doom the other day buy doing this.

Also, adding sepratrons to the decoupler will give them an extra boost.

Edited January 12, 2015 by ShawnPhillips

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

Oh, I see, every grand idea I had so far had already been tried by someone else. Fun though.

Which doesnt mean, that you shouldnt try it yourself!

[aleis]

You could do it better

[LethalDose]

Oh, I see, every grand idea I had so far had already been tried by someone else. Fun though.

Which doesnt mean, that you shouldnt try it yourself!

You could do it better

All this.

I had a professor who taught research methodology once state: "Don't try to discover something novel. instead try to take a well-known problem and think of it in a new way."

Your OP is taking an known phenomenon (explosive decouplers) and using it in a novel way (shootin' stuff into space!). Even if someone tried it before, that doesn't mean you can't do it better or use it for a new application (e.g. shootin' stuff off Minmus).

[dryer_lint]

It could probably work well on Gilly. Use a large decoupler to shoot up another decoupler + probe, and then decouple that to get into orbit. RCS could smooth out any problems.

[merendel]

It could probably work well on Gilly. Use a large decoupler to shoot up another decoupler + probe, and then decouple that to get into orbit. RCS could smooth out any problems.

Then agian RCS could do the whole geting to orbit bit on gilly Decoupler drives do have amazing dV potential but they are extremely inefficient in part count and funds if you want to go any distance. They only work moderatly well on a near massless craft or with edited parts (enormous decouple force ftw). A fun gimic but they are Awesome But Impractical

[Levelord]

All this.

I had a professor who taught research methodology once state: "Don't try to discover something novel. instead try to take a well-known problem and think of it in a new way."

Your OP is taking an known phenomenon (explosive decouplers) and using it in a novel way (shootin' stuff into space!). Even if someone tried it before, that doesn't mean you can't do it better or use it for a new application (e.g. shootin' stuff off Minmus).

Or de-orbiting an asteroid

[percyPrune]

every grand idea I had so far had already been tried by someone else

Even IRL:

Google "To Mars by A-Bomb" for some inspiration.

Agree with trying it for yourself though.

Keep having the ideas. One day you will have the one that nobody else thought of. The next day the Nobel prize committee may come a-knocking. (Either that or hoof it down to the patent office quick!)