possible to carry/launch multiple probes in cargo bays without being in the staging?

[crobarr]

1st off, howdy. this is my 1st post. i'm also fairly (very?) new to KSP, and i'm also cursed with a lack of imagination when it comes to rocket design it seems....

i'd like to build some sort of a multiple launch rocket/probe container/device that will fit into the mk3 or even the mk2 cargo bays. i'd like to be able to launch 1 craft, and have it head off to a planetary system, and then be able to launch multiple probes to and around several of the moons as well as the planet itself. i don't want it to be in the staging so i don't accidentally fire them off prematurely. these will be small basic probes for the parachute landers (for planets/moons with atmosphere of course), and then scansat probes for orbit.

i'm not apposed to a probe container/launcher that isn't stuffed into a cargo bay, i just thought it would look good and make for some cool screenshots as well as make the cargo bays useful...LOL

also, can i pre-build the probes and add them to my craft as it is being built? or make the launcher, fill it with probes and then add that to my craft?

Edited January 25, 2015 by crobarr

[StormKat]

Welcome to the game and to the Forums!

Create your probes and save them as a sub-assembly. Then you can add them to your cargo bays once your main ship is done.

As for staging, I don't believe you can keep them out of the staging. What I do is move them to the very top of the staging order and if I'm real paranoid, I will right-click on their engines and shut them down.

[Uzric]

What I do is modify the "Stage" Action Group to shutdown the probes' engines, and then firing them either manually with a right click or with other action group.

[StormKat]

Transporting multiple probes are easy too. Use the docking point jr. and carry a whole mess of probes to anywhere you want.

[TheMoonRover]

Also, you could attach the probes to the ship with docking ports rather than decouplers so that you don't have a load of decouplers on the staging stack. You could attach the probes' engines directly to docking ports on the larger ship if you don't want to dock them back again.

EDIT: Something like what the previous post showed.

[match]

If you do use the docking ports, make sure to either disable cross-feed on the port (right click the port once launched, can't do it during assembly) or disable the fuel in the tanks themselves in the SPH or VAB until ready to decouple (right click is your friend!)

I simply got in the habit of launching with the cargo doors open to remind me... after I launched a few probes and had no go-go juice.

[RedPine]

If you're a new player, it's probably a bit soon to be messing around with mods. But, if you want something relatively simple, you can download the Hangar Mod

[Moderator removed defunct website link]

It allows small saved craft to be saved inside of larger saved craft. While saved inside a Hangar (NOT a cargo bay!) using the Hanger mod, a ship has mass, but no physics, no air drag, and won't be affected by staging or action groups. In my opinion the mod isn't very well balanced and is hard to figure out, but it can be fun to use. Just don't be like me and spend more time installing mods than actually playing the game!

Edited August 28, 2022 by James Kerman
link removed

[moogoob]

I disable fuel, engines and probe core power in dormant probes. Sometimes I'll use micro docking ports, otherwise i'll use decouplers. Don't have any good screenshots though as it's been a while since I did a multi-probe mission.

[Merandix]

Put -everything- in the lowest stage.

Prior to launch, hit that stage. Everything is now active. Now turn it back off with action groups. You can also disable RCS-ports this way. It is probably a good idea to disable fuel-crossfeed too. It'll take a while to handle everything, but now your craft is pretty much inert.

After that, you can launch

[LethalDose]

There's no problem putting the probe launches in stages. Just use the stage locking feature if you're worried about accidentally triggering a staging event. Press Alt + L to disable the spacebar from staging. Press it again to re-enable staging.

Technically, the default is "mod key" + L. "alt" is usually the mod key in windows, but if you're on a Mac or Linux, it may be different.

[crobarr]

thank you all for your input. i tested the ideas/suggestions here, and i think i can make it all work AND look good as well...LOL

[Sidereus]

If you do use the docking ports, make sure to either disable cross-feed on the port (right click the port once launched, can't do it during assembly) or disable the fuel in the tanks themselves in the SPH or VAB until ready to decouple (right click is your friend!)

I simply got in the habit of launching with the cargo doors open to remind me... after I launched a few probes and had no go-go juice.

+11ty billion. Got a large 5-Kerman rover all the way to Duna, landed the ship (I used a Mk-3 cargo bay, with the cargo bay pointing down like a bomber bay; the rover barely fit inside), and dropped the rover out...only to find that the larger ship had used up all of the rover's monopropellant, which it kind of needed to keep it from crashing (it wasn't very stable).