How close to being totally out of fuel have you been?

[Randazzo]

More specifically, how close have you come to running out of fuel (including RCS) due to unforeseen problems?

Since I've now sent the exact same model of probe to virtually every body in Kerbol space, I decided to make my Moho exploration mission a manned one. The ship I sent had a transfer stage with 7100 Dv while carrying the lander, which had 3200 Dv on it's own. This should be plenty to get the job done.

Short version, the circularization burn took 5700 Dv. Still completed the landing, and hit Kerbins atmosphere with <200 Dv and .2(of 10) units of RCS. This would've been a failure if heat or G forces mattered yet.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Randazzo

[SpenSpaceCorp]

When I almost run out of fuel (<1 unit of LF+O), I find it a win, as this usually happens when I perform a landing, for example. Different story of course during ascent or de-orbital burns haha.

[Tex]

My problem usually isn't running out of fuel, it's running out of electricity... Even when I DO remember to put on solar panels, I seem to have a knack for positioning my ship so the panels get no juice XD

Though this one time during a Munar mission I accidentally staged while doing a burn, so I had to wrestle my Command Pod into wrestling the tank and engine to get me out of the Mun's SOI and then had to get out and push with the EVA backpack to land safely... It took soooooo long.

[KerikBalm]

I assume you are not including those that completely run out of fuel, and need to get out and push with jetpack RCS...

The above signified the end of my aspirations for a SSTO Tylo lander.

I made it work... but... the margin was so thin... 1 slightly inefficient landing... and its over - not to mention its pretty much restricted to equatorial landings, and it consumes a lot of fuel, and the rendevous has to be done perfectly, or the mothership has to rendevous withit, or the kerbal has to abandon ship and jetpack over....

[Othuyeg]

Well... I had to get out and push with my RCS pack.

Quite a few times.

[Alshain]

I've landed safely on the launchpad with absolutely nothing in the tank and no RCS. Engine cut out at about 1m from touchdown.

[Ikaneko]

My station component docked with 0.04 units of RCS left.

Hell yeah.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Ikaneko

[NecroBones]

I think I've had an interplanetary mission get back with < 20 units of fuel left, but I don't remember which mission that was.

I know my first trip to Moho was a bit crazy. I knew I didn't have enough fuel for the return trip, so I sent a rescue ship. The rescue ship docked and took the remaining fuel from the original mission ship, and when I got back to Kerbn, I had about 100 units of fuel left. Again, that was with two ships that left Kerbin, only one returning, and using the remaining fuel from both for the return trip. Ugh.

[OscarWilde]

My problem usually isn't running out of fuel, it's running out of electricity... Even when I DO remember to put on solar panels, I seem to have a knack for positioning my ship so the panels get no juice XD

Though this one time during a Munar mission I accidentally staged while doing a burn, so I had to wrestle my Command Pod into wrestling the tank and engine to get me out of the Mun's SOI and then had to get out and push with the EVA backpack to land safely... It took soooooo long.

Your dedication to the mission is admirable.. I'm usually more of a "revert to launch" type. But I suppose if the mission is long enough, I guess you do what you have to!

[Slam_Jones]

One time I landed on the Mun (bringing a solar power tower to a mine drone) with 20 m/s dV left.

I think I've done a few de-orbits with 0 m/s dV (using RCS).

[Technical Ben]

I've landed safely on the launchpad with absolutely nothing in the tank and no RCS. Engine cut out at about 1m from touchdown.

This is always fun. Though it is usually while using mechjeb. Done it a couple of times by hand, but they were "hard" landings.

[Taki117]

I tend to be very efficient with my rockets, and as such I tend to accidentally over engineer them. That being said I have run out of fuel several times, but I either run out, or have enough to drop some on reentry.

[Thomas988]

Lately when going to the Mun I've had only a few units of fuel and oxidizer left. This has happened several times, actually, especially when trying to knock out some "Land on the Mun and..." contracts. I've really lost my talent for being able to "eye" spacecraft and tell if they can get to their destination or not.

[Alshain]

This is always fun. Though it is usually while using mechjeb. Done it a couple of times by hand, but they were "hard" landings.

Fun... but terrifying.

I tend to be very efficient with my rockets, and as such I tend to accidentally over engineer them. That being said I have run out of fuel several times, but I either run out, or have enough to drop some on reentry.

You shouldn't. If you are coming in with that much fuel left over. Quickly rearrange your staging to put your chutes next in line, use the fuel to counter the extra weight and slow down, recover the cost of the engine and other parts. Never throw away fuel on reentry.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Alshain

[tater]

No mechjeb, no KER, playing jumbo32… I have no idea what the dv maps are even like. Last night I had a new 2-man lander design to the Mun to swap scientists (I role-play rotating crews) with a base. It was made well enough to land and TO again, but I started my descent late, and had to do a little unplanned flying as I wanted to be within a few hundred meters to avoid a few km trek. Fuel was VERY low. I should have sent another mission to rescue (I don't load saves), but .... Took off, and turned downrange immediately, hopping to gain orbit… ended up achieving orbit only by burning 3/4 of my mono propellant (8xspherical tanks).

[Kilmeister]

I've gotten out to push before it consumed monopropellant. Was on a Mojo mission and I managed a very high Kerbin capture on the return. Stuck my thumb out and waited for a passing rocketeer, but alas there was nobody within a million or so miles of me, so I had to push it in the nearest gas station.

[Cuky]

Once I docked at my Minmus science station with 0 units of monopropellant and just 2-3 units of LF. I run out of mono quite early (forgot to pack extra tank so I had just that which is already in a pod) and I have spent almost all of my fuel on trying to dock with the station using only LV-909 engine.

[Brotoro]

I have landed with zero fuel left (just falling the last few meters). Happily, this was a base module, so it didn't need to lift off again later.

[Spatzimaus]

Long, long ago (0.18) I was just starting to play KSP. I'd landed on Mun once, and decided to go to Minmus so I figured I'd need a bit more of a rocket to get there since it was further away. (Yes, I hadn't realized how much LESS fuel it takes to land there due to the low gravity.) So, between the lower booster stages and the top lander section I added a middle transfer stage using LV-Ns. This added a LOT of delta-V, not that I realized that at the time.

Unfortunately, when I went to do the actual intercept, Mun was in the way. Rather than wait another orbit or two for it to move out of the way, I decided to go to Ike instead. When I got to Duna's orbit, though, I was in the wrong orientation for an easy Ike intercept, so I decided to land on Duna instead. After ditching the transfer stage I didn't do any aerobraking passes, and just went straight in instead. Since I didn't know you could repack parachutes I didn't use them on Duna, knowing I'd need them back on Kerbin, so it was a rocket-assisted soft landing. Jeb got out, did his little dance, and then I went home.

The lander/return vessel ran out of fuel after circularizing just inside Kerbin's SOI. I was able to use RCS jets to lower my periapsis enough to hit the atmosphere, and safely landed in the ocean with about 7 units of monoprop remaining.

I know people have landed with less, but this was my first real journey and it was scary how close I cut that return. These days I have networks of fuel depots around the major bodies so it's never an issue, but back then it was a real challenge to have enough delta-V to go anywhere fun.

[Randazzo]

*snip*

This is the best sort of mission! Literally flying by the seat of your pants, and just getting home by a hair.

[Kerba Fett]

In my .25 career I did one too many landings on a trip to Minmus. Fuel was tight coming back and by the time I got my PE inside kerbins atmosphere for areobraking I was down to 3 m/s of dV.

I tend to be a bit more conservative now.

[Sampa]

answer simple, and usually happens on the final Deorbit burn back to Kerbin: OUT OF FUEL!

However, once or twice, I have run out of fuel while making my return to KErbin burn from Mun and was force to use my RCS jets or, if I was close enough to Kerbin, let it go and just hope the atmosphere kicks in...

Edited February 2, 2015 by Sampa

[NecroBones]

During my Jool-5, my Tylo lander ran out of fuel while re-ascending, about 60 m/s short of circularizing at a mere 20km or so altitude (I botched my landing and used a lot more fuel on the way down than I should have), and my trajectory was still sub-orbital. So, I finished the burn with RCS, and had to have the tug come down and get me. That was a little nerve-wracking.

[Cripion101]

Yeah, left with 0.5 LFO at the end of a Munar landing + return mission. Tension was high.

[Snarfster]

Is an unintended engine shutdown at 10 meters with a ehh positive landing (without damage) considered ok for this thread?

Three kerbals shrank about an inch that day but were otherwise unharmed. (Good, because the insurance wasn't paid.)