AGU/Klaw for Rover Deployment?

[KBoy420]

Wondering if it's possible to use the AGU to carry a rover to orbit and "release" the klaw to drop the rover? Is this possible? I haven't been able to find a way to get the rover attached to it. Thanks.

Edited February 4, 2015 by KBoy420

[wibou]

The Klaw acts like a docking port, except that it can "dock" (or grab if you prefer) any surface. As such, you COULD use the Klaw to grab a rover and drop it once you reach destination.

However, unlike docking port, I don't think it is possible "grab" onto something in VAB, so it will be tricky to get something into orbit that way. You could design some kind of a "ramp" that your rover would use to get at the correct heigh to grab/be grabbed... but that sound like totally overkill.

Decoupler/docking ports would do a much better/easier job than Klaw to attach/drop a rover IMHO.

[AlexinTokyo]

Echoing wibou here, but AFAIK there's no way to arm and attach the klaw in the VAB/SPH.

If the reason you were thinking of the klaw was so that you don't need to add a part to the rover itself (like a clamp-o-tron), then please be aware that you can attach docking ports directly to non-docking-ports, and they will be able to decouple as normal. Of course, they won't be able to re-dock unless the rover also has a docking port.

[Leszek]

^^This

In addition, you don't need a docking port on the rover itself. If you plan to leave the rover behind you can put the docking port on just on the ship and then attach the rover to the port.

Ninja'd

Edited February 4, 2015 by Leszek
Ninja'd

[Sirrobert]

That's a great idea. I can launch a rover in some position that's easy to launch, but impossible to land properly, than unhook it and attatch it to the skycrane in the right configuration

[panzer1b]

Aside from it being extremely buggy right now, claw does make great dropship material, as i can land atop something, and grab it with said claw, then fly it where it needs to be flied to.

Sadly, until the bugs are ironed out, i stay away from claws, at least docking ports dont explode/eat your ship or fling you into FTL velocities at random when you load a ship with a claw attacked to something.

[Alshain]

I often launch rovers on top of my command pod and the do an Apollo-like inversion in orbit. It lets me put the rover in a fairing.

[KBoy420]

Thanks, guys. This forum is very helpful. I had been trying to use a small de-coupler to carry the rover. Problem was on the Mun, it would decouple but the rover was getting stuck on the lander. Not sure what was going on. I tried using docking ports but couldn't get one to attach to the rover. Didn't know I only needed to use one if there was no return trip planned. Will give this a try later today.