Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Starver]

Inspired by the last picture in this analysis, I'm now wondering if I could use the docking clamp system to get a buggy-delivery of ridiculously large amounts of solid-fuel rockets bristling with attachment points over to some emptier (and launchtower-less) part of the KSC in order to put together a particularly large 'flying'-pancake design.

Not that it would need to be so large, using the standard rocket components, but I still want to do it...


                                                                              A                         
                                                   :H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H:
                                                   :H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H:
                              A                     ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
 __ :H:        __   :H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H:             8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
/__|=H:  ->   /__|: :H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H=H:       ->    8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
o  o ^        o  o   ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^              ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ ß ϑ



(Picture number four in that sequence is an ASCII-art creation best left to the reader's imagination, as (like Fermat) I sadly do not have not enough room... )

[Leonon]

You can copy files from your VAB folder (rocket Vehicle Assembly Building) to your SPH (Space Plane Hanger) folder to be able to launch rockets from the runway. Large flat rockets made of solid boosters used to be great for drag racing to space.

[Graknorke]

Am I the only one who pretty much never uses RCS? For me it's a bit of a leftover from earlier versions where RCS fuel ran out incredibly quickly, and eventually I just gave up and resigned myself to using the tiny amount of rotation that you can get from a command module.

[10ebbor10]

Nope, I'm not very RCS minded either. Only use it when there's no other way to keep the rocket stable.

[ank]

Seeing all the confusion still roaming about how to dock, I'm considering a video tutorial on docking.

Would anybody be interested in this?

[Rose]

Spoiler: FINA FUCKING LEE (click to show/hide)

TIL that you absolutely need an ASAS on every section of the ship that has a command module in it.

I also learned that you ALWAYS check the fuel before undocking.

[10ebbor10]

Why so many struts?

[Rose]

Because wobbly as fuck.

I made the mainsail engine connected to the big fuel tank with a dock, which means I can use it as a handy tug, but it means the connection is too wobbly for takeoff, so struts.

[da_nang]

Why so many struts?

Faraday cages have a tendency to provide superb stability, if you don't mind the looks. Although I use a lot more struts (and launch clamps) when using the Mainsail engine and Rockomax tanks as they're so darn unstable.

[LordSlowpoke]

Seems mechjeb can't rendezvous for shit. It says it's aligning the orbits, burns for a few seconds, then says it's done!

Mechjeb isn't as good as it used to be. It could use a few improvements in efficiency, perhaps some preplanning of manuevers, taking into account the centers of mass and thrust sources, which it never did since 0.17... Truth be told, you're better off using its orbit planner creatively.

[forsaken1111]

I'd love mechjeb if all it did was follow my planned maneuvers.

[andrea]

I finally decided to work on an interplanetary mission, using docking!

I'll have one ( or 2) engine module with 6 Nuclear engines, one ( or 2, depending on need) fuel module ( an orange tank at most, I guess), a crew module, a power/RCS storage module and if I manage to add it too, a lander!

I still haven't got a launch vehicle able to propel modules to the orbit I wanted to use. Maybe I should use the 80km orbit instead of 150k. it is clean too. but I risk falling into atmosphere.

[andrea]

it is (relatively) easy... assuming that both ships are stable, easy to steer and move, can use RCS for precise acceleration (ideally, you should dock at 0.1 m/s , in the direction of other ship's docking port); if you are familiar and can use well translation RCS commands; if you have quite a bit of patience.
if one of those fails, docking is hard.

( I am assuming you did synchronize orbits first, by killing relative velocity. on a big ship, that can also be quite a problem, since you may not be able to turn quickly during approach)

[Graknorke]

Use the shiny new mode which uses RCS translations only? I forget what it's called, but it's the button between staging and orbits, and it controls like EVA.

[sluissa]

Related: http://what-if.xkcd.com/24/

Damn, already mentioned.