Is this nose cone worth it? (aerodynamics vs. mass)

[What Zitt Tooya]

Trying to keep mass as low as possible. Without the small nose cone, the top of the pod is flat, with it obviously it's not, however it adds mass. (although miniscule) Is it worth having the cone? All I'm doing is going from Kerbin to Duna orbit.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1608634039

[Chibbity]

You'd have to test it both ways to find out.

Or just put a decoupler on it and get rid of once you've left Kerbin atmo. Best of both worlds.

[Manwith Noname]

Originally posted by BOT Harvey:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1608634039

Craft looks like CGI....yes, I realise it is but...oh...nevermind.

[Rizendell]

The nosecones do help. That's why they have a fuel icon.

[Chibbity]

Originally posted by Rizendell:

The nosecones do help. That's why they have a fuel icon.

Fuel icon lol?

[Elementus]

Originally posted by Rizendell:

The nosecones do help. That's why they have a fuel icon.

What fuel icon? If you're talking about the water droplet icon that means it has colour variations

[Toastie Buns]

I think you'll find it's a sweat emoji to represent how much heat a tiny nose cone can absorb...
Op take it and make it your primary payload. Land IT on Duna
Wait we need /s tags in this forum I forget

[DemonicSquid]

1. Do you intend for this craft to re-enter Kerbin? In that's the case you will need a parachute there not a nosecone. Or if it's part of a larger Duna mission, maybe a shielded docking port.

2. You may find that those solar panels will get destroyed by aerodynamic forces on either ascent or descent.

3. The aerodynamic forces won't matter if you put the whole thing in a fairing on a larger launch vehicle.

[What Zitt Tooya]

@DemonicSquid

1) Na it's gonna be a one-way to Duna's orbit to transfer crew with the same vessel build that will arrive in Duna's orbit right behind the original.

2) I think it should be fine on Kerbin ascent if I don't hit max dynamic pressure at 1200 m/s lol

3) What do you mean? Use a fairing instead or are you saying that this will do barely anything?

[What Zitt Tooya]

So I took my trip to Duna and didn't have enough to circularize even though I did an almost perfect burn, idk how it didn't workout

[RoofCat]

Duna transfer needs just around 1060m/s from LKO. Aerobraking there and then tiny amount for circularization. So 1200m/s would be a lot already to get into Duna orbit. Except you don't know how to transfer properly.

[What Zitt Tooya]

I setup, using the transfer window planner and alarm clock, a transfer and it was ~1060. (I was at 100km LKO and had ~1766 left in my high ISP stage) I didn't try to get in DLO, actually quite the opposite, I shot for just the highest orbit to save delta-v. What did I do wrong?

[Harry_Robinson1]

Honestly with the modern phsyics I believe nose cones are always better. On your ship, I'd use a parachute if it was coming home, otherwise I'd use the cone.

[RoofCat]

Originally posted by BOT Harvey:

I setup, using the transfer window planner and alarm clock, a transfer and it was ~1060. (I was at 100km LKO and had ~1766 left in my high ISP stage) I didn't try to get in DLO, actually quite the opposite, I shot for just the highest orbit to save delta-v. What did I do wrong?

iirc low Duna orbital speed is around 900m/s. High one much less. Arriving from a proper transfer you reach around 1600m/s going low, but a lot less staying on a high orbit. So that's roughly 700m/s to kill in worst case. One way or another 1766m/s from LKO should be quite accurately enough. Also if you go low, you just target ~20km Pe and slow down using drag in 1..3 passes depending on your aerodynamics and mass thus saving a lot of fuel. While staying high you don't need that much in the first place as you are much slower.

Except you call 100km high orbit. Ike is high. If you target a lot less than that, using atmospheric drag to lower Ap to your choice is preferable and then just circulize back up at Ap.