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Kinote Mar 29, 2019 @ 9:17pm
Parachute Calculator
Having recently started getting back into KSP, I've noticed one of my favourite tools is now dead: The KSP Parachute calculator.

Anybody happen to have a replacement or a quick to run formula for the lowest number of parachutes for a given landing speed?
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Originally posted by RoofCat:
Be careful with radial chutes as you need a few of them touching and tilting in circle or they won't have full performance.

On Kerbin you need 1 regular chute for ~1.7t. If you have 8..12m/s engines on your bottom, you might be just fine with 1 chute for 2t.

On Duna you need just the same. But add tiny bit of fuel to slow down the last 12m/s or so just before touchdown. Because chutes to do that would weight more than that fuel amount if you do it right.

On Laythe it is almost like Kerbin. Even tinier bit of fuel than on Duna or a bit more sturdy part on the bottom.

On Eve you need ~½ of Kerbin chutes due to much thicker atmosphere but also slightly higher gravity.

If you need calculator for this, engineering might be not the most optimal occupation for you :)
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Showing 1-8 of 8 comments
Niallalva Mar 30, 2019 @ 6:36am 
Should'nt you be trying for the lowest speed on touchdown???
Try https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/178240-parachute-calculator/
#1
Kinote Mar 30, 2019 @ 10:00am 
Originally posted by Niallalva:
Should'nt you be trying for the lowest speed on touchdown???
Try https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/178240-parachute-calculator/

Anything in the safety range is good enough, really. Why drag a bunch of extra weight around if you don't need to?

Amusingly enough, that link is to the old broken calculator I mentioned.
#2
Rhedd Mar 30, 2019 @ 4:55pm 
I just use Realchute, but that might not be the sort of thing you want.
#3
Toastie Buns Mar 30, 2019 @ 6:43pm 
Originally posted by Kinote:
Anything in the safety range is good enough, really. Why drag a bunch of extra weight around if you don't need to?
Why not just whack stuff on a single chute and check the mass to see the max capacity of a chute? A re-entry is all you really need. Then you'll never need a calculator again
#4
Kinote Mar 30, 2019 @ 9:54pm 
Originally posted by Toastie Buns:
Originally posted by Kinote:
Anything in the safety range is good enough, really. Why drag a bunch of extra weight around if you don't need to?
Why not just whack stuff on a single chute and check the mass to see the max capacity of a chute? A re-entry is all you really need. Then you'll never need a calculator again

Suppose I could. Rather than dump a few hours into teleporting a few standard configurations around the solar system, I was hoping somebody had simply forked or replaced the handy 'ol calc.
#5
The author of this thread has indicated that this post answers the original topic.
RoofCat Mar 31, 2019 @ 5:52am 
Be careful with radial chutes as you need a few of them touching and tilting in circle or they won't have full performance.

On Kerbin you need 1 regular chute for ~1.7t. If you have 8..12m/s engines on your bottom, you might be just fine with 1 chute for 2t.

On Duna you need just the same. But add tiny bit of fuel to slow down the last 12m/s or so just before touchdown. Because chutes to do that would weight more than that fuel amount if you do it right.

On Laythe it is almost like Kerbin. Even tinier bit of fuel than on Duna or a bit more sturdy part on the bottom.

On Eve you need ~½ of Kerbin chutes due to much thicker atmosphere but also slightly higher gravity.

If you need calculator for this, engineering might be not the most optimal occupation for you :)
Last edited by RoofCat; Mar 31, 2019 @ 5:55am
#6
vaga1 Mar 31, 2019 @ 4:01pm 
Also if your using the stage recovery mod in the VAB there is a tool that will tell you if you have enough chuts for the parts to be recovered.
#7
Kinote Apr 1, 2019 @ 9:13am 
Originally posted by RoofCat:
Be careful with radial chutes as you need a few of them touching and tilting in circle or they won't have full performance.

On Kerbin you need 1 regular chute for ~1.7t. If you have 8..12m/s engines on your bottom, you might be just fine with 1 chute for 2t.

On Duna you need just the same. But add tiny bit of fuel to slow down the last 12m/s or so just before touchdown. Because chutes to do that would weight more than that fuel amount if you do it right.

On Laythe it is almost like Kerbin. Even tinier bit of fuel than on Duna or a bit more sturdy part on the bottom.

On Eve you need ~½ of Kerbin chutes due to much thicker atmosphere but also slightly higher gravity.

If you need calculator for this, engineering might be not the most optimal occupation for you :)

That'll do. Thanks. =P
#8
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Date Posted: Mar 29, 2019 @ 9:17pm
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