Building and launching a satellite?

[Water]

I've scoured YT for some good info on how to build a starter satellite and transmit to Kerbin, but most videos are either rushed, too long, have an incredibly annoying author, or a combination of the three.

I think I'd just like to launch something simple like a cubesat or something along the lines of a single Starlink before going bigger. Does anybody have any guides/recommendations on how to achieve this?

For reference, I am still a beginner though I did just achieve orbit for the first time yesterday and completed some orbital/suborbital space tourism contracts this morning. I have used the persistence file to edit science and funds so nothing is restricted.

[Cat Grill Friend]

Making satellites from scratch is pretty easy. Just duct tape some batteries, solar panels and a radio dish to your probe core. If the core doesn't have built in reaction wheels, make sure you have those. If you want something more complicated, add an ore scanner, RCS systems, and a propulsion system to your probe. This will allow you to get into the required orbit to scan Kerbin for those juicy ore deposits.

[Water]

Originally posted by Dr. Burn:

Making satellites from scratch is pretty easy. Just duct tape some batteries, solar panels and a radio dish to your probe core. If the core doesn't have built in reaction wheels, make sure you have those. If you want something more complicated, add an ore scanner, RCS systems, and a propulsion system to your probe. This will allow you to get into the required orbit to scan Kerbin for those juicy ore deposits.

Thanks! I am unfamiliar with what a probe core is, is that the unmanned command capsule?

[Cat Grill Friend]

Originally posted by Water:

Originally posted by Dr. Burn:

Making satellites from scratch is pretty easy. Just duct tape some batteries, solar panels and a radio dish to your probe core. If the core doesn't have built in reaction wheels, make sure you have those. If you want something more complicated, add an ore scanner, RCS systems, and a propulsion system to your probe. This will allow you to get into the required orbit to scan Kerbin for those juicy ore deposits.

Thanks! I am unfamiliar with what a probe core is, is that the unmanned command capsule?

Yes. Anything in the command tab should work- some better than others. In fact, you can even use a cockpit in your satellites, so you always have control and use less energy.

[FourGreenFields]

Any manned control option will lead to issues when trying to complete satellite contracts.

But yes, the simplest form of satellite is simply a cargo package of solar panel(s), a battery, an antenna, and a probe core. Which can be very light, so easy to get to orbit.

[Cat Grill Friend]

Another thing you can do is reverse engineer the stock craft in another save file. Go into sandbox mode, enter the VAB, and go between pre-built craft. The probes and satellites should be easy to find. Take good looks at them, see what they have in common, read the ship description to see what they are specialized for, and what's unique to each one. You can also look at the Steam workshop to see what probes made by the average joe are like.

[Cat Grill Friend]

Originally posted by FourGreenFields:

Any manned control option will lead to issues when trying to complete satellite contracts.

But yes, the simplest form of satellite is simply a cargo package of solar panel(s), a battery, an antenna, and a probe core. Which can be very light, so easy to get to orbit.

You know, I've had abandoned rover missions I re-purposed as satellites. My rovers excel at make-shift relays.

[Water]

Are there any recommendations for where/how I should store my satellites? I believe I tried using a piece that had opening/closing doors but when I opened them in space there was no option to deploy the satellites. I'm sure I did something wrong but just wondering what piece (name please) is the preferred way to store the payload?

[desrtfox071]

Originally posted by Water:

Are there any recommendations for where/how I should store my satellites? I believe I tried using a piece that had opening/closing doors but when I opened them in space there was no option to deploy the satellites. I'm sure I did something wrong but just wondering what piece (name please) is the preferred way to store the payload?

You need a decoupler to release the satellite. IN other words, you need a decoupler or a hatch to make one vessel into two.

[Cat Grill Friend]

Originally posted by Water:

Are there any recommendations for where/how I should store my satellites? I believe I tried using a piece that had opening/closing doors but when I opened them in space there was no option to deploy the satellites. I'm sure I did something wrong but just wondering what piece (name please) is the preferred way to store the payload?

Attach the satellite to a decoupler. That way, it should be able to eject easily, unless it's clipping through the container. You'll know what kind of decouplers will work. You could also put it in a fairing, (aka the airstreem protective shell)

[FourGreenFields]

For a single-launch vessel, the go-to container are fairings of some size. Here's the wiki article on the 1.25m one. https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/AE-FF1_Airstream_Protective_Shell_(1.25m)

Cargo bays can be usefull if you want to return the launch vehicle to kerbin.

As for deploying the sat once there, any decoupler will do. Or seperator, or docking port, for some applications.

[Water]

So I place the payload inside the fairing and when I'm in orbit can I just open the fairing and release the payload, or do I need a decoupler on top of using the fairing to detach?

Also, the website you provided says to deploy the fairing as soon as I'm out of the atmosphere. Will that work or will the sat just float around w/o orbit?

[FourGreenFields]

Originally posted by Water:

So I place the payload inside the fairing and when I'm in orbit can I just open the fairing and release the payload, or do I need a decoupler on top of using the fairing to detach?

Also, the website you provided says to deploy the fairing as soon as I'm out of the atmosphere. Will that work or will the sat just float around w/o orbit?

Deplyoing the fairing means getting rid of the stuff you built after placing the module. The base, which you see on the wiki page, will stay.

So you have the sat at the nose, placed on a decoupler, placed on the fairing's base, and then the rest of the rocket beneath that.

And yes, you usually want to get rid of the fairing once you left atmo. Possibly even while in thin atmo, when the drag stops mattering.

[Water]

Thanks to both for replies, just put two satellites in orbit. They both have a rotary (correct word?) 4 extendable solar panels, a rechargeable battery, and an antenna.

I would really like to build more complex satellites, any recommendations on what to put on them? What's a good next step for perhaps an earth observation satellite?

Also, I don't really know what my two satellites are doing besides transmitting data. Any way to make future ones more useful?

[FourGreenFields]

Originally posted by Water:

Thanks to both for replies, just put two satellites in orbit. They both have a rotary (correct word?) 4 extendable solar panels, a rechargeable battery, and an antenna.

I would really like to build more complex satellites, any recommendations on what to put on them? What's a good next step for perhaps an earth observation satellite?

Also, I don't really know what my two satellites are doing besides transmitting data. Any way to make future ones more useful?

Use relay antennas. That helps provide connections to other crafts, which can be quite usefull depending on your difficulty-settings.

Add an engine and fuel. Just some tiny, weak-ass engine will do; you're allready in orbit, so thrust-to-weight ratios just speed things along a bit. That way you can easily complete contracts that ask you to change the orbit.

Add a repeatable experiment (e.g. thermometer). Allows you to easily complete "gather science from space around kerbin" missions.

Add resource-scanners. Not very usefull on kerbin, but potentially very usefull elsewhere.
https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/M700_Survey_Scanner
https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/M4435_Narrow-Band_Scanner

[Cat Grill Friend]

Originally posted by FourGreenFields:

Originally posted by Water:

Thanks to both for replies, just put two satellites in orbit. They both have a rotary (correct word?) 4 extendable solar panels, a rechargeable battery, and an antenna.

I would really like to build more complex satellites, any recommendations on what to put on them? What's a good next step for perhaps an earth observation satellite?

Also, I don't really know what my two satellites are doing besides transmitting data. Any way to make future ones more useful?

Use relay antennas. That helps provide connections to other crafts, which can be quite usefull depending on your difficulty-settings.

Add an engine and fuel. Just some tiny, weak-ass engine will do; you're allready in orbit, so thrust-to-weight ratios just speed things along a bit. That way you can easily complete contracts that ask you to change the orbit.

Add a repeatable experiment (e.g. thermometer). Allows you to easily complete "gather science from space around kerbin" missions.

Add resource-scanners. Not very usefull on kerbin, but potentially very usefull elsewhere.
https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/M700_Survey_Scanner
https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/M4435_Narrow-Band_Scanner

I find that non-repeatable experiments can be quite useful as well. Multiple Mystery Goo canisters can give you quick science rather easily, and if you hate yourself have lots of patience, you can send a scientist to the probe and reset them.