How to parachute a decoupled engine?

[JonnyBeoulve]

I just started playing this game, and am having trouble learning how to properly deploy a parachute on an engine that has been decoupled from my cockpit. I have tried testing a basic setup where the parachute auto-deploys within the stage of the decouple, but the parachutes die from heat and speed despite not being in extreme conditions. I have also tried placing a communications device on the rocket and then swapping to it after a decouple and attempting to manually deploy the parachutes. No luck.

Any tips?

[DaetherX]

During the building (or even during flight) right click on the parachute. Increase the air pressure to deploy (the bar at top) so it will only come out of its box when at lower altitude where there's more air pressure.
Putting the chute on the same stage as decoupling is what I do too.

Unless you're using the mod that lets you recover stages you don't get anything from it though. I use that mod to recoup a bit of money from my stages. Every little bit helps.

[jackal[ronin]]

where on the engine are you putting the parachute?

[JonnyBeoulve]

Publicado originalmente por jackalronin:

where on the engine are you putting the parachute?

I usually put it about 10% of the way from the top. So, high up.

[Teotwawki]

With only a communication device and parachute(s) on your engine after decoupling, the parachutes are almost certainly not deploying, due to having no power to activate them (and no direct "control-system").

It *is* possible, though (without recovery mod) difficult, to make that type of action work. At minimum it would need a probe-core (unmanned control) as they have a small amount of electrical storage and direct control. It's handy to "lock" the electrical storage on a part like that, so that it won't discharge while attached to your main ship.

The problem becomes one of not being able to switch vehicles while in atmosphere. I have managed to do many similar decouple and recovery actions, though for me, it usually means carrying the load very high, enough that when it decouples, I can get my main craft into either LKO, or at least in space on a sub-orbital trajectory, but with a long "hang-time" in space.

Then when the main ship is out of atmosphere, I can switch to the decoupled "booster" section, and ride it down like a returned main ship. Usually my control-probe/battery would be inside a small storage bay, mainly for a stability-without-struts joint with my main ship. If you have unlocked the larger unmanned control probes, that might not be necessary.

[Gigory Chadbert]

There are simulation restrictions that prevent this from being easily achieved. Until 1.1 comes out you are probably better off just eating the costs or you can go grab a mod that will auto-refund you for the parts provided you've properly outfitted the debris for recovery.

[SievertChaser]

Even with SmartParts triggers I had problems making them work.

Use Stage Recovery anyway, or the simulation bubble of 22.5 km will still eat your stages no matter the chutes.