How do I calculate how much fuel I need to bring?

[Littleberry]

Pretty much title. I'm a complete noob and I've just started a career. I'm building my first rocket to try and achieve a stable orbit around Kerbin but don't really know how many FL-T200 fuel tanks to stick on.

Also, awesome game. I did the tutorials and they were fun as hell. Even though they left me hanging on Mun's orbit. I wanted to try and land and also launch off Mun for the trip back but had no idea what I was doing lmao.

[Rene]

If you are truly the beginner you claim to be, I recommend to do no calculations for a while and just use trial and error for a while until you get an idea of what it requires to get stuff to orbit.

[Littleberry]

Well I'm trying to kind of roleplay this. I don't wanna send a guy up in a rocket to have him run out of juice at 40 000'. When I meant I'm a noob I meant in relation to how the game works and where to find all the info etc. I'm assuming the solid fuel booster also contains the fuel needed for it and that will get me into orbit? So I just have to figure out how much liquid fuel I need for maneuvering in orbit and for re-entry? Am I way off?

[Melfice]

Get Kerbal Engineer installed to see how much dV you get from certain combinations of tanks and engines. Then cross-reference that information with the wiki: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/w/images/7/73/KerbinDeltaVMap.png

[Melfice]

Make sure to always pack a bit more dV, of course. You may want to come back to Kerbin. ;) Furthermore, those are ideal values, so assume you'll need more than that.

[Rene]

If you really want to know more:
http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Tutorial:Basic_Rocket_Design
http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Cheat_Sheet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v

But I stand with my initial reaction that just messing around for a bit is the most fun to start a career mode. Also, if your rocket is either small and has a parachute on top or has a decoupler right under the capsule and (obviously) a parachute on top you can always land safely on Kerbin. Unless you make the mistake of running out of fuel in orbit, but even then you can just get out and push.

[Littleberry]

Thanks guys!

[Ysma]

I stand with Rene you get a much better feel for the game trough trial and error. I never use a dV calculation and always end up where i need to be just because i roughly know what i need.

[Littleberry]

I'm looking at the basic rocket design tutorial and it's very helpful. But I'm noticing I don't have any of the parts it is talking about except for the FL-T200. I don't have any decouplers or unmanned command pods etc. Oh well. I'll see if this rocket works lol.

[Rene]

Hmm, that tutorial was indeed written when career didn't exist yet. However the general 'feel' of an orbit (but not much more) capable rocket is there.

And for career: if all else fails, do science on the launchpad.

[Cimex]

That's because the tutorial is assuming you are in sandbox mode with all parts unlocked. Just do science a bit and unlock some basic things like decouplers. Take a surface sample of the launch pad for example :P

[Littleberry]

Didn't even know I could gain science without going to space first! I'll do just that. Thanks!

[Cimex]

There are a lot of so called biomes on kerbin on which you can do science. eg.: Flying over shores, grassland, desert, etc. (crew reports), taking surface samples, eva reports. This should get you at least a couple of techs.

[FuzzyDice]

there are 7 biomes very close to the space centre. All create there own science (surface sample, crew report, eva plus experminets when you unlock them). You can also get 2 EVA reports per biome. One when your standing on the ground. The second by climbing the ladder on the pod (only do this when landed). It will think your taking an eva while flying.

The 7 biomes are. Runway, Launchpad. KSC (command centre on the grass) Shoreline and water to the east. Grasslands and Mountains to the west.

[Ysma]

Originally posted by Fuzzy:

The 7 biomes are. Runway, Launchpad. KSC (command centre on the grass) Shoreline and water to the east. Grasslands and Mountains to the west.

There is also tundra to the west. Not sure where it starts and where it ends but i found tundra there very close to KSC

[Littleberry]

I got 33 science just by doing the pad, grass and runway... that got me basic rocketry and one other tech. Life is a little simpler now but I'm still having to think this rocket through. Which is cool.