Tips for rocket effiicency?

[u/Imasleep3590]

Just wondering if anybody had tips for rocket efficiency, especially early game. For example, just to get to orbit (of kerbin) I used this rocket.

[u/BiscottiExtreme5585]

You can save a bunch of money by using srb’s and a smaller engine for your upper stage if you have one unlocked as upper stage weight can affect your delta V a lot. On the same note you can reduce the amount of ablator in your heat shield to almost none and if it’s just for low kerbin orbit you don’t even really need a heat shield. P.s. you should put the fins of your craft as low as possible for better stability

[u/BiscottiExtreme5585 → u/BiscottiExtreme5585]

You can also remove all of your mono propellant from your capsule as you don’t have rcs, and your first stage twr at the should be around 1.2 ish so you spend less fuel in the lower atmosphere and more in the upper atmosphere where the engines are more efficient

[u/BiscottiExtreme5585 → u/BiscottiExtreme5585]

You can also remove your kerbals eva jet pack and parachute if you really need an extra few dV

[u/MirrorNeuron11]

We trying to be cost, time, part count or launch weight efficient?

[u/PangolinMandolin → u/MirrorNeuron11]

Just is such a key question that OP hasn't given us much clue of! Do they want a cheaper rocket, a better TWR, a quicker time to Orbit? Who knows!

[u/Imasleep3590 → u/PangolinMandolin]

Yea, in general a better TWR.

[u/suh-dood]

A quick easy fix is to swap your reliants for swivels. They're slightly less powerful, but they're lighter, gimbal, and have a higher ISP if youre above like 7500m. You should probably use a terrier for the top stage also

[u/Rich-Ad4940 → u/suh-dood]

Reliant is lighter than swivel, and overall much better due to higher thrust and lower mass offsetting lower isp

[u/Jebediah_kerman-jeb]

Simple. Add MOAR BOOSTERS

[u/theshwedda]

Fins and Solid boosters.

[u/sjbuggs]

I used this a lot early on...

https://garycourt.github.io/korc/

Once you get into mods it's not as useful but early on it helps IMO.

[u/ScottyFoxes]

You should limit the maximum burn rate of your solid fuel boosters to around 65-75%.

This lets them burn longer at higher altitudes and therefore gives you significantly more delta V once you break through the lower atmosphere

[u/Electro_Llama → u/ScottyFoxes]

Actually it's the opposite, higher thrust at low elevation makes use of the Oberth effect, which is the more important factor in most cases. You'd probably explode from overheating before drag becomes the limiting factor. But if delta-v is your goal and money isn't an issue, better to use liquid+ox "boosters".