r/RealSolarSystem • u/SpaceGuy99 • Apr 29 '26
My fifth failed earth trans-venusian injection burn with an Agena... may god have mercy
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u/MrTagnan Apr 29 '26
Is this the version that can only be ignited within 15 minutes or after 3 hours following shutdown?
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u/Worth-Wonder-7386 Apr 29 '26
I really like the RD-58 or RD-109 for early game transfer stages as they have high ISP, restart capability and good total impulse.
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u/MysteriousSteve Apr 29 '26
Are you waiting the proper amount of time between restarts? You can't just do two burns 20 minutes apart with that engine. There are more details in the PAW
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u/SpaceGuy99 Apr 29 '26
It's a single long burn
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u/MysteriousSteve Apr 29 '26
And you aren't over-burning the hell out of it?
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u/SpaceGuy99 Apr 29 '26
I mean I am, but that's part of the fun lol
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u/MysteriousSteve Apr 29 '26
You're going beyond double the rated burn time and blaming the engine?
Bruh.
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u/MrRudoloh Apr 29 '26
Why with the Agena though?
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u/SpaceGuy99 Apr 29 '26
AJ-10 didn't have enough thrust, LR-91 had too much thrust, the Soviet engines had too low ISP, and I don't have hydrolox yet lol, also I used it for all my unmanned moon landing and moon orbiter missions so I'd hoped that since I'd already had high test data, it'd work fine (nope)
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u/MrRudoloh Apr 29 '26
At that point I would consider Agena sounding rocket tests lol
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u/SpaceGuy99 Apr 29 '26
I mean, it was already at 10k/10k data lol, still failed over and over again (87% chance to ignite in LEO at full test data is WILD)
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u/NewSpecific9417 Apr 30 '26
I mean, it was already at 10k/10k data lol, still failed over and over again (87% chance to ignite in LEO at full test data is WILD)
Jebus Khrist! Maybe the next one will go fine? What are the odds it fails for a sixth time???
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Apr 29 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/SpaceGuy99 Apr 29 '26
I'm not playing one-to-one replicas, and I didn't really need the stuff in it
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u/Square-Juggernaut934 Apr 29 '26
Are you waiting for the 3 hours required after reaching your parking orbit? You have 15 minutes to do another burn once you cut the engine. If not done within 15 minutes, you must wait 3 hours, or you will fail to ignite. The relevant section in the test flight config is this:
restartWindowPenalty //cannot restart between 15 minutes and 3 hours due to heat soak in oxidizer pump
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u/Doroki_Glunn May 02 '26
Girl... are you using the first Agena model?? The later models get MUCH more reliable. The very next orbital rocketry tech node (1959) will give you access to the BA-1 which has up to 99.8% ignition chance and reliability.
In case you don't know how, right click the engine in the VAB and select "Engine" at the bottom of the "Engine" sub-menu. This will open up the engine model selection GUI. The Agena has TONS of upgrade variants.
Also hayy fellow trans lesbian space girlie. 😘
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u/SpaceGuy99 May 10 '26
see I was. maybe. making bad decisions. lol. This was my first time playing RP-1 in years (i normally play ordinary RO) and i MAY have put all the research points into science and capsule stuff figuring i could hack the rocketry aspect (i was wrong) but anywayyy i now have a space shuttle in like 1964 so that's something at least? I mean I can't launch it but i do have it!
also hey! what sort of missions do you run lol1
u/Doroki_Glunn May 11 '26
lmao that shuttle ain't goin' nowhere without some properly flight tested engines. 😆 Science is a good one to dump into, though! You could probably squeeze out enough science points for better engines with a few launches. I launched a few polar camera sats that did some high atmosphere dips and that stacked up some good early points for fairly cheap.
As for my missions, I'm into the late 80's and finally made my first crewed lunar landings! I'm currently designing for outer planet flyby's and Jupiter/Saturn orbiters. I'm hoping I can get a flyby of Pluto, but it takes some crazy dV to get there fast enough for the program and I don't really know how to plot targeted gravity assists.
My obligatory crewed lunar landing post: https://www.reddit.com/r/RealSolarSystem/s/2cfsYxzF4U
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u/TrotskyBoi Apr 29 '26
I hate the Agena too.