KerbalX

Details

• Type: VAB
• Class: ship
• Part Count: 60
• Pure Stock

2x Relay Lite w/ Polar Scanner core

Built as one of five warheads for the Jool Comms MIRV the individual rounds contain two Polar Relay Lites and a polar ore scanner with a third set of orbital science experiments in the carrier. This cuts down on bulky ore scanners to make room for the larger RA-100 relay dish and gives the carrier use after deployment. The big design problem with the RA-100 was its size, it’s wider than the 2.5m fairing truss structure. To solve this, engineers had to design a break away truss using a small decoupler and some Sepratrons. The decoupler is then burnt off by the remaining Sepratron fuel. If this fails to happen, which it has in prototyping, the outer probe may self destruct, vanish or will be rendered useless with an obstructed engine. The design team has assured the agency it should work 9/10 times. However, with five rounds on the MIRV, the odds of a separation failure are not negligible. More SRB fuel was added to the final design to ensure proper staging.

The positive side of this design is that the solar panels on both satellites can be deployed at any time and the inner sat. doesn’t need to avoid hitting the carrier truss, unlike the original Polar Relay Scanner Package.

Note:
When staging sat. release, you must NOT be controlling the stack from the upper satellite. If the upper sat. is the control point or re-rooted, the engine will self destruct and the upper sat. will cease to exist on the map. You can aim camera to a part on the upper sat, but not control from there during separation.

Fairing settings: 2-sided clamshell deploy, max ejection force by default.

For a more powerful, long distance package see the Relay Power Flower Scanner Package for 16 RA-100 dishes per relay.

High quality gif of separation here.

Simulation of the Jool Comms MIRV below showcases the rounds deployment.

Built with 60 of the finest parts, its root part is fairingSize2.

Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.2.2.