Rovers

Rovers are one of several creatable types of spacecraft. They move across a celestial body's surface to search for something special on the surface (for example: rocks with signs of life on them). They're used as payloads and visual proofs of landing on a planet, but they provide any achievements over using a simple lander when ending its mission. Rovers can also be recoverable (with a docking port) to allow rockets to pick them up and relaunch (as seen here), but their most practical use is as mobile fuel storages, to refuel rockets and move across land without consuming fuel.

How to build rovers?[]

A rover consists of a control module (usually a Probe to end the mission without returning to Earth), some wheels (usually a pair of them) and usually other utility parts (to represent instruments).

To launch a rover on a rocket, it is advised to encase the rover in a Fairing to reduce air resistance with a heat shield on the bottom. If a rover is stored separately from the rocket, an additional Probe should be attached at the top stage of the rocket to control it, or the rover can be attached to the rocket using a Separator or Docking Port (which can be connected to a non-docking port surface on a rocket that will be discarded on atmospheric entry at the destination). If the rover is meant to carry fuel, the rocket's final stage can be used to refill it before decoupling, if necessary. See Rocket Construction on how to build rockets.

Rovers delivering fuel to ground stations or rockets relaunching from their planet need a Docking Port at the same height from ground level as the one on the vehicles it connects to. This can be the same one used to connect to the rocket initially carrying the rover.

Rovers may also have parachutes to use in landing for saving budget on fuel. Parachutes above the rover's centre of mass will ensure it lands upright, but after landing, lower depleted parachute-holders will lower the centre of mass, preventing tipping. They can also look like lights, which look better than a bare-bones rover.

How to land rovers?[]

To land a rover on another planet, you need to follow the steps on how to land a rover on a planet with or without atmosphere. Further details are found here.

With atmosphere[]

The rover must be in a protective casing, like a fairing with a separator for the rover/rover carrier, parachutes to slow down the descent, a heat shield to protect the rover from burning, and some fuel for operating retrorockets.

If the rover is not carrying a rover carrier, the shell will be separated before it lands on the planet, and burn up.

-Example Video Here

Without atmosphere[]

The rover must be on top or inside by a lander or landing platform. Once your lander or landing platform is safely on the ground, deploy the rover via a docking port or separator. Once separated from the lander, drive by its landing legs (they should be placed horizontally); you need to quick save if it falls over its top. If not an option, add RCS and make sure it has a fuel tank.

-Example Video Here

Methods to Land Rovers[]

There are many ways to land a rover, regardless of atmosphere or not.

Lander/Landing Platform[]

One can put a rover on a lander, or on a landing stage with landing legs. This lander will have to be encased in a fairing/aeroshell if one decides to land it on a body with an atmosphere.

Skycrane[]

This method uses a stage, attached to the rover to softly land it. The skycrane can be released and can crash on the surface. Again, if one decides to use this method, it will have to be encased in a fairing/aeroshell if one decides to land it on a body with an atmosphere.

Lithorake[]

Lithobraking, is where a part of the rocket is broken to slow the vehicle. This can be used to land rovers as well. By using wheels (which are very resistant) one can "crash land" a rover on the surface. Once the rover has slowed down and landed, the wheels can be shed and thus expended.

Propulsive[]

Similar to the lander and skycrane methods, engines can be used slow the rover to a safe velocity. The engines can be jettisoned, or kept on the rover is desired.

How to drive rovers?[]

The wheels need to be activated to start moving across the terrain. Click on the wheels: the message "Rover wheel On" will appear. Then, use the left and right directional arrows to rotate the wheels anticlockwise and clockwise, moving the rover. When RCS Thrusters are enabled, four additional buttons are given, but wheels use the left and right arrows or Q and E keys.

How to prevent rovers from tipping?[]

In case a rover tips over, it's useful to have a Landing Leg attached to the top, angled horizontally, to flip the rover back upright. Two can be used in wider and/or heavier rovers (with their feet in the centre to better rotate). Solar Panels on the top can be extended, to rotate and fall onto the side, from which rotating upright is easier, but they shouldn't be retracted while underneath the rover on planets with high gravity, as they repeatedly hit the ground during retraction, and can be broken.

If the rover's torque is too high for its width:height ratio, it will flip over. This can be solved by driving slowly (unpressing the move button when going too fast or pressing the other button to act as like brakes in a car), enabling only the front wheel (so the flipping stops as it begins to lift off, and gravity and the control vehicle's torque pull it back down), making the centre of mass lower (by moving heavy components down, possibly displacing lighter ones), or even surrounding the internal components in a convex hull of wheels to ensure none can be damaged in flipping, and it can't be immobilized, but it won't be able to dock to other craft unless either its docking port is exposed and made vulnerable or the other craft's port protrudes.