KSP Log: 002 Airbreaks Make Rentry Simple

Having trouble during re-entry? So did I until I found this awesome method to avoid most disastrous entries. The story goes like this, atmospheric drag was implemented and like most players I suddenly found my craft slamming into brick walls- those once easy sub orbitals that I passed off like grains of salt suddenly became heaping mounds of trouble. Nothing was safe- including my Kerbals.

As I experimented with ways to increase my drag during re-entry I got the slick idea to use Airbreak's to slow my decent. I mean, they have the word 'break' in them so I figured it couldn't be all bad. I applied multiple airbreak units to my craft and right clicked on the units to turn off their atmospheric controls. Meaning, they wouldn't work when maneuvering and would only deploy when I turned on the breaks manually.

The use of the airbreaks have worked wonderfully and when properly applied have proven the difference between life and death. While other considerings have to be made, such as proper use of parachutes and heat shields, the airbreaks form a vital first step top drop airspeed and prepare your craft for decent. Typically I won't drop into an atmosphere if I'm moving more than 3000 meters per second, but that's not to say I haven't skirted the higher limits of that limitation. In this picture to the left you'll notice I've used the deployable airbreaks on a probe. Not to toot my own horn, but this craft was a real work of art. Using the thrusters and airbreaks to slow its decent into Eve's atmosphere before jettisoning the mentioned components. Falling slower the parachutes were deployed and provided for a soft landing on Eve's surface. The heat shield was larger than necessary, but that was largely on purpose to protect the components behind the shield. I couldn't be too careful on Eve- prior landings have taught me how thick the atmosphere is, so I worried I might burn up if I wasn't careful.

 Today's final example of airbreaks were used to deorbit a small space station. You'll note in the rear there being a craft slightly larger than the closer craft. Both utilize airbreaks to slow their decent, but really none of this would have been possible if the airbreaks weren't there to slow the crafts during decent. In order to salvage both craft it meant docking in the shape of a 'T' and burning fuel de-orbit. That was the simple part, slowing the lop-sided craft was the hard part. But once again, with the aid of airbreaks it proved useful enough to slow decent, launch the parachutes and detach the craft. Both craft landed safely and most important- were recovered for a full refund on parts.