I’m pretty new to the game but I’ve yet to encounter a situation where I absolutely needed radiators to prevent overheating. That being said, I’ve never gotten close to Kerbol and have also never used mining equipment, which I’ve heard require significant cooling. However, I keep seeing people use radiators in their solar arrays in LKO, which seems way overkill. In brief, are radiators simply an aesthetic choice or do they have a real gameplay impact?
#Do radiators have a real use?
agile river
earnest valve
Except for the cases you mentioned, particularly ISRU, they’re just aesthetics at the moment.
But they are very useful for ISRU.
main ore
Some mods need radiators for the nuclear reactors
uncut dock
long burns with NERVs require radiators as well
wooden igloo
long burns with NERVs require radiators as well
eh?
ive had hour long burns and never needed radiators
but yeah radiatos are pretty much just style aside from mining or being very close to kerbol
relying on them for rentry is a... brave strategy
thick geyser
Fixed ones are also useful during reentry, when using some parts that don't withstand much heat, like mk1 cockpits, or airbrakes
As long as they're not placed windward, of course
hallow harbor
Radiators shut down when the convective temp is higher than their max radiator temp
Which means they do not work during reentry
thick geyser
You sure about that? I'd swear I've used them successfully.