Satellite exploding while in transfer orbit
I've accepted a contract to launch a satellite into polar orbit. I've done this before and things went totally smoothly, whereas now when I'm doing another contract like this I've stumbled upon a weird issue where my probe with last stage rocket explodes at a certain point in a transfer orbit before I execute the final burn to achieve circular polar orbit.
What could be the reason? The only thing that comes to my mind is rocket's overheating, but is it dangerous in space? Where can I see my crafts temperature (heat gauges don't indicate trouble)? And if that's the case, why it didn't happen the previous time?
Update:
I've clarified that the game says its due to overheating, but from my observation its happening instantly at the Apoapse, no gradual heating up of the rocket.
Here's a picture of my craft - it's a typical Scott Manley recoverable satellite - the only invisible parts are MechJab on the back and Heat Shield under Science Jr:
Also this is reproducible both with high time acceleration and with no acceleration at all.
Pictures about "Satellite exploding while in transfer orbit"
Can a satellite explode in space?
The answer lies in the engineering: Most modern electric propulsion satellites have Hall Effect Thrusters, which use high-pressure propellant tanks. And, when punctured by a high-velocity object (like a Russian missile), they explode, launching thousands of fragments in every direction.Is the Kessler Syndrome Real?
The Kessler Syndrome is a phenomenon in which the amount of junk in orbit around Earth reaches a point where it just creates more and more space debris, causing big problems for satellites, astronauts and mission planners.What would happen if the satellite blew up?
When a satellite is blown to pieces by a missile, the debris cloud generally keeps moving along the satellite's original orbit. Some of the pieces will be boosted into higher orbits, others will be flung to lower orbits, and some will be thrown into completely different trajectories. Over time, the cloud will expand.Why do satellites break up?
Most on-orbit breakups are caused by explosions from leftover liquids and gases in the tanks of old rocket bodies. A number of satellites have likely had batteries that have exploded.Exploding Satellite?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Chuck Johnson, Johannes Plenio, SevenStorm JUHASZIMRUS, SpaceX