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Max Kerbin orbit?


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Hi everybody =)

I recently put a satellite at about 11,500km in orbit around Kerbin. After a few missions here and there, I got a contract to re-position it. When I checked on it again, it's now in solar orbit =D

Is there a maximum safe orbit around Kerbin wherein satellites and space stations ="> won't get ejected to the far flung reaches of the kosmos? =D

 

Regards and thanks in advance =D

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20 hours ago, ErevanGaming said:

at about 11,500km in orbit around Kerbin. After a few missions here and there, I got a contract to re-position it. When I checked on it again, it's now in solar orbit =D

Is there a maximum safe orbit around Kerbin wherein satellites and space stations ="> won't get ejected to the far flung reaches of the kosmos? =D

Yes, as long as they don't get too close to the Mun orbit.

Mun orbits at an altitude of 12 000km, and the Mun itself has a "Sphere of influence" of 2 400km. This means that if you orbit Kerbin, and at Apoapsis(maximum altitude of your orbit) you reach (12000-2400)= 9 600km then you could someday get pulled along by the Mun.

That is what happened, but only after some time: your satellite and the Mun finally synchronized their positions in each orbit until they lined up..."luckily" your craft didn't hit the Mun but "only" got sling-shotted around KerbOl :D

So, don't let your "long-term" orbits cross the 9 600km -> 14 400km altitude then you will be fine. Minmus is not really an obstacle, you can go decades before "accidentally" getting an encounter. The next limit is 84 000km...that's Kerbin's SOI limit(after which you reach Kerbol orbit)

Edited by Blaarkies
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Hi everybody =)

Thanks for your tips! =)

Thought I could wait for the wayward satellite, ship and space station until it gets into Kerbin SOI... but the unthinkable happened... they're gone =( I only noticed this when I decided to check them up again.

I loaded up an earlier save and did a timewarp to find out what happened, the satellite slammed into a planet while the space station and ship collided with each other. *poof* =D

 

Regards and thanks again =)

 

PS
No kerbals were harmed during the accidental Kerbin ejection =D

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