Will orbital decay save my poor Kerbonaut?

[FOARP]

Noobishly, I launched a capsule into what I thought would be a Project Mercury-style sub-orbital lob with recovery by parachute, but managed to over-shoot and send the capsule into a elliptic orbital with a periapsis of ~56 Km. The capsule does not have an rockets that would allow it to de-orbit, all it has is a parachute. It's seemingly too high for the parachute to deploy properly, but it's low enough that the atmospheric pressure-meter does tick up a bit towards the periapsis. Apoapsis is around the 550 Km mark.

Will this orbit decay, bringing my Kerbonaut safely back to the ground, or is he stuck in space? I was sure that 56 Km was too low for a stable orbit, but after 4-5 orbits I haven't seen any decay. Am thinking about building a space plane to bring the poor guy back.

[Eric S]

The orbit will decay very slowly, and not at all if that craft isn't the focused craft at the time it's in the atmosphere. And by very slowly, I mean be glad that life support isn't implemented, as getting that craft down without a rescue craft would be a very long mission. I'd do it by triggering the parachute (it will deploy when the craft eventually hits enough atmosphere) and letting the game run overnight or any other time you're away from it.

Once you get the periapsis down to 40k or less, the orbital decay will be more noticeable, but as is, you're barely touching the thinnest portion of the atmosphere.

[JakeGrey]

Spaceplanes will bring you nothing but rage and frustration at this stage. Look up a few tutorials on orbital rendezvous and have your guy EVA across to another capsule.

[saik0]

Noobishly, I launched a capsule into what I thought would be a Project Mercury-style sub-orbital lob with recovery by parachute, but managed to over-shoot and send the capsule into a elliptic orbital with a periapsis of ~56 Km. The capsule does not have an rockets that would allow it to de-orbit, all it has is a parachute. It's seemingly too high for the parachute to deploy properly, but it's low enough that the atmospheric pressure-meter does tick up a bit towards the periapsis. Apoapsis is around the 550 Km mark.

Will this orbit decay, bringing my Kerbonaut safely back to the ground, or is he stuck in space? I was sure that 56 Km was too low for a stable orbit, but after 4-5 orbits I haven't seen any decay. Am thinking about building a space plane to bring the poor guy back.

\

It will decay, to speed up the process time warp at the fastest speed you can while over 70km. Once you're in the atmosphere use the physics time warp (Alt + <> ) to speed up the time spend in atmo. Each pass will lower you're velocity, every time you'll dip lower and lower into the atmo too, which increases in density exponentially.

[Trainsfan]

IF you want it to go faster, and are good at EVA, use Scott Manley's trick and get out and push. To do this:

1. turn on SAS

2. EVA your Kerbal

3. push on your ship so you're thrusting retrograde

4.climb back in and repeat as necessary.

doing this at Apoapsis will be the most efficient/ fastest, and will probably get you down as far as you need to go

[krenshala]

If periapsis is under 60km then it should only take two, maybe three, orbits to bleed off enough velocity through aerobraking to deorbit the capsule. If you are below 69,500m you will aerobrake at Kerbin (personal experience due to a similar situation with one of my first capsules that didn't have the deltaV needed to circularize ). I've noticed it will drop your apoapsis faster so don't be discouraged if it seems periapsis isn't falling. It is.

[ZenithRising]

IF you want it to go faster, and are good at EVA, use Scott Manley's trick and get out and push. To do this:

1. turn on SAS

2. EVA your Kerbal

3. push on your ship so you're thrusting retrograde

4.climb back in and repeat as necessary.

doing this at Apoapsis will be the most efficient/ fastest, and will probably get you down as far as you need to go

This is awesome.

[Geckgo]

IF you want it to go faster, and are good at EVA, use Scott Manley's trick and get out and push. To do this:

1. turn on SAS

2. EVA your Kerbal

3. push on your ship so you're thrusting retrograde

4.climb back in and repeat as necessary.

doing this at Apoapsis will be the most efficient/ fastest, and will probably get you down as far as you need to go

I almost fell out of my chair! My shirt thanks you for the cherry coke I just sprayed all over it.

OP, yes, the orbit will decay, just do as noted. I had an elliptical orbit with a similar Pe but the Ap was about 7 million (comming back from Mun in my lander.... after burning the RCS out) and skipped off the atmo about 100 times before it finally came down. It was a long process, but I really wanted to save that kerbal. (Failure is NOT an option). Glad I didn't put TAC life support on yet at that point, but still was less than 3 game days. Don't sweat it, it happens. I hope your chutes still work when you get into the inner atmosphere.

[AbuMaia]

If periapsis is under 60km then it should only take two, maybe three, orbits to bleed off enough velocity through aerobraking to deorbit the capsule.

I did a Free Return Trajectory around the Mun last night, which had a periapsis over Kerbin of 48km. It took 20 orbits to finally land.

[John FX]

Yeah, it does take a while if you are over 40km but as long as you are under 69,100m eventually you will deorbit. Eventually could be a while though so I`d use the EVA method from above...

[Tiron]

Every time you hit the atmosphere, your Periapsis will drop very slightly and your Apoapsis more. Unfortunately, 56km is very high with a very tenuous atmosphere, so it'll take awhile.

In order to make best use of their EVA trick you want to do it at apoapsis. Any little bit of lowering would help speed it up rather dramatically (the atmospheric thickness and thus drag increases exponentially as you drop). Just don't run out of fuel and leave your kerbal stranded outside the capsule! (right click on his jetpack to see fuel remaining).

The Parachute won't 'partially open' until you get to about 22.5 KM, but if you get that low you'll already be falling in, so it's really no help here.

[Motokid600]

Every time you hit the atmosphere, your Periapsis will drop very slightly and your Apoapsis more. Unfortunately, 56km is very high with a very tenuous atmosphere, so it'll take awhile.

In order to make best use of their EVA trick you want to do it at apoapsis. Any little bit of lowering would help speed it up rather dramatically (the atmospheric thickness and thus drag increases exponentially as you drop). Just don't run out of fuel and leave your kerbal stranded outside the capsule! (right click on his jetpack to see fuel remaining).

The Parachute won't 'partially open' until you get to about 22.5 KM, but if you get that low you'll already be falling in, so it's really no help here.

A rendezvous ( that word is so hard to spell I swear ) will be very hard with a 56km periapsis. The two craft will get shuffled around in the thin atmosphere.

[Bacterius]

IF you want it to go faster, and are good at EVA, use Scott Manley's trick and get out and push. To do this:

1. turn on SAS

2. EVA your Kerbal

3. push on your ship so you're thrusting retrograde

4.climb back in and repeat as necessary.

doing this at Apoapsis will be the most efficient/ fastest, and will probably get you down as far as you need to go

Bill: "We have no engines, no RCS, barely dipping into the atmosphere and running on backup oxygen. We're dead in the water. What do you suggest we do now?"

Jeb: "I'll be right back." *exits pod*

[Amoun]

IF you want it to go faster, and are good at EVA, use Scott Manley's trick and get out and push. To do this:

1. turn on SAS

2. EVA your Kerbal

3. push on your ship so you're thrusting retrograde

4.climb back in and repeat as necessary.

doing this at Apoapsis will be the most efficient/ fastest, and will probably get you down as far as you need to go

This is a great answer, it will actually be a lot of fun buuuuuuuuut I would see that as tedious.

What I would do if I were you, for fun and practice, build another and have him EVA and then go back home. You will get more building practice, flying and rendezvous.

I have experimented with just that. Ap would be waaaaaaay out there and Pe would be just under 70k. It will become more and more efficient and you will eventually land. Just like mentioned above, it is due to aerobreaking.

If you are impatient (....or patient....) you could do the EVA+push trick.

Whatever method you go with, you will get him back for sure.

[Vedexent]

Bill: "We have no engines, no RCS, barely dipping into the atmosphere and running on backup oxygen. We're dead in the water. What do you suggest we do now?"

Jeb: "I'll be right back." *exits pod*

With re-entry heat being only cosmetic right now, it makes me wish you could put parachutes on Kerbalnauts: you could do an EVA thruster re-entry without the ship.

I've done an EVA orbital burn from the Mun when the lander ran out of fuel before establishing a full orbit, so I think an EVA re-entry could be fun.