Opinion-Ion engine for stationkeeping.

[SSSPutnik]

I'm building an orbital fuel dump. Lots of tank, (well about 8 or more big oranges) at 160km. It has plentiful gigantor panels.

What's the thought on using an ion engine for station keeping and/or changing orbit? Speed isn't an issue.

Yes I could put a mainsail on but trying to make more elegant.

Edited November 18, 2013 by SSSPutnik
Answered I think.

[Borogove]

If you're willing to accept the time it takes to shift your orbit, it's the most realistic and efficient choice.

[rpayne88]

You shouldn't need to station keep. KSP doesn't simulate not spherical SOI or miniscule aerodynamic drag in orbit. IRL, these are both issues that are remedied by station keeping. Ions will allow you to change its orbit, though.

[Cheaterman]

Make it do a round trip to Jool and post screens. That's how you become famous here

[SSSPutnik]

lol! OK that's a deal.

Seriously though, orbit does seem to change by minor amounts due to docking nudges etc.

Maybe I'll push it out to Minimus eventually.

[ddenis]

Just do it!

And then post here how much days it took you to rise Ap to 100 km higher with 8 orange tanks and as many ion engines. as you wish.

But if I were you, I would create an orange tank with one Ion engine and enough solar panels. And with HyperEdit move it into Kerbin orbit. Then try how it works.

HyperEdit - great mode for testing your concepts before doing real flight.

[SunJumper]

Ion engines could be useful for maintaining orbit at about 40km...

[KvickFlygarn87]

Ion engines could be useful for maintaining orbit at about 40km...

Well, yeah, but you couldn't leave the game with the station up as you would have to go to space center, and you can't do that in atmosphere.

[SSSPutnik]

Bespin style?

[SunJumper]

Well, yeah, but you couldn't leave the game with the station up as you would have to go to space center, and you can't do that in atmosphere.

You could do it for bragging rights though...

Also, I'd be able to estimate how low one could go with this if I knew how to convert from atmospheric pressure to atmospheric density. I know density = PM/RT in real life, but the values for M or R or T might be different than what we would expect.

Hence, by my estimates, if the above applies, I'd expect minimum altitude from the ions would be about 46 to 47km.

Edited November 18, 2013 by SunJumper

[numerobis]

I calculate that if you have a 2-tonne spacecraft at a 50km polar orbit, you need 0.48 kN of thrust to overcome drag. I'm calculating a polar orbit because you'd need to be sun-synchronous at the limb (you'd need to pay to precess your orbit, but that shouldn't be much compared to drag), otherwise you need a lot of generation or storage to operate in darkness.

[Soda Popinski]

While you could realistically keep a satellite in the atmosphere, like the GOCE, under constant ion thrust, in game, you couldn't never leave it. The game engine will consider it under acceleration, so you can't switch.