Different KSC locations and math

[regex]

So, in addition to everything else it does, RSS gives us the ability to shift around KSC (I'm sure there are others, that's just the one I'm messing with right now) and I got to thinking about moving it to the latitude of Baikonur Cosmodrome. KSC is on Kerbin's equator (or quite close to it) and provides a near-perfect launch profile to the rest of the system, so a shifted KSC would be extra challenging and such. Then I remembered that Kerbin has no axial tilt.

Since Earth actually has axial tilt to deal with we have things like the Tropic of Cancer which defines the maximum northern extent where the sun will lie directly overhead once per year. So, as I understand it, the actual Kennedy Space Station is only 5 degrees off from the Earth/Sun plane (from that frame of reference, I know we can get more involved but I'm simplifying for KSP) once a day because it lies at roughly 28 degrees North. Given that Kerbin has no tilt would it be safe to say that Kennedy Space Center would lie at (roughly) 5 degrees north on Kerbin, and Baikonur Cosmodrome would lie at (roughly) 23 degrees north, or am I hallucinating?

[NathanKell]

Depends what you want to optimize for, really. If you're doing geocentric then latitude should be Earth-correct. Same with selenocentric, since I gave the Moon the inclination to match Earth's equator, not the ecliptic. If you're doing non-EMS stuff then that math sounds right.

[regex]

It's more just for "faking it" since I'm interested in upscaling the Kerbin system rather than replicating Earth. I suppose I could just choose any old arbitrary numbers for KSC's latitude, but it just feels more "authentic" this way. Anyway, thanks.

[NathanKell]

I'd recommend maybe 15 degrees then? It gives you a decent dogleg you have to make for escape trajectories, and a moderate plane change for KEO.

[regex]

That sounds pretty good for a first go. Time to find another flat spot.

[ferram4]

May I suggest looking at the mountains slightly south of the equator on the opposite side of Kerbin from where KSC is normally located? It'll probably get flattened a bit by the upscaling but if you do it properly there should be an entertaining bit of terrain around the launch site then. There's what looks to be a flattish area at 15 S, 55 E according to this heightmap on the wiki. Sure, you're dumping stages onto the mountains to the east, but it would probably look cool.

[regex]

Damn the environment, launching over mountains would be pretty cool. I was also thinking it'd be interesting to have several different locations commented out in the config so that anyone who was using it could choose, but that really depends on how motivated I get.

[jwenting]

if the mountains are tall enough, putting it on top of them would provide a nice boost

[Camacha]

Damn the environment

Well, I think the ocean or any other flat dry land would also be considered part of the environment. Bar the cities, but you would not want to be dumping stuff above those anyway. Bad for funding and such.

[regex]

Well, I think the ocean or any other flat dry land would also be considered part of the environment. Bar the cities, but you would not want to be dumping stuff above those anyway. Bad for funding and such.

No need to get all serious about it.

I'm still learning the coordinate system...

[Javster]

Kennedy Space Station?

[regex]

I'm putting this aside for a bit. I can't figure out the repositionRadial vector system for the life of me, it does some very weird things. It doesn't seem to conform to a cartesian system at all... I've fudged KSC into a usable location but it's always hovering some meters off the ground.