HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT? - future implementation of an asteroid belt

[KN_Namida]

SO YEAH

Asteroids are coming soonâ„¢ and, if you saw any of the videos on youtube that show what they're going to look like, I bet you're pretty excited

So, IF the devs plan to add, in an unspecified future, an asteroid belt into the stock game, probably near Dres's orbit, now they're one step closer!

How do you think it should be pulled off? How would you like it to be?

Personally, since we'e talking about a proper belt, not just some lone rocks drifting in space near Kerbin, I think the density of asteroids in the belt should be quite higher than the one in Kerbin's proximity. Enough asteroids so that, if you want to go and check one out, you can do so without tons of efforts, but still not so many as to pose problems while traversing the belt. I think you understood me, maybe around 100 bodies or a bit more on Dres's orbit, of different sizes (maybe not limiting them to the sizes of the ones near Kerbin). Maybe they could be, partially or entirely, randomly generated, as I guess the ones coming soonâ„¢ will be.

And like, if you want to track one of them, you can't do it from the tracking station, since they're so far out, you'd need a space telescope. Or, you'd have to go near one (relatively near) and then select it from map view to check its trajectory... I mean, this are just some ideas.

If you guys have your opinion about the topic, or other/better ideas regarding a possible asteroid belt in the game, feel free to post below

[6.forty]

Why not, I might acknowledge that Dres actually exists for once.

[Paul Kingtiger]

I'd do it like they have with the near Kerbin objects. Have asteroids spawn as they are discovered by telescopes, except these asteroids would be in orbits around the sun at a distance range set for the belt.

On top of that you could have telescope parts that worked in orbit to increase the rate that you discovered 'roids.

[Lone K.]

It would become difficult to get through, but there's nothing better than a sense of accomplishment.

Wait, who said we needed to go through it anyways?

[jwenting]

yay, another excuse for RANDOM FAILURES!

[Spuds]

In the FAR future of KSP, I'd like to see all kinds of asteroids, like S-type and Rocky asteroids. I'd also like to see asteroids in different locations, like having Jool Trojans at the (Not simulated, just observed) L4 and L5 of Jool. Telescopes would be cool, but I'm more than happy to mess with these asteroids for a long time

[Joonatan1998]

It would become difficult to get through, but there's nothing better than a sense of accomplishment.

Wait, who said we needed to go through it anyways?

Difficult to get through...

Space is very big.

Asteroids are very small

Probability of hitting one of these < 0.0000000000001

[cziken20]

Actially 100 asteroids in asteroid belt would make the chance to get hit by one of them while passing to be something like 0.0001 %... or less.

Edit: ninja'd

Edited March 25, 2014 by cziken20

[Amaroq]

I think there's room for three different "types" of asteroid in any asteroid belt we're talking about:

1. Large - E.g., Dres. Known objects, observable from Kerbin with sufficient optics, permanently tracked in the tracking station. Essentially, you could place say 3-10 more little asteroids in Dres-like orbits, objects on the scope of Bop, Gilly, Pol, and Minmus. These would be run on rails as Dres is. The hardest part would be giving them orbits such that their SOI's can't intersect while remaining very close to each other in apparent orbit (inclination, etc).

2. Medium - Would work exactly as the near Kerbin objects do; see Paul Kingtiger's post above me if you're unclear. In fact, drop in Spuds idea as an "easter egg". Not on the map, but if you do go think to go check out the Joolean L4 and L5 points, there turn out to be asteroids there.

(I've actually long-hoped for some things that are equivalent to this: not on the map, but if you use real-world Science, you might hypothesize that something exists there .. and be able to find it experimentally. Think, discovery of Neptune.)

3. Tiny - Think "navigational hazards". Can't be spotted by telescope in advance. They spawn at the limit of your physics when you're in the area of the belt, on a typical Kerbol-centric orbit that would give them a similar period to Dres. Affected by the gravity well of the current SOI.

[InfinityArch]

yay, another excuse for RANDOM FAILURES!

You do realize, even with an asteroid belt as populated as the IRL belt, the odds of actually hitting one on a given trajectory is practically negligible. That said, I have a feeling you'd have to worry about micrometeorite impacts more passing through an asteroid belt, though if it became an issue you could just change your orbit's inclination to avoid the belt.