Naturally captured asteroid?!?!

[dharak1]

So I was going about my day in KSP Building rockets and when I went to launch my 7th asteroid satellite I noticed something in a very elliptical polar orbit around Kerbin. I go and check it out and it turns out it was an asteroid I had been tracking! First of all, is this even possible? Did my game glitch out and accidentally make an asteroid enter orbit around Kerbin? Second of all What are the odds of this? I have 36 asteroids being tracked and 7 unknown at the moment. Should I hitch a ride for when it gets ejected? I can post pictures if you want.

[Mach_XXII]

I have had 2 or 3 that have been self captured

[StrandedonEarth]

I have 2 that spawned/captured in kerbin orbit, and 1 that hit the planet. I've only done one asteroid rendezous so far, I haven't tried moving one yet

[dharak1]

So it is possible. I just looked at this one in the tracking station turns out its not captured just very close and it leaves Kerbins orbit in 30 days. I kind of want to try and capture it because it's only a class A

[Superfluous J]

There are 2 ways for this to happen.

1: Like what Stranded had, where they actually spawn within Kerbin's SOI and start orbiting.

2: If one enters Kerbin's SOI in a "nearly captured" orbit and you're time warping, the SOI/Warp bug could make it become captured.

[MaverickSawyer]

My first rendezvous/capture/divert took place after a Class C spawned into a highly elliptical and inclined orbit around Kerbin. Collision has been averted, and it's being dragged to a less-inclined orbit.

[lordlundar]

The way it's set up most (if not all) asteroids will eventually enter Kerbin's SoI at some point, either orbital capture or impact. Usually either the Mun or Minmus deflects them enough to get captured. The catch is it's not permanent and eventually the same celestial body will cross paths again and deflect it out.

[Daddy Cecil]

Got two that got self-captured. I managed to get a Class C have a 187km periapsis, I need bigger parts to circularize tho (just used Rockomax x32 and Poodle)

[dharak1]

I haven't tried to capture any yet I'm just getting a bunch of satellites and stations around the system because I had to restart my game.

[omegamatrixhh]

Naturally captured asteroids are typically called "moons", as you can see with Deimos around Mars or Amalthea around Jupiter. Most Jovian moons seem to be captured asteroids, with the rest being leftovers from the accretion disks of the planets or the solar system. So to answer your question, not only is it possible, but rather common, at least as far as we know.

[Superfluous J]

Naturally captured asteroids are typically called "moons", as you can see with Deimos around Mars or Amalthea around Jupiter. Most Jovian moons seem to be captured asteroids, with the rest being leftovers from the accretion disks of the planets or the solar system. So to answer your question, not only is it possible, but rather common, at least as far as we know.

It's (moderately) common in our universe, but in the Kerbal universe it is technically impossible due to the way the sphere of influences work.

[dharak1]

I knew it could happen IRL but I wasn't sure if it could actually happen in KSP. A couple of minutes ago I had one spawn in Kerbin orbit.

[dharak1]

Oops double post

[TimePeriod]

I would assume if an asteroid got into a areocapture of some kind it may be enough to slow it down into a kerbin orbit.

[masternerdguy]

Is it possible that it was captured by a Mun encounter?

[qromodynmc]

I had one of those asteroids too,I sent a rocket to take it into low orbit. Probably they are spawning into kerbin orbit,I cant think any other options.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

The closest naturally captured asteroid I ever had was a B class with an eccentricity of 1.1'

[yaur]

It's (moderately) common in our universe, but in the Kerbal universe it is technically impossible due to the way the sphere of influences work.

Nope. With a mun/minmus encounter it could happen with patched conics. Edited April 20, 2014 by yaur

[Sirrobert]

I would assume if an asteroid got into a areocapture of some kind it may be enough to slow it down into a kerbin orbit.

No the thing is it's periaps is than still in atmosphere, so the next orbit it'll get slowed down more (and more and more and more)

[TimePeriod]

No the thing is it's periaps is than still in atmosphere, so the next orbit it'll get slowed down more (and more and more and more)

That may not be a bad idea assuming ofc that the asteroid does not have a 40k PE/AP or something like it as it would reduce the amount of fuel needed to get out there and raise either.

[magnemoe]

Is it possible that it was captured by a Mun encounter?

Yes if it enter Mun SOI it can be captured by kerbin, however its orbit will get inside Mun SOI making it unstable. Mun or Minmus transfer stages who get into Mun SOI tend to end up in solar orbits. This happens with Moon transfer stages in real lift too.

[Superfluous J]

Nope. With a mun/minmus encounter it could happen with patched conics.

Nope. That sort of capture is temporary, as it would result in an orbit for the asteroid that would pass through that same region of space. Eventually Mun or Minmus would be there again and the asteroid would be redirected again, either out of the system or into a collision, or into another orbit with another inevitable future encounter with the moon.

[benschwab]

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_capture a naturally captured asteroid needs influence from a third body (like an already established moon) to provide gravity breaking to slow the asteroid down from a hyperbolic trajectory into an elliptical trajectory.

Also according to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Jupiter the captured asteroid moons of Jupiter are thought to have slowed down to orbital speed while the planet was still forming.

[Djolox]

I had one that had a 54km Pe and a very slow flyby and it aerobraked just enough to get captured.

What are the odds for this?!

[Madrias]

I've got one save where an asteroid was captured in orbit, and another, in my Career Save, where I made the mistake of ticking the 'Track' button on the asteroids and had one smash into KSC.