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Question: If I were to launch an SSTO from the runway at the KSC, would there be a theoretical limit to how much delta-v it could have? I'm talking completely stock, and on the most efficient flight path.

KSP Visual Calculator Online calculator tool for Kerbal Space Program Delta-V Planner Click the planets and moons that you want to visit to get a total required delta-v number for the mission A mission can contain multiple checkpoints to visit, each on different planets, moons, and orbital situations (or surface landed) Also provides a step-by-step breakdown for each leg in the journey Shows the delta-v requirements for every possible trip combination (delta-v subway-maps only work when Kerbin is one of the locations) Configure custom preferences such as aerobraking at specific locations, applying a margin of error to your mission, or calculating the most efficient route instead of a direct route Save & export the mission as a JSON file to share with others CommNet Planner Create satellites, relays, rovers, stations, bases, etc. with a custom selection of antennae, then drag those around the screen to see where commnet connections are valid Every craft automatically indicates if it has control or not based on the relay networks it is connected to Use this to plan out communication network constellations, without having to trial-and-error this in-game Set the DSN Tracking Station level at Kerbin to match in-game upgrade progress Set the CommNet difficulty settings to match the settings in-game Add Remote Guidance cores in craft to test a piloted base providing remote control to a rover, even when a connection to Kerbin is out of reach Shows detailed stats such as cost, power rating, mass, transmission speed, etc. for the entire collection of antennae on each craft Save & export the constellation as a JSON file to share with others ISRU Mining Station Calculator Design a mining base by swapping out different parts to see their effects on the system Select the planets or moon for the mining base, adjust the ore concentration, and even add a specific skill engineer onboard Toggle the type of processing that the ISRU will be doing. Only refining Liquid Fuel? Then only turn on Liquid Fuel refining Fuel cells, solar panels, and RTGs can be added for power supply A handy 'Production and Consumption' panel displays the total outputs, and any deficiencies of the system Number sliders control the amount of each part. Use this to adjust the amount of drills, or power sources, or radiators until the outputs are green with no deficiencies Warning messages highlight potential issues in the design, such as not having 'Ore Storage' parts Choose from 73 stock parts Save & export the parts selection design as a JSON file to share with others https://ksp-visual-calculator.blaarkies.com/ Checkout the github repo

I see TWR in the Engineer's Report in the VAB. Is there a way to see DV? Also, is there a way to see TWR per-stage? Is there Kerbal Engineer / MechJeb functionality coming?

TL;DR Multi stage rockets are generally more efficient, but what size should the stages be? I found this cool demo that calculates the final delta-v of a 2-stage rocket, depending on the size of the stages relative to each other. I just wanted to share this with KSP players, and if a good discussion comes out of this, even better https://www.desmos.com/calculator/9dhepscogp (original link found in stackexchange https://space.stackexchange.com/a/56105) It is an interactive equation that lets you drag around the mass ratio (b) of 1st stage to 2nd stage, and see the results on the final dv. My optimal ratio between stages are usually 2/3. To get this. look at the mass of the entire 1st upper stage. Then build a 2nd lower stage that masses 2x the 1st upper stage's mass. Continue doing this for even more stages... I think the included price of engines have an effect here. But it looks like perfect stage size could get more complicated than that, depending on the specific mission that you have in mind.

If you play KSP with both stock planets and the modded planets from the Outer Planets mod, you probably use the Combined Community delta-V map to get the dV numbers for all planets, be it modded or stock. Unfortunately, Eeloo gets moved around in the Outer Planets mod, and after a few miscalculations and several ruined missions, I decided to tweak the chart to show the figures for both the stock AND the Outer Planets versions of Eeloo. Enjoy! NOTE: 99% of the work on this map was not done by me (see credits in the top left). This is just a little Eeloo fix so this map works for both modded and stock KSP. Original map here:

One thing BetterBurnTime / Basic ΔV / KER / MechJeb / et al are missing: a way to 'reserve' x amount of ΔV to 'burnback'/deorbit/land a stage. So what I am asking is an addon with a small footprint that adjusts the active stages ΔV to reserve a set amount of ΔV to deorbit that stage - that 'reserve' amount would not show up in ΔV burn time / available ΔV for that stage. (In a way , like landertrons are not included) so active stage has 1000 m/s ΔV burnback ΔV is set to 100 m/s ΔV active stage only shows 900 m/s ΔV and any autostage will see only 900 m/s ΔV and stage after 900 m/s ΔV is consumed. stretch would be actually compute required m/s ΔV for destructive deorbit/controlled deorbit/landing deorbit anywhere/

I understand the dV map to get from Kerbin to LKO is 3400, another 950 gets me to the sun and then 90 more will get me to a fly-by Eve with another 80 to get into orbit and 1350 to circularize just over the atmo. So to get into orbit of Eve I would need 5850 (plus margin) to simply get to the orbit of Eve. If I want to return from Eve to Kerbin what parts of that do I need to account for? Do I need to add the whole thing back or can I forget that 1330 that was used to circularize?

I've recently begun considering launching a flyby probe to the sun, making a quick pass just below 16 km to grab science, then transmitting it back to Kerbin once at a safe distance. However, I'm struggling with actually finding a way to get there. The intended payload: 1 x HECS core 1 x thermometer 1 x barometer 3 x Z-200 battery 2 x DTS-1 antenna (Antenna Helper says this gives 18% coverage at Moho for DSN level 2, so I'm hoping it's just enough to reach the sun) 2 x Solar panel 1x6 (retractable) 4 x Thermal Control System (small) 1 x Heat shield (1.25m) at the very front, to be pointed radial-in during final approach Strapping this payload to an FL-T800 tank with a Spark gives about 4100 m/s; however, the maneuver node says (and the community dV map concurs) I need nearly double that amount to reach the target periapse. I am not trying to achieve orbit, just a close flyby. How do I get it, without nukes or ions?

Hi folks! As far as I've looked, I couldn't find anything like this, so here goes... I've tried to create an Excel workbook to help you calculate how much Δv a craft needs for different manoeuvres, including going to a stationary or resonant orbit, hohmann transfers and inclination changes. I'm Dutch so my OS (and by extension, Excel) is Dutch as well, but it should work fine on any other language. Here are some screenshots of the first release: https://imgur.com/a/AMqom Time for the first release! Hope you guys like it! I strongly advise you to read the instructions. Since my native tongue is Dutch I hope the translations make sense. If you have any advice for me to make things clearer, please don't hesitate to tell me. LINK! Changelist: How to use the sheets: This workbook is most suitable for, though not limited to, both stock and OPM installations of KSP. Calculate stationary/resonant orbit Use this sheet to calculate at which altitude your craft/satellite/etc. needs to be at, when you want it to stay above a specific point on the surface of the celestial it's orbiting. You can also calculate resonant orbits. In combination with the other calculations, it can help you figure out how much Δv your craft needs. Δv Hohmann Manoeuvre Use this calculation when you want to know how much Δv your craft needs to change orbit altitudes. This can come in very handy when building your craft. Δv Change inclination (e≈0) Use this calculation when you want to know how much Δv your craft needs to change its inclination. This can come in very handy when building your craft. However, this calculation method is only valid if your orbit is (close to) circular. If the eccentricity is too much, use the next sheet. Δv Change inclination (e<0) Use this calculation when you want to know how much Δv your craft needs to change its inclination AND it has an orbital eccentricity that's not (close to) 0. This can come in very handy when building your craft. (You can still use this calculation when the eccentricity is 0, but it’s not worth the hassle.) Free Sheet You are free to use this sheet any way you wish; to store your own values and/or make your own calculations. Things to take into account when working with these formulas - For the inclination change calculations, you need to use your judgement to decide whether to use the e≈0, or e<0 variant. - All the calculations assume you wish you change only that for which the calculation is suitable, nothing else. If you wish to change apsis and inclination at the same time, you’re out of luck, because that’s not included in this workbook and you can’t simply add up the results of formulas. It’s way more complicated than that. Disclaimer This workbook can help you out in KSP (and maybe some other games/simulators). Keep in mind though that as thorough and accurate as I have tried to be, errors may still have slipped in. I (the creator of this workbook) will not be held responsible for ruined games. Having said that, of course I would be sorry if something went wrong because of an error in this workbook. Would you kindly point it out to me in this thread. I’ve deliberately put a lock on all the worksheets (except the ‘free’ one), so the cells containing essential information and formulas are protected from accidentally selecting and changing them. I’ve also provided the password for each of them, in case you do want to change something. If you’d like to see anything added and/or changed, please ask me in this thread. I can and will not make any promises, except for taking a look. Please don’t spread this workbook elsewhere without consulting me first, thank you very much!

Hi, So I made this game where you rate the person above you from the dV from a certain trip. You can rank from 0 to 10 depending on how much dV they have spent on a certain trip. I Start: Mun and back: 6800m/s Minmus and Back: 5700m/s Duna and Back: 7350m/s

Hello! I have recently gotten into calculating the delta V of all my rockets, just for fun , and have come across a problem. I have some rockets where the first stage is a liquid fueled engine and 2 SRB's. The basic equation assumes that all of the boosters burn out at the same time. However, in this case, the SRB's burn out first, while the liquid-fueled portion of the stage continues burning. Is there any perfect equation for this calculation?

I've been constructing a custom solar system lately, and being the math geek I am, I decided to try and create a Dv map for my system. The only problem being that I have no clue what I'm doing. I can't even seem to recreate the numbers I see on Dv maps for the stock game. I know that I should consider the Vis-Viva equation and assume everything's co-planar and perfectly circular but is there something I'm missing? I would also like to discuss about any other formulas, such as which would yield the most effective results. I would really appreciate it if somebody could enlighten me on this subject. It would also help other system-builders with their work.

So I noticed last week that I only needed something like 200 delta-V to get from a keosynchronous orbit at 2800 km to Munar orbit. And it got me thinking. I know for interplanetary transfers Oberth effect is a big thing, but what's the real difference between a 100km orbit and a 1000 km orbit in terms of Oberth effect? Also, for transfers within the Kerbin-Mun-Minmus system, I know in theory you're losing a bit of dV going from a Hohman transfer to a round orbit, and then from that round orbit to another Hohman transfer -- you should be losing roughly as much dV as you're spending to circularize, unless your first Hohman transfer was pointing in the wrong direction (at which point it's a wash). Is this intuitive answer anywhere near correct?

I'm a long-time player, but I've never been much good at efficiently building for interplanetary missions. Though I've gone interplanetary, it's pretty much just luck if I make it or not. No matter what, I can't seem to build a craft with more than 11km/s dV. I'm basically looking to have two questions answered: 1. How do I find out exactly how much dV a trip will take? I've seen dV maps, but don't have much of an idea how to read them. 2. How much dV should each stage have, starting from LKO?

When playing KSP on my laptop, Kerbal Engineer is a must have mod. Any plans on adding a craft or stage Dv calculator to the craft editor?

Easy: Get to Jool with the least amount of delta-v. Medium: Get to Jool with the least amount of delta-v and come back. Hard: Get to Jool with the least amount of delta-v, go into the upper atmosphere, release a spaceplane, fly that spaceplane for 90 seconds while your craft is descending, then achieve orbit and come back. Ultra Hard: Get to Jool with the least amount of delta-v, go into the upper atmosphere, release a spaceplane, fly that spaceplane to space while your craft is descending, then achieve orbit, transfer to Vall orbit, escape, and then come back. No Alt-F12 or HyperEdit. Rules: "Upper Atmosphere" is designated as 100-200km. You must release your spaceplane between 125-150km. Only stock parts, Engineer, MechJeb, and KW Rocketry parts are allowed. (KW Rocketry for the big fuel tanks/powerful engines for hard/ultrahard) "Vall orbit" is designated as a orbit within Vall's SOI and not going within 10km. "come back" is designated as hitting, or landing Kerbin, or having a orbit with a periapsis of 70km or lower. "least amount of delta-v" is designated as total dv. You may not use a stock spaceplane. People who have tried: Easy: PLAD [V0.90] - Vall capture. See post 7 for link. 1,017m/s. PLAD, Attempt 3 [V1.1.1] - 916m/s. Medium: PLAD (again) - 1,012m/s back, Hard: Ultra Hard: Gatecrashers: PLAD, Attempt 1 [V0.23.5] - Thought that aerobraking-to-orbit was allowed.

I am planning on going on a trip around the solar system and I was wondering: What is highest amount of DV it will take to go from one planet to the next (including moons)? In other words, how much DV does it take to travel between each planet/moon? Thanks in advance!

I got tired of doing a complex set of calculations from scratch every time I wanted to find the dV of a given Hohmann transfer, so eventually I sat down and made an excel calculator to do it for me. Which led to this: And this: These are reference tables for periapse and apoapse velocities for Hohmann transfers between numerous orbits of interest around the earth and the moon. They should be pretty self-explanatory. These won't give you dV directly; instead, you have to subtract your current velocity from your target velocity. So if you're at a low orbit and want to go up to a higher one, subtract your circular-orbit velocity (in purple) from the periapse velocity (in pink) matching your orbital altitude to the target altitude and execute that burn. Once you reach the apoapse of the Hohmann transfer at your target altitude, subtract your new velocity (in blue, matching the new altitude to your starting altitude) from your target orbit's circular velocity (in purple) and execute that burn to circularize. To drop to a lower orbit, do the same thing in reverse. The EML-1 and EML-2 points are reference for an orbit at that distance; the perigee burn is the same, but the apogee burn needs to match the lunar-circular velocity instead. Actually that's not perfectly correct (since it matches period not speed), but I'm using patched-conic anyway so it's close enough. I've made a correction to the original so that the EML-1 and EML-2 circular velocities are the period-matching velocities rather than the reference velocities for an orbit at that distance. On the lunar side those points are stationary so you don't have to match velocity at all, In the lunar reference table, the circular velocities for EML-1 and EML-2 are for orbits with that distance but at other points; if you are actually reaching one of these points, you just kill your elliptic-orbit apolune velocity. Then I decided to go ahead and create a complete dV map for all major cislunar transfers. I can't attach it here but I posted it at the following link: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=39942.0 Here's a reduced-size version of the dV map; if you want the full-size version, you'll have to go to the link above or click here.

Hi. While designing an engine mod, often I've had the idea of creating an engine that uses a regular propellant (liquid fuel, intakeAir) alongside a massless 'propellant', such as ElectricCharge. How do Mechjeb or KerbalEngineer calculate deltaV in that case? Is there a workaround if they can't? Is there a way to create some sort of Generator module with its consumption of a massless resource tied to that of the propellant flow, outside of an Engine module that Mechjeb/Kerbal Engineer reads?