Satellite Question

[funkcanna]

Hi, Ive searched for this but can't seem to find it so apologies if its already been asked.

Ive started taking a couple of Satellite contracts and while I can complete them its through eyeballing only. I have really no idea how to work out or even SEE what the Longitude of Ascending Node or Arg of Periapsis are or how to change them. I can easily match the Ap and Pe but the rest is just done by eyeballing the target green orbit.

Is there a way to do this correctly? Also is it possible (and relevant!) to see my own orbits current AN and DN?

Thanks!

Edited March 5, 2015 by funkcanna

[Barefoot Friar]

My advice to you is to get MechJeb or Kerbal Engineer Redux; both of those give you the numbers you need to complete the contracts.

[Acet]

You need to upgrade your tracking station to Level 2 before you can see the Ascending and Descending nodes.

[Navy2k]

Hi,

my approach is to align my view so that both orbits are overlapping themselves. If you are in a equatorial orbit your camera have to be also in the same plane so that the orbit is visually only as a line and then i turn the camera around this orbit until the target orbit is also only a line. There the two orbits should look like a X and at the intersection of this 2 lines I make my planechange. After this its only burning prograde until your apoapsis reaches the target orbit and at this new apoapsis finish the desired orbit with another prograde burn.

Greetings

Ben

[funkcanna]

My advice to you is to get MechJeb or Kerbal Engineer Redux; both of those give you the numbers you need to complete the contracts.

I have mechjeb installed but no clue how to use it yet! However I just checked it out for this mission and while the contract gives the LOA as 330.6, when I put this in Mechjeb the manoeuvre looks totally different to whats required?

[Jethro420]

You need to upgrade your tracking station to Level 2 before you can see the Ascending and Descending nodes.

This is correct.

[Barefoot Friar]

Try adding a negative to the MJ maneuver. If that doesn't work, try doing a bit of math, subtracting various angles from 360 until you can get MJ to put up the maneuver you want. That last bit sounds a lot more complicated than it really is, but I'm terrible at describing how to do simple geometry equations.

As for the information itself, open the "Orbit" box from the main MJ menu. Up in the corner (left, IIRC) is an "E" and a "C". Clicking one of them will open a new box that will let you customize what info it shows you. I added LAN and AoP to mine just for that reason.

[funkcanna]

Thanks all, ill give it a go using MechJeb

[Barefoot Friar]

Oh, another thing: It may be putting the node in the wrong place in your orbit. Once MJ places the node, you can click on it and drag it around to see if it would line up better elsewhere. Once you're satisfied, you can either fly it yourself or click "execute maneuver" and let it do its thang.

[Mahnarch]

Ain't no thang like a Mech Jeb thang!*

*unless it tries to catch up to your orbiter by taking a shortcut THROUGH the Mun.