Pingonaut Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 My question is simply how low can you get for a stable orbit? I want to put up a satellite that is really low but won\'t eventually fall to the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VincentMcConnell Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 70 Kilometers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingonaut Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VincentMcConnell Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 You\'re welcome. The atmosphere ends at 70KM, so you won\'t have to work against aerobraking. Good luck with the satellite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endeavour Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 If you really want the lowest I think that 69.1km is it. At that point you can warp at 10x, putting you on rails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmbralRaptor Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 If you want to squeeze every last meter out, 69,078 m. Precision errors may push you into the atmosphere, so 70 km is safer in some cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve5451 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I personally never orbit below 80km. It\'s a good habit to get in to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephram Kerman Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I\'m not sure if this is still true, but the last time I experimented with low altitudes, unfocused craft 'on rails' were not affected by drag. They plan to fix this, but I think it\'s still on the to-do list. Anything on rails below about 23 km gets suddenly vaporized. So theoretically, you should be able to orbit at 25 km, as long as you\'re not flying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingonaut Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 Lol, I think I\'ll stay at 75k, as I\'m not the most precise at orbital maneuvers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Orion Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 If you want to squeeze every last meter out, 69,078 m. Precision errors may push you into the atmosphere, so 70 km is safer in some cases.I believe that despite that being the time warp 'limit', in the games code it\'s actually 70 KM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmbralRaptor Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I believe that despite that being the time warp 'limit', in the games code it\'s actually 70 KM.Please explain. I can understand the 69,078 m limit being the game setting the atmosphere to zero once density/pressure is at 1e-6 sea level, but what about 70 km exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vexx32 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 He means that he thinks although the game\'s warp code registers you as being 'out of atmosphere' at 69,078m, the atmosphere actually ends at 70km.Even if it does, once you\'re on rails it doesn\'t actually matter, since the game ignores atmosphere when you\'re on rails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endeavour Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I\'m not sure if this is still true, but the last time I experimented with low altitudes, unfocused craft 'on rails' were not affected by drag. They plan to fix this, but I think it\'s still on the to-do list. Anything on rails below about 23 km gets suddenly vaporized. So theoretically, you should be able to orbit at 25 km, as long as you\'re not flying it.How do you go on rails at 25km? You can\'t switch ships in the atmosphere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samstarman5 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I\'m not sure if this is still true, but the last time I experimented with low altitudes, unfocused craft 'on rails' were not affected by drag. They plan to fix this, but I think it\'s still on the to-do list. Anything on rails below about 23 km gets suddenly vaporized. So theoretically, you should be able to orbit at 25 km, as long as you\'re not flying it.I think there is an minimum altitude limit where if it gets below a certain height on rails, it will just get removed. That might be just for unmanned floaties, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nibb31 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 How do you go on rails at 25km? You can\'t switch ships in the atmosphereYou can have a 25km periapsis and switch ships while the craft is above the atmosphere. Then you can watch it go down from another ship.When the object is on rails with a periapsis above 25km, it does not aerobrake, so it can stay there forever. It the periapsis is below 25km, it disappears as soon as it hits 25km. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephram Kerman Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 How do you go on rails at 25km? You can\'t switch ships in the atmosphereExit the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mincespy Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Well actually, if you were going fast enough and your orbit passed within 5 metres of the ground, you could theoretically return to space without using engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epoch Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I think orbiting below 70km is very difficult. I haven\'t successfully managed it and don\'t plan on trying again. I lost 3 brave kerbals that day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VincentMcConnell Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 It is difficult because it\'s practically impossible...If Kerbin had no atmosphere, you could orbit as low as a foot off of sea level, but that would only be if there was no terrain. The atmosphere drags on the ship, causing its orbit to decay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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