Formulas in KSP (help! L

[Mahone]

Hi all. First of all sorry for my English and any mistakes, because i don't know it well. I wanna ask you about ksp formulas (Math, Physics, Astronomy) . Does anyone use formulas for play in KSP? I mean use them to calculate all aspects of your mission such as time to reach orbit, transfer to another plane and etc. Can someone help me or maybe show where i can find some good information?

[Red Iron Crown]

This site is really good for orbital mechanics math without overwhelming non-physicists. (Hi OhioBob!)

[mhoram]

While the infos about the atmosphere and engines are outdated, you can find many aspects about the orbital calculations in my Physics of KSP documentation.

[NielsBohr]

I can highly recommend the links provided by the above gentlemen. Learning through video is also an option and there are multiple excellent videos on youtube explaining how to calculate the most crucial aspect of space missions.

A very powerful equation is the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation - and it's really simple to utilize.

Learning the Hohmann transfer is also extremely powerful and again fairly easy to utilize. Essentially you'll get to the so-called vis-viva equation and this equation allows you to calculate the periapsis/apoapsis velocity of a given orbit (v is highest at periapsis and lowest at apoapsis), thus you can calculate the difference, delta-v, between a current orbit and a desired orbit, and derive the needed energy for the orbit transfer. The equation is incredibly simple for circular orbits and remains simple indeed for elliptical orbits.

Those equations would be a great start for a new player.

For planetary transfer an understanding of trigonometry is essential. The ability to draw triangles ought never to be underestimated.

edit: you must also explore the thrust-to-weight ratio equation. This will ensure that your rocket will actually lift-off.

(I would be happy to help you out, just throw me a PM)

The PDF by Mr.@mhoram includes the above equations and much much more. Highly recommended.

[cantab]

I use the rocket equation in situations where Kerbal Engineer gives no or wrong values, notably to work out how much delta-V my RCS can give me. I use basic Newtonian Mechanics to get a burn time estimate if, again, KER or the game aren't helping, in particular I make a mental estimate of when I should start my landing burn on an airless body. That's about it. I've never worked out numbers in orbital mechanics myself, maybe I should some day.

[Mahone]

Thank you so much. But i'm not a new player in ksp. I played a lot and realized that i want to understand the mechanics of the game by learning how to calculate some aspects of missions.

[Joshwoo70]

use kerbal engineer it will help you

[OhioBob]

This site is really good for orbital mechanics math without overwhelming non-physicists. (Hi OhioBob!)

Hi, Mahone. I'm the creator of the web site to which Red Iron Crown has provided a link (above). I think the Orbital Mechanics and Rocket Propulsion pages contain everything you need, and perhaps more. The pages pretty much speak for themselves, but I'm here to help if you have any questions.

I also agree with NielsBohr that the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation (#1.17) and the Vis-viva equation (#4.45) are probably the two most useful equations to master when playing KSP.

- - - Updated - - -

use kerbal engineer it will help you

Kerbal Engineer is a solution, not an answer. It is a shortcut to understanding.

Edited September 17, 2015 by OhioBob

[Freshmeat]

I found that doing the calculations a few times by pocket calculator and spreadsheet will help understanding of the game tremendously. After that, you know how to read the information from KER and manipulate maneuver nodes far faster. Try getting to the Mun and back without nodes and eyeballing, but calculating deltaV for your rocket, and required phase angle and velocity from a parking orbit.