Simplified on-rails atmospheric "drag"

[Wjolcz]

The word "drag" is in qutation marks because I don't really mean actual drag here. Here's the original idea: 

Quote

 

I wish the game simulated the behaviour  of vessels below 70km. The Ap/Pe could randomly decay between 50-100m per orbit, or something like that. There would be also a date in which the vessel would eventually "reenter and burn up" and be simply removed from the map view and persisten file.

It would be a fun challenge if contracts could spawn such vessels and say something like "Space cowboys! We need your assistance! Go and grab that sat before [insert date here] or else it might reenter and fall on an innocent inhabitant of our beautiful planet!"

Basically simplified on-rails simulation. Wouldn't have to take aerodynamic forces and shapes into account.

 

I'm lazy, I know. Basically a date of eventual and definite reentry would be set based upon the Ap and Pe (if both are in the atmosphere). What do you think?

Edited January 21, 2016 by Veeltch

[KSK]

It would definitely be a convenience. I delete my orbital debris anyway, provided that it's periapsis is below 70km - at that point I know I could 'fly' it until it reenters and crashes but I can rarely be bothered to so I just delete it. Anything in a stable orbit gets left, to be dealt with 'properly'. Having all that happen automatically would be nice.

I'm not completely sold on the contracts but I see no reason not to include them. After a while, I think they would suffer from the same immersion problems as the rescue mission contracts - who are these other space programs that are littering space with busted satellites? And why do they always need me to bail them out?

But that's just me.

[worir4]

That would be cool! 'Save a kerbal in his craft before it re-enters' contract. It would have a short time limit to make it a real challenge. 

[arkie87]

I was thinking something similar regarding your contract idea, though not related to "on-rails" drag. 

Basic idea would be a craft or asteroid that just entered Kerbin's SoI on a collision course. You have to launch a craft and intercept it before it impacts Kerbin. 

[FungusForge]

There's this Orbital Decay mod, which if nothing else, is proof that the potential to do something like this would be possible. And I'd honestly like to see something like that, it'd be quite the interesting feature in the stock game.

[Wjolcz]

7 minutes ago, FungusForge said:

There's this Orbital Decay mod, which if nothing else, is proof that the potential to do something like this would be possible. And I'd honestly like to see something like that, it'd be quite the interesting feature in the stock game.

I didn't know there was a mod for that! Too bad it's outdated.

[FungusForge]

30 minutes ago, Veeltch said:

I didn't know there was a mod for that! Too bad it's outdated.

According to its forum thread it works fine in 1.0.5.

[pandaman]

As the OP mentioned, a simple stock feature that 'simulated' the effect of drag on stuff that enters the atmosphere would be a nice addition, and a fairly simple way around the 'on rails' limitations.  Using it to enhance the contracts would be neat too.

[Snikersnee]

I second the notion to add on rails drag.

EDIT: found this nifty little pdf about ISS altitude changes

Edited January 23, 2016 by Play_LORD

[Psycho_zs]

+1 on this. It should be relatively simple to just decrease the speed of the craft at some point(s) when it zips through the atmosphere. I.e. at Pe and maybe at a couple of points between Pe and atmospheric boundary. The amount of speed change could depend on the altitude and 'drag' value which could be precalculated and saved while the ship is still in focus.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Psycho_zs