Sun tracking

[Jimbodiah]

Hi Guys,

Is there any mod out there that allows for a station/satellite to constantly face the sun, like some part you put on that will use SAS to keep facing one direction?

[Theysen]

Persistent Rotation can help you do so

[Jimbodiah]

I've tried hat, but it only keeps the ship in the same position to a relative body. It does not actively turn the vessel towards it from a certain part's perspective.

[Drew Kerman]

32 minutes ago, Jimbodiah said:

I've tried hat, but it only keeps the ship in the same position to a relative body. It does not actively turn the vessel towards it from a certain part's perspective.

if you're using a non-tracking solar panel then you'll have to do the work yourself, and get the probe spinning at the right speed to always be facing the sun while it orbits. For this, Persistent Rotation will indeed do the trick, just not automagically

[Jimbodiah]

Not looking for PR, it's not a solution I can use. Basically an orientation node like prograde/normal/radial but towards the sun is what I am looking for.

[Nertea]

This might be silly, but what about making the Sun your ship's target and using orient to target as a SAS mode?

[Jimbodiah]

Gheghe   Can you even select the sun?  I'll try it out.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Jimbodiah

[Jenyaza]

As I know, PR allows you to select relative body, even sun. Look for any buttons on main window, and press it - new window with this option must appear.

[Jimbodiah]

@Nertea I can't select the sun, so that will not work. Nice idea though

@Jenyaza This will not turn the vessel to face the sun, it will only keep it in the last position relative to a selected object.

[sarbian]

Mechjeb Smart ASS

[Eklykti]

3 hours ago, Jimbodiah said:

This will not turn the vessel to face the sun, it will only keep it in the last position relative to a selected object.

But you can turn to the sun manually and then set it as a reference body in PR.

[Streetwind]

3 hours ago, Jimbodiah said:

I can't select the sun, so that will not work. Nice idea though

FYI: the reason for this is that 'targeting' basically means 'compare this object's orbit with my own'. This is what creates the intersection points between the two orbital planes (AN and DN), as well as the close approach markers.

Logic dictates that it only makes sense to be able to target orbits that are comparable to your own in the first place. In other words, orbits around the same central focus point that you are also in orbit around. Or, to put it differently: anything in the same SOI, except the central focus itself (because that one orbits a different focus, in a different SOI).

As such, because there is no focus for the Sun to orbit around, you can never be in orbit around the same focus as the Sun, and therefore you can never target the Sun in KSP - regardless of where you are. Unless of course you mod it heavily

[Jimbodiah]

2 hours ago, sarbian said:

Mechjeb Smart ASS

Smart Ass! Lol. I will check that, never used that bit beyond pro/retrograde at early career nodes.

Thanks for the helping hands!!! I'm just weird that way sometimes.

[StarStreak2109]

18 hours ago, Jimbodiah said:

Smart Ass! Lol. I will check that, never used that bit beyond pro/retrograde at early career nodes.

Thanks for the helping hands!!! I'm just weird that way sometimes.

Yeah, as @sarbian pointed out, use Smart A.S.S., select ADV, then select SUN as Reference and the DOWN as Direction. Then your space craft should face the sun. At least my space crafts do...

[Jimbodiah]

@sarbian @StarStreak2109  Seems to work!!!!    Thanks guys!!!!

Edited November 8, 2016 by Jimbodiah

[Deimos Rast]

yeah, I use MechJeb, but there is also kOS I believe, if you write your own.