Geostationary Orbit

[HelloKerbal]

I wanted to create a Geostationary Orbit, or even just a regular orbit with relay satellites so that I could communicate with probes with very little time lost due to planet rotation.

Here is my issue, I can't seem to get any of my four satellites to match orbit and speed. Are there any tips as far as that goes?

I do have MecJeb and I am willing to "cheat" with that, but I refuse to edit any files. Haha.

If more information is needed, I can give it. Just let me know.

[Stone Blue]

Maybe this will help:

https://remotetechnologiesgroup.github.io/RemoteTech/tutorials/keo/

Just be aware something seemed to have changed, and that article now incorrectly states KEO as 2869km... IIRC, the correct value is now 2863.3km... And the orbital period IIRC, is 5hrs, 59.09secs?... instead of the old sometimes stated 6hrs even..
Hopefully someone will chime in with correct info if I'm wrong...

And I use THIS website to get the high/low resonant orbit data (the graph in bottom left):

https://ryohpops.github.io/kspRemoteTechPlanner/

Edited December 20, 2016 by Stone Blue

[IncongruousGoat]

Part of your problem might be that you're trying to match orbits using engines better suited to big transfer burns. I would advise mounting some RCS on your satellites and using that to match speeds as best as possible. Realistically speaking, though, you're not going to be able to match speeds perfectly and the satellites will drift over time. My best advice for a communications network is simply to throw a whole bunch of satellites into a whole bunch of different orbits and let the laws of probability, combined with some powerful antennae, ensure that at least one is always in range.

Although, wait... are you playing with the stock CommNet or RemoteTech? Because you have to treat communications quite differently, depending on which you're using.

[Palaceviking]

Launch three satellites on one launcher and second stage with a very high apoapsis and low peri, release a satellite everytime you hit apoapsis and circularize it,  if you do your math you'll be able to drop them on the same orbit relatively evenly spaced.

As for the math, scott manley did this as soon as commnet came out, check his videos and look fir geo/keo stationary orbit cos i can't remember the numbers off the top of my head.

Actually it's about time not height for a satellite network. 

Ie, your time for the second stage to do an elliptical orbit should be a third of the total orbit time of the sat you're dropping at apoapsis, that way when you return to apoapsis next orbit you'll be a third of an orbit 'behind' the previous sat abd the next one a third behind that thereby making a triangle, whether you want these in stationary orbit or not is another matter where you make your initial elliptical orbit exactly 2 hours long(a third of a kerbin day!).

Edited December 21, 2016 by Palaceviking
Now I remember

[Tex_NL]

On 20-12-2016 at 7:52 PM, HelloKerbal said:

I wanted to create a Geostationary Orbit, or even just a regular orbit with relay satellites so that I could communicate with probes with very little time lost due to planet rotation.

Here is my issue, I can't seem to get any of my four satellites to match orbit and speed. Are there any tips as far as that goes?

I do have MecJeb and I am willing to "cheat" with that, but I refuse to edit any files. Haha.

If more information is needed, I can give it. Just let me know.

With MechJeb setting up an equally spaced comnet is extremely easy. Yes, you read that correct; it is EASY!

1. Launch a craft with multiple satellites to your desired altitude and circularize. Make sure each of the satellites has its own fuel and engine!
2. Use the manoeuvre planner to set up a resonant orbit. For a 3 satellite constellation go for a 2/3 resonance. For 4 satellites go for a 3/4 resonance.
3. Release the first of your satellites and execute the manoeuvre with the carrier craft.
4. When you come up to Ap after one orbit you'll notice you're, depending on the number of satellites, 1/4 or 1/3 ahead of the first satellite.
5. Before reaching Ap release the second satellite. Switch to it and circularize at Ap.
6. Repeat step 5 for the remaining satellites on subsequent orbits.
7. Once all satellites are in their orbits switch to them one at a time and try to match their orbital period as close as possible to prevent drift.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Tex_NL
typo

[Ohm is Futile]

You don't need mechjeb, honestly. Kerbal Engineer Redux is sufficient. Here are a few tricks:

- If you are launching satellites seperately, you can check what their positions will be by targeting another satellite on the same orbit before raising your apoapsis. 

- Using Kerbal Engineer Redux, the real trick is to put flight computer on your satellite to get KER's data to show up in flight. Then all you need to do is to put your satellites in roughly the same orbit and check the orbital period. Even if there is a slight difference in apoapsis and periapsis, if the orbital period is nearly the same satellites will stay in just about the same relative positions.

- For precise maneuvering use the thrust limiter on your satellites' engines when fine-tuning orbits. Use extremely low values and don't be afraid to eyeball it a little while keeping tabs on KER's data to make sure the values are changing in the right direction, increasing or decreasing.

-Keostationary orbit is supposedly around 2863,3Km, although any orbit will work with evenly seperated satellites. High orbits will require as few as 3 satellites for complete coverage and very low orbits may require more (and will get desync'ed faster if you are not precise).

[Benjamin Kerman]

Hey there, 

I have found an app on the apple App Store that is really useful for this kind of stuff. It's called "KSP Companion". It has info on all stock bodies, distribution for satellites, and transfer info.  Hope it helps you out!

[HelloKerbal]

Thanks guys! This has been super helpful! I will be testing it out again over the coming days.

[DerekL1963]

The other folks gave good advice, but I have to toss in the downer...   Even with all the data readouts in the world and all the fancy tooling about with engines, it does take practice.