Actually putting a craft in orbit using Newton's cannon idea

[SlabGizor117]

So I was thinking earlier about how I had a low Minmus orbit station that I could transfer Kerbals on EVA from my base to the station, and realized that I could use Newton's cannon idea to put a craft in orbit of Minmus without a circularization burn or ascent.  The minimum orbit altitude equatorially is about 5.2km, and I thought that I could use some tweakscaled extendatrons to make the tower smaller and easier to handle.  If the extend to twice their length, I'll only need 2.6km, which is about the length of the runway.  Obviously I was gonna cheat it onto Minmus.

So how do you think that'll work?  It'll be cool to see the craft come back around and skim the top of the tower.

[nascarlaser1]

Are you putting an entire ship into orbit, or just a kerbal? Putting a kerbal into orbit with a cannon is easy on minimus.... not sure about a ship... Same concept maybe?

[SlabGizor117]

A command pod with an SRB filled with just enough fuel to get into orbit.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

That sounds like a great idea! 

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

I made this test rig:

The barrel isn't necessary and requires having no crash damage on, so I'll drop that.  

I didn't put it on the highest spot on Minmus:

The payload is just a terrier + empty flt-100 tank

[SlabGizor117]

Oh, good idea putting it on the highest point, I didn't think about that.  I just thought I was gonna have to build a 5.2km tower from the flats.

Edited February 13, 2017 by SlabGizor117

[Enceos]

It's impossible to achieve a circular orbit without a circularization burn. Your periapsis will always have the altitude of your cannon.

[Cunjo Carl]

14 minutes ago, Enceos said:

It's impossible to achieve a circular orbit without a circularization burn. Your periapsis will always have the altitude of your cannon.

@SlabGizor117, the OP, suggests using an SRB with just enough fuel to get to orbit.

[Martian Emigrant]

7 hours ago, Enceos said:

It's impossible to achieve a circular orbit without a circularization burn. Your periapsis will always have the altitude of your cannon.

You are correct.

However.

The canon being the highest object (Standing on the tallest hill of Minmus) can be tall. The projectile has to be EXACTLY facing East and the canon need to be EXACTLY on the equator for an impact to occur.

Moving the canon slightly North or South before firing (Gives you an angle with the equator and and you don't come back over the launch site) combined with moving the canon away from the launch site (Throwing in a valley) should give a hair-raising-skimming-elliptical orbit.

Orbit can be done me think. You just need a canon that can give you an instantaneous boost of sufficient Delta-V.

 

ME

 

[SlabGizor117]

16 hours ago, Enceos said:

It's impossible to achieve a circular orbit without a circularization burn. Your periapsis will always have the altitude of your cannon.

Yes, and the cannon, as well as the height that you launch from on that cannon, replaces your ascent.  So launching from the tower is your circularization burn.

[The solid fuel chemist]

Its minmus. just tip the (very tall) cannon on its side to prevent kessler syndrome and use RCS to right it for firing. also, you could have a tug that would launch with the payload and help it get to a higher orbits before landing back at the cannon.

[DrLicor]

Well, the fun thing about minmus is that you can actually reach orbital speed with a simple rover and some help.

[Gordon Fecyk]

What is the physics range in KSP 1.2.2? Is it enough to build a 2 km or so tower on some high Minmus plateau for this cannon?

[Enceos]

44 minutes ago, Gordon Fecyk said:

What is the physics range in KSP 1.2.2? Is it enough to build a 2 km or so tower on some high Minmus plateau for this cannon?

What kind of magic are you gonna use to hold it in place? Cannons always produce a counterforce which will swing or snap the tower.

[Martian Emigrant]

Hey Kerbalite guys and Kerbalite gals.

 

Got tired of nobody doing a Kerbal's job.

So I told Jeb to do it.

Here is the video proof of the pudding.

Not sure if the cannon is on THE highest peak but it was good enough.

I decided that there was no real need to turn the cannon North or South as Minmus turns anyway. It will take many many orbits before Jeb comes back to a peak.

...If any.

As for removing the cannon. I decide to let it kill itself out of the way.

 

 

 

Thanks for watching.

ME

Edited February 14, 2017 by Martian Emigrant