How to stay up in the space?

[Guest Bronynaut]

I finally got a rocket up into the space about 150,000 orbit, but then it falls down again. But there is no air in space to pull you back down? How do I stay up in the space like the space shuttle?

[Capt'n Skunky]

If it fell back down, it was never in orbit. Air isn't what pulls you down, it's called Gravity.

Seriously, are you trolling or what?

Capt'n Skunky

KSP Community Manager

[UmbralRaptor]

Horizontal velocity, probably around 2200 m/s. Also, map mode (press M) helps.

[Vanamonde]

You need to move to the side as well as go up. Objects in orbit actually are falling down, because gravity is pulling them. The trick is to move to the side so fast that when you fall, you just keep missing the planet and keep on falling. That's why it's called "free fall."

Start off going straight up to get out of the atmosphere (which you're right, will slow you down if you don't get above it), and then gradually turn your rocket so the engine is pushing you to the side as well as up. Watch your projected path on the map screen as it stretches to the side, and eventually it will curve around the planet and meet itself to form a circle or an oval. When that happens, you are in orbit.

Different players do this in different ways; I like to go straight up until the atmosphere gauge goes from light blue to middle blue, then turn 30 degrees to the side. When the atmosphere gauge goes from middle blue to dark blue, I tilt at 60 degrees. And when it gets to black, I turn level and point the prograde marker at the horizon. (You can fly in any direciton, but it's a little easier to go east, which is the 90 mark on the compass.

[Anachronda]

You need to move to the side as well as go up. Objects in orbit actually are falling down, because gravity is pulling them. The trick is to move to the side so fast that when you fall, you just keep missing the planet and keep on falling.

Or, to quote Douglas Adams, the trick to flying is to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

[vexx32]

Ah, the ol' "throw yourself at the ground and miss" manuever.

Anyway, to elaborate a little on what has been said, you can can open Map view by pressing "M" and you can see your current orbital path using that. If the line intersects the ground, you are going to crash, even if you do happen to still be moving up at the time.

And yes, you must apply horizontal thrust (usually in the direction of 090, since it'll allow you to take advantage of the velocity gained by Kerbin's rotation) in order to stay in orbit. If you can get your Apoapsis (highest point of your orbit, displayed in Map view) to around 120,000m+, you can cut thrust till you're almost there, then reorient so you're facing the direction of orbit (prograde marker, yellow circle on navball) and apply thrust to increase your horizontal velocity. A note, though; if your lowest point in your orbit (Periapsis point in Map view) is ever below 70,000m (it's actually slightly less than that, IIRC, but better to be safe than sorry) or so, you'll be slowed by air resistance as you reenter the atmosphere and your orbit will deteriorate, eventually ending up with you going towards the ground again.

[RC1062]

Also, your sig should be 3-2-1-Blast-off. Because they countdown for a countdown.

[Endeavour]

I'm with Capt_Skunky here. This along with your last thread is making me wonder whether or not you're serious.