Is it possible to put a Space station in a tidal locked orbit?

[PhoenixCraftLTD]

hay guys i am starting to ship new .20 parts into orbit for my space station, and was wondering if there was a way to have a ship or station in a tidal locked orbit in vanilla KSP. A tidal locked orbit where one side of the station is always facing towards the center of the planet it is orbiting. the ISS dose this by rotating at one revolution every 90 min but KSP kills rotation when you time warp, so that option is not a viable option.

Edited May 23, 2013 by karolus10
prefix change to "answered"

[karolk]

You just answered your own question, Tidal locking is impossible without constant rotation.

[CalculusWarrior]

For large astronomical bodies, like the Moon (or Mun!), tidal locking works by that the parent body's gravitational field pulls most strongly on the side of the satellite facing it, while less so on the far side. This causes the object to elongate slightly. As such, this bulged side experiences a torque which compels it to stay facing the parent body. Thus, after millions of years of this, even satellites which initially spun with great velocity will slow their rotation rate and become tidally locked. This won't happen with your space station, however as the scale is much too small. Of course, if your space station is on par with the Death Star...

[Motokid600]

If you could maybe get mechjeb to track the pro/retrograde marker you'd be set.. until you probably switched to another craft.

[karolus10]

This is impossible to achieve in KSP because of game mechanics limitations.

To achieve this we would need upgrade of on-rail system ,so it will save object axis of rotation and angular speed, so it could predict object position and angular momentum after leaving warp / loading spacecraft.

Only "con" of this feature would made fast spinning debris and troubled spacecraft harder to recover after loosing control (If Gemini 8 would had time-warp key, they will had no problems ;P).

If you want avoid maneuvering the space station for docking, You can orient the station main docking port axis in parallel to normal/anti-normal axis (it's an purple axis on maneuver node), this should made one part of the job way easier.

[Viper_607]

This is impossible to achieve in KSP because of game mechanics limitations.

To achieve this we would need upgrade of on-rail system ,so it will save object axis of rotation and angular speed, so it could predict object position and angular momentum after leaving warp / loading spacecraft.

Only "con" of this feature would made fast spinning debris and troubled spacecraft harder to recover after loosing control (If Gemini 8 would had time-warp key, they will had no problems ;P).

If you want avoid maneuvering the space station for docking, You can orient the station main docking port axis in parallel to normal/anti-normal axis (it's an purple axis on maneuver node), this should made one part of the job way easier.

Dunno about calling it impossible when you know exactly how to make it work... (though it is impossible with the current implementation of the games mechanics) So basically the only con is that it makes the game harder. Though I'll be honest and say that at times I've used the warp function to make stuff stop wobbling given the weak attachments we had <.< So it's a pick your poison thing

[Sabor]

The only way to do it is with Mechjeb while in control of or near the station. Or by hand

[Holo]

What if you got two space station components that were connected but not docked? One would have be in stronger gravity than the other, so over time it would stabilise if I am correct. Gravity gradient torque or something like that.

[lukerules117]

you could land on a moon that is tidal locked orbit .

[Drexdragon467]

If you turn your SAS on and click on radial, it will face away from the body that you are orbiting. Bare in mind that when you're not focusing on it, back at the KSC or in another flight, it will drift along the orbit. I hope I explained that right but yes it is possible.

[Vim Razz]

oh..... I just replied to a 3 year necro.... >.<

Edited March 27, 2016 by Vim Razz

[RocketBlam]

As long as you never time warp or leave the vessel, leaving it in Prograde (or Retrograde) orientation will always keep one side to the planet.

However, this might not be ideal.

[technicalfool]

Begone, foul undead thread!

Begone, I say!