How useful are geostationary space stations?

[KevinTMC]

Geosynchronous orbits at Kerbin? I thougt a deployed station or satellite would fall into moons SoI eventually?

That's duna and ike.

If your craft is capable of precise orbital adjustments, and you've got a lot of patience, even a geostationary orbit around Duna can last a good long while. I put a small satellite in such an orbit (it was placed about a third of an orbital cycle ahead of Ike), precisely and painstakingly placed, and time-accelerated for over a year with the satellite remaining the active craft. (I was waiting for an Eeloo transfer and so had game-time to burn.) It only moved a few degrees of Dunar longitude, staying well out of Ike's way.

And I imagine it's even less of an issue if the satellite isn't the active craft...or am I misunderstanding how the "on rails" thing works?

(How much hassle is it to keep, say, a RemoteTech network in the right place, anyhow?)

[duncan1297]

Was that a double necro?

[thereaverofdarkness]

It's really easy to adjust your geosynchronous satellite if it's equipped with an ion engine. Just bring the orbit down a little ways and circularize, then time accelerate while in free camera, to move forward in the orbit, or raise it to move back, and then when you're where you want to be, just put it back at the right altitude. You should be able to get it within 50m of the right altitude easily, and that will keep it in a good geosynchronous orbit over a specific spot for years.

Edited August 20, 2013 by thereaverofdarkness

[Immortalis Vexx]

Was that a double necro?

Is that anything like a double rainbow???

[troyn123]

Orbital mechanics are weird!

Yeah, playing this game very quickly reminded me of a quote from a Larry Niven sci-fi, Integral Trees: "Forward takes you out, out takes you back, back takes you in, and in takes you forward."