How can i slow down in an orbit

[TYRT]

Guys how can i slow down in a circular orbit? Without changing apoapsis or periapsis? I can't docking after 0.21 update:D

[Pugspaceprogram]

Well, if your are going to rendezvous you should go into a higher orbit, meet at periaps and then burn next to it to establish a parking orbit.

[Xeldrak]

Well, you can't slow down without changing you apoapsis or periapis. They are directly determined by you velocity.

That is also why when you completely kill target speed, you are on basicaly the same orbit.

[dlmarti]

If you change your velocity, you will change your orbit, period.

[Kegereneku]

0.21.1 didn't changed orbital mechanic in any way

Don't be afraid of modifying temporarily your orbit to reach another ship.

If you want to "slow down", raise up your apoapsis (yes even if it sound counter intuitive).

Remember that "targeting" the ship you want to dock with will also show an interceptions marker which will tell you where the target will be at the next closest approach.

[rkman]

Guys how can i slow down in a circular orbit?

If you want the docking target to catch up to the craft that you are piloting, you need to get in a higher orbit (increase apoapsis). To get in a higher orbit you'll need to speed up.

So as counter-intuitive as it may sound, in order to slow down you'll have to speed up.

[lammatt]

Kepler's 3rd law (simplified)

for circular orbits: radius square is proportional to Period cube

or in other words: same area same time

or in other words: smaller orbit => faster; larger orbit => slower

[Wesreidau]

Orbits are like lanes on a highway. Lanes closer to the planet are faster, lanes further from the planet are slower. Change lanes to speed up or slow down.

[Skorpychan]

Guys how can i slow down in a circular orbit? Without changing apoapsis or periapsis? I can't docking after 0.21 update:D

Changing your velocity always changes your orbit. That's how orbits work.

Yes, the concepts make no sense at first, but such is physics.

[Somerled]

Of course you can slow down in an orbit. You balance thrust between retrograde and outward radial vectors and you'll slow down in your orbit while maintaining your desired orbital trajectory. You can do the same for speeding up in an orbit. The apses only mark a resting orbit. So, once you've changed your orbital speed, you must maintain thrust at the precise pitch and throttle setting.

It would be silly to do this though. Silly silly silly silly.

[Skorpychan]

Of course you can slow down in an orbit. You balance thrust between retrograde and outward radial vectors and you'll slow down in your orbit while maintaining your desired orbital trajectory. You can do the same for speeding up in an orbit. The apses only mark a resting orbit. So, once you've changed your orbital speed, you must maintain thrust at the precise pitch and throttle setting.

It would be silly to do this though. Silly silly silly silly.

So, that pushes you around the orbit, without changing it?

That's actually a fairly useful trick...

[metaphor]

So, that pushes you around the orbit, without changing it?

That's actually a fairly useful trick...

If you continually thrust that way the entire way around the planet you will have completed the same orbital path but at a slower speed than an object with no thrust. However, the orbit as shown on the map will keep changing around you. If you stop thrusting at any point, you will be in a different orbit.

[DChurchill]

And burn up a ton of fuel in the process.

[Somerled]

So, that pushes you around the orbit, without changing it?

That's actually a fairly useful trick...

I can see it being useful in a time-limited rendezvous when you don't have enough time for a full orbit, but your craft will gorge on fuel to slow down or speed up an appreciable amount.

I have been thinking of trying an "orbit race" challenge where you try to keep near LKO at all times but travel round the planet as fast as possible.

If you continually thrust that way the entire way around the planet you will have completed the same orbital path but at a slower speed than an object with no thrust. However, the orbit as shown on the map will keep changing around you. If you stop thrusting at any point, you will be in a different orbit.

But you'll always be at one of the apses if done right, so [edit: I'm a klutz, this isn't true for orbits with eccentricity, but still -->] a simple prograde/retrograde will fix your orbit.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Somerled