Polar Geo Stationary Sat

[7499275]

Is it possible to get a satallite to into a North Pole Geostationary position?

[El wonso]

Not in KSP.

[RocketPilot573]

No..... At least as far as I know.

[Deejay2000]

No, because a geostationary orbit has to match the planet's spin at the equator.

-Deejay

[Anton P. Nym]

Geostationary orbits work because the orbital period matches the rotation period of the planet below. The satellite moves at the same rate as the ground beneath it, so from the perspective of the ground the satellite looks stationary. This can't work over the poles, because the poles don't rotate. That means that in order to move at the same rate as the ground at the pole, a satellite couldn't move... and you can't orbit when you're not moving.

There are some ways being explored in the real world to create "statites", like satellites but they don't have to orbit, with solar sails or more exotic means... but in KSP, there's no way to park a probe or satellite over a pole and make it stay there.

-- Steve

[Captain Sierra]

The only way to do it is to have a craft with a TWR of at least 1 and park it over the pole and use something like the mechjeb translatron to hold it perfectly still (humans just aren't skilled enough to do it manaully) using thrust to keep it up. The poles don't rotate so you can't orbit, but you can hover, though this is only good so long as you are in control of the vessel and you have fuel.

[MockKnizzle]

You could do something like a Molniya orbit, which is a highly eccentric orbit with a period of half a day where the satellite loiters near apoapsis above the target area.

In your case, you could simply put your satellite in a 90 degree polar orbit with your periapsis just outside the atmosphere above the South pole and your apoapsis high enough above the North pole to make your period 3 hours. Add in two more satellites 120 and 240 degrees out of phase and you should have continuous polar coverage.

[Spoo Hunter]

The molniya orbit is probably the way to go.

This may be of use...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molniya_orbit