Leaving the Solar System

[birk]

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to achieve an eccentricity with Kerbol of 1.0? I assume I would need a monster spacecraft to do it. I was trying to use some gravity assists but wasn't getting anywhere. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

[blizzy78]

Thread title does not match post. Do you want to leave the Kerbol system or just orbit around Kerbol?

[Orbiter]

I believe that the thread title does match the content of the post. An orbit with an eccentricity of 1.0 is an escape orbit, and the thread is about leaving the solar system.

In answer to the actual question, a monster rocket is the way to go. You could either build a smaller rocket with a nuclear engine and a lot of fuel, or a rocket with a different engine and a ton of fuel. While escaping Kerbol is fun, there is not really any point though, plus physics and projected trajectory both get kraken'd at that speed and distance.

[astropapi1]

You don't need THAT much to reach escape velocity.

However, Kerbol's SOI is "infinite" in a way that you can't switch SOIs.

[blizzy78]

I believe that the thread title does match the content of the post. An orbit with an eccentricity of 1.0 is an escape orbit, and the thread is about leaving the solar system.

Whoops, I must have fallen asleep. You are right, of course.

[SRV Ron]

For escape from Kerbal, any small two or three stage rocket that can reach the influence of Mum can be slingshot into escape velocity. To escape the Kerbal solar system, in practice impossible, such as a Voyager mission, if it can orbit around Jool without using aerobraking, it has sufficient delta V to escape the solar system.

[annallia]

Jool or Eeloo both will work (Jool being the better) Just plot a course that sneaks you past Jool at around 140k and slingshot yourself out into nothingness.

However the others are correct. Kerbol has infinite SOI so you never really leave.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

I built a simple ship that got to kerbol escape velocity just by going straight up.

It was a basic mainsail asparagus lifter with a nuclear engine attached to the smallest 2m tank (forget the name)

Just but a probe core on it and I think that should do it ( you have to launch at sunrise if I renember correctly)

[Francesco]

You guys are making this difficult for the OP by giving all kinds of advice, except the only objective measurement we can all agree upon:

knowing how much delta-v it takes to reach Sun escape velocity.

Starting from a low Kerbin orbit, that value is approximately 2.7 km/s.

So, no, you don't need a monster spacecraft to do that.

[Ernst]

I just "left" the solar system while test flying a science lab probe that was designed to fly to the Mun land on it and return to Kerbin. I ended up with delta V over 8km/s when launching straight upwards. According to my trajectory I will escape the influence of the Sun in 6 years game time. Wondered what would happen then? As such I will warp the 6 years and let you know what happens.

[Ernst]

Ok, so nothing really happens.... boring! I thought I would explode or vanish with some silly comment or something.

 

I am currently traveling at 6571.3 m/s at an altitude of 601 662 million meters. My speed is decreasing, but at an extremely slow rate. This leads me to believe that I will continue in this manner until the speed is zero and then return, however as the change in velocity decreases with the distance from the Sun my guess is that it would take an extremely long time to do so. Even at 100 000 X Warp.

 

So I'm calling it quits. Going to land my Lab on the Mun as it was intended to do.

 

Cheers.

[Streetwind]

2 hours ago, Ernst said:

My speed is decreasing, but at an extremely slow rate. This leads me to believe that I will continue in this manner until the speed is zero and then return, however as the change in velocity decreases with the distance from the Sun my guess is that it would take an extremely long time to do so. Even at 100 000 X Warp.

Since you have exceeded "escape velocity", you will actually never fall back. The sun's gravitational influence decreases faster than your speed does at this point. If KSP had multiple star systems orbiting a galatic core, escaping one solar system would be no different than escaping Kerbin. You too would then be in orbit around the galatic core, and possibly on your way towards an encounter with a different solar system. However, in stock KSP, there is only the dark void of space waiting for you. You will basically continue until the Kraken eats your ship because you leave the realms of coordinates fhat can fit into the largest data types a computer can process.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Streetwind

[egoego]

18 hours ago, Streetwind said:

you leave the realms of coordinates fhat can fit into the largest data types a computer can process.

If you go there you will cause an overflow which could result in one of two things:

1. Gamecrash.
2. You come back from the other side of the Kerbol System.

You should try out and report

[daboss0010]

On 1/28/2016 at 5:14 AM, egoego said:

If you go there you will cause an overflow which could result in one of two things:

1. Gamecrash.
2. You come back from the other side of the Kerbol System.

You should try out and report

I will, and post the results.  It might take a wile though, I am really busy at the moment.  

Edited May 9, 2016 by daboss0010

[Hodari]

On 8/19/2013 at 9:49 PM, annallia said:

However the others are correct. Kerbol has infinite SOI so you never really leave.

"Relax," said Jeb Kerman, "Kerbol is programmed to receive.  You can escape any time you like, but you can never leave..."

[LitteXMan808]

I got a ship to escape Kerbol via slingshotting around Kerbol to Jool then use alot of fuel to go faster around Jool, it needed like 100 kerbodyne fuel tanks just to get enough speed.

[Vanamonde]

3 hours ago, LitteXMan808 said:

I got a ship to escape Kerbol via slingshotting around Kerbol to Jool then use alot of fuel to go faster around Jool, it needed like 100 kerbodyne fuel tanks just to get enough speed.

Welcome to the forum.

[LitteXMan808]

On 10/27/2022 at 12:29 PM, Vanamonde said:

Welcome to the forum.

ty