Rotate the Launch Position

[JMBuilder]

One of the biggest peeves I have is that the initial launch position of the VAB points you towards a polar orbit. Normally, I don't want to go into a polar orbit and rotating the vessel inside of the VAB throws me off. It would make me EXTREMELY happy if the launch position was reoriented toward a horizontal orbit.

[Whirligig Girl]

You Yaw, not Pitch. It's easy. You could even roll.

[astropapi1]

... I was going to suggest this...

I totally agree. It's like the rocket is turned 45 degrees to the left when you hit launch.

[JMBuilder]

GregroxMun, if you have a very large rocket, you would want to minimize inner-atmospheric maneuvers.

[Kimberly]

GregroxMun, if you have a very large rocket, you would want to minimize inner-atmospheric maneuvers.

You start pointing up either way, so you need to move the same amount to get into position for any orbit, surely? The only difference is the keys you press.

[leax256]

shift + left click then press q. done

[astropapi1]

shift + left click then press q. done

That's what I do all the time, but it should be like that by default.

[OdinYggd]

Most of the time I rotate the entire craft in the VAB to match the orientation of the pad.

In previous versions that had the launch tower, such attention to detail was absolutely critical so that the tower would rest harmlessly in the corresponding notch in the craft layout to avoid certain large explosions.

In the current version it is not nearly as critical, but this does remain something of a nuisance issue.

After a while you remember which side of the rocket faces out when it is on the pad and can manually position it in the vab to give the correct pad orientation.

[jwenting]

so instead of pressing W or S for the gravity turn you press A or D. Problem solved.

[JMBuilder]

so instead of pressing W or S for the gravity turn you press A or D. Problem solved.

THAT throws me off even more.

[King Arthur]

"Roger roll, Discovery."

Possibly one of my favorite lines from a launch of a space shuttle.

Or in other words, just roll on your way up. If your rocket can't take a simple 90-degree rotation manuever you are doing something wrong.

[Amazonys]

I believe the launch pad is not exactly perpendicular/parallel to the equator (depending on how you look at it). I find I almost always end up about ~+1 degree off the equator, it'd be nice if that was fixed. Of course I could just be going slightly off angle... Every. Single. Launch. :/

[PetWolverine]

Personally I'd rather yaw than pitch to start my gravity turn. That way I can watch the curve more easily. I find it harder to judge pitch than yaw from watching the craft, so if I were going for a polar orbit, I would turn the camera. Of course, I'm mostly just watching the navball anyway.

@Amazonys: The launchpad is a few arc-minutes south of the equator, so if you don't correct on your way up, your orbit will indeed be slightly inclined. You can use MechJeb's surface info readout to get your latitude; I know the runway is 2' 24" S, and the launchpad is a little south of that, so maybe 4' S. But if you're ending up a whole degree off, it's because you're not heading perfectly east as you turn. Here again, it may help to use MechJeb's surface info; the centers of the markers on the navball tend not to be quite where they look like they are, at least to my eyes, but if MechJeb says my heading is 90.0 degrees (which is almost never) then I believe it.