How to be faster?

[kelog]

Is there anything I can do to improve the turning speed? As it stands, this is just unfeasible since I can't even get oriented properly before hitting apoapsis after launching off Kerbin...

[Johnno]

Moved this to Gameplay Questions.

To give a brief answer to your question; reaction wheels, RCS and gimballed engines (or any combination) would help control your ship.

[blizzy78]

Depending on the mass of your vehicle, you might want to stack more reaction wheels. Keep in mind to add a power source, because those will drain electricity. Or as Johnno pointed out, you can also use RCS.

[stringyquark]

But if you are going to go heavy on the reaction wheels, remember plenty of power for them. I hate reaching orbit only to find that my unmanned ship is dead in space.

Edited September 10, 2013 by stringyquark

[Tw1]

Definitely a lack of control systems, or perhaps you should try aiming for a higher orbit (more time before apoapsis) , or turning before you warp? If your vessel is massive, RCS may be the better option to reaction wheels if you must turn in a hurry.

Holding Alt, or your computer's equivalent lets you use physical warp in space, which is a great trick if you're impatient, as long as your vessel is strong enough.