How to go on orbit

[Guest ThatCrazyPilot]

First, takeoff. When you reach 20,000m, start moving towards 0 degree mark. Make sure, you are at 0 degrees before you hit the 40,000m. Keep burning toward the horizon until you see the Pe appear from the Kerbin. Imagine a line betwen Pe and Ap. Continue your burn until that line is perpendicular to your ship from the center of the Kerbin. You should now be in a perfect orbit.

If you are not satisfied with your orbit, head towards the Pe and do a burn. Make Pe and Ap have the same height.

? ? ? ? ?

PROFIT

[SmiteZero]

In practice I find that while different rockets have similar ascent profiles, they are different enough depending on power/weight that I can\'t do the same thing exactly the same for every rocket. So while your instructions are.. just adequate (missing quite a bit of information to be truly useful - and not at all how I get into orbit) they will be different for everyone..

[SteevyT]

In practice I find that while different rockets have similar ascent profiles, they are different enough depending on power/weight that I can\'t do the same thing exactly the same for every rocket. So while your instructions are.. just adequate (missing quite a bit of information to be truly useful - and not at all how I get into orbit) they will be different for everyone..

Or if someone is still using a copy with the old atmospheric model.

1. Go up really fast.

2. Go sideways really fast.

[SmiteZero]

Or if someone is still using a copy with the old atmospheric model.

1. Go up really fast.

2. Go sideways really fast.

Indeed. Which is honestly what OP sounds like he\'s doing. This is the wrong way.

[Newman]

The OP\'s way will work, yes, but it\'s not fuel efficient. As stated, different rockets have different ascent profiles. Some of the larger, more complex designs will do nasty things if you try to tilt them while still too low/too slow. But in general, I like to give them a 10 degree tilt when I reach 10,000m. I go for 45 degrees at around 25k, and for 90 at above 50. Sometimes, depending on the rocket, I\'ll kill engines once I have enough speed and apoapsis is set above atmo (say, a nice safe figure, at 75 or 80k). When I get close to apo, 90 degree tilt and full burn to establish orbit.

Why is tilting more fuel efficient? Because you\'ll have both altitude and horizontal velocity at a given altitude for the same amount of fuel spent. Going straight up you\'ll have almost no horizontal velocity when you exit atmo, meaning you now have to spend a whole lot more fuel to get enough horizontal speed (say, around 2200 m/s usually) in order to reach a stable orbit. A simple analogy - to get from one point of a rectangle to the opposite one, you could either travel first in one direction and then the other, or go diagonally - a shorter route. There\'s a reason why real rockets don\'t just go straight up all the way into space, then turn for 90 and burn. It\'s pretty inefficient.

Achieving a stable orbit the proper way will make a huge difference in available fuel left, and can mean the difference between a successful Mun (or beyond) mission and a complete failure. But every rocket will have it\'s own best way to fly it. I just don\'t think that way is ever just going up then turning 90 and just burning in that direction. Experiment and use the orbital map. Also, read Ivan Ivanovich\'s 'How to..' guides, they\'re excellent.