How To: Delta V Requirements For All Planets/Satellites!

[Shna_na]

Welcome!

In this post you will find the Delta V requirements for achieving low-orbit above any celestial body in Kerbal Space Program. Low-orbit, in this context, is defined as being 10KM above the atmosphere/objects on that body. Note that this does not mean that they are 10KM above the highest point of each planet, though they are all in a safe, stable orbit. These are almost exact calculations that do not have much room for error at all. In order to account for human error, I would recommend that you add some Delta V as 'wiggle room', so to speak, in order to ensure that you don't get so close and then feel a crushing disappointment as you are 100m/s short of Delta V.

To make these calculations would have been impossible without this map, Originally by Jellycubes on the Reddit forums. I would like to thank him for making this useful tool and recommend it to all of you, as it shows more information than is listed here. The calculations here are only for achieving low orbit, however the map shows how much Delta V is required to do land, intercept, or achieve low orbit. I would, again, like to emphasise that these calculations are taken from this data and put into a format that involves no calculation.

NOTE:

- All of the calculations in the following section are from Kerbin's surface to the destination.

- All require the same amount of delta V to complete from the destination back to Kerbin.

- All calculations do not include aerobraking.

- When returning to Kerbin using aerobraking, take 3500m/s from the equation.

- All calculations for moons include reaching the low-orbit of their parent planet.

• Moho: 8430m/s
  
• Eve: 6890m/s
  
  • -Gilly: 8540m/s
    

  [*]Kerbin: 4550m/s

  • -Mun: 5620m/s
    
  • -Minmus: 5550m/s
    

  [*]Duna: 5980m/s

  • -Ike: 6360m/s
    

  [*]Dres: 6650m/s

  [*]Jool: 9095m/s

  • -Laythe: 11425m/s
    
  • -Vall: 11855m/s
    
  • -Tylo: 12225m/s
    
  • -Bop: 12475m/s
    
  • -Pol: 12496m/s
    

  [*]Eeloo: 8750m/s

Raw Order

From these results, we can conclude that the bodies can be put into order of least to highest Delta V requirements when not including aerobraking like so:

• Kerbin
  
• Minmus
  
  
• Mun
  
• Duna
  
• Ike
  
• Dres
  
• Eve
  
• Moho
  
• Gilly
  
• Eeloo
  
• Jool
  
• Laythe
  
• Vall
  
• Tylo
  
• Bop
  
• Pol
  

However, this does not take aerobraking into account...

Final Conclusion

When taking aerobraking into account, the above order changes. Without involving any actual calculations, my prediction is that the following list is in the correct order of Delta V requirement when including aerobraking:

• Kerbin
  
• Minmus
  
  
• Mun
  
• Duna
  
• Ike
  
• Eve
  
• Gilly
  
• Dres
  
• Jool
  
• Laythe
  
• Moho
  
• Eeloo
  
• Vall
  
• Tylo
  
• Bop
  
• Pol
  

As I mentioned, this is purely an educated prediction, not a calculated result.

Would you like to see the Delta V requirements for landing on these celestial bodies? See it adapted into an image? Have the landing requirement calculated and put into an image? Sure thing, let me know in the replies if this would be useful to you.

Big thanks to Jellycubes for creating that extremely useful map (linked above).

Edited February 24, 2014 by Shna_na

[undercoveryankee]

Why do Moho and Dres switch places in your second list? I didn't think you could aerobrake at either of them.

[Shna_na]

Why do Moho and Dres switch places in your second list?

So they do... I've fixed it.