How to find the inclination of an orbit around Minmus?

[cantab]

How, without mods, can I find the inclination of my orbit around Minmus? Or any other moon for that matter.

Mainly I just want to know if it's close enough to equatorial for the ribbon, so it's not critical, but I'd like to have the figure.

Edited March 8, 2014 by cantab
answered

[Yasmy]

Without mods:

1) quicksave

2) open the quicksave.sfs file located at <kspdir>/saves/<savename>/quicksave.sfs

(replace <kspdir> with your ksp installation directory and savename with your save game name)

3) search for the name of your vessel, or just search repeatedly for VESSEL

4) look at the ORBIT section.

For example, I have one that says:

{

SMA = 70444089952.4041

ECC = 0.8432536741597

INC = 1.30267898784267

LPE = 343.656117208333

LAN = 25.096559254239

MNA = 1.6918185180101

EPH = 35523493.2772298

REF = 0

OBJ = 0

}

So that vessel is on an orbit with a 1.3 degree inclination.

[Red Iron Crown]

Short of parsing your persistence file, I don't think you can get that data directly in stock. You have to eyeball it or use a protractor with the camera oriented properly.

Edit: Darn ninjas!

[Yasmy]

Another method which can be used sometimes is to target another body with a known inclination,

and mouse over the ascending or descending node to see the difference in inclinations.

Example 1: Once you know you have something at approximately 0 inclination around Minmus,

you can target it to determine your inclination.

Example 2: The Mun is at 0 inclination, so when orbiting Kerbin, you can use the Mun to find your inclination.

You just have to drop a maneuver node and play with it until you get the line of nodes to appear.

[Cerberus738]

I've often wondered this too. As in your example 2 its easy to do around kerbin. but once you get to the mun there's nothing you can target that gives any inclination! (as far as i'm aware?) i try and set my prograde marker exactly level with the equator on the navball. It seems to be close anyways.

[cantab]

Thanks, checking the save file does the trick, along with the reference for the codes here: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Orbit#Orbits_in_the_save_file Pretty easily found my Minmus orbiter has an inclination of 175.7°.