My orbit (blue line) doesn't change

[Chik Sneadlov]

I'm trying to transition from Kerbin orbit to Mun orbit. I get a blue line when I get close enough to the Mun. I try to wrap that blue line around the Mun by applying thrust but no matter what direction, no matter how much thrust I apply the blue line doesn't wrap. I rode the line to the Periapsis on it before applying thrust. Why isn't the line bending?

[Nathair]

Are you sure your engine is thrusting? Is there a decoupler or shroud stuck to the engine or something else blocking it? A quick test is to see if the g meter on the side of the navball moves when you fire/cut the engine.

[Kasuha]

Some screenshots might help. Either you're not thrusting at all, or you are thrusting but the Mun is not at the place where you have set up your trajectory at the time when you are there.

[6.forty]

Another quick thing to check is that you aren't trying to throttle up in map view with the navball hidden. And that you aren't accidentally in docking mode.

[Awaras]

Stupid question, but are you pointing the 'blue line' directly at the Mun?

Because you should aim about a quarter orbit AHEAD of the Mun, at which point you should get a yellowish line that wraps around the Mun, kinda like this:

The easiest way to get an intercept is to get into a circular orbit around Kerbin, create a maneuver node anywhere on your path, increase prograde velocity of the node until the projected path touches the line of the mun's orbit and then grab the maneuver node by left clicking and holding on it's center and move it around until you get an intercept.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Awaras

[diomedea]

If I understand you correctly, you want to establish a close orbit (eccentricity < 1) around Mun after a transfer orbit from Kerbin. The blue line (continuous) is your current orbit. If you burned correctly for a transfer to Mun, that orbit will bring your spaceship within the sphere of influence (SoI) of Mun; but the orbit within the SoI of Mun is another conic (a hyperbolic orbit), colored orange. If you burn before entering Mun's SoI you can change that hyperbolic orbit, but you won't be able to reduce eccentricity below 1 (or, that orbit will remain hyperbolic). You have to wait after the transition within Mun's SoI (than, the blue orbit becomes the hyperbolic one), and that apply burn retrograde to reduce eccentricity enough. The best point to burn retrograde for reducing eccentricity is also the point that best effects the apoapsis altitude: where the periapsis is.

But, if what you mean is that you apply throttle to your engines but the orbit doesn't change, that means no thrust is actually applied. Either your engines are off, your fuel is depleted, your engines thrust is extremely small compared to the mass of your ship, or the ship mounts engines that burn in opposite directions (for a null net result). Or else that I can't figure.

[FREEFALL1984]

Are you using a maneuver node to circularize? it sounds like you're not otherwise it would be obvious which way you needed to burn.

[Chik Sneadlov]

As it turns out I had an SAS stuck on after the engine so the engine was thrusting against itself. Taking the SAS off fixed that problem. This also explains why I was able to use engines on earlier stages to navigate as they weren't blocked. Thanks for your concern.

Now why does my parachute deploy on launch?

[Taki117]

As it turns out I had an SAS stuck on after the engine so the engine was thrusting against itself. Taking the SAS off fixed that problem. This also explains why I was able to use engines on earlier stages to navigate as they weren't blocked. Thanks for your concern.

Now why does my parachute deploy on launch?

Parachute Deployment on launch sounds like a staging issue. Check your staging before you launch. Your parachute should be at the top of the list. (The stage numbers in KSP are backwards, with higher numbers firing first.) The list works from bottom to top.

[Specialist290]

Now why does my parachute deploy on launch?

You've probably got it mapped to the same stage as your engines. You can fix that by going into the VAB, adding a new stage to the staging sequence, dragging the parachute into the new, empty stage, then dragging the stage to the top of the sequence if it isn't there already.

EDIT: Ninja'd again!

[FREEFALL1984]

Yeah, the staging for many items is applied in the order they're added, sounds like you added you chute on last and its triggering on launch, drag the parachute symbol to the top stage on your staging bar (right side in VAB and left side on launch pad) this should either be above or on the last decoupler.

[Starstrider42]

You've probably got it mapped to the same stage as your engines. You can fix that by going into the VAB, adding a new stage to the staging sequence, dragging the parachute into the new, empty stage, then dragging the stage to the top of the sequence if it isn't there already.

There's a faster way: click the RESET button under the staging list. As long as you're not doing anything too exotic with your staging it will work fine.

[StrandedonEarth]

You can do a quick staging change on the pad, but to make it permanent the change has to be done in the VAB

[Kryxal]

You can also give the commands manually, I've had a few times where I seriously misjudged delta-v for something which had radially-placed nukes higher up, started the nuked, shut down the (probably) skipper, and just treated that stage as a drop tank...