Asteroid Capture Difficulty vs. Your Expectations

[bsalis]

For those wondering how big a class E is:

http://i.imgur.com/EwjF2ci.jpg

Wait, what?! That was your Class E? Seems they must vary a lot. Below is what i'm still hauling in. Over 3000 tons!

[xcorps]

I haven't done it yet.

But when I do, I'm taking it to the Mun. I will release it from 50k into the loving arms of the 50 Kerbonauts waiting to catch it. I have already started building the transport shuttles.

[Tank Buddy]

Rendezvous was easier than I expected, I got it on my first try. Putting an asteroid in a stable orbit is another thing. I chose a baby asteroid (A), so there was no funny business. I would assume anything larger than C would me a major challenge.

[Thomas988]

I thought it would be harder. I haven't gone out and captured an asteroid myself, but I have done some captures in the scenarios.

[DonLorenzo]

About what I expected. First asteroid I started tracking was a class D on a collision course with Kerbin. Managed to attach to it but didn't quite have the fuel to push it out of the atmosphere. Managed to kill off most of its velocity though so at least the collision wouldn't be that bad.

Wait. If you have the capacity to 'kill off most of its velocity' how did you not manage to avert its trajectory?

[wasmic]

Wait. If you have the capacity to 'kill off most of its velocity' how did you not manage to avert its trajectory?

The atmosphere helps a lot with slowing down the asteroid, so he only had to stop the last few kilometers of descent.

[Norcalplanner]

A bit easier than expected, but it was only a class B. My nuclear-powered ship had over 11,000 m/s of delta v before docking, and that only went down by about 1,500 m/s after asteroid capture. I think I'll try a D with that same ship, but I think I'll need to design something bigger if I want to go after an E.

[Vezbot]

On 4/3/2014 at 10:20 PM, NASAFanboy said:

I greatly underestimated the size of a E asteroid.

I tried to tow it into Mun orbit with a single ion.

Guess who's got a three day burn?

Eek. I know it's been 5 years but you complete that burn yet?

[Dirkidirk]

5 minutes ago, Vezbot said:

Eek. I know it's been 5 years but you complete that burn yet?

he didn't make it past day one. 

[Vezbot]

Just now, Dirkidirk said:

he didn't make it past day one. 

Yeah I don't think I would have either.

2 minutes ago, Dirkidirk said:

he didn't make it past day one. 

But physics warp x4 is always your friend

[Superfluous J]

1 hour ago, Vezbot said:

Eek. I know it's been 5 years but you complete that burn yet?

*clap*

(sets an alert to reply to this thread in five years with another clap)

On 4/5/2014 at 3:22 PM, Superfluous J said:

I'm starting to wonder if I can attach wings and a probe core (and maybe landing gear. Who knows) to an asteroid and land it on the runway.