Orbit of Orbits

[957Chatterton]

I know for a fact that the orbital path of object around their parents itself revolves. For example, the orbital path of the Earth around the Sun makes one full revolution every 12,000 years. Is this simulated in KSP? Over very long games, this may prove important information for determining phasing angles.

Edited April 9, 2014 by 957Chatterton

[UmbralRaptor]

As best I'm aware, orbits in KSP are fixed with respect to the celestial sphere. The various precession effects require n-body, relativistic, etc effects that are not modeled.

[FenrirWolf]

Planet and Moon orbits are on rails, which is to say they are predetermined and unalterable (outside of using hyperedit or whatnot)

[957Chatterton]

Okay, thank you. I can reconsider my highly eccentric orbital refueler with this information.

[blizzy78]

I know for a fact that the orbital path of object around their parents itself revolves. For example, the orbital path of the Earth around the Sun makes one full revolution every 12,000 years. Is this simulated in KSP?

Why should this require extra coding to simulate? Isn't that a natural consequence of the orbits as they exist?

[kurja]

Why should this require extra coding to simulate? Isn't that a natural consequence of the orbits as they exist?

Orbits of planets in KSP are 'on rails' and the system it self does not move; consequence of such orbits is, that they remain as they are.

[Kasuha]

Orbital precession in solar system is mostly due to gravitational effects of other planets. The only significant difference is Mercury where measurable protion of its precession is due to relativistic effects.

KSP does not simulate either, so orbits of planets, moons, and spaceships are stable and Keplerian with the only exception happening when a ship transfers through a SOI boundary.

[blizzy78]

Orbits of planets in KSP are 'on rails' and the system it self does not move; consequence of such orbits is, that they remain as they are.

Right, but if the system would move (the sun orbiting some other body, such as a black hole), the orbits should revolve, right?

[kurja]

Right, but if the system would move (the sun orbiting some other body, such as a black hole), the orbits should revolve, right?

I suppose they should. Like Kasuha said above, for an accurate simulation you'd need to add relativistic effects and n-body physics; I was responding to your question "Why should this require extra coding to simulate?", the answer is that ksp does not simulate planetary orbits at all so including this in the game certainly would require new code.