Orbital Inclination Help

[KydonShadow]

I know Im gonna feel quite stupid after posting this...

Whats an easy way to change your inclination? Ive already done the ingame tutorial, but I cant figure it out outside of that...

Edited April 19, 2014 by KydonShadow

[Aphobius]

Burn in a direction that is perpendicular to your orbital plane. If you want to match other plane, you have to make this burn at their intersection.

But inclination changes are rarely needed if you do everything else properly.

[SpenSpaceCorp]

Basically, burn either North or South (on the horizon line) at either the Ascending Node or Descending Node (the small yellow tag-like things on the orbit in map view)

[KydonShadow]

Burn in a direction that is perpendicular to your orbital plane. If you want to match other plane, you have to make this burn at their intersection.

But inclination changes are rarely needed if you do everything else properly.

you say if you do everything else right. What do you mean? Usually once I reach orbit Im not on an equatorial orbit, like what is required to even reach the Mun.

[KydonShadow]

Basically, burn either North or South (on the horizon line) at either the Ascending Node or Descending Node (the small yellow tag-like things on the orbit in map view)

Small yellow taglike things?

nevermind I do feel quite stupid.

Edited April 19, 2014 by KydonShadow

[Amaroq]

Heheh, when I first started I had no clue what an inclination even was - at least you know the right question to ask!!

If you select another object (ship or celestial body) to rendezvous with, you will see two little tags like the AP and PE tags for Apoapsis and Periapsis. The secondary tags are AN and DN, for Ascending Node and Descending Node. If you're trying to reach the Mun, then the best time to change your orbital plane is when you cross the Mun's orbital plane -- which happens twice an orbit, once at the Ascending Node and once at the Descending Node.

If you're still working on getting an equatorial orbit, you may find the pink/purple direction tags on a Maneuever Node useful -- the yellow circles are Prograde / Retrograde, the blue ones adjust Eccentricity, and the purple ones adjust Inclination.

As far as launching directly to an equatorial orbit, aiming your rocket towards the "90" heading on the Navball provides the best fuel efficiency towards an equatorial orbit.

Welcome to the game!

[KydonShadow]

Ok thank you very much!

[luizopiloto]

Here, little padawan... this is the knowledge you are seeking for...

[BudgetHedgehog]

Just a little hint - if you're planning a major plane change (like 90 degrees or something), it's more efficient to burn prograde into a very elliptical orbit, do the plane change at apoapsis (the slower you're going, the less speed you have to kill in one direction and the less you have to gain in another) then circularise at periapsis again. Essentially, a bi-elliptic transfer, but instead of the periapsis changing, it's your inclination.

Btw, apoapsis = furthest distance from planet you're orbiting, periapsis = closest distance to planet you're orbiting.

[Aphobius]

you say if you do everything else right. What do you mean? Usually once I reach orbit Im not on an equatorial orbit, like what is required to even reach the Mun.

There are very few situations where you have to change your inclination, if you are on the equator (as KSC is) you can launch into any possible inclination. Also when you arrive at a new planet or moon, you can get in any possible inclination (a little harder to control the longitude of the ascending node, but it's possible).

EDIT: What you say about not launching into equatorial orbit ..... you just have to launch towards East, just be more precise.

Edited April 19, 2014 by Aphobius

[benschwab]

In my limited experience, getting an exactly 0 degree inclination orbit from KSC isn't likely to happen. One would have to steer towards the equator then keep the craft on the equator while one finalizes the apogee. What I usually do when I want exactly 0 degree inclination is due head east as best I can and then once my orbit is finalized burn at an equatorial node to get my inclination to exactly 0. The first orbit is so close to having 0 degree inclination that it always takes just a few delta-v to perform (4 m/s seams to be above the average).