Viewing Satellite From The Ground

[EthanTheAstronaut23]

Hey! I was wondering if I could get a big satellite in low Kerbin orbit with a bunch of solar panels and view it from KSC with a kerbal? Thanks

~Ethan

[Specialist290]

Welcome to the forums!

Not possible in stock KSP, I'm afraid. Anything outside the loading range of the active craft (or kerbal, in this case; ~2.3km) is unloaded from the physics simulation and only stored "on rails" as a data point.

[Pursuedtank]

You could use Distant Object Enhancement, which should allow you to view the craft so long as it is sufficiently big and within 750 km, it would be best to view it at dusk or dawn though.

[Streetwind]

Yes, Distant Object Enhancement is required.

Additionally, if your Kerbal is inside a capsule with windows (for example, such a capsule sitting on the launchpad), you can go into IVA view and doubleclick those windows to change the camera position so you can directly look out the window. Since you can use the mousewheel to zoom in a lot in IVA view (as opposed to the other camera modes, which only let you zoom out), you can use this to try and spot your satellite more easily - assuming, of course, that it is in the portion of the sky visible from the capsule window.

[Kruleworld]

i like watching the craft fly over while on Minmus. not really what you're talking about, but i have the distance enhancer streetwind mentions. you can't really see the 'craft' itself, but the identifier overlay is easy to spot.

[Random Tank]

I have Distant object, and I can easily see the Class E roid I have in a 120x120 orbit from KSC when it passes over; it looks bigger than Minmus!

[EthanTheAstronaut23]

Thanks guys for the answers!