Help me catch an asteroid!

[GamerMitch]

So, I happened to find an asteroid that fell into a suborbital path around Kerbin. It's a tiny one, but I'd love to keep it as a third moon. Problem is, I can't seem to find an approach close enough. here are some screenies I took with some info. I currently have two ships in about the same height orbit with plenty of DeltaV left in them. Here are the orbits of the two ships:

Here is the path of the asteroid:

Some asteroid info:

Orbit AP:

Orbit PE:

So, how can I get a close encounter and bring that bad boy into orbit?

[robopilot99]

Just fool around with a maneuver node. Obviously you'll need to burn prograde but you also should try pulling on the other markers. Just set the asteroid as your target and try to get the closest encounter possible before you reach your periapasis.

[GamerMitch]

I've already attempted that a lot and with both ships; the closest encounter I could get was 27,000 km.

[TheFloppyFish]

What I like to do is go into your tracking station and track loads of asteroids for say 20 minutes while time warp is at max, eventually one of your asteroids is going to get into orbit around kerbin. Also take note that the bigger the class the asteroid is the harder it will be to de-orbit and the more parachutes you will need.

[Cat Biscuits]

hmm, Have you been exclusively been trying to intercept it at its Kerbin periapsis (the point where its closest to Kerbin)?

Could be easier to intercept it at approach or closer to its escape point, as a tiny A or B class it will be easy to slow down and capture so long as you can intercept and attach.

[GamerMitch]

BREAKING NEWS

I think I know why I can't get an intercept. I'm orbiting in the opposite direction the asteroid is traveling. *facepalms* *facedesks into my supper*

[Cat Biscuits]

BREAKING NEWS

I think I know why I can't get an intercept. I'm orbiting in the opposite direction the asteroid is traveling. *facepalms* *facedesks into my supper*

I loled, yep that'll do it. Should post pics of your new pet rock if you can.

[GamerMitch]

So, my ship ended up not having the deltav to get it before it escaped. Is it possible for objects to fall into Kerbin orbit permanently?

[icybandit]

I just captured a class B asteroid that was headed straight for Kerbin. I actually left Kerbin SOI by matching the inclination of the asteroid then using a maneuver node to get within 10km. The asteroid had about 30 days before it entered Kerbin's SOI so I had plenty of time to approach the asteroid and grab on. My next goal is it get it into orbit of Ike. Those Fine Print contracts are sure entertaining.

[Cat Biscuits]

Ive never seen an asteriod come into a stable orbit around kerbin on its own, Youl have too get out there

[laythelover17]

Hyperedit hyperedit my friend

[LethalDose]

So, my ship ended up not having the deltav to get it before it escaped. Is it possible for objects to fall into Kerbin orbit permanently?

Not really... It is possible for asteroids to get into stable closed orbits around Kerbin if said asteroid gets the appropriate gravity assist off the Mun. This is uncommon, but it happens. I suppose Minmus could capture an asteroid, but I've never heard anyone mention it, and its, y'know, Minmus

However, these orbits are almost never "permanent" without intervention, since their orbits will eventually encounter the Mun again, which may lead to a collision, or fling the asteroid back out into interplanetary space.

[maltesh]

In rare cases, it's apparently possible for an asteroid to be /generated/ inside the Kerbin SOI with an elliptical orbit that doesn't leave the SOI. That's apparently what happened in one of my Sandbox saves.

The save is only 12 hours into Earth day 1. There hasn't been enough time for AST DUQ-171 to encounter either of the moons of Kerbin since the start of the new game, or to get where it is from periapsis. Its Periapse is at 69.238 km, but it has never been there, and the object was in orbit, almost exactly where it is right now. when I created the save. Even if it had been at periapse, being an unvisited object, it would move through periapse on-rails unless deliberately approachd.

[LordFerret]

In v0.24.2 I had 3 asteroids in such permanent orbits... highly ellipitical, and nowhere close the planes of Mun or Minmus. So I'd say 'yes', very possible.

[capi3101]

BREAKING NEWS

I think I know why I can't get an intercept. I'm orbiting in the opposite direction the asteroid is traveling. *facepalms* *facedesks into my supper*

Hmm. Pretty sure that's how you're supposed to do it. What's the specs on your capture probe?

[LordFerret]

Hmm. Pretty sure that's how you're supposed to do it. What's the specs on your capture probe?

That's for an asteroid outside of Kerbin's SOI (still, very useful information). For all intent of purpose here, the asteroid he's dealing with is within Kerbin's SOI... so the approach to take would be the same as you would with Mun or Minmus..... match direction and plane and plot an intercept. Yes?