Not being able to reach a contract satellite orbit?

[bobby52597]

I've spent just about all my funds on this one mission hoping that it would surely pay off, but for some reason i cannot complete it? i have completed the criteria that says "unmanned ship with antenna and power" and i have completed the "Stable for 10 seconds" part, but i cannot complete the part that says "Reach the designated polar orbit around Kerbin within reasonable deviation.". Now... both my periapsis and apoapsis are within 200 metres, i have no idea what inclination, longitude of ascending node and argument of periapsis is... all i know is that i've pretty much matched my satellites orbit exactly to the example orbit given.

The mission specifics are:

Apoapsis: 6,343,748 meters

Periapsis: 5,109,788 meters

Inclination: 90 degrees

Longitude of ascending node: 218.9 degrees

Argument of Periapsis: 275.9 degrees

Example images:

http://imgur.com/Wh2E8OO,eUyN28X

http://imgur.com/Wh2E8OO,eUyN28X#1

Please help out guys, i'm either really really stupid or this 0.90 patch is bugged out

Edited December 22, 2014 by sal_vager

[Wanderfound]

The most common cause of this problem is that you've got the orbit correct, but going in the opposite direction to what was required.

[DeMatt]

I've spent just about all my funds on this one mission hoping that it would surely pay off, but for some reason i cannot complete it? i have completed the criteria that says "unmanned ship with antenna and power" and i have completed the "Stable for 10 seconds" part, but i cannot complete the part that says "Reach the designated polar orbit around Kerbin within reasonable deviation.". Now... both my periapsis and apoapsis are within 200 metres, i have no idea what inclination, longitude of ascending node and argument of periapsis is... all i know is that i've pretty much matched my satellites orbit exactly to the example orbit given.

Generally, if you've visually matched the orbits, the major problem is that your satellite is orbiting in the wrong direction.

If you look closely at the contract orbit, there's small lights chasing each other around the orbit; you want your satellite to be orbiting in the same direction. Similarly, if you hover over the AN or DN markers, they should say something pretty close to 0 degrees; 180 degrees means you're going exactly opposite.

Don't hesitate to use the "Revert Flight" button. You may be thinking to yourself, "this shouldn't be hard, after all, it's a game, it's not rocket science"... but it's a game TOTALLY ABOUT rocket science, so it is.

For reference's sake:

• Inclination: How many degrees away from a perfectly equatorial west-to-east orbit. 90 degrees inclination would go over the North pole (first), while 180 degrees would go east-to-west.
  
• Longitude of Ascending Node: Where, along that perfectly equatorial orbit, does the inclined orbit cross it going northwards.
  
• Argument of Periapsis: Where, along the inclined orbit, does the periapsis occur.
  

[bobby52597]

Absolute legend! I had just enough fuel left to completely rotate my orbit, as soon as i did i completed the mission -.- thank you so much! I'm face palming so hard right now >.<

[tsotha]

As Wanderfound and DeMatt pointed out, it's most likely you're going the wrong way.

But not necesarily. Some other things to check:

1. Check for other conditions. Do you need a piece of equipment you don't have?

2. Are you matching the orbit for the right contract? Earlier today I was pulling my hair out because a contract wouldn't complete. I had the apoapsis and periapsis matched to the fourth digit. You couldn't even see the reference orbit. I was going the right direction. I double-checked for other conditions (like a thermometer or materials bay). The problem turned out to be I had accepted two Kolniya orbit contracts, and the apoapsis and periapsis were the same. But the other contract (the orbit I had matched so carefully) required a piece of equipment I didn't have..

One thing you might do is get KER. It will tell you the relevant numbers for your orbit which you can match straight across. That's how I discovered today's error.

[Wanderfound]

Absolute legend! I had just enough fuel left to completely rotate my orbit, as soon as i did i completed the mission -.- thank you so much! I'm face palming so hard right now >.<

Everyone does it at least once.

[Anquietas314]

Everyone does it at least once.

Hasn't happened for me yet, but I've done plenty other stupid things

[Shiva]

Yeah, I've done that too.

[Aethon]

You're going to kill somebody! Edited December 23, 2014 by Aethon

[Lopez de la Osa]

completely rotate my orbit

I have the same problem; How can I do that?

[Wanderfound]

I have the same problem; How can I do that?

With a 180° inclination change. Smaller inclination changes are done by burning towards Normal or Antinormal; for a 180° flip, however, you're basically just burning retrograde to a dead stop, then accelerating back the other way.

However, a low-orbit inclination change of that magnitude requires a huge ÃŽâ€V expenditure. Inclination changes are best done when the ship is moving as slowly as possible: i.e. at apoapsis in the highest orbit possible. At times, it is more efficient to first raise the apoapsis very high, then flip the orbit, then pull it back down again.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Wanderfound

[-ELF-]

You just point to retrograde, and burn hard. Your ship will stop going one direction and start going another.

So, shortly, you are turning around and going back where you came from.

P.S. Holy necro!!!

[Coga19000]

You do realize your sat had a Delta v equal to two times your orbital Velocity that would get wasted otherwise, right? That's some major class overbuilding here.

[ajburges]

You do realize your sat had a Delta v equal to two times your orbital Velocity that would get wasted otherwise, right? That's some major class overbuilding here.

To be fair, overbuilding satilitess is easy. I don't consider sub quarter ton satilites worth doing unless they break 2 km/s.

[Yinyin974]

Omg this is so ridiculous i had the same problem for 2 satellite asking what is wrong with this game ? xD Now its ok lol thank you guys ! 

[GoatRider]

1 hour ago, Yinyin974 said:

Omg this is so ridiculous i had the same problem for 2 satellite asking what is wrong with this game ? xD Now its ok lol thank you guys ! 

Earlier in the thread someone mentioned "holy necro" when it came back from 6 months earlier. This was 3 1/2 years old!

But it still happens. I made the mistake of accepting a contract for a retrograde orbit between Dres and Jool. I had to learn how to work with Xenon thrusters to get that one satisfied.

The most common mistake I make is not having all the required science instruments.