Plot a Course on Pre-Launch?

[ChikkaChiChi]

Is there a way to program a maneuver before leaving the launchpad? For the contract missions required to survey, I'd like to know what direction I have to aim!

Edited December 26, 2014 by ChikkaChiChi

[Technical Ben]

Not AFAIK. It would be a nice idea, some sort of pre-mission planner.

[Anquietas314]

As stated, no this can't currently be done You could actually do it with the maneuver nodes in principle though, if only you could place one where your ship is while it's on the ground It might be worth posting a suggestion for it - check the "do not suggest" / "already suggested" lists first though.

[thyriel]

Not hard to calculate yourself. Open the +note in contract window, launch when KSC is in map over ascending or descending node. Take the inclination value from the contract window. 0° inc is 90° on the navball, 90° inc is north on the navball. So if you want to start into a 20° inclination that would be 70° right of north.

[Anquietas314]

90° inc is north on the navball.

Not always. 90 degrees is certainly vertical, but it could be north or south depending on where you are and how the orbit is oriented. The target orbit's inclination doesn't change as you rotate with the planet underneath the orbit, but what direction the orbit's going in relative to you does.

[Taki117]

Is there a way to program a maneuver before leaving the launchpad? For the contract missions required to survey, I'd like to know what direction I have to aim!

In the map mode you can click the marker and it will place a target marker on your Navball, then simply launch in that direction.

[Superfluous J]

In the map mode you can click the marker and it will place a target marker on your Navball, then simply launch in that direction.

That only works if the markers are nearby. The farther away they are the more underground their direction will be and you likely won't be able to see them on the Navball.

Of course, if they're sufficiently far you can just kinda eyeball it until you're closer.

[thyriel]

Not always. 90 degrees is certainly vertical, but it could be north or south depending on where you are and how the orbit is oriented. The target orbit's inclination doesn't change as you rotate with the planet underneath the orbit, but what direction the orbit's going in relative to you does.

Forgot to mention that Ascending node launch it's north, descending node launch it's south.

Another important thing i forgot: Switch to orbital navball to see where orbital prograde is currently and make small corrections with that. In the end you want the orbital prograde to be at the desired degrees not the surface prograde

[ChikkaChiChi]

Thanks for all the tips! The new Waypoints add-on certainly helps I seem to be thinking outside the scope of the current game.

I've been following some of the hardware/external mods of Kerbal and the idea of being able to program remote satellites and then having a "mission control" setup for several players is my kind of fun. Without launch windows, maneuver programming and the like being able to be provisioned in advance of ignition would somewhat dull the experience.

There's an analogy to be made about the hopes and expectations of us Kerbalnauts to Squad and the public and their space programs!

[brianorca]

The maneuver node orbits don't show the effect of the planet's rotation, so if you set up a node, it will have drifted by the time you get there.

[ChikkaChiChi]

The maneuver node orbits don't show the effect of the planet's rotation, so if you set up a node, it will have drifted by the time you get there.

That makes total sense. If it were a node, it would have to be constantly tracking and adjusting based not only on what your anticipated maneuver is, but what is going on with the body you are currently attached to.

[Cerberus738]

Trajectories! Best mod out there! You can set it to show your orbit position relative to the planet rotation! Also puts a nice r red X on the spot you are going to impact. You can plan your landing from the next town over!