Satellite contract issues; -179-8 deviation?

[Skorpychan]

Seriously. Did I just alter my inclination the wrong way, or does it want me to be going retrograde?

Edited January 11, 2015 by Skorpychan

[Vectura]

Some orbits are opposite than the normal orbit direction.

[LethalDose]

Seriously. Did I just alter my inclination the wrong way, or does it want me to be going retrograde?

sounds like it.

[Meecrob]

Ok, I gotta ask. Which parameter in the contract signifies a pro/retrograde orbit? I fly seat-of-the-pants and lobbing satellites to bodies is no problem, but the DV to reverse my orbital direction when I reach the body is making for some serious over-engineering of my rockets. Thanks in advance.

[Skorpychan]

Looking at it, there are dots moving around the orbit in question to show which direction you're meant to be going, when you look at it in map view.

As for reversing orbital direction after insertion: Maybe insert on the other side?

[Meecrob]

Maybe my install is corrupt then. I am only able to view the dots representing orbit direction when in the SOI of the body I am trying to orbit. A pre-emtive mid-course burn to reverse orbit direction with prior knowledge is no problem. I think I am missing some basic parameter given in the contract page perhaps?

[StrandedonEarth]

If you focus view on the body you're wanting to orbit (right-clk, focus view instead of set/unset) as target it should show the target orbit then. If the orbit specs are in the region of 180deg or so, it's retrograde

[OhioBob]

The contract should give the inclination of the orbit. If it less than 90 degrees then the orbit is prograde. If the inclination is greater than 90 degrees then it is retrograde.

[Meecrob]

Thanks StrandedonEarth and OhioBob - That's exactly the info I was after. Seems so simple now!

[Skorpychan]

Aha!

So, what does 'argument of periapsis' mean?

[OhioBob]

So, what does 'argument of periapsis' mean?

Argument of periapsis is the angular distance between the ascending node and periapsis.

The orbital elements are explained here: http://www.braeunig.us/space/orbmech.htm#elements

Edited January 11, 2015 by OhioBob

[WanderingKid]

Thanks for the link OhioBob. That's got to be the clearest explanation I've seen so far for the terms being used.

[Skorpychan]

Argh. That's probably a sign that I need to do a pile of research on the game again.

Especially considering that I just found out that you can't switch from a prograde to a retrograde orbit with one maneuver node. Tried it in Minimus orbit, and the node just sort of flipped out, demanding thousands of dV to go further. I had to just execute the node as far as it would go, then make another for the rest of the way.

[Wanderfound]

Argh. That's probably a sign that I need to do a pile of research on the game again.

Especially considering that I just found out that you can't switch from a prograde to a retrograde orbit with one maneuver node. Tried it in Minimus orbit, and the node just sort of flipped out, demanding thousands of dV to go further. I had to just execute the node as far as it would go, then make another for the rest of the way.

You can do it in one node. Once the orbit "flips out" start playing with prograde/retrograde and see what happens.

[Anquietas314]

Especially considering that I just found out that you can't switch from a prograde to a retrograde orbit with one maneuver node. Tried it in Minimus orbit, and the node just sort of flipped out, demanding thousands of dV to go further. I had to just execute the node as far as it would go, then make another for the rest of the way.

You can actually do it, but it usually takes a bit of fiddling to push the maneuver node through the weirdness. Just be sure you keep dragging retrograde to increase the orbit after you've passed that point.

EDIT: damnit, ninja'd.