how to keep a satellite in orbit?

[zachdude777]

Hi, i bought the game yesterday from steam and i want to know how to keep a satellite in orbit.

I built the satellite and all the things for it, i just need to know how to keep it up there.

Whenever i try, it'll do the followings.

1. Burn up in earths atmosphere (re entry)

2. Fly out of orbit and go to another planet

Please help me or give me a video.

Thanks, zach!

[Vanamonde]

Here's a written/illustrated walkthrough for reaching orbit.

Also, thread moved to Gameplay Questions.

[Nemrav]

bit long (20mins, but scott is standard for tutorials)
basically, unlike what many people will tell you, there is actually gravity in space.. This means either you dont escape gravity and fall back to Kerbin/earth or escape the gravity and fly out into solar orbit.

The solution is to gradually turn your rocket to the side as you go up (usually to the right), so that, once in space, you are going at a speed around the planet greater than the speed the planet pulls you down (falling around the planet).

In KSP usually start turning around 10,000-12,000 meters, and be turned sideways by around twice that (as you see fit). space on Kerbin starts at 70,000, so get your altitude at least to there.

[Starwhip]

That's a good one, Vanamonde!

I didn't understand orbit either for the first couple of days, and even then the first ship I ever made went straight up to 80,000 meters, did a 90 degree turn, and then circularized.

Hey, it worked! XD

[StrandedonEarth]

Orbiting is simply falling but always missing the ground. To do that you have to go sideways fast enough. The above tutorial walkthroughs and videos will show you the best way.

[Alshain]

Yeah, a lot of people think we just fired a rocket straight at the moon. I did as well, if it weren't for KSP I would still be ignorant of it. It's not out of the ordinary to not know how orbital mechanics work coming into this game.

[Pecan]

Please ignore all previous posts, rocket science is magic.

In order to achieve magic-user status you must learn the wisdom of Manley and know the true name of Tsiolkovsky.

Yeah, ok, or you can just read the blurb. Huh! It doesn't stop being magic just because you know how it works*.

"Up" is a good start, beyond that all sorts of funny stuff starts becoming important as you'll have gathered from the previous comments. As you'll have also seen, we nearly all started-out the same way too.

[* Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men]