What is your minimum orbit altitude?

[NecroBones]

For me, parking orbits are around 100 to 125 km, but for a "minimum" I'll aim for at least 80. I'll aim for 80 to 100 if I'm going to just burn again shortly to head to Minmus/Mun.

Space starts at 69.something km, so it's a safe bet to get over 70. But I like some "breathing room" (in the vacuum of space, the irony of that phrase is not lost on me).

[hugix]

about 120 because of timewarp. Also makes rendezvous easier. Whenever the spacecraft is 45 degrees ahead of the launch site (when the target+ icon is at 45 degrees on the navball) I launch my craft to a ap of 120KM. I get a close encounter without much fiddling on a node.

[DocMoriarty]

Depends, if it's an 'active' tug then it's parked at 70km, if it's a space station or assembly where often docking operations are needed then it's at 110km (leaving 40km manouvre space below it).

[HafCoJoe]

Hm... I usually park at ~100km. Apparently that isn't all that common? Interesting...

[Renegrade]

Hm... I usually park at ~100km. Apparently that isn't all that common? Interesting...

I do - for interplanetary craft. Gives enough clearance for even low-TWR designs to avoid the atmosphere with single burns.

Well, my idea of low TWR anyhow.

[Flixxbeatz]

My parking orbit is between 70-80km, for refuel crafts, crew launch vehicles, and interplanetary ship (parked at 200km orbit) or space station (300km orbit) pieces. Large area to move around means easier intercept windows

[Panzerbeard]

About 75-80ish usually. If I know I need to rendezvous it'll be at 100km to give me a little extra room, and low-orbit stations are usually at 150.

[TimePeriod]

I have so many piece's of space debris that I go straight into a 90km orbit. Anything below 85km is just plain insanity to even attempt.

[pg01202]

Does anyone know how the atmospheric drag in 1.0 will affect orbit altitudes? I presume being under 70k will then be completely pointless, but will it slowly taper off after that or just be a hard cutoff point.

[MircoMars]

My initial orbit is almost always 70km. from there I can take full benefit of the Koberth-effect and I don't mind if I scratch the atmosphere a bit during a maneuver.

If my spacecraft's ascent-profile is ... interesting I'll aim higher to compensate for that.

as for parking orbits: docking-targets are between 90 and 120km (including refuel station) and generic stations at 250km. my second generation RT2-sats are at ~1000km.

[Kerano]

It used to be 80 km for me with my old ship designs. Since 0.24 though, funds matter and so my ship designs changed to allow recovery of the final (most expensive) booster stage. As a result I usually boost my apoapsis up to 100-120 km while suborbital so I'll have enough time to land the final booster stage on Kerbin, then switch back to my main ship to bring the periapsis above 70 km. So now my parking orbits usually end up being slightly elliptical, with a semimajor axis around 85-95 km.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Kerano

[Panzerbeard]

Does anyone know how the atmospheric drag in 1.0 will affect orbit altitudes? I presume being under 70k will then be completely pointless, but will it slowly taper off after that or just be a hard cutoff point.

I think the cutoff point will still be 70k, but it'll probably be a much smoother transition from ground to that altitude, like we see in FAR. I think the game still needs a point at which it can say "this is space", and that probably won't change.

[mythic_fci]

For test missions, I aim for 75km or so. Once, for roleplay purposes, I used a RAPIER-plane to maintain a 45-55km "spy" orbit. Had to do a burn every half an hour...

In unrelated news, this is my first post on the forums in a few months. I'm back, people!

[Van Disaster]

"Target" is usually 80-90km to circularise and check I still have all the parts I should have, actual parking orbits are more like 155km or higher so parts of the planet unload...

[SkyRender]

It depends on the mission profile. If I'm just working in LKO or around the Mun/Minmus, 70-72KM is the target altitude (outside of contract requirements, obviously). Close-interplanetary, I tend to boost it up to 75-77KM. Distant-interplanetary, up to 80-82KM. I like to keep the orbit low in general so I can get the most out of the Oberth Effect.

[LABHOUSE]

100 x 100 to 125 x 125

Only times I don't do 100x100 is early career. I do 125x125 a third of the time in stock and all the time that I manage to make rss far orbit.

[nine_iron]

I just use stage recovery and aim for an orbit between 70 x 150

[gooddog15]

Depends on what mission I'm doing.

70000m to 80000m is a temporary parking orbit for probes.

80000m to 90000m is used for non essential spacecraft/debris.

90000m+ is used for space shuttle missions.

120000m to 150000m is often used for space stations