How to launch a satellite.

[Progeekzy]

I am in the process of making version of the ISS. I figured i would start with some satellites first. I wasent sure what they could and coudent do, but i figured might as well get something up there. So i made one and strapped it to the side of a rocket platform and put it in orbit. I went back and as far as i can tell, its no longer up there. Kinda, went away.

Is there a trick in launching something and making it stay up there? Might as well learn this now. I plan on using the same platform to get my ISS up there.

[Alshain]

Did you revert or return to space center? There is quite a difference. Reverting to the VAB or Launch will undo everything you did. Hitting the Space Center button however will leave the craft in persistence.

You can test this right on the launchpad, no need to actually go to space.

Another possibility is you left it in an unstable trajectory and it re-entered the atmosphere.

[Progeekzy]

I returned to the center. I did it again to make sure, and this time it looks like the sat is still up there. But also looks like its going to crash into earth. Oh well. First one is bound to be a wash lol.

[Vectura]

Might help:

[LordFerret]

How did you construct the satellite? If it didn't have a 'brain' onboard, it would have been marked by the game as debris. Build it with a Stayputnik or OKTO, and make sure you've got batteries and solar panels.

[Progeekzy]

OK, i was mistaken. What i thought was the sat was infact the platform i used to launch it into orbit. I have no idea where my sat is or where it went or how it got there. But the platform stayed up there.

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@Lord Ferret that might be it. I kinda slapped stuff together and said, sure why not. Thats satellite ish. Guess i should go read up on how to actually make one and what they can do lol.

[Alshain]

You can still see your missing satellites, just click the debris button in the tracking station at the top. By default debris and flags are hidden. After that you can even reclassify them as satellites instead of debris, but without a probe core they will be uncontrollable.

[Progeekzy]

A follow up question, whats the point of the sats? Can they actually feed me information or something? I didint see dishes for data transfers or telescopes for pictures of the universe or anything uber cool. What can i do with them?

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

A follow up question, whats the point of the sats? Can they actually feed me information or something? I didint see dishes for data transfers or telescopes for pictures of the universe or anything uber cool. What can i do with them?

Satellites! *uh* What are they good for? Absolutely nothing!

[Taki117]

A follow up question, whats the point of the sats? Can they actually feed me information or something? I didint see dishes for data transfers or telescopes for pictures of the universe or anything uber cool. What can i do with them?

Unless you have a mod like Remote Tech or SCANsat they don't do anything, but if you attach a science experiment to them (Something small like a thermometer or gravioli detector) they are really good for the "Science from space around [body]" contracts.

[LordFerret]

Unless you have a mod like Remote Tech or SCANsat they don't do anything, but if you attach a science experiment to them (Something small like a thermometer or gravioli detector) they are really good for the "Science from space around [body]" contracts.

Yes, that ^

I found the SCANsat mod fun and challenging!