Beginner+

[Dimkin]

Hello Everyone!
I already know about Orbiter for a year and a half. Through this time I've tried to start playing and droped a couple of times.
This time I'm going to try one more time, but, I want to try really understand what's going in the backgound of the flights I make. Is there any tutorial for beginners that not only includer instructions of how to make the flights but also the formulas used and the calulations requers to find things like: Launch windows, calculation brake time etc.

I have basic undestanding in physics(written somewhere from one of my university classes :blink .

Thanks all,
Dimkin!

 

[agentgonzo]

http://www.aovi93.dsl.pipex.com/play_in_space.htm

 

[Urwumpe]

I have basic undestanding in physics(written somewhere from one of my university classes :blink .

Let's test this? You have a thruster on the aft of a spacecraft, the exhaust pointing to the left. What is the behavior of the spacecraft when the thruster fires:

a) It does nothing at all
b) It starts to move to the right
c) It starts to rotate to the left
d) b and c.

 

[pete.dakota]

It rotates counter-clockwise? If it's in a vacuum, of course.

 

[FordPrefect]

It rotates counter-clockwise? If it's in a vacuum, of course.

So the correct answer is d)

The aft starts to move to the right, the front starts to rotate to the left.

 

[EJ316]

a) It does nothing at all
b) It starts to move to the right
c) It starts to rotate to the left
d) b and c.

How exciting! I think we should have regular tests like these to make sure the Orbiter community is up to speed with their physics (I suck at it hence the reason I suggest it :rofl

 

[pete.dakota]

So the correct answer is d)

The aft starts to move to the right, the front starts to rotate to the left.

However 'It' implies the entire craft, not just the the aft portion. If the thruster is the most aft portion of the ship, the center of gravity won't 'move'; only rotate.

I think. In principle.

 

[Urwumpe]

Yeah, d) is right (Damn spoilers) , the force acts on the CoG of the spacecraft just the same as if it would be directly pointing from the center of gravity to the right, but the torque generated by the offset location and direction also makes the spacecraft spin.

Is one important physical relation, many people do wrong when it comes to reaction control systems.

OK, another question, this time about navigation:

You are in an elliptical orbit and need to make a plane change. Which of the two intersection points between your orbit and the orbit plane of the target orbit do you use, if you want to save fuel:

a) At the intersection with the lowest radius
b) At the intersection with the biggest radius
c) Both are equally good as long as I burn tangential to the radius vector
d) I keep on using unlimited fuel, if you don't mind.

 

[SPASE_1976]

Urwumpe u must edit your Location to

orbiter<>Wolfsburg<>orbiter<>Berlin<>orbiter

by the way whats wrong with Wolfsburg ?
when i bet Wolfsburg to win Wolfsburg loses
when i bet Wolfsburg to lose Wolfsburg wins

 

[Dimkin]

http://www.aovi93.dsl.pipex.com/play_in_space.htm

agentgonzo, thanks for the answer(the only one who actually saw the question and not the secondary info:huh though I've already read this manual.

 

[to be]

Yeah, d) is right (Damn spoilers) , the force acts on the CoG of the spacecraft just the same as if it would be directly pointing from the center of gravity to the right, but the torque generated by the offset location and direction also makes the spacecraft spin.

Is one important physical relation, many people do wrong when it comes to reaction control systems.

OK, another question, this time about navigation:

You are in an elliptical orbit and need to make a plane change. Which of the two intersection points between your orbit and the orbit plane of the target orbit do you use, if you want to save fuel:

a) At the intersection with the lowest radius
b) At the intersection with the biggest radius
c) Both are equally good as long as I burn tangential to the radius vector
d) I keep on using unlimited fuel, if you don't mind.

Actually a little flight certificate type test for orbiter might not be a bad idea, just so you can get an idea what you know. Maybe beginner, intermediate, expert, etc... Just for fun. And I won't give away the answer to this one

 

[garyw]

Yeah, d) is right (Damn spoilers) , the force acts on the CoG of the spacecraft just the same as if it would be directly pointing from the center of gravity to the right, but the torque generated by the offset location and direction also makes the spacecraft spin.

Is one important physical relation, many people do wrong when it comes to reaction control systems.

OK, another question, this time about navigation:

You are in an elliptical orbit and need to make a plane change. Which of the two intersection points between your orbit and the orbit plane of the target orbit do you use, if you want to save fuel:

a) At the intersection with the lowest radius
b) At the intersection with the biggest radius
c) Both are equally good as long as I burn tangential to the radius vector
d) I keep on using unlimited fuel, if you don't mind.

I believe it's b...... Biggest radius meaning a higher altitude which is less costly prop wise for a plane change?

 

[FordPrefect]

...(the only one who actually saw the question and not the secondary info:huh...

Well, we did see it, we had just assumed you've already been vetted!

 

[to be]

I believe it's b...... Biggest radius meaning a higher altitude which is less costly prop wise for a plane change?

Yes, at the anoapsis you are further from the central body, meaning you have more potential energy, meaning you have less kinetic energy, which means you have less velocity, which means you have less momentum, which means it is easier to change your path.

Or something like that

 

[SPASE_1976]

i have a question

if u take a wheel and spin it in space
it will spin forever ?
after 1 million years will it still spin ?

 

[Urwumpe]

if u take a wheel and spin it in space
it will spin forever ?

Yes or at least long enough to make it practically forever. There is only negligible rotation drag in space.

 

[SPASE_1976]

Yes or at least long enough to make it practically forever. There is only negligible rotation drag in space.

U know when earth was young a day lasted about 8 hours now it lasts 24 hours , so gravity is a drag - from the moon sun planets etc

 

[Urwumpe]

U know when earth was young a day lasted about 8 hours now it lasts 24 hours , so gravity is a drag - from the moon sun planets etc

No, you are wrong in that context. Tidal forces are not drag. When something is tidal locked, which is the final stable equilibrium of the process, it rotates as fast as the orbit period of the planet. It has still not stopped and will never stop.

 

[Jarvitä]

No, you are wrong in that context. Tidal forces are not drag. When something is tidal locked, which is the final stable equilibrium of the process, it rotates as fast as the orbit period of the planet. It has still not stopped and will never stop.

So you're saying the Earth will eventually become tidally locked with the Moon?

 

[Urwumpe]

So you're saying the Earth will eventually become tidally locked with the Moon?

Or with the sun. I don't know which one dominates, would have to calculate it.