New player from Kerbal Space program

[amore555]

Hi guys,

I played this a little a few years ago, managed to get into orbit and that was about it. That was all done following a guid as back in the day I had little to no idea of orbital mechanics, and somehow thought that just shooting straight at the moon would get me there:facepalm:

Anyway, I am a keen player of Kerbal Space program, which I understand is probably a lot simpler than this Sim, however I think it has given me a solid understanding of space flight that i never used to have.

So anyway, my question is this, how transferable do you think the skills are? Can I turn my hand successfully at this Sim?

 

[Face]

back.

So anyway, my question is this, how transferable do you think the skills are? Can I turn my hand successfully at this Sim?

Yes, I think you'll manage to do that. I only played the free versions that HarvesteR showed up with here back then, but AFAIK KSP uses the same orbital mechanisms as Orbiter. Maybe not the same absolute numbers (different orbital velocities etc.), maybe not the same accuracy, but overall the mechanics work out.

Just be aware that it is no game like KSP, even if a popular tutorial is titled "Go Play in Space" .

regards,
Face

 

[Urwumpe]

So anyway, my question is this, how transferable do you think the skills are? Can I turn my hand successfully at this Sim?

You will know the basics in a much simplified world, but you should be aware that the world in Orbiter is a bit more complex than in KSP. Spacecraft are easier capable of flying straight and level without bending moments ruining your day, but then you also have

• more complex atmosphere including exosphere drag,
• non-spherical gravity,
• realistic planetary orbits,
• solar radiation pressure.

Especially the trajectory planning is a lot more sophisticated in Orbiter because of this.

Also I am not sure if Gravity-Assists are already possible in KSP. I fear, if not yet, it will be soon after Harvester reading the post.

Also, you of course also have much more complex spacecraft in Orbiter, compared to KSP. Something like the XR-Series or the World of 2001 will likely not exist in KSP... some will not miss this of course.

 

[amore555]

Thats was something I meant to ask, interplanetary missions were quite easy for me in Kerbal, with the protractor mod as it told you when the launch and ejection conditions were right. Is there similar in Orbiter, or should I crack out the plastic protractor and calculator now?

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Welcome to the forum!

Regarding interplanetary flight; there are a few tools that will greatly help you out with this. TransX (comes with Orbiter), and IMFD (can be gotten here - http://koti.mbnet.fi/jarmonik/Orbiter.html).

The tutorials page http://www.orbiter-forum.com/tutorials.php has a wealth of information.

 

[Ripley]

...interplanetary missions were quite easy...with the protractor mod as it told you when the launch and ejection conditions were right...

To know the same things in Orbiter you'll need to set your launch window.
You can find many on Cosmic Train Schedule website:
http://clowder.net/hop/railroad/sched.html

 

[Urwumpe]

Thats was something I meant to ask, interplanetary missions were quite easy for me in Kerbal, with the protractor mod as it told you when the launch and ejection conditions were right. Is there similar in Orbiter, or should I crack out the plastic protractor and calculator now?

The problem you will first have is, that "conditions were right" is not that easy to tell in Orbiter. Depending on what you (the pilot) want to do, you can have many different windows for your eject or launch. What is a poor time for leaving for Mars in one spacecraft, can be a great day for another. Some spacecraft can fly to Mars in 90 days, others need 6 months. And because the Mars orbit is not even close to a circle, a the eject parameters for one year can be completely wrong 18 months later. And worst of all for beginners: You also have endless possibilities for leaving Earth towards an interplanetary transfer orbit. There is not THE single orbital autobahn to Mars.

I stopped playing KSP a while ago, when my old PC turned it into a slideshow, but I think you also don't have such problems like in-plane and out-of-plane transfers or the need for plane changes.

IMFD is a great tool there, since it reduces most scenarios to the questions "when are you going to leave and when are you going to arrive?". It permits some tweaking, but not as much as TransX, but then, it is not a Orbit element orgy for a simple transfer to Mars. And you can also easily use IMFD for rendezvous with a space station.

As you see, the biggest problem you will face in Orbiter will not be the technology, but rather the concepts. In KSP all had been simple and you did not need to understand the concepts that much. In Orbiter, you need to understand the concepts much more than just be a good pilot, because otherwise, you will be lost in details and no longer see the forest because of all those trees blocking your sight.

Also, I am not sure you can do "gravity sailing" in KSP, like you can do in the Jovian system here... which is sad, since it is pretty fun to try visiting as many places as possible with minimal use of fuel.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Hi guys,

I played this a little a few years ago, managed to get into orbit and that was about it. That was all done following a guid as back in the day I had little to no idea of orbital mechanics, and somehow thought that just shooting straight at the moon would get me there:facepalm:

Anyway, I am a keen player of Kerbal Space program, which I understand is probably a lot simpler than this Sim, however I think it has given me a solid understanding of space flight that i never used to have.

So anyway, my question is this, how transferable do you think the skills are? Can I turn my hand successfully at this Sim?

You should do great, provided you have a bit of patience :thumbup:. IMHO, the biggest difference between this & KSP is the accuracy of the simulation & the depth of the gravity wells. Low Earth orbit requires about 7-8 kps of delta v, while Kerbin only requires, what 1 or 2? That being said, launch vehicles in Orbiter are significantly easier to fly given their lower tendencies towards tearing themselves apart during flight :lol:. Glad to have you aboard

 

[Pipcard]

non-spherical gravity, solar radiation pressure.

I always have those turned off.

 

[OrtSurfer]

Welcome fellow Kerbonaut!

Is Jeb still displaying his iron-nerved smile as usual? :lol:

Just as everyone else is saying, KSP is alot more simplified, but its still the same basic concepts.

And on your attempt to getting to the moon, I did the exact same thing! THAT was a learning experience!:lol:

I hope you enjoy being back!

 

[SolarLiner]

I love KSP. FYI KSP includes gravity-assist (slingshots). I did it one time to test, and it worked. Mun isn't the best planet to affect usefully the orbit, but I think Eve or Kerbol can do the job.