KEO
Kerbisynchronous Equatorial Orbit is the Clarke Orbit of the planet Kerbin, and the most popular destination for commercial satellite launches. (speculation) A spacecraft on this orbit will hang stationary in the sky above a constant longitude, making it easy for former cable repairkerbs to install home satellite dishes. The orbital altitude is 2,868.75km at an orbital speed of 1009.0m/s (and of course, a ground speed of zero.) The basic maneuver plan for reaching this orbit is to first achieve a low energy orbit (LEO) and then perform two maneuvers to execute a Hohmann Transfer. The first one is at the first equatorial crossing to raise the apoapsis to KEO altitude over the equator, the periapsis maneuver. This places the spacecraft on a Kerbisynchronous Transfer Orbit (KTO). The second one is at the apoapsis, and includes nearly all of the plane change to reduce the equatorial inclination to zero. Since the Kerbal Space Center is on the equator, the timing and trigonometry can be skipped.
Maneuver Planning
The following are instantaneous impulse calculations for equatorial low energy orbits, and therefore the real maneuvers will always be somewhat more than these values.
| LEO Altitude | Periapsis | Apoapsis | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70km | 676.6 m/s | 434.9 m/s | 1111.5 m/s |
| 90km | 659.6 m/s | 427.8 m/s | 1087.4 m/s |
| 100km | 651.5 m/s | 424.3 m/s | 1075.8 m/s |
| 120km | 635.5 m/s | 417.4 m/s | 1052.9 m/s |
| 150km | 612.7 m/s | 407.3 m/s | 1020.0 m/s |
| 200km | 577.4 m/s | 391.3 m/s | 968.7 m/s |
| 300km | 515.3 m/s | 361.3 m/s | 876.6 m/s |
For direct launches, transfers from the lowest orbits will be more efficient because they require less delta-v to reach from the surface of Kerbin. Higher LEOs may be preferable if the spacecraft is visiting a tug or space station and requires altitude above the atmosphere to execute a rendezvous. These maneuver plans may also be useful for one who wishes to boost a large space station assembled on LEO to KEO.
Space Stations
List of famous space stations on KEO. Feel free to add to the list:
