Talk:Tutorial: How to Get into Orbit

1.0 Overhaul

I've given this tutorial a serious overhaul today for the new 1.0 aerodynamics. I tried to make it such that a new player can memorize it as a sequence of simple key numbers: 100 m/s, 10 degrees, 300 m/s, 10 km, 30 seconds. Let me know what you think!

The old comments on this talk page weren't relevant anymore, so I went ahead and wiped it to a clean slate.

Wcoenen (talk) 21:14, 29 May 2015 (UTC)

The tutorial is good, however, it's not quite clear what our apoapsis should be when we are finished with the first stage, and what angle we should burn at to get it from there to 70+. --Phay (talk) 20:59, 7 June 2015 (UTC)

Why would the apoapsis at stage separation be important? The important bit is to get it above 70 km with the second stage. For the angle, the tutorial already instructs to keep the level indicator within the prograde marker at all times - I'm not sure how else to explain it. Wcoenen (talk) 14:15, 24 June 2015 (UTC)

Depending on your craft the apoapsis might be important at stage separation when the next stage has not enough thrust and the previous stage(s) must get it high enough. It could help beginners to estimate if they launched to step or to shallow (although you've given the altitude so they should be able to determine the profile using that). — xZise [talk] 21:26, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

I've calculated total delta-v of this design, and end up with 4258m/s, even assuming LV-T30 Isp is 300s, like in vacuum. But to get to LKO we need 4550m/s, assuming ideal steering, how is this supposed to work? Here's calculation. --Dlazerka (talk) 01:57, 21 April 2016 (UTC)

Hmm, seems that 4550m/s is an outdated number (before atmospheric refactor). This Cheat sheet says we actually need 3400m/s for LKO, and I was able to reach it on a ship with 4258m/s. I stand corrected. --Dlazerka (talk) 08:41, 21 April 2016 (UTC)

rocket doesnt work without superstructure

I did everything it said and the rocket sits on the launch pad burning up fuel, unable to take off. I have done every single instruction that this tutorial says and it still does not work. the only thing I dont have is superstructure to hold the rocket up off the ground. I think this article needs an update noting that this only works if you have the technology to hold the rocket up, because if the rocket just sits on the launch pad it is unable to take off.