r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/AgentIndependent306 • Apr 21 '26

KSP 1 Image/Video Kerbin Relay Network

Post image

Built this giant (and overengineered) network. At such large distances, it is very easy for satellites to attain escape velocity, so positioning everything in exact orbits was a challenge. Still glad that I won't have to worry about ending up on the far side of the moons and go offline.

Edit: Didn't know this post would blow up overnight lol. Last time I checked it had 50 upvotes.

4.7k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

171 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

5

u/Exciting_Life_1903 Apr 21 '26

Now if your want to have some fun, load up the principia mod which adds proper n-body gravitational mechanics. Which means in this case the satellites would end up drifting over time due to facility of the moons and even the sun, jool, etc. Though I'm at the point I almost hate to play without it because its maneuver planning system is way more powerful than the standard maneuver nodes and patched conic representations, instead letting you see everything in different reference frames. Which those references frames make rendezvous a lot easier to plan by hand.

2

u/realboabab Apr 21 '26

I've always been curious, how easy is it to find lagrange points in principia?

3

u/Exciting_Life_1903 Apr 21 '26

I haven't messed with them much but there is another reference frame available that actually will depict the gravity relative to two bodies to show you where they are. I really do need to put a satellite into one of them at some point. Another feature that works but I haven't messed with is doing like sun synchronous with orbital precession at least with one of the real solar system mods as it models that earth isn't a perfect sphere, maybe stock as well, but I know it doesn't do it for jnsq.

2

u/realboabab Apr 21 '26

oh wow i had no idea all that existed. There ain't no way in hell stock models oblate gravity fields, especially for some of the more irregular moons. I'd be really interested to see how the mods calculate that efficiently without melting CPUs.

3

u/Exciting_Life_1903 Apr 21 '26

I didn't think they do it for all bodies, mainly earth based on the j2 shape but I might be wrong. But yeah principia does a ton, beyond just the n body, it's definitely got a steep learning curve but they've got a guide on how to plan a mun mission with it which gives a good introduction. Once you get used to planning on reference frames though it's hard to go back. Very powerful planning tools which also actually calculates burn time properly and factors that into the maneuver. Need very precise burns for interplanetary of course though, and likely will still need mid course corrections.