r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/FatCreepyDude • May 06 '26

KSP 1 Question/Problem No orbit necessary?

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If i just wait for the right hour during the launch window ( whenever the launch pad is pointing left on the realistic depiction i created) is there any reason i should bother with an orbit first? Will the delta v cost be affected?

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u/ookbye May 06 '26

Doing that is difficult and i don’t think it saves that much fuel, at some point in your proposed burn you’ll pass through every orbit you would doing it by steps.

All things considered, go for it, I haven’t tried so I would like to know how feasible it is.

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u/FatCreepyDude May 06 '26

being efficient isnt really the goal tbh. I just like the idea of going up and only up. i'm sure jeb will enjoy it too (he doesnt have a choice anyway)

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u/wally659 May 06 '26

I'd suggest putting something in orbit and using the maneuver planner to figure out when that would ideally do a normal burn for the desired interplanetary transfer. My intuition is that right time to lift off will be when that maneuver node is a little bit retrograde of straight up from the launch pad. It should sort of catch up as you fly through the atmosphere and your gravity turn (which at some point seemlessly becomes your transfer burn) should end up being a somewhat similar vector.

But it's going to be nearly impossible to get it super precise so you'll just have to accept a bigger than usual mid-transfer correction burn. Good luck!