Orbiting against kerbins orbit.

[hipno]

I have recently been reserching diferent types of orbit (mainly thanks to RemoteTech), and i got to wondering. Is there ever any advantage to obtaining an orbit against the rotation of kerbin?

[Aragosnat]

For when you want to capture asteroids. As most of the ones I seem to get I need to have such orbit in order to do a nice clean intercept. Otherwise I find it more of a challange to do as it requires more fuel initially to get up to a decent altitude. Since we are countering the starting rotational forces from Kerbin.

[hipno]

So nothing like a Kerbal Synchronous Orbit then. Though i guess you could get an orbit at the altitude of a Kerbal Stationary Orbit, and cross the KSC twice in one rotation, but i dont see the benefit of that.

[Aragosnat]

You can get such going the other way too. Much easier and fuel efficent. The Wiki for KSP Tells such distance needed.

[hipno]

I know ive been resurching them, I was just wondering if there would be any reason for orbiting in the oposite direction.

[Aragosnat]

No reason orther then What I mentioned for roid capturing and for giggles as some say. K(Kessler) syndrome as they say.

[PKNecron]

I had to put a Sat around the Mun that needed to orbit backwards.

[Repomancer]

If you wanted to get to the far side of the system in a hurry, say to rendesvouz with an outer planet that'd be arriving there at the same time.

[SievertChaser]

IRL the only space program that routinely laucnhes retrograde are the Israeli.

[hipno]

After a little bit of resurch the only examples of a practical retrograde orbit (other than for safty concerns like the Israeli ones) is a sun synchronous orbit.
Also note that IRL Saturn and Jupiter have moons in retrograde orbit.