Calculation tools

[Seleck]

Is there a tool or a guide to calculate if one of my rockets can theoretically travel from point A to point B? I'm happy with doing it one stage at the time, like calculating if stage 1 can make it to space, stage 2 to orbit, stage 3 to the mun

Thanks

[Overclock]

i think there is an ingame delta V calculator, and you can adjust the calculations to the gravity, and the atmospheric pressure of planets/moons.

[Seleck]

Originally posted by Jacob:

i think there is an ingame delta V calculator, and you can adjust the calculations to the gravity, and the atmospheric pressure of planets/moons.

Yeah that one it's helpful for traveling from one celestial body to another not so much on telling me how good a rocket is on getting to orbit though. That's my biggest problem atm trying to build efficient rockets that can take other things to orbit

[Wobbly Av8r]

Well, there are tools but due to the nature of, uh, nature, while we have the real physics down to a gnat's behind, actually executing it is, well, less than precise. The saying in the engineering world is "Measure with a micrometer, mark with a pencil, cut with an axe".

Delta-V is what you're looking for and while it is the most informative number for planning your adventures, it's strict application to your unique kreation is so-so at best. Flight profile, atmospheric drag, thrust vector, etc. can throw all of that out the window.

So, the basic KSP has delta-V stats while building your ship, KER (Kerbal Engineer Redux) can get a lot more specific and has helped many who are more numbers-oriented and specific. Combine that with commonly-available delta-V maps and *voila* you have planning!

Hope that helps!

[Kyle]

As people said, delta-V is the measure of how far your ship can travel. There are lots of ways to keep track of how much you have per stage, and total. As for getting to orbit, that is an incredibly complex topic. Thrust-Weight Ratio (TWR) is something to keep in mind.

I think you might also be looking for these.
https://ksp.olex.biz/
https://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/
They also show up as the first two sites searching google for "KSP transfer window".

For me, the first tool is simpler to understand, they visually show you the angles and tell you the ejection dV required at the bottom.

The second tool seems more useful for finding all the transfer windows in your game, they graph out how much dV it would take to travel from one place to another, and what the travel time is at that dV cost. It is more complex to get used to, but seems far more detailed and informative. It also uses in-game times.

AFAIK, they are still accurate values, despite the many updates.

[Manwith Noname]

Originally posted by Seleck:

Yeah that one it's helpful for traveling from one celestial body to another not so much on telling me how good a rocket is on getting to orbit though. That's my biggest problem atm trying to build efficient rockets that can take other things to orbit

The DeltaV readouts in game do show per stage and can be changed to show as either atmospheric or vacuum calcs. Check out the ΔV icon in the editors and play around with the settings. Coupled with a ΔV map, you can guestimate your crafts capabilities with some precision...

https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/87463-173-community-delta-v-map-27/

With the in game calculations set to vacuum you should get a reasonable match with those numbers most of the time.