Scanner needs a stable polar orbit

[Aker_86]

ok so I keep getting this message: You must be in a stable polar orbit between 60km and 1500km to perform an orbital survey. I get my orbit around kerbin at about 100,000km and 109,000km. and it still wont scan. what am i doing wrong. ive been playing KSP for about a year now.

[Athywren]

You're making a north-south (or south-north, w/e) orbit, right?

[IronSides]

You need to make your orbit polar, which means that instead of going "left to right" or vice versa you need to be going "up to down" or vice versa. not spinning around equator but more spinning around the prime meridian. your scanner sat/ship should pass over both the north pole and south pole thus "polar" orbit. This way IRL it would eventually pass over EVERY square inch of the planet.

[Aker_86]

no ive been making a east to west orbit. ill try north to south quickly and ill get back with you.

[Aker_86]

FINALLY!!!!. thank you Athywren and Ironsides. That was the answer. Notrh/South orbit. I kept reading polar, I just didnt think it really meant I actually had to make a north to south or vise versa orbit.

[Athywren]

NP, orbits can be awkward things sometimes. Hopefully there aren't any parts that require a Molniya orbit, because there really isn't even a clue in the name there. Still, you can ususally google the different orbit types if you're stuck on where to go.

[=37th= minepagan]

I just remember that "Molniya" is the name of a Soviet missile, and that the Soviets launched Sputnik into a Molniya orbit.

[IronSides]

Lightning

[MAD]

Molniya orbits are semi-synchronouse, typically half a day.

Polar obit is just pole to pole, inclination 90 degrees.
Your orbit of 100,000km is just to big, the scanner needs 60km to 1,500km
I just go into a circular 100km polar orbit, works for me.

[IronSides]

Originally posted by MAD:

Molniya orbits are semi-synchronouse, typically half a day.

Polar obit is just pole to pole, inclination 90 degrees.
Your orbit of 100,000km is just to big, the scanner needs 60km to 1,500km
I just go into a circular 100km polar orbit, works for me.

I'm pretty sure he meant to omit the k from 100,000 Km he prob meant 100km

[Aker_86]

yeah that would be a one hundred million meter orbit loll. ok so since everything is done in meters when your in space. 60km = 60,000m,

[Giga Gilgamesh]

GG
"Stable polar orbit"
"probably doesn't mean i need to do a polar orbit"

[SaladShooter]

Ok so I am having the same issues at the OP except I am in a circular polar orbit ~87 degrees incl at an altituted of 120K over Kerbin - and I still get the "you must be in a stable polar orbit...etc." error. Z-200 bat pack and OX4W solar pannels X 2 so I believe I have enough juice to power the thing. Any suggestions?

[Operation40]

polar orbit is 90-100degrees for some reason.. there's no margin to the 80's side but you get up to +10 on the other side..

[Blackcoma]

cj your orbit should meet specification if it as you say, is it possible you have the wrong numbers there?

is it traveling over the north and south poles? or close?

on a side note, we do orbital surveys in polar orbits so it can cover every part of the surface as the planet rotates. The Nasa juno mission to Jupiter is using a highly eccentric polar orbit to cover the whole surface too and it will be gathering science from *high in space* and *in near space* just like on KSP LOL

[Operation40]

think it's based on Landsat: http://www.hulu.com/watch/889160
that whole series is worth its weight in gold, recommend watching :)