Flight Question Orbit Aligning, Normal and antinormal?

[Timaman]

Ok So I'm attempting to get from ground to ISS in the DG. Long story short, I'm getting confusion about aligning orbits between myself and the ISS. I understand the HUD will tell you to either killthrusters, thrust normal, or antinormal, and that normal is north(ish) and antinormal is south(ish). So heres the question. How do I tell which way north and south are?

God I'm such a noob.

Thanks guise :tiphat:

 

[n0mad23]

If you switch your HUD to "Surface" you can see directions on the bar at the top. Even if you're trajectory is due east, it'll show you facing North if you turn your orientation that way.

 

[Timaman]

Awesome thanks I'll give that A try!

 

[Tommy]

When aligning planes, North and South are useless directions. To change your plane efficiently, you need to apply thrust at a right angle to the velocity vector - which will rarely be Due East.

Use the Normal and AntiNormal autopilots - and don't even think about compass directions.

 

[n0mad23]

Use the Normal and AntiNormal autopilots - and don't even think about compass directions.

Absolutely right. Orbital physics requires using a very specific set of rules. Importing old ways of thinking will get in the way.

I do use the compass when orbiting the Earth, but it's always for visual points of interest and admittedly using an old way of thinking. Can't help it though, and have been heard muttering aloud, "there's Tumbuktu to the northeast, and yup I can see Cairo northeast of that. The Sahara is a mighty big place."

 

[Tommy]

I'd say one of the hardest things about spaceflight isn't what you have to learn - it's what you have to "un-learn". Concepts like North, South, Up, Down, and even Left and Right can hinder your comprehension. They also make it very hard communicate accurately with others. They are just so ingrained in our minds by years of everyday experience it's about impossible to leave them behind completely. It's not so bad to use these terms when talking to yourself - because at least then you know what frame of reference you have in mind (vessel local, planet relative, etc)

 

[Timaman]

Normal and Anti-normal autopilots? didnt know there were any. Where are they in the HUD?

 

[Ripley]

Read Orbiter.pdf in your Orbiter\doc folder.
Try looking around page...well...uh...th...nooooo, I'm too lazy for this...