List of add-ons in 2025

Orbiter 2016

2008 EA9 installed OK here as directed by the readme file. Remember that 2008 EA9 is a vessel, not a body, so it will not appear in any scenario unless it is listed as a ship in that scenario, and it cannot be used as a reference body in any MFD such as Orbit MFD.

The config file (2008 EA9.cfg) contains the name, class name, mesh name and the name of the Bmp file, size and mass and some other parameters, and the docklist for six docks, but no orbital or rotational parameters. The Meshes folder contains two files (2008 EA9.msh and 2008 EA9_HQ.msh). The Images\Asteroids folder contains the file 2008_EA9.bmp for the visuals, and the Textures folder contains the 2008_EA9.dds file.

Doc files for this add-on include 2008 EA9.pdf, which gives the diameter, mass, and orbital elements. The readme.txt file just says to extract the zip file into the Orbiter root folder.

The add-on comes with four scenario files:

• 1. Launch from Earth.scn
• 2. Arrival at 2008 EA9.scn
• 3. Anchored on 2008 EA9.scn
• Closes_approach - 2019.snc

Scenario 1. Launch from Earth

Before we launch Orbiter, let's open your favorite browser and navigate to IMFD AppE Navigation Checklists in the Orbiter wiki. This contains checklists for the various operations in IMFD.

The description in the Launchpad for this scenario says that November 15 2009 is the best date for travel to 2008 EA9, and to program the arrival date to MJD 58896. This scenario launches with the DeltaGlider in LEO at an altitude of about 637 km.

So, let's switch the left MFD to IMFD 5.7 to Target Intercept and set the target to 2008 EA9. Change the arrival MJD to 58896. Checking all the Plane trajectories, we find that Off Plane has the lowest Total dV required at about 1949 m/s.

In the right MFD we'll also call up IMFD 5.7, and select Orbit-Eject, changing the Higher Orbit to course and Realtime to Off-Axis. We note that the EIn is about -3.45° and needs to be <1° so we'll fast forward until the ship's position is approaching the next node, then back to ×1, select NML+ orientation and use main thrusters to zero out the EIn. Release the NML+ orientation. Switch the view to the BV page, we note TtB is about 4800 seconds. Fast forward to just above 180 seconds, select the AB button to Autoburn. At 180, the ship orients to the burn vector, at zero, main engines start for about 4 minutes.

So, now we are in a hyperbolic orbit from LEO, eccentricity is about 1.04, headed for 2008 EA9. if we bring up Orbit MFD in an external MFD display, we can see the orbit and parameters, and the G percentage. Let's fast forward, starting at 100× for a bit, then up it to 1000×. We watch the G number in Orbit MFD, when it gets to 0.50 still green, we'll drop back to 10×, just about when G at 0.50 goes to red which means that the Earth's gravity is no longer the major contributor to the gravity sensed at the DG, the Orbit-Eject display changes to the message "Have a nice voyage !".

OK, so according to the checklist page at "1.9 Leaving a Planet’s SOI", in the MFD that displays the Target Intercept program, we change the SRC to X (self), then in the MFD displaying the Orbit-Eject, we will go the MNU, and bring up the Map program, enter the Sun as the reference body, 2008 EA9 as the target vessel, activate Dsp, Soi, and Int, and center the DG, or 2008 EA9, whichever you like. Then it says wait until the Tot dV in the BV page goes to lowest and begins to increase, this will happen when the G in the Orbit MFD drops to about 0%, which indicates that you have now completely left the Earth's SOI and the G from the Sun is 1.00. This is about 4 or 5 times the distance from Earth to Moon. Now, slow to 1×, and start the AB in the Course program, you get a 9 or 10 second burn.

Now, you can safely fast forward up to 10⁵×, and note that Tn in the Map program is about 5M, when it gets to 1M or so, back to 1× and do a correction burn.