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.
IMFD works very well for this scenario entering the above parameters, using Off-plane shows the lowest dV.
Here's a handy note. If you use IMFD/Target intercept/Course program in one MFD display, and Orbit-eject in the other, bring up Orbit MFD in an external MFD. You will note that the checklist says to do a leaving the SOI of Earth when Orbit-eject says "Have a nice voyage !" that in Orbit MFD, the G decreases to 0.50, and the message comes up when the G 0.50 turns red, that means Earth is no longer the major contributor to the ship's gravity field. Then the checklist says to do a burn when the Tot dV begins to increase, you'll note that the G reaches at or close to zero, and that now the ship is completely in the Sun's gravity field.