Smart A.S.S.

Please help expanding this page. The Smart A.S.S. module is in need of more thorough documentation.

The Smart A.S.S. module provides aids for vessel pitch control. Please note that the Smart A.S.S autopilot calculates it's pitch, bank and roll according to the orbital flight path and will not follow the flight path marker on the artifical horizon but will instead calculate it's own flight path marker from the orbital speed. NOT the surface or current speed mode selected or shown on the artificial horizon.

Main buttons

• OFF: Switch off Smart A.S.S.
• KILL ROT: "Kills" the spacecraft's rotation (counters rotation/tumbling).
• NODE:

Mode buttons

• OBT: Orbit mode
• SURF: Surface mode
• TGT: Target mode
• ADV: Advanced mode

Orbit mode

• PRO GRAD: Orient to orbital prograde.
• RETR GRAD: Orient to orbital retrograde.
• NML +: Orient to orbital normal (change inclination).
• NML -: Orient to orbital anti-normal (change inclination).
• RAD +: Orient to radial outward (away from SOI).
• RAD -: Orient to radial inward (towards SOI).
• Force roll:

Surface mode

• SVEL +: Orient in the direction of movement relative to the ground. Useful during lift-off for rockets which don't have fins or are otherwise instable.
• SVEL -: Orient in the opposite direction of movement relative to the ground. Useful during reentry or aerobraking with an aerodynamically unstable craft.
• HVEL +: Orient in the direction of horizontal movement relative to the ground.
• HVEL -: Orient in the opposite direction of horizontal movement relative to the ground.
• SURF:
• UP: Orient "up", perpendicular to the surface.

Target mode

• TGT +: Orient towards the target.
• TGT -: Orient away from the target.
• RVEL +: Orient toward your relative velocity. Burning this direction will increase your relative velocity.
• RVEL -: Orient away from your relative velocity. Burning this direction will decrease your relative velocity.
• PAR +: Orient parallel to the target's orientation. If the target is a docking node it orients the ship along the docking axis, pointing away from the node.
• PAR -: Orient antiparallel to the target's orientation. If the target is a docking node it orients the ship along the docking axis, pointing toward the node.

Advanced mode