Programming Question How do I move Vesta into a hyperbolic Earth Orbit?

[Astaria]

I hope this is the right forum.

Yes, I know. Vesta will never actually swing by Earth (at least not without help from Nibiru). However, as part of a class project on orbits and astrodynamics, our professor is having us do a mining / sample return mission from Vesta as it swings by Earth. He would like to see MATLAB script that creates animations as part of the work submission. I think an orbiter video using our results would be much cooler. Now for my question:

I was wondering if it was possible to use Vesta from the Asteroid 1.0 (or whatever number it is) addon and alter the orbit somehow. It looks like the instructions that come with the addon will put Vesta on the appropriate "rails" out at the main belt. Is there any way to modify this file to make the asteroid swing by Earth on what I'm fairly certain is a hyperbolic trajectory?

I was looking at the doomsday asteroid addon for inspiration and it looks like the asteroid in question is treated as a vessel in that scenario. Can I do the same with the Vesta file form the Asteroid 1.0 addon?

Thank you in advance for your help

 

[Quick_Nick]

If you're talking about the add-on I found on OrbitHangar (Asteroids Pack 1.00), assuming it even works (it is from an old version of Orbiter), just go into Config/4Vesta.cfg and change the orbital parameters.
You won't be able to land on it but you could rendezvous. (same thing for lack of gravity)
You can make up whatever orbital parameters you see fit. If you don't understand some of the parameters (can't tell if you're saying it's an astrodynamics course), then ask for more help.

Note: I'm almost certain that the asteroid won't be affected by the gravity of Earth. You would have to model it as a vessel to do that in Orbiter. Otherwise, it's just going to act like the Sun is the only source of gravity. In other words, the orbit will be fixed and unable to deviate from a conic section.

 

[Matias Saibene]

If you're talking about the add-on I found on OrbitHangar (Asteroids Pack 1.00), assuming it even works (it is from an old version of Orbiter)

A few years ago I tested the pack Asteroid in Orbiter 2010 and it worked correctly. It is a very good add-on.

I also found this in OHM:
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6129"]Detailed Vesta v1[/ame]

With regard to take Vesta into Earth orbit, Quick Nick is right. You can easily create a vessel in Vinka Spacecraft with a mesh of Vesta asteroid and move it to Earth orbit. A good example of this is the Jason asteroid (included in UCGO) which can be placed in orbit and extract it rocks.

I promise nothing (because I'm slow, and I have to study in school), but I'll try to make that asteroid into a Vinka Spacecraft.:hmm:

 

[Astaria]

Out of curiosity, would such a "vessel" still exert its own gravity on another ship? Or is that something I have to sacrifice to get this "vessel" to move properly?

 

[Castor]

Out of curiosity, would such a "vessel" still exert its own gravity on another ship? Or is that something I have to sacrifice to get this "vessel" to move properly?

No, being a vessel it cannot exert any gravity.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Out of curiosity, would such a "vessel" still exert its own gravity on another ship? Or is that something I have to sacrifice to get this "vessel" to move properly?

Not much gravity to be had either way.
And Orbiter wouldn't let you land on the terrain either way. (Spheres only)
Rendezvous and add some dV to the flight plan. (360m/s escape velocity)