Some people have claimed that approaching a station from the direction of the body that it orbits will line you up with the docking port. This is incorrect, and I can prove it.
[video=youtube_share;p9zSxOcFAt4]http://youtu.be/p9zSxOcFAt4[/video]
From this short time lapse, one frame per quarter turn of the station, you can see that the stellar background is rock steady relative to the station, while the moon that it orbits, and the gas giant that the moon orbits, are not stationary. Therefore I conclude that the space station's orientation does not change as it revolves around the primary, so if it's facing towards the moon now (which it kind of is, about 40° away), then it will be facing the exact opposite direction relative to it once it has completed half an orbit.
The only information that you can use to orient yourself is if you happen to know whether that specific station is angled "north" or "south" relative to the plane of its orbit, and if you can figure out that orientation as you approach and come at it from above or below the plane of the station's orbit. Or, if you know the station's orientation relative to the background stars, e.g. this one appears to be facing the large magellanic cloud.
So if you see anyone else promulgating this myth that stations usually face their primary, just point them here.
[video=youtube_share;p9zSxOcFAt4]http://youtu.be/p9zSxOcFAt4[/video]
From this short time lapse, one frame per quarter turn of the station, you can see that the stellar background is rock steady relative to the station, while the moon that it orbits, and the gas giant that the moon orbits, are not stationary. Therefore I conclude that the space station's orientation does not change as it revolves around the primary, so if it's facing towards the moon now (which it kind of is, about 40° away), then it will be facing the exact opposite direction relative to it once it has completed half an orbit.
The only information that you can use to orient yourself is if you happen to know whether that specific station is angled "north" or "south" relative to the plane of its orbit, and if you can figure out that orientation as you approach and come at it from above or below the plane of the station's orbit. Or, if you know the station's orientation relative to the background stars, e.g. this one appears to be facing the large magellanic cloud.
So if you see anyone else promulgating this myth that stations usually face their primary, just point them here.
