Solved Vessels orbit inclination value seems weird.

[SaphireFalcon]

Game Version​

[v2025.12.31.3103]

Operating System​

[Windows 10]

What Happened​

Reading the orbit value `Program.ControlledVehicle.Orbit.Inclination` and convert `Double.RadiansToDegrees()`.
To me the value doesn't make sense, rockets default orbit is 28.3 deg (about 0.5 as raw value)
When changing orbit from ascending to descending, the value never passes through zero. The lowest achieved was 10.3 deg,

What Was Expected​

I would expect inclination to be a value either in radians (or degrees) between -pi .. pi or 0 .. 2pi, where 0 is a zero angle between equatorial plane of earth and the orbital plane.

Reproduction Steps​

1. Set `OVEL` to `ANTINML`
2. wait until `Rocket` is close to it's ascending node
3. Ignite engine and watch orbit changing in angle (in map mode)
4. Read out the `inclination` value

Reproduction Rate​

Always

Additional Info​

• Video/Screenshots: [Link or attach files]
• Save File: [Attached/Link to save file if relevant]
• Other Notes: [Any other relevant details]

 

[gravhoek]

You are still in an ascending orbit in this screenshot, look at the orientation of South America. Remember the Earth has axial tilt!

 

[SaphireFalcon]

You are still in an ascending orbit in this screenshot, look at the orientation of South America. Remember the Earth has axial tilt!

I wouldn't disagree, however like I wrote:
> When changing orbit from ascending to descending, the value never passes through zero. The lowest achieved was 10.3 deg,
if continuing after this (which I did) the value doesn't decrease, it increases again. the inclination value never passes through 0. and doesn't go below 10.3 deg.
That last part is what is flabbergasting me. I'm expecting that the inclination should become at some point a descending one, which has a negative angle.

 

[gravhoek]

That doesn't really make sense - orbits themselves aren't ascending or descending, they are just inclined (or not). You can be on the ascending or descending _leg_ of an orbit, but that doesn't mean your inclination is changing. The normal definition of a negative inclination is a retrograde orbit, as inclination is usually derived from the dot product of the two plane direction vectors (in this case, your orbit and the equator).

 

[SaphireFalcon]

Oh, I see! If ascending become descending, then the longitude of the ascending node jumps 180 deg
And that explains why I remember negative inclination in KSP.

Thanks for explaining!