When the craft is powerful enough it is possible to switch the orbital inclination by 180° when burning retrograde to cancel out all orbital velocity and then build it back up, which is faster and more efficient than using the normal vectors. This is the most efficient way to change the orbital shape (specifically the most common case, raising or lowering apsides) so whenever possible these vectors should be used. To raise a craft from a lower orbit into a higher orbit using a Hohmann transfer two prograde burns are executed while lowering an orbit two retrograde burns are used. Burning prograde will increase velocity, raising the altitude of the orbit on the other side, while burning retrograde will decrease velocity and reduce the orbit altitude on the other side. These vectors directly change the speed of the craft. eastward), normal will be north, prograde will be east, and radial will be down. For a prograde equatorial orbit around Kerbin (following Kerbin's rotation, i.e. If you hold the first three fingers of your right hand at right angles to each other in the most natural way, the index finger points forwards representing prograde, the middle finger points towards the orbital focus representing the radial, and the thumb points "upwards" represents the normal. The relationship between these three orbital vectors - prograde, radial and normal - is defined by the right hand rule. All six of these directions are marked on the navball, using the symbols above. Because there are three dimensions of movement in space (or air), there are three basic axes on which to burn, with two directions per axis thus, all maneuvers can be described as a combination of movement in three separate directions.
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