Free return trajectory not possible for minmus?

[looper_1234]

Has anyone managed to get a nice figure of 8 in planned burn?

 

or is minmus just not massive enough

 

 

[Streetwind]

I don't see why it shouldn't be possible... but I don't have KSP available right now to try.

I also think it would require a lot of precision. Maybe try MechJeb or PreciseNode so you can plot a maneuver with much more fine control.

The chief problem I think is that for this to work out, you need to intercept Minmus on an orbital plane that is inclined only directly towards Kerbin, or not inclined at all. So you either launch into an equatorial Kerbin orbit and then intercept Minmus precisely at its AN/DN, or you launch directly into the same orbital plane as Minmus/match Minmus' inclination before making your transfer.

[Empiro]

I've done it before, so I know it's possible. It is quite difficult because the margin of error is tiny.

Make sure you're on the same plane as Minmus before you start the maneuver. Also remember that your burn if not encountering Minmus should put you a bit past Minmus' orbit.

[numerobis]

I've done it manually, eyeballing it, without the upgraded flight control facilities.

But that was a fluke. I usually don't succeed in sandbox unless I'm really trying (with mechjeb or precisenode and so on)

[DrLicor]

it is possible, make sure your crafts apoapsis is under celestial body and lower than its orbit, if you overshoot, it means your periapsis isn't right.

A lower periapsis results a slower speed at the apoapsis.  

The slower you go on your apoapsis, the more likely youre going to make that 8.