HorusKol

This seems to be the best approach based on the nodes I've plotted for once I'm out of Kerbin SoI - but the projected capture window is only about 2 hours (on a trip over a couple of hundred days!) How long is a "long burn"?

I was setting up a transfer from Kerbin to Duna - I managed to get an orbit projected for Duna capture using a manoeuvre node - roughly about a 4 minute burn. I waited until 4 minutes before the node, and then fired up my engines - using SAS to keep steady. It all seemed to go pretty well, until the burn was almost complete the resulting transfer orbit around Kerbol was not the same circle as the one the manoeuvre node plotted, and I was going to be late getting to Duna. I think I've managed to tweak the orbit with a couple of transition burns on route - but I'm wondering if my approach to timing burns is correct? This approach has worked out with Mun and Minmus - probably because the capture windows are bigger, there's less dV, and shorter burn times. So, question: Do I start a 4 minute burn 4 minutes before the node? Or 2 minutes before? Or when I reach the node? I guess my other option is to loft up more engines for the transition stage.

I really wish I had taken a screenshot to show - but the most hilarious fail I've had so far was watching my second stage on a ballistic trajectory leading my first stage engine by about the height of an orange fuel tank thanks to the SRBs striking the tank and exploding it.

I usually wait until I'm falling at less then 10 m/s under a parachute, or setup a ballistic trajectory with not too much horizontal velocity and get out at the peak of the curve.

Carefully crafting a sub-assembly for radial mounting, saving it and then trying to mount it onto your core and realising that it wants to mount the opposite way round to how you built it...

Project: CrossBow Sequence Number: 1 Mission Commander: Jeb Kerbin Mission Supervisor: Gene Kerbin Commander's Report: I can't believe we did this on the first go - I actually got out to another planet, it's remarkable. Tell the tech guys that the stasis system works brilliantly, I slept right through the launch, transit and landing - in both directions. I wouldn't have minded spending some time at the controls, but the bosses say that will come later and they just wanted to make sure I could open the hatch by myself. So, yeah, my report - I forget what the other planet's name is, but you know where I went already. It looks remarkably like KSC - I wasn't actually able to get a soil sample, but there was some stuff on the metal grill that the ship had landed on. Wasn't sure about the atmosphere, so I kept the helmet on just in case. Return trip uneventful, and the auto-pilot got the ship back to where we started. Where next, guys? Supervisor's Report: Seriously, did no-one brief Jeb on the systems test?

Hades would be good for a volcanic moon... How about Yoreckeddum for a gas giant?

Thanks - I'll give it a go

Hmm - guess I'll have to live without - I want to try and get through using the vanilla KSP first (also - how do I change the "unanswered" prefix up there?)

In one of the tutorial/demos, you have to circularize an eccentric orbit - you get an information box with the eccentricity in it. Is this available in career mode?

Just thought I'd drop and say hi After hearing about this Kerbal Space Program thingie from a bunch of different places (although, I didn't know anyone else who'd played it) I thought I'd give it a go. Downloaded 0.23.5 just before the 0.24 update - decided to play the full career mode to help with the learning curve. Not doing too badly - although with fairly judicious use of quicksaves and reverting - having a ball every time I mess up my staging and cause something to explode. Managed to get to Minmus and back on the first go and banked a ton of funds. So, yeah, looking forward to posting awesome pics and swapping stories with everyone here.