Minmus base logistics

[Crusher48]

In one of my saves, I am starting to build a base on minmus for control of the area. Because I have Extraplanetary Launchpads, I plan to build and launch ships from the base (eventually). My question: How should I manage logistics with how to launch my ships from minmus into interplanetary voyages to other planets (should I move to LKO or just go to an escape trajectory straight from minmus?)

[sisyphean]

ive not used extra-planetary launch pads myself so im no expert, however i would assume that transferring to LKO from minmus before transfer would be a waste, simple reason is that its only about 100m/s d/v to escape kerbins SOI from minmus yet it takes roughly 1km/s d/v to escape from LKO plus the 1km/s (at least) it would take to transfer from minmus to kirbin and circularize. (if your not circularizing then that means your apoapsis is in the right place for a transfer and thus so also is minmus)

the only disadvantage to launching from minmus is that it makes launch windows a bit tricky as minmus has to be in the right place around kerbin for you to transfer into interplanetary space to be a perfect transfer, however im pretty sure kerbal alarm clock can help you work that out.

[Taki117]

Honestly, minmus location in its orbit is irrelevant. Launch when it is on the appropriate half of the planet, then make a mid course correction in deep space.

[Superfluous J]

You shouldn't go down to LKO, but burning from Minmus so your PERIAPSIS is close to Kerbin (Say 100-200km) *AND* at the right location (which can be extremely difficult) does save some fuel on most ejections. I think Duna and Eve don't benefit much if at all, but the rest do. Essentially, the further you go the better it is.

However the savings is not - in my opinion - worth the extra work. If you just want to go, launch from Minmus like you would from Kerbin, ideally when Minmus is orbiting around Kerbin in the same direction. Here's a quick and ugly ms paint image for what I mean:

The arrows show how Kerbin and Minmus are orbiting, so to eject to Duna you want to burn to your ship follows the yellow line at the top of the screen, not the red line at the bottom of the screen. You do this so your burn gets Minmus' orbital speed as a bonus to your thrust. If you burn for the red line, you actually have to overcome Minmus' orbital speed with MORE thrust.

I apologize for the crudeness of the image. I didn't have time to make it to scale

[Red Iron Crown]

5thHorseman's got it. I would just add that the diagram is only accurate for going to planets further from the sun than Kerbin; for planets closer to the sun the situation is the opposite (you would want to eject at the bottom point of the diagram in the retrograde direction). I would gin up another diagram but am afraid it wouldn't be as awesome as that one.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Red Iron Crown
Typo fixed.

[Superfluous J]

Haha yes I specifically made that for Duna. For ejections to Dres, Jool or Eeloo the arrows need to be a bit longer.

Again, the diagram is not to scale.