Satellite contract around sun: targeting & inclination Qs

[Mister Spock]

I took a contract to match a particular orbit around the sun. It requires an orbit at least as large as Jool's, and an inclination of 66 degrees or so. (I assume the reference plane is the ecliptic, more or less?) I'm concerned that I won't be able to build a ship with enough delta-V to match this orbit. I've done many match-orbit contracts around Kerbin, the Mun and Minmus, usually with no problem, but this is my first solar contract. A couple questions:

1. I've Is there a way to "target" the destination orbit? I know it's marked graphically on the stellar map, but it'd be nice to be able to click on the target orbit, "target" it, and see relative inclination, intersection points, and other data in KER.

2. Assuming I can't "target" the destination orbit, how do I figure out where to do an inclination burn? Normally, in a Kerbin SOI contract, I just eyeball where the target AN/DN intersect my own orbit. But in a solar orbit, it's awful hard to line up the target orbit's ascending/descending nodes with my own relatively tiny orbit.

3. Playing around with maneuver nodes, I see inclination burns in the range of 7000 m/s delta-V -- and that's before spending fuel to match periapsis and apoapsis. I guess that eventually might be feasible (right now I don't have nuclear engines or the heaviest liquid engines), but I'm wondering if I've bit off more than I can chew?

Thanks in advance.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Mister Spock

[Randazzo]

In my perfectly humble opinion, matching orbits around the sun contracts are too much of a PITA to bother with.

So are polar surveys of Jool. Don't do it. You will hate life (or at least KSP).

Edit: I suppose this really only answers the last bit of question 3.

The process I use is found here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/113614. You can skip to about 1:55, but I should point out this will probably be difficult to apply to Kerbol itself, since you can't see through it..

Edited May 14, 2015 by Randazzo

[Mister Spock]

Thanks for your reply. That's more or less what I do with Kerbin-centered orbits contracts, too. But yeah, these Kerbol contract is a different kettle of fish. I have another 17 years to do it, so even with KCT installed, I've got time to think on it. But I dunno: I'm inclined to agree with your assessment that it's more trouble than it's worth.

[Reddeyfish]

1) the ascending/descending nodes will appear once you have your spacecraft in Kerbol orbit.

2) the only time you can do an inclination burn while still in kerbin orbit is when kerbin the planet is at one of the ascending/descending nodes. If kerbin is not at one of the nodes and you want to do it anyway, do the inclination burn while in kerbol orbit at the ascending/descending node, after you've escaped kerbin but before before you circularize the orbit to match apo/periapsis to the target.

To find said nodes, look edge-on at kerbin's orbit and see where the plane of kerbin's orbit intersects the target orbit.

EDIT: for future reference, #1) applies to all sat contract orbits; the ascending and descending nodes only show up if you're in the same SOI.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Reddeyfish

[Mister Spock]

Thanks, Reddeyfish! I'll try those suggestions.

[n0xiety]

There was a time where the contract asked me to test a mamooth engine 240000km close to sun.. And i foolisly took it not knowing how hard it is to get that close to sun carrying a mamooth...... And it asked me to activate the mamooth from the staging... So i wasn't able to use the Mamooth it was just dead weight... On top of that my most powerfull engine at that point was mainsail. Well i did it with using gravity assist from other planets and atleast learned how the gravity assists works... I would never take a crazy contract like that again.