How to launch inclined satellite orbits without "eyeballing" it

[bball617]

Hey guys got a question for y'all on the inclined satellite contracts. I'm at the point where completing these is a no Brainer but I'm looking to be a little more precise and effecient, specifically launching at KSC at the correct time when the AN is 0.

Currently I'm waiting for the contract satellite orbit to be directly over KSC by eyeballing it to limit the amount of correction burn.

What I'm looking for is the math equation or data variable I can use to know what time to launch instead of eyeballing.

I have mechjeb and KER installed so plenty of data just not sure which ones I need to use to make the most efficient launch possible.

Sample satellite orbit:

Apoapsis: 20.144km

Periapsis: 12.349km

Inclination: 28.7

Longitude of ascending node: 248.8

Argument of Periapsis: 53.5

Thanks

[diomedea]

With KER, I'd suggest in the KER settings to enable the Longitude of AN in the orbital display, it will change while your vessel is in prelaunch as the KSC sidereal direction. Of course we need to launch when that value matches the assigned LAN (or the reverse for a opposite inclination).

[bball617]

Hi Diomedea thx for the reply.

Unfortunately waiting to launch when the LAN value from KER at the launchpad matches the LAN of the contract satellite orbit(248.8) does not result in launching with the same orbit as the contract. KSC is actually far from underneath the orbit when the LAN at launch is = 248.8 and the orbit ends up with a very high AN.

Based on me eyeballing it. In order to launch with the correct orbit and a close to 0 AN I need to launch when these values.

LAN = 158/338

Angle of Prograde = 344/164

Clearly there is some math equation that I'm needing in order to figure it out why the values directly above result in a launch that matches the contract orbit from my OP?

[Drew Kerman]

Go look up KSPTOT, its mission planner includes a launch window calculator that defaults to KSC's location (configurable) and you just plug in the orbit you want to launch into and it'll give you a list of launch times and azimuth for a given time range

[bball617]

I took a look at KSPTOT. Thats a little more complicated than I think I want to get. Is there not just a semi simple math equation I can use with what I know about the contract orbit to know when it will be directly over KSC?