Advanced Launch Rendezvous

[Nich]

I made my first youtube video as a supplement for this tutorial.  Please leave a comment on ways to improve.

 

If you are like me then the most expensive part of playing KSP is your time.  With that in mind I thought it would be nice to make a tutorial for rendezvous in less then 10 minutes. 

First you have to build the right Rocket.  Important things to note.  4000-5000 dv.  Extra fuel can be delivered to the station.  Starting TWR of at least 1.7 and it is good to keep it consistent.  Rendezvous TWR of around 1.  1.25 is nice as your learning .8 is about my low limit.

Select your target and time warp until it is at the Island peninsula.  QUICK SAVE F5

Launch and set up a nice easy gravity turn (we are not going for efficiency that is why we packed 4500 dv)

After the first stage burns out switch to map mode.  This is our chance to correct AN/DN while we continue the gravity turn.  However in my example I launched at the worst time so I will simply have to correct as I get closer.

Once you get an intercept node you will be either too early or too late.  It is better and easier to be too early simply burn up away from kerbin.  If you are too late you can burn horizontal or even downish but you may or may not be able to catch up.

Get the nodes close.  Anything within 25km is fine.  You can overshoot the orbit and this will buy you more time for the station to catch up but generally you want to be just as early on one side as you are late on the other.

Switch the nav ball to target mode.  From here the approach is entirely visual.  Because the difference in speed is so large orbital mechanics do not come into play much at all.  I suggest following the rule of 10.  If you are 80km away you should reduce your speed to less then 800 m/s difference.  40km/400 m/s, 10km 100 m/s, 5km 50 m/s.  If you want to get there faster you can apply the rule of 5 (40km / 800m/s, 10km 200m/s, 1km 20 m/s) This will help with passing right by the target.  Use these burns to push the retro grade marker directly into the target.

 

As you can see I made it to my station in a little over 8 minutes with over 1000 dv left.  With practice 5 minute 3500 dv rendezvous are possible quite easy.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2016 by Nich

[max_creative]

Yay now I can dock stuff! 

[Nich]

Updated the original post with a video