Question About Mods and Navigation

[Zapp92]

I've been playing KSP for about 2-3 months and I LOVE it. The challenge of building the rockets. Slowly getting more science. All of that is amazing to me. Ive gotten to the point where I can get to the Mun and Minmus without problems. As simple as can be to me.

 

My problem is interplanetary travel. If I try to get to Duna as an example, I feel like I am blindly shooting in the dark trying to get there. I play around with a maneuver for 20 minutes until miraculously achieve orbit. But then I use to much fuel that I can't get a return. I also have NO clue when is the best time to launch. The Mun or Minmus is a direct shot. Duna.. no clue.

 

Is there a mod that can help with maneuvers? Say, placing a maneuver and simply selecting a destination and the mod providing me with the most efficient maneuver.

 

Additionally, is there a mod that can help with best times to launch?

[OhioBob]

The first thing in planning an interplanetary trajectory is getting the departure phase angle correct, which is the angle between the lines joining the target planet to the Sun and to Kerbin.  Obtaining the correct phase angle is mostly about sitting around and waiting until the two planets move into the correct alignment.  Launching at an inopportune time results in an inefficient transfer, costing way more delta-v than is necessary.  For a trip to Duna the phase angle should be about 45 degrees.  The following web page gives more information and includes a tool for calculating maneuvers:

http://ksp.olex.biz/

The above tool is only approximate because it doesn't take into account the eccentricity of the orbits.  A more accurate tool is this one (it's the one that I use):

http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/

The above also has a mod version that works in the game:

 

Edited August 23, 2016 by OhioBob

[Pecan]

You'll do best if you learn to use the suggestions in OhioBob's answer.

If they aren't enough for you - MechJeb will do it everything you want, from simply telling you when to go, through plotting the manoeuvre for you to flying it for you if you ask it to.