Matching an elliptical orbit

[Jeebs24]

I'm trying to accomplish a rescue mission. While trying to return to Kerbin from the Mun I ran out of fuel and the crew is now stuck in an elliptical orbit. I launched a rescue vessel but I just realized the apoapsis and the periapis will not match for a proper rendezvous. Here's what the orbits look like: http://i.imgur.com/12bSZl.png

The smaller orbit is the rescue vessel.

If you're wondering how I ran of fuel. Well here's a tip of other KSP players; don't watch a movie and play KSP at the same time. You might get distracted and leave your throttle on for far too long.

[Anachronda]

Good luck. It's been a while since I've attempted a rendezvous (not yet succeeded), but I've found it's not terribly difficult to get a fairly close match to another elliptical orbit. I have succeeded in getting close enough that a more coordinated person than I could finish the job with RCS.

The big problem is that the game doesn't display the apiopsis and periopsis markers for the orbit you're trying to match, so you have to kind of eyeball it.

You can kind of roll the orbit around by burning perpendicular to the path of the orbit while traveling along the sides. There's no marker for that position, so you'll have to fiddle with it to get a feel for it. Say about the point on the right side of your picture where the orbits diverge.

Another approach I've had success with is inflating the smaller orbit into the larger one. Doing a prograde burn about halfway through where the orbits are close will inflate the smaller orbit along about the direction of the larger orbit's major axis.

[Jeebs24]

Ooohhh yeaaa!!!! I managed to match the apoapsis and periapsis and get within 6km.

http://i.imgur.com/6ToIa.png

Used the RCS thrusters to get closer, did your standard EVA and managed to rescue the stranded kerbonauts. http://i.imgur.com/nQ75b.png