I cannot perform interplanetary flight.

[MrAmazingfuntime]

I feel terribly sorry for my Kerbals, in that I cannot seem to guide them to another planet.

I can get to the Mun through that method where you get an east travelling orbit, and burst when you see the Munrise. But that isn't a mathematical way of doing it, so I can't translate that into getting to Duna or any other planet.

Basically, I need someone to tell me in very, very simple terms how to get to another planet. I need to know what bits of the navball to look at, and what my heading is (and what the heading even measures itself up against), and some way to know when Kerbin's position is appropriate for the manouevre. If there is any maths involved (which I'm sure there is) then I need someone to explain it to me extremely simply, because I'm a foolish Kerbal who can't do numbers. For instance, I have no idea what any of the letters stand for in equations. I studied physics at GCSE, but that's it. End of knowledge.

Also, I put too much in posts. Sorry about that.

Also, is it just me being old and senile or is it literally getting harder to do anything with the old stock parts on KSP?

Thanks!

[Yeomans]

Unfortunately transferring between two bodies orbiting one body is much more difficult than transferring to a body orbiting around the origin body.

However, this calculator from Olex tells you where the planet must be in relation to your target, and where your position must be in the orbit around the planet for a successful burn. It's not the most accurate, but it's your best bet, and once you get within the planet's sphere of influence you can just retrograde burn at periapsis to put yourself in orbit.

I would try Duna first, as there's no inclination change and such, and then maybe Jool because the planet is very large and has a large sphere of influence.

Good luck!

[MrAmazingfuntime]

Thanks!

I've been using that calculator thingy that's on http://ksp.olex.biz/. It's quite useful, though it took me a while to get my head around what it actually meant. I've just about managed to sort sail past Duna, but it was an encounter (a rubbish one, but an encounter none the less). I suppose it's just one of those things that you need to know how to do first to know how to do it first, which is what makes it so tricky.

[colonel0sanders]

One way to eyeball your Kerbin escape burn for getting to Duna and Jool that is similar to the "burn-at-munrise" method that I've used so far is to get into a 100km circular orbit around Kerbin, and then start your escape burn as soon as the sun sets. Of course, you need Kerbin and the target planet to be in the right positions relative to each other. I made it to Jool burning when it is 90-100 degrees ahead of Kerbin.

[The Destroyer]

So, how i do it is:

go to

www.ksp.olex.biz

enter peramitars

go to ksp

open up map

time warp untill the diagram looks like the ksp map (no need to be exact)

launch and burn at right angle on kerbin (again, comparison)

Wait untill it shows a duna encounter.

(NOTE: Make sure to set maxpatchedconics in settings config to 4 or more insted of 2! otherwise it wont tell you of the encounter untill you escape kerbin!)

[MrAmazingfuntime]

Hmm, thanks, I'll have to root around in the settings. And that setting sun idea sounds easily workable. I've tried reaching Duna with a paper printout protractor held against the screen for 'precise rocket-science measurements'. It's, uh, slightly innaccurate.

[Bluejayek]

I use the method, get into orbit. Put myslf in an orbit near the target planet, and then make small adjustments and wait hundreds of days on timewarp until I line up. It works fine for me.

[Hiatsu2k8]

So, how i do it is:

go to

www.ksp.olex.biz

enter peramitars

go to ksp

open up map

time warp untill the diagram looks like the ksp map (no need to be exact)

launch and burn at right angle on kerbin (again, comparison)

Wait untill it shows a duna encounter.

(NOTE: Make sure to set maxpatchedconics in settings config to 4 or more insted of 2! otherwise it wont tell you of the encounter untill you escape kerbin!)

I read your link and everything you said makes no sense at all to me.

[Jesrad]

I've been using that calculator thingy that's on http://ksp.olex.biz/. It's quite useful, though it took me a while to get my head around what it actually meant.

I've just been on Duna and back thanks to this site Veeery useful ! Also, it's easy to remember the phase and ejection angles for Kerbin->Duna, it's pretty much 45° between Kerbin-Kerbol-Duna and one notch below 135° (-45° from horizontal when you keep Kerbin horizontal from Kerbol) on the local orbit for the ejection burn. One has to be veeery attentive and quick to kill throttle at the incredibly short instant during which orbits intercept at Duna

I'll just add two things: the new nuclear drive is awesome, and aerobraking into Kerbin's atmosphere from a solar orbit is scary.

[Companion]

get mechjeb? with mechjeb you can go into orbit around the sun, then go into orbital operations, click on trans, select your planet