[Tutorial] A general, flat out way to get to other planets

[The Destroyer]

So, how i do it is:

1: go to

www.ksp.olex.biz

2: enter peramitars

3: go to ksp

4: open up map

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

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

7: 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!)

Another thing, this is assuming you have a inter-planetary capable craft. ive included mine:

IRS (STOCK and can get to duna but can only fly by jool)

IRS_JOOL (STOCK+MECHJEB for help. should make it to land on jool easily, and should make it to the moons if you do it correctly.)

Any help, Post here. Or PM me.

It seems complex at first, but once you got it, its easy.

- The Destroyer

Edited October 12, 2012 by sal_vager

[lazarus2405]

Here's one that's been bugging me. You have to burn at some point to put your orbit on the same inclination as your target. I had been doing this by burning normal at what appeared to be a node midway through my cruise, trying to eyeball it edge-on in map view. In my Jool attempts I more or less missed and ended up in extremely elliptical polar orbits after using a whole lot of delta-v to get captured. Thinking about it now, it seems like bad aiming leading to a silly waste of delta-V. So, when is the least expensive place to burn? How do I line it up to make it accurate? Are there any navigational tricks I can use get in a low-inclination trajectory to allow aerobraking and capture?

[The Destroyer]

[ATTACH]33279[/ATTACH][ATTACH]33280[/ATTACH]All i know is that you should use Normal+ And Antinormal to ajust planes. thats all i can really say, considering im new to this too. heres the .craft files btw

[togfox]

The easiest way to align planes is to

.warp till you are in the target soi

.circularise so you dont leave the system

.check on map view where the orbits cross. Warp to this point

.burn left or right and watch the plane change in map view.

[Ted]

Moderator Comment: Excellent post, would be more suited to 'How-To' though. Thread moved, thanks.

[TheDarkStar]

Another way to do it is to get a similar orbit, with a slight change in either apoapsis or periapsis. If your orbit is larger, the planet will catch up with you, and if your orbit is smaller, you catch up with the planet. Adjust your orbit as you get closer so that you don't miss it.

[The Destroyer]

@mod i was unsure, but thanks.

@TheDarkStar

That was my inital approach, but i found it failed most of the time. this guide, i found that it is easier.

[Javster]

So, how i do it is:

1: go to

www.ksp.olex.biz

2: enter peramitars

3: go to ksp

4: open up map

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

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

7: 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!)

Another thing, this is assuming you have a inter-planetary capable craft. ive included mine:

IRS (STOCK and can get to duna but can only fly by jool)

IRS_JOOL (STOCK+MECHJEB for help. should make it to land on jool easily, and should make it to the moons if you do it correctly.)

Any help, Post here. Or PM me.

It seems complex at first, but once you got it, its easy.

- The Destroyer

I did all that, but I still couldn't get an intercept!

[arcanise]

if you check out my latest video in my tutorial series i cover this exact process

[SRV Ron]

Here's one that's been bugging me. You have to burn at some point to put your orbit on the same inclination as your target. I had been doing this by burning normal at what appeared to be a node midway through my cruise, trying to eyeball it edge-on in map view. In my Jool attempts I more or less missed and ended up in extremely elliptical polar orbits after using a whole lot of delta-v to get captured. Thinking about it now, it seems like bad aiming leading to a silly waste of delta-V. So, when is the least expensive place to burn? How do I line it up to make it accurate? Are there any navigational tricks I can use get in a low-inclination trajectory to allow aerobraking and capture?

An easier way get much closer to the orbital plane when it is difficult to see if you are on plane or not is to set up a maneuver mode, activate the parapsis marker of the encounter, and pull on the pink up down handles to get the value to the smallest distance possible. Then, use the other handles to further reduce that distance. Go back to the pink ones to adjust further if needed.

Otherwise, the only other alternative is to do a slingshot around a moon to adjust the plane using minimal fuel as shown by this example;

The completed slingshot

[Javster]

I did that... Didn't work. Gonna try again now...

[Javster]

The website is down.

[blizzy78]

The web site is not down. It is http://ksp.olex.biz, not http://www.ksp.olex.biz

[Monkeh]

Here's one that's been bugging me. You have to burn at some point to put your orbit on the same inclination as your target. I had been doing this by burning normal at what appeared to be a node midway through my cruise, trying to eyeball it edge-on in map view. In my Jool attempts I more or less missed and ended up in extremely elliptical polar orbits after using a whole lot of delta-v to get captured. Thinking about it now, it seems like bad aiming leading to a silly waste of delta-V. So, when is the least expensive place to burn? How do I line it up to make it accurate? Are there any navigational tricks I can use get in a low-inclination trajectory to allow aerobraking and capture?

Those eliptical orbits cost a HUGE amount of delta v. I've had burns at Jool to be captured of as little as 500 m/s and as much as 3,500 m/s depending on how much 'above' or 'below' the meridian when you come into the system.

Through trial and error and using my 'ickle brain, I now manage to get good inclination matches.

My Method to match inclination

Select your target as normal.

Coast to either the ascending or descending node. (These points appear to be where your trajectory/orbit is on the same plane as your target.)

Add a maneuver node here and just use the pink directions.

Set your POV so that your target's orbit is a single, (ie side on), thin as possible, green line and then match yours to it.

Once burned do your normal burn out to your target using the prograde and retrograde directions and you will be all lined up nice and not coming in with a 3000 m/s burn to orbit.

Works for me anyway.