Trouble getting to the mun part 1

[alfrank]

I'm new to ksp and wanted to post a question and include a screen shot. How do I upload that image into my posting?

[alfrank]

OK, so I've worked my way through the tutorials up to getting to the mun part 1 and there I am stuck. I can create an encounter with mun and I can raise my apoapsis, but when I time warp to the eencounter I get this

and I have no idea how to proceed beyond this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I've looked at lots of youtube videos but they haven't helped.What this tutorial needs is a tutorial on the tutorial

 

[Vanamonde]

This is what is supposed to happen. At this point you turn retrograde and burn the engine. This slows you down and your path becomes a closed circuit around Mun, meaning you are in orbit. 

And welcome to the forum.  

[Vanamonde]

We can't host the images here because they take so much storage. But you can upload pictures to a hosting site such as Imgur.com and copy the link they provide into your posts  here. 

And welcome to the forum;.

Oh, and I see you're the same person and figured out the pictures thing. Okay then. Threads merged. 

[alfrank]

when I burn retrograde, the blue line starts to form a closed circle with escape mun at the closing end of the line. But when the lines merge I get a highly eccentric orbit with the periapsis inside the mun

[Vanamonde]

Burn only until the lowest part of the orbit is at the height you want, then wait until the ship gets there, then turn retrograde and burn again until the highest point of the orbit is also at the height you want. It takes some getting used to, but this is all how it's supposed to work.

[alfrank]

is that when I burn retrograde, the blue line starts to form a closed circle with escape mun at the closing end of the line. But when the lines merge I get a highly eccentric orbit with the periapsis inside the mun

[alfrank]

is that burn in maneuver mode, prograde or retrograde? I'm still not getting a lunar orbit.

[Vanamonde]

All the burns should be retrograde. If the line is going inside Mun, you are burning too long at that location. 

[cocoscacao]

1 hour ago, alfrank said:

is that when I burn retrograde, the blue line starts to form a closed circle with escape mun at the closing end of the line. But when the lines merge I get a highly eccentric orbit with the periapsis inside the mun

Try making maneuver node at periapsis (blue PE), and pull retrograde marker. It will show you effect on the current orbit (blue line). Then just wait until you get to the node, and start burning.

This is retrograde marker

Also select retrograde to rotate your rocket correctly before burning:

 

It is important where in the current orbit you're going to do the burn. If you want to circularise a body, the burn should be done at periapsis (PE). You can drag maneuver node around to see how the trajectory will be affected.

Edit:

Oh, and where are my manners??? Welcome to the forum (and the community). Feel free to ask anything. I'm sure everyone can help you to achieve the next big step... crashing into the Mun for the first time 

Edited May 18, 2023 by cocoscacao

[GalileOh-No]

Odds are if you're stuck on a certain topic in KSP, Scott Manley will have made a very thorough video on it.

 

Very quick version:

Scorsese cut:

 

Edited May 19, 2023 by GalileOh-No

[Superfluous J]

One CRITICAL thing, don't just do the retrograde burn anywhere on your line. Do it near the PE marker.

If you do it too early, you'll end up with what you describe, an orbit that is more crashy than what you're wanting.

[alfrank]

I managed to get into a munar orbit, but not the one the tutorial wants (i couldn't lower the apoapsis enough because I ran out of fuel). I think I found the problem.  The tutorial says to add a maneuver mode at periapsis (before the retrograde burn), but the program won't let me do that. Why am I not able to add the requested maneuver node?

[Superfluous J]

Post another picture of the map mode where you can't place the maneuver node.

My only guess without seeing a picture is that your ship is past that point in the line.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

9 hours ago, alfrank said:

I managed to get into a munar orbit, but not the one the tutorial wants (i couldn't lower the apoapsis enough because I ran out of fuel). I think I found the problem.  The tutorial says to add a maneuver mode at periapsis (before the retrograde burn), but the program won't let me do that. Why am I not able to add the requested maneuver node?

 

8 hours ago, Superfluous J said:

Post another picture of the map mode where you can't place the maneuver node.

My only guess without seeing a picture is that your ship is past that point in the line.

I have not played more than an hour of this patch but I have heard they won't let you place a MN unless you have the fuel for it. 

@alfrank- I think you are discovering the fun of KSP.  Literally 'almost' doing a thing until you finally accomplish the thing.

That is literally the joy of the game.  It's hard! 

So... I'm interpreting here, but it is entirely possible that you got to the Mun intercept but not efficiently enough to manage a landing - meaning not enough fuel to survive.  If my guess is correct - you might need to relaunch. 

One of the hardest things to learn is an efficient launch to orbit. 

 

 

 

If you watch this - I set my capture burn at the PE of my encounter with the Mun and pull retrograde until I circularize.   If you get it right, you get a good circle from the start.  

Hope it helps! 

 

 

 

[alfrank]

first of all, I thank everyone for their comments. I was surprised by how many people have responded. This is certainly a friendly forum.

I'm now consistently getting into a close circular orbit around mun , it's just not the orbit that the tutorial wants, so I haven't officially completed the tutorial, but I think I now understand what's going on.The tutorial doesn't give you full fuel tanks to start with  so there's very little left for orbital adjustments.

[cocoscacao]

@alfrank Err... I'll have to go through that particular one again to be of better help... But! Orbital adjustments are less expensive (fuel-wise) the further you are from the target body. Try making maneuver node before you reach it. So,  somewhere in the middle between Kerbin-Mun. Then just play around with the markers. You can also focus view on the Mun while doing it, so you can see how near/far you'll end up from it. I don't know if this one requires you to get at some specific distance.

Edited May 19, 2023 by cocoscacao

[alfrank]

I suspect it does.  I'm in a 20 km circular orbit (and out of fuel) but the tutorial doesn't say "tutorial complete"

[cocoscacao]

@alfrank Alright, I went through it. You need to lower both your apoapsis (AP) and periapsis (PE) below 200.000. If you have issues with fuel (though there's plenty enough of that), don't forget that you can activate next stage (it packs additional ~2800dV).