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Do you use maneuver nodes for circularization?


RoninFrog

Do you generally use a maneuver node for circularization?  

17 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you use a maneuver node to circularize (at Ap) or capture (at Pe) your orbit?

    • Yes, I usually use a maneuver
      11
    • No, I usually don't use a maneuver
      6


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I wasn't aware this was a thing people did until recently.  I just flew through the tutorials for the first time yesterday and was surprised that they used maneuver nodes to circularize orbits.  Is this a common practice?  I almost never use a maneuver to circularize unless I'm flying a craft with a super low TWR that will need a burn over 2 minutes or so.  I usually just pressure the Ap/Pe with throttle to see how it moves, and then fly the burn manually.  I've found it's much easier to get a circular orbit (within ~200m) that way.  

Is this standard procedure?  Have I been living under a rock for the last four years?

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Not usually when arriving in orbit from the surface.  Normally only if there is a chance to intercept a target with the burn.

Almost always when arriving from a transfer, particularly if I want to reach a certain plane in the one burn.

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46 minutes ago, Mickel said:

particularly if I want to reach a certain plane in the one burn.

For plane changes I always do three separate burns: capture, plane change, and then circularize.  I don't usually use nodes for any of those, although occasionally for the plane change if I don't have a good reference point with ascending and descending nodes.

I believe it's more efficient this way, but I could be wrong.  I was shocked when the tutorial had me try to circularize and change planes at the same time; I had never  considered doing that before (as usually Pe is not near An or Dn).

Edited by RoninFrog
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4 hours ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

I use a maneuver node to circularize so that I know exactly when to start my engine.

I usually get a good mental estimate by checking the TWR and then kinda toggle throttle a couple times to see how much my Pe moves and then adjust based off that.  Kinda ghetto but I've gotten used to it.  I don't remember ever doing captures any other way. :P

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the only time i use maneuver nodes for circularization is to just find a rough estimate of when to start the circularization burn, but normally what I do is pay attention to the time until apoapsis and keep that close to 0 while circularizing so that when Ap and Pe are the same and I cut thrust my vertical speed is close to 0 too. Maneuver nodes for circularization was something i did recently while testing a micro eve orbiter, since i could test if an eva pack could make the final circularization without actually needing to deal with bringing the kerbal (just trust the process)

Edited by JeDoesStuff
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  • 3 weeks later...

I use maneuver nodes in my YouTube videos to communicate what I am doing, but when I am just messing around playing for myself, I try to do everything seat-of-the-pants.

 

One of my favourite flights in KSP was when I was doing the caveman level tech with the Stayputnic to the moon, I had to spin stabilize that craft and it made me realize that maneuver nodes can be a crutch you don't need necessarily. I do use them for more complex burns, but I suggest to all you fellow players to just wing it and see how accurate you can be without the maneuver nodes tool

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