How to get my rendezvous closer

[CookiezFort]

Ok, Here is a picture of how close (away) the space station (the part i have in orbit) and the part i am trying to connect is... can someone help me on how i can get it closer so they can renzdevous... the closest i can get them is 600 km away...

I tried to make the orbits almost the same but that does not help..

Sorry if the image is too big

[sal_vager]

You don't want to get into the same orbit, what you want is an orbit that intersects the orbit of the other craft at a point where both craft have as little separation as possible.

You have a few options here, you can lower the orbit of the trailing craft so it can catch up, you can raise the orbit of the leading craft so it can slow down, or you can greatly increase the apoapsis of the leading craft so it will meet up with the trailing craft when back at its periapsis.

Use the manoeuvre nodes, and raise the orbit of the leading craft until you get a better rendezvous

I hope you have enough fuel.....

[CookiezFort]

I managed to get it to 130 distance away when they are close what should i do? burn towards it or something else? I may be going to fast so i shoudl kill my velocity but how? burn retrograde?

[falofonos]

looks like your fuel is low...

Raise apoapsis of your craft with 10 to 15 units of liquid fuel (giving you a reserve to match velocity with your target), run a few orbits on high time multiplier and see whether you're getting closer encounters or more distant encounters. Either way you will eventually get an encounter close enough to be worth using... probably. That's assuming your craft can recharge the batteries. If not, back to the VAB I guess.

In my humbly pinion, I'd say it's more useful to get into an orbit that crosses that of your target twice than to precisely match orbit with the target. I do this by having a periapsis slightly lower than the orbit of the target and apoapsis higher than the orbit of the target. While the craft is above the orbit of the target, the target's velocity is higher than that of the craft, so it "catches up" with you. While the orbit is below that of the target your craft is moving faster than the target.

Only match velocities and orbit when you are within 2km or so, saves you a lot of monopropellant and a fair bit of swearing.

[CookiezFort]

Ok if i burn now i will have 137 km seperation or should i burn so i can just re launch the whole thing and try to do it better? Here is a pic

I am sure that now there is a way to get closer if i have enough fuel or i should not risk it land it and just add more fuel next time (more rcs tanks). Also would you like a picture of my second part and tell me what i could use to take it in the air in a better way?

[csiler2]

I usually perform approaches the same way as Falofonos, but you can use maneuver nodes even if you only have one intersect. Just plant the node where your ship will be during closest approach and increase/decrease your orbit until your close approach is 1-2Km. Perform the necessary burn, making sure you have enough reserve to slow down and then begin rendezvous operations. Of course, this isn't as efficient as waiting it out, but I believe Scott Manley pointed out that you can always have a rendezvous if you have a single intercept and enough fuel.

The double-intersect approach has the added bonus of giving you an idea of whether or not your catching up to or falling behind the target craft. I use the same technique in the double intersect as the single intersect, but I try to wait until the closest approach is within 10Km ahead of me.

[CookiezFort]

Ok, I just decided i will land this thing and do some modifications and relaunch it