Delta-v formulas

[FortyCaliber]

Can anyone guide me in the formulas necessary to figure the amount of delta-v necessary to execute radial-/+ and normal/anti-normal orbital maneuvers?

[tavert]

Can you be more specific regarding what type of maneuver you want to calculate? The general answer is you take your initial and target orbits, which must intersect at the location of your maneuver, and calculate the orbital velocity vectors for the two orbits at the maneuver location. The maneuver delta-V is the vector difference between those two velocities.

[SolarLiner]

You consider two Vector3: before and after maneuver speeds. Then you subtract their magnitude/lengths. The result will be in whatever unit the vectors are (assuming the two vectors are the same).

So you get: dV = |v2| - |v1|; where v1 is speed before maneuver, and v2 is speed after maneuver.

the length/magnitude of a vector3 is calculated as follow: sqrt(x*x+y*y+z*z).

[K^2]

The only standard maneuver involving these is the inclination change done with normal/anti-normal burn. The formula is delta-V = 2 V * Sin(f/2), where V is your current velocity and f is the angle by which you want to change the inclination at a given point.

For radial/anti-radial it all depends on maneuver you want to perform. They are never efficient, however. The only time you should do radial/anti-radial is for small corrections to meet the target at an intercept. In all other situations, you should be trying to use prograde/retrograde burns instead.

Edit: Docking and landing are a different story, of course.

Edited July 15, 2013 by K^2