How to transfer to another planet using Mechjeb

[comiquaze]

Hi!

I currently have 0.20 and I'm using MJ 2.0.8.

I built a nice big spaceship with lots of fuel to go outside the Kerbin area of influence and explore other worlds.

I'm in a nice circular orbit, I'm in a suitable window to reach Moho, so I tell MJ to create a "Transfer to another planet", which it does.

However, when I get to the end of that node, what should be my next maneuver? And the one after that?

I'm at a complete loss.

I've managed to do it once with a probe, but I can't recall how I did it.

[buzz66boy]

Transfer to another Planet -> fine tune closest approach (choose a height for your pe over planet) -> once in SOI change your periapsis as mechjeb has invariably not gotten it perfect. -> circularize at periapsis

[comiquaze]

Thanks, I'll be giving it a try.

I fear many will die as a result...

[lammatt]

plan the node by hand yourself and use the execute next node option

i dont thrust mehjeb's full auto...

sometimes it gives you a 10-year ETA

and i was like WTF? 10yr?

[alexmun]

FYI, Moho is by far the hardest planet to get to and MechJeb's calculations aren't perfect for getting there. If this is your first interplanetary mission, you might want to try going to Duna or Eve first.

[gmeine921]

Option A: wait for a planetary window. (recommend waiting and not having a ship in orbit for longer than a week when on time warp waiting)

select planet. [MJ (mechjeb)] transfer to another planet (create and execute). once burn completed, wait during transit. [MJ] circularize at periapsis.

Option B: manually through mech jeb (aka brute force).

select mun. [MJ (mechjeb)] hohmann transfer (create and execute). burn prograde at periapsis manually (or drop node and execute) until you are on an escape trajectory. once in an orbit round the sun, [MJ] hohmann transfer to the planet of choice. [MJ] fine tune distance as desired. [MJ] circularize at periapsis

[Starwaster]

FYI, Moho is by far the hardest planet to get to and MechJeb's calculations aren't perfect for getting there. If this is your first interplanetary mission, you might want to try going to Duna or Eve first.

QFT. Especially 'fine tune'

You can fine tune until you're blue in the face and you can specify that your final periapsis is as far from the target as possible and invariably, Mechjeb will have plotted a course that plows right through the heart of the planet and then KSP will still have the audacity to tell you that the end of your trajectory ends in an escape node....

[comiquaze]

It worked, I made it to Moho with over 2000 d/v remaining.

Sky's the limit now!

[Hovis]

Fine Tune was the thing I was always forgetting. That's the key right there, the difference between hitting the target and fifty years of mindless hula hooping round the solar system.