Cyclic trajectory?

[Glaucus]

Does anyone know if its possible to do cyclic trajectors, like in Buz Aaldrins puporsal for kunar and mars colonisation.

Heres a pdf"explaining" it. If you can, i only understand the basic principal not how to work out, if you even can and how you would translate it to ksp.

http://buzzaldrin.com/files/pdf/1985.10.28.ALDRIN_SAIC_PAPER.Cyclic_Trajectory_Concepts.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_cycler

A Mars cycler (or Earth-Mars cycler) is a special kind of spacecraft trajectory that encounters Earth and Mars on a regular basis. The term Mars cycler may also refer to a spacecraft on a Mars cycler trajectory. The Aldrin cycler is an example of a Mars cycler.

A cycler trajectory encounters two or more bodies on a regular basis. Cyclers are potentially useful for transporting people or materials between those bodies using minimal propellant (relying on gravity-assist flybys for most trajectory changes), and can carry heavy radiation shielding to protect people in transit from cosmic rays and solar storms.

So any idea if its possible and how you would even start to work it out, it would be cool to set one up for every planet.

I assuming the pphysics isnt accurate enough and you would get drift, which on long distance cyclers might be ok, but on mun cyclers it would be to much to continually correct. As well as sephere of ifluence being different than real life.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Glaucus

[karolus10]

Anyone who will put video with working kerbin-duna cycler will get box of cookies from me, I'm serious.

[lincourtl]

Huh. Good idea. It should be possible. Ike, which is more of a navigational hazard than a moon, might be a problem though.

[Kerbart]

You'd still need the delta-V to rendez-vous with the Cycler Vehicle, but I guess the advantage of such a setup would be that you'd have to accelarate the Cycler Vehicle only once, and equip it with heavy shielding against radiation and all the other goodies needed for such trips and not having to waste fuel ever again on changing orbit of that?

[Awaras]

You'd still need the delta-V to rendez-vous with the Cycler Vehicle, but I guess the advantage of such a setup would be that you'd have to accelarate the Cycler Vehicle only once, and equip it with heavy shielding against radiation and all the other goodies needed for such trips and not having to waste fuel ever again on changing orbit of that?

Exactly, you accelerate all the heavy stuff once, and then you can reduce the fuel requirements by only accelerating relatively small transport vehicles to and from the cycler. That cycler might look more like a large space station and less like a 'vehicle', needing only relatively small course corrections to keep it on the right track.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

I managed to get into a 2:1 orbit with kerbin and encountered Duna on the first pass, and then kerbin, and then again 9 orbits later, then again 11 orbits after that I encountered Duna again, then eve got in the way

I think i was in a 2:1 with kerbin, then a 9:1, then a 1:11 with Duna, then eve messed it up.

SCIENCE

[British_Rover]

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/49803-the-cyclers-difficulty-inane

It seems to be possible but very, very difficult with patch conics.

[jebisanaggie]

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/49803-the-cyclers-difficulty-inane

It seems to be possible but very, very difficult with patch conics.

This. With patch conics if you miss an SOI then off into nothingness you go. But it seems as long as you did the nessecary station keeping it would work.

[Tex_NL]

You'd still need the delta-V to rendez-vous with the Cycler Vehicle ...

And this is why I question the usefulness of a cycler. Once you've matched orbit and speed with the cycler to dock and/or transfer materials you're on the same trajectory, you've become a cycler yourself. The only real benefit would be if you use the cycler as a crew taxi. You won't need to put a heavy long duration life support system into orbit each and every time.

[Kulebron]

I did some calculations for Earth-Moon transport, although I thought of putting it to a lower orbit each time. You can benefit if you use a combo: the fuel and other stuff is sent beforehand with a space tug (ion engine), and the crew flies a small capsule and docks with the big and well-equipped cycler. If you send fuel and other parts together, the saving is some smaller, since you have more weight to apply this big delta-V.