Best way to get back from laythe?

[codepoet]

So what is the best approach to getting home from the surface of laythe? I can be in laythe orbit for a bit over 3km/s. I can then do a slingshot around one of the other moons to start workjing my way up out of Jool's gravity well, but it all looks pretty expensive to me, and will take far more than the 3000m/s I have bugetted to go from low laythe orbit to back to kerbin. So what is my best approach?

[Kasuha]

A well executed slingshot around Tylo could give you the impulse you need.

[Moar Boosters]

Yeah, slightshot off one of the moons. Tylo is the obvious answer due to it's higher gravity giving the biggest boost..... but you can use Vall as well. Should easily be doable if you've got 3k delta v. (Good excuse for a pretty picture).

[Johnno]

Around 3000 m/s delta-v sounds accurate to get from the surface into orbit around Laythe. If you have an additional 3000 m/s delta-v to spend once in orbit you shouldn't even need a slingshot, simply exiting Laythe's SOI and then doing your interplanetary burn from Jool orbit should cost your around 2000 m/s delta-v. Of course you can burn straight from Laythe orbit, just used exiting it as an example as that was easier to put into the planner.

I prefer to use alexmoon's Launch Window Planner for interplanetary travel. Along with orbit information and your current ingame time it would be fairly straightforward to find a route home depending on how fast you want to get back to Kerbin.

[Kulebron]

If you're on equatorial Laythe orbit, 1000 m/s is enough, if you shoot from the right place (IIRC, staying right ahead of Jool, on the far side of Laythe). This way you're already high enough and have a good speed. If you descend to Jool, it will take more delta v to fly away from it (or you might need to descend so that periapsis is ahead of Jool, not in another place). Then you need to just play with MechJeb or maneuver planner plugin and find which day to do this to intercept Kerbin when you arrive. This is pain in the neck, and I don't know a tool that could jump exactly 1 orbit forward, always have to move by 1 minute.

If you are on an inclined orbit, like 65 degrees (aligned with islands), it takes 1500 m/s to match periapsis with Kerbin, and an hour of playing with maneuver planner. I still haven't found the correct day for it - Kerbin is too far in its orbit at encounter.

So, if you want just action, add more fuel and fly to Jool, then plan the maneuver. If you want to play hardcore space missions, like in real life, plan, plan and plan.

I think of making a bi-directional calculation tool to calculate travel from any planet to any planet.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Kulebron