Poll: Transferring to fly to another planet

[zapman987]

Been doing some initial flybys of planets, Was wondering whats everyones preferred method to get places? Im not talking most efficient, Im talking preferred, which factors in time, construction, fuel, skill, etc.

Some ways being:

best path- using optimal alignment, saves fuel, but requres timing to be perfect for planetary alignment

who cares- build a big ship, get it up, get it there, who cares on alignment, Ill get there some day.

Also do you prefer to get it in solar orbit first and then worry on alignment/paths or sync solar orbit transfers to final alignment?

[SRV Ron]

Often, I launch several missions to solar orbit to then get the best window for interplanetary transfer staggering the intercept a few hours or days apart. After doing one that went from Kerbal orbit to a direct interplanetary intercept, I will be testing that some more due to the much shorter burn time needed and fuel saved using the LV-N for the transfer.

[Osprey]

I just try to get the closest I can from whatever point I launch, I'm not yet familiar enough with the mechanics of transfer orbits to know the ideal position. I find however, with a good slingshot off the Mun, you can make up for the extra velocity needed for a less than ideal transfer distance burn.

[FenrirWolf]

I just launch something into orbit, then jump into a flag or something that I can sit in for some 100,000 time warp shenanigans while following this method of eyeballing the right time to burn. http://imgur.com/a/S8Ija

Basically you just wait until the body in the outer orbit is located along the tangent of the inside body's orbit. Once they line up, the launch window between the two is open and it's time to burn.

Edited December 2, 2013 by FenrirWolf

[700NitroXpress]

I assemble my craft in Kerban orbit, then once the ship is fully fueled and ready, I go into a solar orbit. I leave the Kerban SOI either prograde or retrograde depending on what planet I'm headed to and then set up an intercept just like I would for docking. As long as I bring plenty of fuel, I can do multiple landings and still have plenty of fuel to get back.

[GamerMitch]

I go into a solar orbit, warp till the burn window is coming up soon, set a maneuver node at the right place for a good PE at the destination planet, then burn.

[maltesh]

Been doing some initial flybys of planets, Was wondering whats everyones preferred method to get places? Im not talking most efficient, Im talking preferred, which factors in time, construction, fuel, skill, etc.

Some ways being:

best path- using optimal alignment, saves fuel, but requres timing to be perfect for planetary alignment

who cares- build a big ship, get it up, get it there, who cares on alignment, Ill get there some day.

Also do you prefer to get it in solar orbit first and then worry on alignment/paths or sync solar orbit transfers to final alignment?

I always go for Hohmann transfer windows, and and always burn directly from LKO into the trajectory that takes me out to orbit I'm headed to.

If you burn into solar orbit, then wait for the transfer window, your delta-V costs for the interplanetary part of your trip increase by 50% (if your destination is near Duna or Eve) up through more than 100% (if you're going someplace distant, like Moho, Jool, or Eeloo). If you've built with enough delta-V to still accomplish your mission after that, that's fine. For me, though, fuel = options, and the more efficiently I get there, either the more things I can do once I get there, or the more reserve fuel I have to store when I get there, or the larger the payload I can send there with the same sized launch craft.

In addition, especially for destinations like Jool and Eeloo, the time between Hohmann transfer windows is much smaller than the travel time to get to that destination. Kerbin-Eeloo windows occur about once every 116 days, and the travel time to Eeloo is about 400 days from Kerbin orbit, so you might as well just wait for the next window.

On the other hand, when looking at Eve or Duna, the windows are significantly farther apart than the travel time (As I recall, Dunar transfer windows are about 220 days apart, with the typical travel time being about 75 days), so when those windows come around, I generally try to throw as much stuff as I have prepared, like with the 20-spacecraft fleet depicted below.

Admittedly, that was in 0.21, where I built up quite a bit of support infrastructure in the Kerbin SOI prior to the departures of the Dunar and Eve fleets.

[technion]

The issue for me is that a transfer is rarely perfect, and the more time I spent on "exact dv" and "perfect transfers", the more time I spent running out of fuel, stranded.

I have a fairly generic transport that pulled my launcher to Laythe. Is it overkill for a small moho probe? yes. But I can launch it in one launch, and it's NOT going to run out of fuel, so I use it.

[The Destroyer]

Generally I timewarp on the pad, launch, burn, get there and land, simple. If it's wobbly i'll timewarp once it's in orbit. Sometimes I construct motherships.

[EtherDragon]

My preferred method is to use a minimal burn to just leave Kerbin SOI, then from there orbit to where I need to make a Hohmann Transfer from my current orbit to the target. Usually, I'll go ahead and get my Periapsis (or Apoapsis) to cross the orbital plane of my destination - then tune the opposing node to find an encounter after I orbit a few times.