Leading or Following a Planet's Orbit

[Rayder]

Hello all,

I'm working on a RemoteTech network that involves satellites either following or leading a planet in its orbit around the Sun. Does anyone have any tips on doing this efficiently? Maybe landing on the planet first? I can eventually get into the correct orbit but it was terribly inefficient.

Anyone also have any good ways of measuring (either in time or distance) how far behind or ahead the satellite is from the planet, once it is in orbit?

Regards,

Rayder

[arq]

Perhaps the easiest way might be to do a flyby of the planet where you don't quite capture. You'll leave on a slightly different orbit than the planet, so if you then go around one orbit and match the planet's, you will be a little ahead or behind.