Bootlegger Reverse

[Lar-E]

So, after a successful Gilly landing, I find myself in a dilly of a pickle.

The Ostrich I (white) is orbiting Eve clockwise. Bill in the returning rover is in an anti-clockwise orbit.

What is the best/most fuel efficient way to get them both orbiting in the same direction so that they can dock?

[700NitroXpress]

You would have to reverse the orbit of one of them so you're orbiting in the same direction. This is best done at AP. I would have the rover change orbit at AP and reverse since it's the furthest orbit. Other than that, you have a lot of maneuvers you'll have to do in order to get an intercept. Which ever one has the least mass and the most TWR, that's the one you should pilot to get the intercept. You'll also have to get your ship to match the same orbital shape as the rover in order to help matters.

[Kasuha]

I'd probably do it in these steps with the active ship in the picture:

1/ (optional, but may improve dv) get to apoapsis and lower the periapsis all the way down just to Eve's atmosphere.

2/ (optional, but may improve dv) get to periapsis and raise apoapsis all the way up to SOI boundary

3/ get to apoapsis and (preferably in single maneuver):

- switch orbit direction

- raise the periapsis so the other ship's orbit is completely inside it and they touch in single point

- set up inclination so the inclination marker is in the point where the two orbits touch

4/ get to the point where the two orbits touch and burn retrograde to get a rendezvous the next orbit

You may start at step 1, step 2, or step 3, but if you start with step 1 then don't skip step 2.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Kasuha