Estimating travel time

[dlrk]

How do I estimate travel time to/from Kerbin to a destination, such as satellite(station, mun, minmus), an asteroid, planet, etc?

[cantab]

The most fuel-efficient transfer is a Hohmann transfer. That has one apsis level with your starting orbit and the other level with your ending orbit. The average of those is the semi-major axis, and from that you can calculate the orbital period, which is two times the transfer length.

For visiting the Mun or Minmus, your starting orbit is typically LKO. For visiting other planets, your starting orbit is effectively Kerbin's orbit round the Sun.

[Link]

Probably not the most logical way to do it, but I first create my transfer manuever node, and then I create another one by where im transferring. I look at 'time till node' for the second to find out how long the travel will take. Life support wise, little more to it since you need to figure out how long you'll be there till you can get back, which is a pain. I still haven't come up with a way to figure it out. So many kerbals have died *sigh*

[LethalDose]

You can calculate the orbital period using the equation here. Your semi-major axis "a" is will be approximately one half of the sum of altitudes of your starting altitude and the altitude of your target. If you and your target are orbiting the same body, you should add it's radius to your semi-major axis. The duration of a Hohmann transfer will be equal to 1/2 of the orbital period calculated above.

That equation is the basic tool you'll use to calculate the duration of any transfer, but you as things get more complicated, so do the calculations. If you're moving between SoI's and/or going interplanetary and want or need transfer times, you can either read up on these calculations or us a dV map like this that provides the times:

[Smorfty]

When you've made your burn and have en encounter.

You just hover over the SOI-icon along your course.

(The icon over your course where your sphere of influence changes to the planet/moon you're going to)

If you'd like an estimate before you make your burn, plan your trip with this tool:

http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/

[MR4Y]

You can calculate the orbital period using the equation here. Your semi-major axis "a" is will be approximately one half of the sum of altitudes of your starting altitude and the altitude of your target. If you and your target are orbiting the same body, you should add it's radius to your semi-major axis. The duration of a Hohmann transfer will be equal to 1/2 of the orbital period calculated above.

That equation is the basic tool you'll use to calculate the duration of any transfer, but you as things get more complicated, so do the calculations. If you're moving between SoI's and/or going interplanetary and want or need transfer times, you can either read up on these calculations or us a dV map like this that provides the times: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/w/images/7/73/KerbinDeltaVMap.png

Erm...Would that be possible without the whole graphical representation looking like a metro railways map?

[cantab]

Erm...Would that be possible without the whole graphical representation looking like a metro railways map?

Sure. As said, calculating the transfer duration is relatively simple. I've a feeling calculating the delta-V isn't that hard either, at least for circular orbits of matching inclinations.

Delta-V maps vary in style a bit, but many do look somewhat like tube maps with numeric labels. It's a straightforward visual way to present the information.