What mods do you use to help you with interplanetary transfers?

[Drachs]

I've tried mechjeb and protractor so far. Both got me to remote planets, but it was pretty rough. Mechjeb's "warp to phase angle" seems to disagree with with protractor, and when I use it to schedule interplanetary transfers it seems to randomly schedule burns years in the future even when I think I'm already in a window. Once I even warped to the hour before the window to replot the burn (as it says to do in the mechjeb manual) only to have it put the burn another two years in the future. (Maybe there's a very slightly better window 2 years in the future?). I can get there with protractor too, and I love that I'm more in control of the situation but it's hard to get the ejection burn right and I often end up needing to make a pretty large course correction.

Seems like this should be a pretty common issue? What procedure/mods do you guys use for your interplanetary burns?

[SkyRex94]

Try to use KAC for the time of the Transfer Windows. And then simply make the burn yourself. Or at least setup the node yourself and let mechjeb do the burn for this node. That way you can fiddle around with the Node and even if you are slightly off the exact window you can hit it exactly as you want it. It got even easier with the improvements 0.23.5 made to the maneuver node system.

From what you wrote it seems you never flewn an interplanetary transfer yourself before, try it , it is actually not so hard. You don't need any Autopilot to get everywhere in KSP

EDIT: If you don't know where to set up the node: If you want to go further out (Duna, Jool) you have to leave Kerbins SOI Prograde relative to Kerbin so set the node somwhere around Sunset on the Orbit. And If you want to go further in (Eve, Moho) leave the SOi Retrograde relative to Kerbin so set the node somewhere around Sunrise.

Same mechanic for every other Transfer from anywhere.

(Exept from a Moon to interplanetary, like from Laythe through Jools SOI onto Kerbin Encounter, there you have to think a little more, but if you've never done Transfers manually before try the easy way first)

Edited July 21, 2014 by SkyRex94

[Boomerang]

I use KAC for the general timing (occasionally double checking against this site http://ksp.olex.biz/ because KAC doesn't always give the best transfer windows). Then use PreciseNode for actually setting up the node. Lets you precisely adjust the time and delta v of your nodes, which is very helpful for interplanetary transfers.

[regex]

http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/ and PreciseNode. MechJeb and KAC, IIRC, rely on the best possible Hohmann transfers only, the launch window planner is much more flexible. Protractor is excellent for use with other solar systems (RSS, PlanetFactory stuff, etc...)

[Drachs]

Thank you for the advice so far guys. I'm looking forward to trying out Precise node and the launch window planner tonight. I'm also going to try setting CONIC_PATCH_DRAW_MODE in settings.cfg to 0, which I've read will help visual the approach paths.

[dlrk]

KSPTOT is great! It can load a bodies file from KSP, so it can give you good info, even if you're using a modded solar system

[Godot]

Kerbal Engineer Redux (in order to know whether I have the right dV) ... Raster Prop Monitor (the MFDs are of great help, I often run 70-80% of a mission in IVA with them) and http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/ in order to find the right launch window (and know how much dV I need)

[LaytheAerospace]

I'm really lazy. Go up to a 605km parking orbit, circularize, and tell MJ to transfer to another planet. Kerbal orbits for 18 months, then I re-plot the maneuver to prevent MJ from doing silly stuff like burning directly at Kerbin until the tanks are dry. After the first burn, I schedule a "fine tune closest approach" to fix any steering errors, then once more when I get close.

Typically I aerobrake at Laythe (my most common destination) and just fly around directly without ever bothering to orbit. I'm planning to put a pretty massive station in orbit there soon, which will mean most craft will orbit, dock and refuel before going down to the surface.

[xcorps]

KAC and Mechjeb.

[FenrirWolf]

Thank you for the advice so far guys. I'm looking forward to trying out Precise node and the launch window planner tonight. I'm also going to try setting CONIC_PATCH_DRAW_MODE in settings.cfg to 0, which I've read will help visual the approach paths.

This isn't really necessary anymore. When you click on a planet/moon in map view and select the Focus View option, the camera centers on the target planet and automatically changes to conics mode 0. Then when you change your view back to your ship, it will go back to mode 3 or whatever it is you have set in your configs

[Red Iron Crown]

http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/ and PreciseNode. MechJeb and KAC, IIRC, rely on the best possible Hohmann transfers only, the launch window planner is much more flexible. Protractor is excellent for use with other solar systems (RSS, PlanetFactory stuff, etc...)

Alexmoon's calculator is the best I've used so far. Very, very flexible and allows you to put constraints on departure date, arrival date and transfer time; you can also have a look at the raw porkchop plot and pick a transfer manually. I then make the node manually and refine it with MJ's maneuver node editor, and use SmartASS to handle pointing during the burn. I've found it's not worthwhile to get too finicky about making your node perfect, the non-instantaneous nature of the burn will mean it doesn't execute it exactly anyway. Plan on at least one correction burn along the way.

I'd love to figure out how to use Trajectory Optimization Tool as it takes mission planning to a higher level, with gravity assist planning. It's a bit intimidating though, I need to spend some more time with it.

[Overfloater]

All you need is Kerbal Alarm Clock.

No need to switch between windows & silly stuff like that.

- just select the "calculate by formula" option. (which also works for mod planets)

To properly set the ejection angle:

- set maneuver node

- stretch it prograde (to 2000m/s if you're going to Jool, for example)

- move it around your orbit, until solar periapsis is as close as possible to Kerbin (or whichever planet you're at)

*or solar apoapsis, if you're going to the inner solar system

Time of transfer is the only input you need!Just set a transfer alarm, and time-warp until then!