Help with the new "Position a Satellite in a Specific Orbit Mission"

[Killa Lawnchair]

After trying for quite some time tonight to complete these missions I just can't. I am totally lost. I'm not having the same issue as most people with getting the build requirements done but I for the life of me cannot figure out how to get my inclination in line with the path they want me to. I tried doing this without Mechjeb and got sick of playing with the flight planner thing so I went to Mechjeb and am still lost. I set my inclination to whatever (in this case 90) and yes it at a 90 degree angle orbiting Kerbal but how do I get my orbit over to their path if that makes sense? I'm probably not wording this very well but I really don't know how to explain it. I've looked for a tutorial and no luck. Once I get my orbit in line with theirs thats easy but I just can't get it right and have no idea what I'm doing wrong.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Killa Lawnchair

[Sirrobert]

Try matching apoaps and periaps first. Now note where the projected orbit and the actual orbit intersect, and put a manouver node there. Manipulate this to match the inclination

[Killa Lawnchair]

Wow, I knew that. I feel stupid. I was just not thinking today apparently I don't know. Thanks.

[xub313]

As for matching inclination, there should be markers that pop up near the ascending/descending nodes (maybe they don't show up on the tier 1 tracking station?). Also, make sure your ship is traveling in the correct direction.

[Killa Lawnchair]

Got it today no problem Sirrobert's suggestion. I've seen the nodes xub313 but never found a need to use them. I think yesterday I was playing for so long my brain just stopped working.

[Tinyboss]

Sounds like the OP has this sorted, but for anyone else who comes here looking for help with these missions, here's my routine:

First, I do an EVA at the space center and put down a flag. Then I turn flags on in the tracking center view, so I can easily locate the KSC. I line up my view so that the camera is in the plane of the target orbit, i.e. the orbit just looks like a straight line. I run time acceleration until the KSC is just crossing the plane of the target orbit. I make a note of roughly which direction the target orbit is (e.g. north by northeast), and then I go do my launch, doing the gravity turn in the direction I noted earlier instead of straight east.

Then as Sirrobert said, match periapsis and apoapsis. It usually requires a very small adjustment after that to get everything matched up.