Maneuver Nodes are for wimps

[katateochi]

Accepted a rescue "___" from lko orbit contract....

then I realised that I didn't have any tracking station upgrades at all....

I'm horrible at rendezvous, and I didn't quick save..

But after 5 tries and 2 different designs, I managed to do my first ever rendezvous without the maneuver nodes, had just enough fuel to get back down...

Well, I guess its harder than a mun transfer, but probably not as hard as a duna intercept...

On the note of that mission, its funny that I don't have eva ability yet, but those Kerbals are still standing themselves....

by-eye rendezvous are really satisfying when you get it, and I think you end up with a better understanding of orbits as a result.

I also got a rescue mission before I'd upgraded any of the buildings. Used a small one man craft, rendezvoused by-eye and then made the poor guy cling onto the ladder for the descent! (go go budget rescue operations!)

Also, If you do get a rescue mission before you have EVA abilities, its a great way to get all those EVA reports from orbit without having to upgrade the building!

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

I only use manoeuvre nodes for interplanetary transfers, but I am still able to do them without the nodes. I can probably get to the Mün and Minmus without patched conics.

[RocketPilot573]

I only use manoeuvre nodes for interplanetary transfers, but I am still able to do them without the nodes. I can probably get to the Mün and Minmus without patched conics.

Same here, I stated playing in .16. In .17 planets where added, but none of these orbit indicators other than AP and PE.

[Rusty6899]

I only use manoeuvre nodes for interplanetary transfers, but I am still able to do them without the nodes. I can probably get to the Mün and Minmus without patched conics.

I managed to land on the Mun tonight without patched conics, it isn't actually too difficult, as once you've hit the SOI, you don't really need them, and it's big enough to have a fair amount of leaway in terms of hitting it. It is a bit awkward if you are on an impact trajectory, or if you just catch the edge of the SOI, but all that will do is eat up a bit of your fuel. I can imagine Minmus is a pain to hit. Once you're in the SOI, I can't see any difference whether or not you have patched conics.

[Frostiken]

Well, let's be honest: you don't need maneuver nodes for anything inside Kerbin SoI ( and this includes Mun and Minmus ) as long as you remember the basics of orbital mechanics ( and some derivations, like to have the Mun/Minmus on the horizon when making the transfer burn to there ). Interplanetary trips are a completely different issue, though ...

The only thing I still don't understand properly are Rad+ Rad- to 'twist' your orbit. That .... completely screws me up every single time.

Also I can never remember which is normal and which is antinormal and which one I need to burn on to change my inclination. Usually it's me just burning towards one and then rapidly panicking and burning in the other direction.

[Superfluous J]

I'm curious, how exactly do you use them to plan interplanetary transfers?

You asked...

[federicoaa]

In my 0.90 career I did a mun flyby without nodes or patched conics. which is actually pretty simple. But then I had to make a correction maneuver inside mun SOI to get back to kerbin, that took me a couple of tries since I had 1.2 units of electricity left and not much delta V left also.

I felt pretty proud of myself after a successful return home.

With maneuvers and patched conics it would have been quite easy, but now it was a real challenge, and I like that

[Temeter]

I did my first space-rendeszevous without even knowing there are maneuver nodes. My Moho and Duna missions went completely without understanding or care about planetary phase angles. Especially Moho was a huge succes despite doing everything in the most complicated, impractical way.

I don't think i need to go back there. No point in wasting time on simple routine.

[foamyesque]

You asked...

My solution is to just carry a pile of additional delta-V and do the transfer whenever the heck I want.

[@@]

You've played pre-commercial?

Yes.

Posting on line is rare for me, anywhere online.

[cantab]

You say pre-commercial like it used to be an indie game. The game has always been intended to reach a large market and sell well, the company behind harvester is pretty large.

Marketing Squad weren't all that big I don't think. I thought they were maybe dozen employees before they started KSP, doing marketing installations - stuff like fancy window displays basically. But I may be confusing them with another company.

Regardless, KSP was basically Harvester's pet project, and while obviously Squad thought it had potential, I don't believe it was never a game "intended to reach a large market". Or at least it's not a game designed to be what sells - if it was it would have no orbital mechanics and lots of guns.

[federicoaa]

Regardless, KSP was basically Harvester's pet project, and while obviously Squad thought it had potential, I don't believe it was never a game "intended to reach a large market". Or at least it's not a game designed to be what sells - if it was it would have no orbital mechanics and lots of guns.

And called Call of Kerbals?

[Merv DeGriff]

And called Call of Kerbals?

Do we get a quick time event of Bob stopping Jeb from launching the damaged SRB at the wrong moment?