from earth to moon

[AlX]

I have a question how can i fly to the moon?
I start with DGIV, now i am in orbit, i search the moon and start the engines, i accelerate x100 then the moon comes
closer, well i come closer and now i stop accelerate and i see the moon flying right beside me no mater how strong i
am trying to correct i am flying bachwards away into deep space. Can someone tell me what MFD i have to use or
how i have to fly? I am still new i orbiter.

[Frogisis]

This tutorial explains it pretty well:  http://www.migman.com/orbiter/orbiter.htm

Basically, instead of just powering over to the moon, think of it like sailing, in that you have to use the prevailing forces
to your advantage.  Trying to fly directly at the moon (away from Earth's gravity) is like trying to sail directly into the wind: you have to move at an angle to actually get where you want to be.

(Technically you -can- fly under thrust directly to the moon but you have to turn around and decelerate at the halfway point, instead of when you're close to the moon.  Kind of unglamorous to approach a planet butt-first, but that's the way our universe works.)



Post Edited ( 03-27-08 18:47 )

[ar81]

The logic of planetary transfer is to make your orbit bigger, so the apoapsis reaches the destination orbit.  The tough
part is to make it so apoapsis intercepts the planet at the moment of arrival.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit

[AlX]

Thanks for the links i am downloading the PDF from go play in space right now and i'll try to fly to the moon with help
from the PDF and if i managed somehow to reach it i will tell you. But it will take some time because i have got only a 56kB/Sec fast internet connection and it says it downloads like 4,21KB/Sec



Post Edited ( 03-29-08 06:47 )

[Urwumpe]

A good speed for a 56KBit/s modem, when using windows. There are some settings I remember for bringing the speed up to 7
KByte/s, but don't ask me in detail. It's a long time in the past.

[AlX]

Well i downloaded it but it was to much info and to complicated , i will give it some time and a second try.
Anyway thanks for the help.

[n0mad23]

It's a very small add-on, but I highly recommend it for what you're trying to do.

The latest version of Interplanetary MFD - http://koti.mbnet.fi/jarmonik/Orbiter.html

[AlX]

I already donwloaded the Interplanetary MFD. but first i have to learn how to use it.

[n0mad23]

AIX -

Mini-tutorial on IMFD:

You're in Earth orbit - good.  Switch to Align Plane MFD and choose Moon as target.  Align planes until you're in the same
plane as the Moon's orbit.

Pull up IMFD.  Choose Course - Planet Approach.  Now select Target - Moon.  Change Real Time to Off Set.  Push PGM and AB on
the bottom left side.

Now wait until the Auto Burn program runs.

In the other MFD window, pull up IMFD.  Choose Map.  Select Ref and enter Moon.  At the end of your transfer burn in Planet
Approach, your orbit should make you pass the far side of the Moon.  Often it's not very accurate, and the Map view will let
you fine tune your passage past the Moon.

Don't forget to turn retrograde and do a long burn to create a circular orbit around the Moon when you get to the periapsis
on the far side!

[Pirx]

n0mad23 wrote:
Pull up IMFD.  Choose Course - Planet Approach.  Now select Target - Moon.  Change Real Time to Off Set.  Push PGM
and AB on the bottom left side.

Any chance you meant Target Intercept? But even if Planet Approach used to work like that, it does not in IMFD 5.1.

Also, Target Intercept with Source Plane transfer mode (the parameter that is Off-Plane by default) can often take
care of plane alignment with less dV.

Of course, it is better to begin with a correct orbital plane
http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?topic=10894.msg172560#msg172560

And a word of caution to AlX:
In my opinion, IMFD is most useful when you understand the basic "building blocks" of space travel
* Launching to a parking orbit (Surface Launch MFD program)
* Orbit ejection (Orbit-Eject program)
* Transfer to target (Course / Target Intercept program)
* Approach (Course / Planet Approach)
* Orbit insertion (Course / Orbit Insert)

IMFD supports all these and can fully automate the burn (except Launch). Not every trip requires all of these
programs. For example, a trip to the Moon does not need Orbit-Eject but a trip from the Moon back to the Earth will
need it.

Maybe it is a good idea first to learn the basics using the standard MFDs as described in "Go Play In Space". The book
also has a chapter describing a trip to Mars using an earlier version of IMFD.