Flight Question Align planes using TransX or IMFD

Nikogori

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I have done a Moon to Europa flight with IMFD and TransX. This is what I did:

1. Moon to Jupiter transfer using IMFD.
2. Mid course correction using TransX. Target altitude is 500Mm (lower than Europa).
3. Orbit insertion burn.
4. Off-plane transfer to reach Europa using IMFD.
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Is it possible to align planes with Europa before orbit insertion burn? At first I tried to align planes with Europa during mid course correction but I couldn't figure out how to do that.

Thanks.
 

PhantomCruiser

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I'm not a TransX master, as I learned using IMFD. But I do know that you can do it using IMFD. When you do a midcourse correction, make sure that Europa is selected as the target. It always seems to want to pick the biggest SOI as the main target (and let's admit it, Jupiter has got a pretty big sphere of influence).
 

PhantomCruiser

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Ahhh, I'm just saying that if you head out towards the outer planets Jupiter is pretty hard to miss, if it don't get you Saturn will. I managed to get to Jupiter before I went to Mars.
 

Delta glider

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WHOA - when I go to Mars the only SOI I get is the Earth's and the Moon's sometimes.:dry:

---------- Post added at 04:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:07 PM ----------

Not even Mars's.
 

Nikogori

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But I do know that you can do it using IMFD. When you do a midcourse correction, make sure that Europa is selected as the target.

Thank you. Which program should I use? I used target intercept to reach Jupiter.

All I know was how to do "from planet to another planet" and "from planet to moon". I don't know how to do "from planet to moons of other planets". So I just combined two of them which I already knew.
 

Tommy

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You don't actually need to align the planes with the moon, but being close will help reduce the insertion burn. Using a target plane transfer will help with that.

When you make your first correction use target offsetting or the Delta V program to set your Jupiter periapsis at Europa's altitude. Then set Map's reference to Jupiter and target "p-europa". Enable Int and plan, then use offsetting or delta V to target Europa directly.
 

boogabooga

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You can combine steps 3 and 4.

Use Target Intercept with reference to Jupiter and perform the burn at or near your periapsis pass so that you circularize and set up the Europa intercept in one burn.

I explained how to do it for Phobos, but would work the same way for Europa.
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=502006&postcount=16

But, like Tommy suggested, you need to set up your periapsis first to be near the orbit of Europa with a minimum RIn.
 
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Nikogori

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Thank you all for your kind advice. :thankyou:

I'm still learning IMFD and I haven't used target plane transfer. I guess I need more time to understand the basic of IMFD. I will make another try when I'm more familiar with it.
 

Tommy

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The problem in targeting fast moving moons isn't that Map isn't accurate enough. The problem is that using the ++ and -- buttons in Delta V will adjust a dV by a minimum of 0.1 ms. That isn't a small enough increment. However, if you use the "set" feature you can manually input values accurate to 0.01 ms, IIRC (might be 0.001, can't remember off the top of my head).

We want to intercept the moons orbit on a tangent, and for the vessel and moon to arrive at that tangent point simultaneously. We do this by adjusting our arrival time using dVf. Early in a flight even a slight change to our velocity can alter the arrival time by days. For the fast moons don't worry about the arrival time until you get closer, at first just make sure you are intercepting the moon's orbit at the tangent and that the node is placed at that point and adjust the arrival time later. You will likely need quite a few MCC's, many of which will involve less than 1 ms. It is quite painstaking, and can require a dozen or more tiny adjustments.
 
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