I can get close to the moon but I always miss it

[Star explorer]

when i "Shoot for the moon" i always miss though i get very close.

PS: the rocket im using is the CEV-E-LM

 

[TSPenguin]

Please explain your actions in great detail and tell us what manual you are using, so we can see where things go wrong and help you appropiately.

On a friendly side note: You shouldn't attempt such complicated maneuveres before you accomplish the step that comes before it. Learn the basics like reaching orbit, going to the moon, etc. in easy to fly ships such as the delta glider before you use realistic crafts with very small error margins. Orbiter has a VERY steep learning curve!

 

[to be]

I personally first learned to fly, then to get in to orbit, then to get into the same orbit as something else, then to dock, then to get OUT of orbit, then to survive reentry, then to hit a particular base, then to get to the moon, then to land on the moon... You get the idea. You pretty much can't exhaust what orbiter has to offer, there is always something new to do. It is a very steep learning curve, but that is much of the fun of orbiter.

 

[Star explorer]

Your right TSpenguin next time I "Shoot for the moon" I will use a delta glider. "and even if i miss i will land among the stars"

PS: I wasent actully using a manual i was making it up as i went along.


"Shoot for the moon even if you miss you will land among the stars"

-Les Brown

 

[TSPenguin]

I personally first learned to fly, then to get in to orbit, then to get into the same orbit as something else, then to dock, then to get OUT of orbit, then to survive reentry, then to hit a particular base, then to get to the moon, then to land on the moon... You get the idea. You pretty much can't exhaust what orbiter has to offer, there is always something new to do. It is a very steep learning curve, but that is much of the fun of orbiter.

That basicaly sounds like the order I followed...

Your right TSpenguin next time I "Shoot for the moon" I will use a delta glider. "and even if i miss i will land among the stars"

PS: I wasent actully using a manual i was making it up as i went along.


"Shoot for the moon even if you miss you will land among the stars"

-Les Brown

"Making it up" is usaly refered to as Buck Rogers around here.
If you are unlucky and miss it, and then are unlucky again, you will burn up in earths athmosphere. But it sure is a damn good quote!

 

[Scarecrow]

Your right TSpenguin next time I "Shoot for the moon" I will use a delta glider. "and even if i miss i will land among the stars"

PS: I wasent actully using a manual i was making it up as i went along.


"Shoot for the moon even if you miss you will land among the stars"

-Les Brown

Well if I had to hazard a guess at what getting close but missing means, I would guess that you're swinging by the moon, but not stopping. If that's what's happening, you'll need to make a retrograde burn (one that slows you down) when you're close to the moon, so you don't fly out of it's gravity well again.

 

[Star explorer]

ok i maid a diagram (I know it sucks) of how i try to get to the moon. here is how i start out (i used the delta glider docked at iss)


but the moon is always moving so i turn too keep up with it but for along time the mometum keeps me moving in the same direction as i started in causing me to just miss the moon

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

Hi Star explorer,

Because the moon continues to move in its orbit, you will miss it if you simply match your orbit with the moon at the opposite side of the earth. Transfer MFD is designed to help you with this problem. It visualises the moons position at the moment of arrival, so you can know the exact moment when you need to do the transfer. After using this, you will almost always crash into the moon instead of missing it! But for now, that is a problem to to be solved later

I suggest playing back the tutorial-playback scenario called "Lunar Transfer", in the tutorial folder. Just sit back and look how it can be done.
Also, following the step-by-step tutorial in "Go Play in Space", Chapter/page 4-7, will probably help;
you can download this PDF here.

regards,
mcduck

 

[n0mad23]

Star Explorer,

There's good advice for you here, and I'd like to add just a little more.

First, I think you'll quickly realize as you play around with Orbiter that a lot of orbital mechanics is counter-intuitive. Where else do you speed up in order to slow down?

That's why spending some time with documentation is so important - it'll free you up from having to figure out why exactly the opposite thing's happening from what you intended.

I'd also recommend downloading and installing a copy of IMFD v5.1g. Again, you'll want to spend some time with the documentation, but you'll find it incredibly useful for what you're attempting here. You can find it at: http://koti.mbnet.fi/jarmonik/Orbiter.html

BTW - the Les Brown quote is great!

 

[MattNW]

That's the first thing I tried when I got Obiter. Didn't work very well. You can't just shoot for the Moon and expect to hit it. For one you will build up way too much velocity trying to make a direct approach and not be able to slow down enough to insert into Lunar orbit.

There's a good tutorial here:

http://orbiter.dansteph.com/

Click on the "Downloads" link on the left hand side of the page. Go to the bottom of that page and look for Trevor Johns's Tutorial.

It's a tutorial for going from Mars to Phobos but the same procedure works from Earth to the Moon, just a much bigger target than Phobos.

In essence what you need to do is start with an orbit around Earth. You can't just guess and shoot (why you missed). You need to time your burn so that your orbit around Earth extends high enough so that it places you near the Moon. You coast along that and when you near the Moon you do another burn to slow down so that the Moons gravity captures you.

 

[Star explorer]

welp i did it sort of i came in realy fast and bounced off into space but i still got there right i tried to land but it dident go that way but frankley right now i dont care i mayed it to the moon with my trust transX MFD and a delta glider.

heres a picture

 

[Master of Blades]

Grats

 

[MJR]

welp i did it sort of i came in realy fast and bounced off into space but i still got there right i tried to land but it dident go that way but frankley right now i dont care i mayed it to the moon with my trust transX MFD and a delta glider.

heres a picture

View attachment 720

Just to see if you are on track, how did you do it?

 

[Star explorer]

well i did cheat a bit because i started out in earths orbit lined up with the moon with map MFD but i waited till the moon came in sight then i did a short burn to get me out of the earths atmosphere then another burn towards the direction the moon would be when i got there you know compinsation fastfoward it a bit noticed i was coming to the left of the moon so i did a burn to send me towards the moon. when i got closer i did a retro grade burn to slow me down witch i unfortinatly found out later dident slow me down anough witch caused me to crash into the moon (i tried my best to land) i then tried it again still crashed and bounced off the moon but practice makes perfect so i just gota practice


EDIT: new picture

 

[ar81]

What I see is that you have problems with planetary approach and orbit insert.
Try this tutorial
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3403"]Tutorial: Concepts for Interplanetary MFD 4.2.1[/ame]