I've come across a couple threads on this topic; but can't seem to use IMFD reliably to actually intercept a space station orbiting the moon from Earth.
At first I used jarmonik's suggestion in one thread; to use planet approach to set AgP to zero, matching the PeA of course. Then doing an orbit insert of 0.8 eccentricity so as to use less dV when changing planes. After changing planes, I'd finish my retrograde burn at PeA to make my orbit circular, then go about syncing with the space station.
The first few times I tried this, it all worked great (other than my PeA altitude always being raised significantly when doing a plane change in normal or anti-normal attitudes for some reason), so I'd always do a little retrograde burn while up there in ApA; only to find that when nearing the PeA it would drop below the surface; so I'd use my vertical translation thrusters (while facing prograde) approximately 90 degrees in orbit before PeA to raise it back up to the space station's altitude.
However, since then I've tried intercepting the same space station but at a different time leaving Earth; but I can't for the life of me (using Planet Approach) get AgP anywhere near zero [50 degrees is the lowest]--unless I go into a retro-grade orbit (opposite the direction of the space station); or set the TEj to a time very close to PeT (which defeats the purpose of doing a mid-course correction to save dV) or setting the PeT to a later date which also has the same effect of increasing dV to be about as high as my initial dV to leave Earth in the first place! (well above 3K)!
I've seen TexFilms' videos of intercepting orbiting spaceships using TransX; but haven't come across any similar tutorials using IMFD--well other than dgatsoulis, who posted this video:
However, I can't seem to get anywhere using the Delta Velocity program to get my PeA to match the station, while getting the RIn near zero, much less try to get the periapsis and intersection node to coincide. (This is while in the Sun's SOI [which is where it seems dgatsoulis was doing his Delta Velocity program]). I've then tried skipping ahead and getting into the moon's SOI to try the Target Intercept program with the space station as the Target but that too just doesn't get me anywhere close to where I need to be.
Could it be that I just left Earth at the worst possible time for a nearly five day long cruise? More likely I don't know what I'm doing.
I've probably spent nearly 20 hours now trying to figure this out on my own... This must be a simple exercise as I see very little discussion on it; and I'm just too dumb to figure it out.
At first I used jarmonik's suggestion in one thread; to use planet approach to set AgP to zero, matching the PeA of course. Then doing an orbit insert of 0.8 eccentricity so as to use less dV when changing planes. After changing planes, I'd finish my retrograde burn at PeA to make my orbit circular, then go about syncing with the space station.
The first few times I tried this, it all worked great (other than my PeA altitude always being raised significantly when doing a plane change in normal or anti-normal attitudes for some reason), so I'd always do a little retrograde burn while up there in ApA; only to find that when nearing the PeA it would drop below the surface; so I'd use my vertical translation thrusters (while facing prograde) approximately 90 degrees in orbit before PeA to raise it back up to the space station's altitude.
However, since then I've tried intercepting the same space station but at a different time leaving Earth; but I can't for the life of me (using Planet Approach) get AgP anywhere near zero [50 degrees is the lowest]--unless I go into a retro-grade orbit (opposite the direction of the space station); or set the TEj to a time very close to PeT (which defeats the purpose of doing a mid-course correction to save dV) or setting the PeT to a later date which also has the same effect of increasing dV to be about as high as my initial dV to leave Earth in the first place! (well above 3K)!
I've seen TexFilms' videos of intercepting orbiting spaceships using TransX; but haven't come across any similar tutorials using IMFD--well other than dgatsoulis, who posted this video:
However, I can't seem to get anywhere using the Delta Velocity program to get my PeA to match the station, while getting the RIn near zero, much less try to get the periapsis and intersection node to coincide. (This is while in the Sun's SOI [which is where it seems dgatsoulis was doing his Delta Velocity program]). I've then tried skipping ahead and getting into the moon's SOI to try the Target Intercept program with the space station as the Target but that too just doesn't get me anywhere close to where I need to be.
Could it be that I just left Earth at the worst possible time for a nearly five day long cruise? More likely I don't know what I'm doing.
I've probably spent nearly 20 hours now trying to figure this out on my own... This must be a simple exercise as I see very little discussion on it; and I'm just too dumb to figure it out.
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