Flight Question Interplanetary Rendezvous

[Izack]

I've been doing rendezvous for a while, but only near planets. I'm wondering how to pull off a rendezvous while in transit between planets (Solar orbit or even a parabola). I don't think there's any documentation on such an odd mission out there.

Anyway, in a low-orbit rendezvous, it normally takes several orbits to come within a reasonable distance from the passive target for final approach. Obviously, you can't do that when your orbit has a period of a year or more. Would the manoeuvre then be more of a transfer than a typical rendezvous?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Purely coincidence that this showed up right after another rendezvous question.

 

[Bloodworth]

I would also love to know how to do this kind of a rendezvous. It would come in very handy for vessels that have attached vehicles (perfect example being the battlestar).

 

[Tommy]

IMFD's Target Intercept should be able to handle this, as should TransX. Of course, proper pre-planning would help efficiency quite a bit. I would recommend a Target Plane transfer to minimize RInc at rendezvous.

 

[Izack]

IMFD's Target Intercept should be able to handle this, as should TransX. Of course, proper pre-planning would help efficiency quite a bit. I would recommend a Target Plane transfer to minimize RInc at rendezvous.

Never was much of an IMFD user...:uhh:

 

[Bloodworth]

I'm just starting learning transx. Believe it or not IMFD looks more confusing

 

[Tommy]

I'm not familiar enough with TransX to give much help with that. For IMFD, the steps are the same as with an interplanetary transfer, with the exception that Map program's Intercept mode won't work.

Whichever tool you use, this is a complex maneuver. You will need a reasonable understanding of the mechanics of the transfer, and be able to set up and execute an interplanetary transfer using the tool of your choice. Keep in mind that you will be far from a gravity source, so planar and inward/outward velocities will be easier to change than prograde velocities. Try to set up a transfer that will have your velocity close to the target's velocity at intercept - matching the speed is more important to efficiency than matching directions when setting up the transfer.

 

[Izack]

Is there any non-IMFD/TransX way to do this, or have I reached the limit of what I can do with a calculator and the default MFDs?

 

[Tommy]

It could be done with Orbit, AlignPlanes, and Sync, but you would need to precalculate your ejection time and heading based on your parking orbit. It would be extremely difficult, and likely quite inefficient as the stock instruments (especially Sync) won't be very accurate until you get fairly close to the target.

 

[Izack]

Hmmm...looks like it's finally time to pick up that TransX manual. :yes:

(I'd go for IMFD for the better web support, but TransX looks like more of an instrument and less of a program.)