Inclination to an approaching planet, or moon

[joeybigO]

Okay, i've done all the research and i'm stumped.

Is there a way to predict the inclination to an approaching planet, I seemed to have skipped school the day this was discussed.

Not for the inclination of the planet, but for the final inclination when approaching the planet.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[jarmonik]

Okay, i've done all the research and i'm stumped.

Is there a way to predict the inclination to an approaching planet, I seemed to have skipped school the day this was discussed.

Not for the inclination of the planet, but for the final inclination when approaching the planet.

Many thanks in advance.

Of course there is. Are you seeking an answer how-to do it in the Orbiter or other computational methods ? What kind of data you have to begin with ?

 

[joeybigO]

No, in orbiter it would be relatively simple, it would be the angular momentum vector - the I vector.

I meant more in mathematical terms on paper, or more the prediction problem, or can one predict this?

Let's just say we have our classic orbital elements. Say I have my angular momentum as well, if I can use the r0, v0. I seem to be missing something out of the angular momentum, but i'll look tonight.

 

[jarmonik]

The inclination is the angle between angular momentum vector and rotation axis but that applies only in two-body case where exist only one source of gravity and the vessel. If there are more gravity sources present then the computations will become somewhat more complicated. I suppose a patched-conic method will give a rough approximation of final orbital elements but more accurate results require using numerical propagation for the vessel trajectory.
There should be lot of information available about the patched-conic approximation and it can be done on a paper.