Flight Question Io to Earth Question

[andre]

Hi all,

the other day I took the XR2, with a lot of fuel and oxygen and left the Earth towards Mars. I got there with no problems, visited Phobos and Deimos, and landed at Olympus. Then I went to the Jupiter system, landed on Europa and then landed on Io, where I am now. So I am kinding missing Earth, so I would like to go back, but I am getting some trouble to do that.

So, I am landed on IO, and I am using the Transx to find a good launch window, basically what I´m doing is:

Setting 3 stages in TransX:
1) Escape IO
2) Escape Jupiter
3) Jupiter to Earth transfer

I start adjusting some parameters at stage 3, where I found a good launching window, with an orbit getting close to the sun and then meeting Earth. Good.

Then I go to the stage2, and adjust the PE Distance of the orbit so it´s roughly the same as IO orbiting Jupiter. OK.

For stage 1 is where I´m getting trouble. I can´t get Transx to use the planned orbit in the second stage into the first stage, so all I get in the MFD is a big circle (IO) with no planned orbit in stage 1. I tried changing a lot of parameters (like intercept, the plan, etc), but nothing seems to work.

Any help will be much apreciated!

I´m also attaching the scenery file (but I am not sure if it saves my current transx configuration).

Thanks!

André

 

[andre]

I found this in the Transx manual about coming back to earth from a jupiter´s moon:

"Reversing the process?
This manoevre ought to be carried out in reverse to plan a return trip to Earth. However, it is currently rather difficult to plan this manoevre in reverse – this is likely to be the subject of a future TransX plan."

Perhaps I´ll just insert into orbit around jupiter and then try to figure out some solution...

 

[Tommy]

If you are willing to use IMFD, you can set Target Intercept using SRC = Jupiter, Ref = Sun, and TGT = Earth. Then set up Slingshot (ref = Jupiter), then use Orbit Eject set to "slingshot" (rather than "higher orbit" or "course"). There is an example of this type of flight (flight is Moon - Mars with Earth "sling") in IMFD Full Manual/Playbacks (can be found at orbithanger.

Otherwise, check flytandem's TransX tutorials, he may have something along those lines - and use the latest version of TransX rather than the one that comes with Orbiter.

 

[andre]

I never used the IMFD, but I guess I will start using it, trying the basic flights first and then making your sugestion.

For the transx, I will download the new version, I am indeed using the one that comes with orbiter. I´ll give a look at the tutorial you mentioned.

Thanx!

 

[Tommy]

I'm not very knowledgable about TransX, but I think you set stage 1 plan to escape (ref Io), stage 2 to escape (ref Jupiter), and stage 3 to intercept (ref Sun). That's all I can think of - and don't promise I'm right!

 

[andre]

yeahh.. that´s exactly how I tried. The problem is that I can´t manage to bring the info of the planned orbit into the first stage... :shrug:

I found one interesting tutorial (flytandem) for a earth´s moon to mars transfer. He uses a "dummy" ship orbiting Earth for that...

If I can´t figure it out using transx directly, I will start learning IMFD... I guess I will be staying in IO for a bit longer....