Lunar Launch Windows

[garyw]

Hi,

Any tips/formula on working out the best lunar launch windows? Most of the time I seem to end up crashing back to Earth because of the moons retrograde motion.

Thanks.

 

[RisingFury]

Any day

Watch the Tutorial Playback that comes with Orbiter and you'll see how it's done.

 

[garyw]

Any day

Watch the Tutorial Playback that comes with Orbiter and you'll see how it's done.

Not quite.

Whilst you technically have two launch windows a day there are times when some windows are better than others. Try a lunar transfer with an ion engine to see what I mean about the lunar retrogade problem.

 

[Lunar Pilot]

Crashing into Earth

You actually manage to get back to Earth? How do you do it, I always fly out of the Earth/Moon System watching the green planet getting smaller in the window :dry:

 

[TSPenguin]

You actually manage to get back to Earth? How do you do it, I always fly out of the Earth/Moon System watching the green planet getting smaller in the window :dry:

Then you are clearly not trying to save fuel or perform a hohman transfer. Or... you are really bad at it

 

[Lunar Pilot]

Whoops

No, I just need to figure out how to use TransX instead of Transfer.

 

[flytandem]

Ya any old time at all is fine. Day or night, any day. One of the staple runs I make is to fire up a scenario that is absent the MJD data (the line reads "Date MJD ;") which causes it to default to the current date and time. This way it makes for a nice variety. The goal is to spend a minute or so with MAP picking the best heading and off I go for a trip to the moon. Though offplane, it is not without plan.

 

[agentgonzo]

Ya any old time at all is fine. Day or night, any day. One of the staple runs I make is to fire up a scenario that is absent the MJD data (the line reads "Date MJD ;")

You can just remove the line entirely from the scenario to get the same effect. I have a few 'realtime' scenarios that I use for when I just fancy a fly about in the XR2. It's nice when you load up orbiter and it matches the sky outside your window.