orbit sinc with a catch-up orbit???

[scuba_steve]

I want to be able to rendezvous with the ISS (or any satellite)by doing the following:

1) launch behind the target and into a lower orbit. This way my orbital period will be less than the target and i'll be in a "catch-up" orbit.
2) do final plane alignments,
3) at the right moment execute a Hoffman transfer orbit so that i intercept the target at apoapsis.

As far as i can tell the sync MFD can't tell you the exact moment to execute a simple hoffman?. I'm not 100% sure, but using a catch-up orbit like this is the way the shuttle actualy rendevous with the ISS right?

Intuitivley it seems like a verry fuel efficient way to synch orbits.? anyone know how to do it?

Cheers

 

[ar81]

See

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3988"]Tutorial: Space shuttle from KSC to ISS and back[/ame]​

 

[RisingFury]

You can watch the orbit Sync tutorials supplied by orbiter. It does a very good job of explaining things and entertaining you

 

[flytandem]

Hopefully the word TransX isn't a turnoff... but a very simple use of TransX is to do just what you are asking and I made a video tutorial on it at
http://www.flytandem.com/orbiter/tutorials/video/index.htm
It's the top tutorial... TX-ISS.zip

rob