Question Can't get to mars with new IMFD

[IronRain]

since I made my first voyage to mars, I wanted to do a real mission. So launched a Delta 2 with Spirit, but when I pressed the AB button I got a CTD. and I couldn't restart the scenario to do it manually. I was using IMFD version 4.2.1 because this version was used in Go Play In Space.

I downloaded the newest IMFD (V. 5.4 (released 2 days ago) and did the launch again. I was following the tutorial that was included with the MER add-on. but at the point of TMI the author was saying this:

IMFD Trans Mars Ejection Burn Setup 
Keep  Course program running in the Left MFD 
with the Time to Intercept MJD set to 53008.17 
 
Activate Orbit-Eject program in the Right MFD: 
- Click (MNU)upper left for the Main Menu 
- Click (Orbit-Eject <) for Orbit-Eject program 
- "Higher Orbit" will be highlighted.  Click (+ <) 
once to change this to "Course" 
- Click (Nxt <) three times to highlight TEj — 
Time to Ejection 
[COLOR=Red]- Click (+ <) and hold down to advance the 
solid blue hypothetical eject line toward the dot-
ted green ideal eject line [/COLOR]
- Cover the dotted green line with the solid blue 
line and adjust by clicking (+) or (-) to minimize 
the dV.  This will be about 3630 m/sec for 
MER-A and 3870 m/sec for MER-B 
- Click (PG) to switch to the Orbit-Eject  pro-
gram's second page 
- Click (AB <) to activate the AutoBurn function

What I don't get is the section that's highlighted red. why? because I don't see a green ideal eject line...

so what I did was changed TEj to get the Dv as low as possible... is this correct? It was 3630, just like the tutorial says.

Did I do anything wrong?

IronRain

---------- Post added at 01:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 AM ----------

And now I don't even get to mars... I don't get the new IMFD... is it ok if I stay with version 4.1.2 or is that too old??

 

[jarmonik]

Geting the dv as low as possible is right thing to do. But anyway, there is the green dashed line in the orbit eject program. I have no idea why you can't see it.

 

[IronRain]

thanks! I saw your screen shot and I noticed that I was looking at the wrong place XD
I did the TMI again and I hope to reach mars . There is also a positive thing about this... I now know most of the procedures out of my head, so I don't have to look in Go Play In Space anymore

---------- Post added at 02:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:49 PM ----------

I'm getting really agitated now... I've missed Mars again!! This is what I do:

1. open the 3.0 scenario of ''From earth to mars'' that's included with go play in space.
2. share the left MFD with ID-1 (the right MFD)
3. open the course program in the left MFD and set it to target intercept.
4. as target I select mars
5. change the time setting from GET to MJD
6. back in the course program, I increase the MJD that's beneath the TIn until oV is as low as possible.
7. in the right MFD I open the Orbit Eject program. I change the Higher orbit to Course.
8. I change the TEj so that the dV go to the lowest value.
9. Then I activate the autopilot to eject me...

Am I doing it good until now?

 

[Fabri91]

AFAIK you're doing it right...however note that it is useful to change the source from earth to yourself (by inputting "x") once you're out of the earth's SOI. This can be verified using the "map" program of the MFD: set the center to yourself and zoom out (Z-) until you see wether you are within the dotted circle around earth (its SOI). Don't forget to toggle the Soi option on!

After you've set yourself as the source in the course program, you can activate AB on the course program in order to do a midcourse correction. There is a very comprehensive tutorial on orbithangar for IMFD ([ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4142"]Click me, I'm a link![/ame]).

 

[IronRain]

yeah, I do that too, I wasn't at that point yet. and I do also MCC's... I will add th rest later...

---------- Post added at 02:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:33 PM ----------

1. open the map program
2. wait till I'm out of the the SOI of earth
3. change source to me in the course program
4. wait till July 2nd and make the MCC by clicking AB in the course program
5. on October 2nd I do the BaseApproach program by setting ''approach for'' to orbit insert and change the LON to 224.57 an the LAN to 12.74. For altitude I use 100K and I put Num to 1.0000

Is this correct?

 

[Lucy]

AFAIK you're doing it right...however note that it is useful to change the source from earth to yourself (by inputting "x") once you're out of the earth's SOI. This can be verified using the "map" program of the MFD: set the center to yourself and zoom out (Z-) until you see wether you are within the dotted circle around earth (its SOI). Don't forget to toggle the Soi option on!

You don't need to check that with the Map mode really. Orbit Eject flips to "Have a nice voyage" once you leave your origin's SOI.

 

[IronRain]

not in 5.4 :O

 

[Fabri91]

You don't need to check that with the Map mode really. Orbit Eject flips to "Have a nice voyage" once you leave your origin's SOI.

Didn't know that, thanks!:tiphat:

 

[Lucy]

not in 5.4 :O

Just did for me...

---------- Post added at 14:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:02 ----------

yeah, I do that too, I wasn't at that point yet. and I do also MCC's... I will add th rest later...

---------- Post added at 02:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:33 PM ----------

1. open the map program
2. wait till I'm out of the the SOI of earth
3. change source to me in the course program
4. wait till July 2nd and make the MCC by clicking AB in the course program
5. on October 2nd I do the BaseApproach program by setting ''approach for'' to orbit insert and change the LON to 224.57 an the LAN to 12.74. For altitude I use 100K and I put Num to 1.0000

Is this correct?

You're flying in off-axis, right?

 

[IronRain]

Just did for me...

---------- Post added at 14:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:02 ----------



You're flying in off-axis, right?

where can I see that?

 

[Lucy]

Where it says "off-axis" in Course mode.

Right hand side, underneath the MJD / GET for TIn.

 

[IronRain]

Where it says "off-axis" in Course mode.

Right hand side, underneath the MJD / GET for TIn.

I don't see off-axis.. is off-plane the same??:

 

[Lucy]

Eh, that was what I meant at least. I think.

My flights to Mars follow this sequence of events (from LEO);

IMFD open in left and right
Right IMFD set to share with ID-0 (left)
Course open in left IMFD, Target Intercept
Lock TOF
Increase Tej until oV is a minimum
Unlock TOF
Change from Off-plane to Source Plane
Lock TOF
Adjust Tej again until oV is minimum

Orbit Eject in right MFD
Change to Course mode
Wait for eject window, AB
After leaving SOI, flick SRC in course to "x"
Perform MCC burn with AB
Prep pl. change in course program
Hit AB and wait for burn

After plane change is done it's a pretty usual coast to the line, but of course IMFD will aim me at the centre of Mars, not a particularly nice trajectory for orbit insertion.

I usually fix that manually with Orbit MFD.

 

[IronRain]

ok, thanks, will try it later

---------- Post added 06-19-10 at 12:13 PM ---------- Previous post was 06-18-10 at 05:13 PM ----------

I'm not home now, but I think I did the sharing sequens wrong... is that possible..?

 

[Lucy]

In what way wrong? If you're following my way the right IMFD should say "Shared ID-0", and the left "unshared".

 

[Fabri91]

I always set the ID of the MFD that is receiving info (ie the one with orbit eject) into the one which is sending the information (the one with the course program).

 

[Lucy]

Eh wha? I didn't follow what you meant there...

 

[IronRain]

yes, but what I did was shared the left MFD with the right (in left MFD change share to 1)

 

[Lucy]

Well then do it the other way round and see if it works better.

 

[IronRain]

Thanks. As I said, I will try it later, since I'm not home