Version: 0.23.

5
0.24(ish)

The Kerbonauts Guide to the

Galaxy.
st

1 Edition
Lovingly Dedicated to:
Jebediah Kerman
Bob Kerman
Bill Kerman
The Team at Squad.

"We who are about to die,

salute you."

Before you start:

It is recommended that you laminate
this guide.
When you see a You should leave
a tick/cross in DRY WIPE marker
according to your current situation.
Failure is always an option.
Good luck and have fun exploring the
Kerbolar System

KSP Basics:

Delta-V - In astrodynamics a v or delta-v (literally change

in velocity) is a measure of the amount of the effort that is
needed to change from one trajectory to another by making
an orbital manoeuvre.
LXO Low Enter Planet Name Here Orbit. For
example, LKO = Low Kerbin Orbit.
Escape Velocity The velocity required to exit a planets
sphere of influence.
Periapsis (Pe) The lowest point in your orbit.
Apoapsis (Ap) The highest point in your orbit.
Prograde/Retrograde Prograde is forward relative to the
direction of movement it will increase your orbital
velocity.Retrograde is backwards relative to the direction of
movement it will decrease your orbital velocity.
Navball Used to get your bearings and to navigate when in
space.
Thrust-To-Weight-Ratio TWR for short is a ratio that
defines the power of a craft's engines in relation to its own
weight. If a craft needs to get into a stable orbit or land safely

on the current celestial body without using parachutes, then

its engines must put out more thrust than its current weight to
counteract gravity. In the terms of a ratio, a craft with a
greater thrust than weight will have a TWR greater than 1.
Inclination - The tilt of the orbit is given by the inclination.
Usually the value is given in degrees where the value is given
between 90 and 270. An inclination of 0 or 180 is
equatorial, so the craft is always above the equator.
Navball Point of Reference - As all movement in space is
relative, the point of reference determines the object from
which all distance measurements and velocity vectors are
made. Clicking this area will toggle the point of reference
between Surface and Orbit, as indicated by the green text. If a
target is selected, there is a third option, Target. Changing
the point of reference changes the location of the prograde
and retrograde markers.
Manoeuvre Nodes - A maneuver node is a planned velocity
change along an orbit. Multiple maneuver nodes can be
added which will affect the following maneuver nodes. After
adding a node it shows the velocity change needed to reach
the next new orbit next to the navball.
Manoeuvre Node Directions
Prograde/Retrograde - These vectors directly change the
speed of the craft. Burning prograde will increase velocity,
raising the altitude of the orbit on the other side, while
burning retrograde will decrease velocity and reduce the orbit
altitude on the other side.
Normal/Anti-Normal - The normal vectors are orthogonal to
the orbital plane. Burning normal or anti-normal will change
the orbital inclination. On the navball the normal and anti-

normal vectors are located on the equator line directly

between the prograde and retrograde markers.
Radial in/Radial out - The radial-in vector points directly
toward the center of the orbited body (center of the brown
hemisphere on the navball), while the radial-out vector points
directly away from it (center of the blue hemisphere).
Performing a radial burn will rotate the orbit
around the craft like spinning a hula hoop
with a stick. Radial burns are the least
efficient way of adjusting one's path - it is
much more effective to use prograde and
retrograde burns.

Navball
Icons

Centre of:

Mass The centre of mass, abbreviated CoM,

or centre of gravity, is the location of an object where all
mass is equally distributed around it. It is important to
balance a craft to prevent it from getting out of
control. Planes should have a centre of mass slightly in front of
the centre of lift. For all craft the thrustvector should point to,
point away from or go through the centre of mass. Kerbal Space
Program Wiki

Centre of Mass (Yellow)

Centre of Thrust (Pink)

Thrust The centre of thrust or thrustvector is the
direction in which the thrust is acting and on which point the
thrust acts on the craft. The thrustvector and centre of
mass should be in one line to minimize steering. Kerbal Space
Program Wiki

Lift The centre of lift is used mainly when creating

planes, it shows the axis and direction of lift provided
by wings, control surfaces and winglets. Inside the editor it is
showed as a cyan-coloured sphere (axis) along with an arrow
(direction of the lift). The centre of lift should also always be
behind the centre of mass. Kerbal Space Program Wiki

Kerbin

A unique world, Kerbin has flat plains, soaring mountains and wide, blue oceans. Home to the
Kerbals, it has just the right conditions to support a vast, seemingly undepletable population of the
eager green creatures. Kerbal Astronomical Society
Planetary Characteristics:
Sphere Of Influence:
84,159.3km
Atmosphere Present:
Yes
Oxygen Present:
Yes
Atmospheric Height:
69,077m
Surface Gravity:
9.81m/s (1G)
Escape Velocity:
3,431m/s
V To LO from Sea Lvl: 4500 m/s
Synchronous Orbit:
2868.75km
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested): 36,000m
Science Multiplier:
Surface: 0.4
Atmospheric: 0.7
Space: 1

V Stats (LKO):
Body:
Mun
Minmus
Eve
Duna
Moho
Jool
Eeloo
KEO

Delta-V:
~860m/s
~930m/s
~1033m/s
~1060m/s
~1676m/s
~1915m/s
~2100m/s
~1120m/s

Mun

The Muns discovery is widely regarded as one of the more important breakthroughs of Kerbal
evolution. Granted it didnt happen all that long ago, but its still fair to say that Kerbals are wiser
and more evolved now than they were back then. Kerbal Astronomical Society
Characteristics:
Sphere Of Influence:
2429.6km
Atmosphere Present:
No
Oxygen Present:
No
Atmospheric Height:
N/A
Surface Gravity:
1.63m/s (0.166G)
Escape Velocity:
807.08m/s
V To Low Orbit:
800m/s
Synchronous Orbit:
N/A (SoI too low)
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested): N/A
Science Multiplier:
Surface: 4
Atmospheric: N/A
Space: 3

Mun Biomes:
Biome:
Midlands
Midlands Craters
Highlands
Highland Craters
Canyons
Northern Basin
East Crater
Northwest Crater
Southwest Crater
Farside Crater
East Farside Craters
Polar Crater
Poles
Polar Lowlands

Minmus

Minmus is the smallest moon orbiting Kerbin. From the surface of Kerbin, it can be seen on clear
days as a tiny blue speck in the sky.-Kerbal Astronomical Society
Planetary Characteristics:
Minmus Biomes:
Sphere Of Influence:
Atmosphere Present:
Oxygen Present:
Atmospheric Height:
Surface Gravity:
Escape Velocity:
V To Transfer:
V To LO from Sea Lvl:
Synchronous Orbit:
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested):
Science Multiplier:
Surface: 5
Atmospheric: N/A
Space: 4

2,247.4km
No
No
N/A
0.491m/s (0.05G)
242.61m/s
920m/s
N/A
357.94km
N/A

Biomes:
Highlands
Midlands
Lowlands
Slopes
Lesser Flats
Flats
Great Flats
Greater Flats
Poles

Eve

Eve is certainly the purplest object in the solar system. Its one of the larger, most visible objects, mainly
because of its very, very purple tint.Kerbal Astronomical Society
Planetary Characteristics:
Sphere Of Influence:
85,109.4km
Atmosphere Present:
Yes
Oxygen Present:
No
Atmospheric Height:
96,708m
Surface Gravity:
16.7m/s (1.7G)
Escape Velocity:
4831.96m/s
V To LO From Sea Lvl: 11,500 m/s
Synchronous Orbit:
10,328.47km
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested): 72,500m
Science Multiplier:
~80m/s
Surface: 12
Atmospheric: 7
Space: 7

V Stats*:
Body:
Kerbin
Moho
Duna
Dres
Jool
Eeloo
Gilly
LEO
Kerbol Orbit

Delta-V:
~1030m/s
~810m/s
~190m/s
~430m/s
~1045m/s
~1230m/s
~1650m/s
~12000m/s

*(From Orbit Around Eve + Does not include getting into orbit or landing)

Duna

Also known as the red dot that you can see if you squint at it really hard, Duna has long been a
wonder to Kerbalkind.Kerbal Astronomical Society
Planetary Characteristics:
Sphere Of Influence:
47,921.9km
Atmosphere Present:
Yes
Oxygen Present:
No
Atmospheric Height:
41,446m
Surface Gravity:
2.94m/s (0.3G)
Escape Velocity:
1372.41m/s
V To LO from Sea Lvl: 1750 m/s
Synchronous Orbit:
2880.00km
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested): 13,000m
Science Multiplier:
~110m/s
Surface: 8
Atmospheric: N/A
Space: 7

V Stats *:
Body:
Ike
Eve
Dres
Kerbin
Moho
Jool
Eeloo
LDO
Kerbol Orbit

Delta-V:
~270m/s
~190m/s
~460m/s
~1060m/s
~840m/s
~1075m/s
~1260m/s
~1380m/s

*(From Orbit Around Duna + Does not include getting into orbit or landing)

Dres

Dres is a very small planet. It was the first planet considered to be a dwarf. Its orbit is highly
irregular and together with its size it took a long time to discover since half the time it was not where
scientists expected to find a planet.Kerbal Astronomical Society
Planetary Characteristics:
Sphere Of Influence:
32,832.8km
Atmosphere Present:
No
Oxygen Present:
No
Atmospheric Height:
N/A
Surface Gravity:
1.13m/s (0.115G)
Escape Velocity:
558.00m/s
V To LO from Sea Lvl: 555 m/s
Synchronous Orbit:
732.24km
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested): N/A
~350m/s
Science Multiplier:
Surface: 8
Atmospheric: N/A
Space: 7

V Stats *:
Body:
Eve
Duna
Jool
Kerbin
Moho
Eeloo
LDO
Kerbol Orbit

Delta-V:
~430m/s
~460m/s
~1315m/s
~1300m/s
~1080m/s
~1500m/s
~800m/s**

*(From Orbit Around Dres + Does not include getting into orbit or landing)
**(Delta-V needed to get into orbit after ascent)

Moho

Moho figures in Kerbal mythology as a fiery place with oceans of flowing lava. In reality however,
its much less interesting.Kerbal Astronomical Society
Planetary Characteristics:
Sphere Of Influence:
9,646.7km
Atmosphere Present:
No
Oxygen Present:
No
Atmospheric Height:
N/A
Surface Gravity:
2.70m/s (0.275G)
Escape Velocity:
1,161.41m/s
V To LO from Sea Lvl: 1,400 m/s
Synchronous Orbit:
N/A (SoI too Low)
~2200m/s**
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested): N/A
Science Multiplier:
Surface: 9
Atmospheric: N/A
Space: 8

V Stats *:
Body:
Eve
Duna
Jool
Kerbin
Dres
Eeloo
LMO
Kerbol Orbit

Delta-V:
~810m/s
~840m/s
~1695m/s
~1680m/s
~1080m/s
~1500m/s

~730m/s

*(From Orbit Around Moho + Does not include getting into orbit or landing)
**(Delta-V needed to get into orbit after ascent)

Jool

Jool is particularly known for being a rather large, predominantly green planet. Kerbalkind has longed to
visit it since it was first spotted in the sky. Philosophers reason that the swirling green planet must be a really
nice place to visit, on account of its wholesome coloration.Kerbal Astronomical Society
Planetary Characteristics:
Sphere Of Influence:
2.4559852109 m
Atmosphere Present:
Yes
Oxygen Present:
No
Atmospheric Height:
138,155km
Surface Gravity:
7.85m/s (0.8G)
Escape Velocity:
9,704.43m/s
V To LO from Sea Lvl: 22,000 m/s
Synchronous Orbit:
15,010.46km
~2630m/s**
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested): N/A
Science Multiplier:
Surface: N/A
Atmospheric: 7
Space: 7

V Stats *:
Body:
Eve
Duna
Moho
Kerbin
Dres
Eeloo
LJO
Kerbol Orbit

Delta-V:
~1045m/s
~1075m/s
~1695m/s
~1915m/s
~1315m/s
~2115m/s

~965m/s

*(From Orbit Around Jool + Does not include getting into orbit or landing)
**(Delta-V needed to get into orbit after ascent)

Eeloo

Theres been a considerable amount of controversy status of Eeloo as being a proper planet or just a lump of
ice going around the sun. The debate is still ongoing, as most academic summits held to address the issue have
devolved into, on good days, petty name calling, and on worse ones, all-out brawls.Kerbal Astronomical
Society

Planetary Characteristics:
Sphere Of Influence:
119,082.94km
Atmosphere Present:
No
Oxygen Present:
No
Atmospheric Height:
N/A
Surface Gravity:
1.79m/s (0.172G)
Escape Velocity:
841.83m/s
V To LO from Sea Lvl: 840m/s
Synchronous Orbit:
683.69km
~2100m/s**
Pe for Aerobrake(Suggested): N/A
Science Multiplier:
Surface: 9
Atmospheric: N/A
Space: 8

V Stats *:
Body:
Eve
Duna
Moho
Kerbin
Dres
Jool
LEO
Kerbol Orbit

Delta-V:
~1230m/s
~1260m/s
~1880m/s
~2100m/s
~1500m/s
~2115m/s

~1150m/s

*(From Orbit Around Eeloo + Does not include getting into orbit or landing)
**(Delta-V needed to get into orbit after ascent)

Time Warp Altitudes

Delta-V Map

Airplane Construction (By Keptin)

VAB Checklist*
Booster:
Fuel
Engines
SRBS
Decouplers
Struts!
Control Surfaces
Correct Staging
Action Groups
LES (Launch Escape System)

Orbital Stage:
RCS
Monopropellant
Fuel
Engine (LV-909/Poodle)
Batteries
Solar Panels/Reactor
Docking Port

Lander/Descent Stage:
Landing Legs
Ladder
Lights
Parachutes
Command Module
S.A.S/Reaction Wheels
More RCS and Monopropellant
Fuel
Engine (LV-909/Poodle)

 Batteries
Solar Panels
Crew (Jeb, Bill, Bob)
Science (Goo, Materials)
Clear Hatch
Snacks!
*Some parts may not be available if you play in Career
mode.

Rocket Construction Tools

Presuming that youve already built your first rocket (If not, whack a RT-10
Solid Fuel Booster onto a Command Pod Mk1 and launch!) These are tools
designed to help make more efficient rockets:

Apologies for not having 0.23.5 rockets, there are no

graphs available on the internet including these. Im
working on making my own.

To use this nomogram, pick a dV on the left and

Isp on the right. Draw a straight line between them.
The required mass fraction of your vehicle/stage is
where your line crosses the Mass Fraction scale.

Do the same as before, choose your desired

payload weight on the left and your mass fraction

which you obtained beforehand and draw a straight

line between them. This is the amount of fuel you will
need to lift the payload, the dry fuel tanks and fuel.

You Done Goofed!

Check That:
Hatch isnt obstructed!
Landing leg orientation is
correct!

You have enough electricity!

You have strutted

EVERYTHING!

You have sufficient fuel

supplies!

You have crew!

Action groups are set up!

You have science modules!

Parachutes for landings!

Mission Planner:
Mission Name:
Budget:

Contracts:
Science Goal: +
Mission Briefing:

Chosen Crew Member(s):

Launch Vehicle:
Orbital Vehicle:
Lander:

Launch Date:

Flight Checklist:
Pre-Launch:
S.A.S
Staging
Crew
Damage Check
5Ps:
Pods: Command Modules, Habitats etc.
Propulsion: Fuel and Engines
Power: Panels, Batteries, Reactors
Piloting: RCS, S.A.S etc.
People: Crew, (If using TAC) Food, Water
etc.

Launch:
Increase Throttle
Activate First Stage

Ascent Stage:
Jettison SRBs
At 7.5-10km, Complete Gravity Turn
Continue To Burn Until Desired Apoapsis
is Reached

Orbital Stage:
Burn Pro-Grade until the Periapsis is
within 0-3km of the Apoapsis Height
Deploy Solar Panels
Do Science

 Perform Transfer Stage OR Burn RetroGrade to return to Kerbin.

Pre-Landing (When Returning or Landing Anywhere):

Retract Solar Panels and Antenna
Deploy Legs
Arm Parachutes
Crew Check
Select Landing Area

Post Landing:
Do Science!
Stretch Legs!
Recover Vehicle (If landed on Kerbin)!

Flight Observations/Notes:

Orbit Guide

1) Build a rocket. It should have enough Delta-V to get into

LKO. A minimalistic rocket would be:
Command Pod Mk1
FL-T400 Fuel Tank
LV-909 Liquid Fuel Engine
TR-18A Stack Decoupler
FL-T800 Fuel Tank
LV-T30 Liquid Fuel Engine
2) Turn SAS on and throttle up
3) Countdown from 10.
4) Press Space to launch and wait until you are at 10,000m,
ensure that you head directly up (Keep your dot on the blue
top dot on the Navball)
5) Jettison your first stage with the spacebar
6) Throttle down to 2/3rd power
7) Turn 45 degrees East (Press D) and burn until your apoapsis
is at 70-75km. You can check this by pressing M.
8) As you approach apoapsis, orient your ship to the 0-degree
latitude mark (Directly East) between the blue and brown
halves of the navball.
9) Once you are 10-30 seconds away from apoapsis, begin your
orbital burn by using the Shift key to throttle up. You can go at
full throttle or partial throttle, but you may overshoot when at
full throttle.
10)
Wait until a periapsis appears directly opposite to your
apoapsis and wait until its altitude becomes >70km. Hit X to
turn off your engines instantly.
11)
Congratulations, you have made orbit!

Docking Tutorial
1.

Courtesy of Leforian

Time your launch by putting the target slightly behind KSC in

its orbit like this.

2.

As you are burning start your gravity turn at the normal

altitude.

3.

In orbital view try to get your apoapsis to meet the target's

orbit ahead of the
target.

4.

The tricky part is determining where to put the apoapsis. You

can make it encounter sooner by burning more vertically, and
encounter later by burning more horizontally.

5.

I misjudged the
timing and my
apoapsis crossed the
orbit too late. The
top red carrot is where I will be, and the bottom carrot is where
my target will be. I need to push my apoapsis farther away.
Remember that burning directly prograde will raise your
apoapsis further, so you will also have to burn slightly down in
pitch to keep your apoapsis at the altitude you need.

6.

After moving my apoapsis forward for a minute or two I get a

good 100 meter-ish encounter.

Formula Sheet

For when you feel like Wernher Von Kerman

Thrust to Weight Ratio

Ft - Engine Thrust
M Total mass of the craft
g The local gravitational acceleration

Combined Specific Impulse

If the Isp is the same for all
engines in a stage, then the Isp is equal to a single engine. If the
Isp is different for engines in a single stage, then use the equation
above.

Tsiolkovsky rocket equation

Basic v
Calculation
v - the velocity change possible in m/s
Mstart - the starting mass in the same unit as

Mend

Mend

Mstart

the end mass in the same unit as

Isp the specific impulse on the engine in

seconds.

Fuel flow rate

Orbital velocity
- Gravitational Parameter of parent body
(km3/s2)
r Radius of orbit (km)

Notes Page

Science Modules:
Mystery Goo Containment Unit:
The Mystery Goo Containment Unit is a science part used to expose a goo
to atmospheres and vacuum in attempts to gain science from observing the goo
inside. This can be achieved either via action group or right clicking the container
and clicking observe mystery goo. The unit cannot be reused after its results were
transmitted, unless it is cleaned via the Mobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2. Like EVA
reports, the science gained from observing the Mystery Goo varies depending on different
conditions in flight. Kerbal Space Program Wiki

SC-9001 Science Jr.

Science Jr. is the more advanced scientific sensor. It is used to
retrieve science points and to complete science experiments in space or other
celestial body. The unit cannot be reused after its results were transmitted,
unless it is cleaned by theMobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2. Kerbal Space
Program Wiki

PresMat Barometer:
Displays atmospheric pressure to five significant figures, while active. A pressure
below 0.0001 is shown as vacuum by the sensor. Lower atmospheric pressures
markedly reduce lift and drag induced by the atmosphere, and cause a small
change in engine efficiency. Kerbal Space Program Wiki

GRAVMAX Negative Gravioli

Detector:
This instrument shows the gravity in your current sphere of influence to
a maximum of 4 significant figures and two decimal places. This can be
used with altitude to estimate the mass of the nearest celestial body or to
measure its surface gravity. Alternatively, it can be used with the
accelerometer and altitude to make landing estimates. Kerbal Space
Program Wiki

2HOT Thermometer:
The 2HOT Thermometer displays temperature to 5 significant figures when
activated and right-clicked. There is no unit shown but it is assumed to be degrees
Celsius. The 2HOT cannot be used to earnscience while distant from a celestial body,
although it will continue to tell the temperature. Kerbal Space Program Wiki

Mobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2:

The Mobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2 allows scientific data to be transmitted

with higher efficiency and to reuse the Mystery Goo Containment
Unit andSC-9001 Science Jr. after transmitting their result. The module needs
its full capacity of two Kerbals to work. Note that it is not a command module;
any craft it's a part of will need a probe body or command pod to be piloted.
Using the module consumes electricity Kerbal Space Program Wiki

Easy Science At Kerbin:

Gather a:

Crew Report!

EVA Report!

Surface Sample!

Mystery Goo!

Materials Bay!
Kerbin Biomes:

Launchpad

Runway

KSC

Mountain

Shores

Tundra

Water

Grasslands

Desert

Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over
Flying Over

Badlands
Highlands
Ice Caps

Interplanetary Travel
Orbital Transfer Guide
10 Year Launch Window Calendar (Earth
Years)
Gravity Assists
KSC

 Delta-V Requirements
Travelling To Duna, Mun and Minmus
Landing and Parachutes

Interplanetary Travel
Orbital Transfer Guide
100 Year Launch Window Calendar
(Kerbin Years)
Landing Guides
Transfer Windows

 Gravity Assists
Delta-V Requirements
Ideal Interplanetary Phase Angles

Orbital Transfer Guide

In map view, put the blue cross on the planet youre orbiting and the red cross on your
rocket. The point where the green line intersects your desired planet's orbit is where you
want it to be when you start your transfer burn.

Hohmann & Bi-Elliptical Transfers

Hohmann Transfer:
A Hohmann transfer is a technique that involves burning your
engine twice whilst in orbit in order to reach a higher orbit.
You start off by burning prograde at your periapsis until you
reach the desired altitude for your apoapsis. You will now
have an elliptical orbit. Next you have to travel up to your
apoapsis and burn prograde once
again in order to raise your
periapsis to the same altitude as
your apoapsis. Like so:

Bi-Elliptical Transfer:

A Bi-Elliptical transfer is similar to a Hohmann transfer

although it requires one extra step. Most of the time the
Hohmann technique is more useful but in some cases using a
Bi-Elliptical transfer can save you Delta-V!
You start a Bi-Elliptical transfer by burning prograde from
your periapsis in order to raise your apoapsis. Again, making
an ellipse. Once you are at apoapsis, you burn prograde to
raise your periapsis to your desired orbital altitude. After
travelling to periapsis, you want to burn retrograde and bring
your apoapsis down to roughly the same altitude as your
periapsi. Like so:

Landing
Guides
Youve come this far; lets not screw it up now!

Check your parachutes:

Atmospheric Targeting Graph/Guide:

Aerocapture Graphs:

Kerbin SOI Entry Aerocapture Chart

55000
50000
Minmus

45000

Mun
Sync Orbit

40000
Aerocapture Periapsis (m)

SSync Orbit
35000

1000 km
100 km

30000
25000

Orbital Velocity (m/s)

Eve SOI Entry Aerocapture Chart

75000
73000
71000
69000

Aerocapture Periapsis (m)

67000

Sync Orbit

65000

SSync Orbit
1000 km

63000

100 km

61000
59000
57000
55000

Orbital Velocity (m/s)

Duna SOI Entry Aerocapture Chart

18000
17000
16000
15000
Ike

14000

Sync Orbit

13000
Aerocapture Periapsis (m)

SSync Orbit

12000

100km

11000

50km

10000
9000
8000

Orbital Velocity (m/s)

Jool SOI Entry Aerocapture Chart

135000
130000
Pol

125000

Bop
Tylo

120000
Aerocapture Periapsis (m)

Vall
Laythe

115000

Sync Orbit
SSync Orbit

110000

1000 km
150 km

105000
100000

Orbital Velocity (m/s)

Laythe SOI Entry Aerocapture

34000

32000

30000

28000

Aerocapture Periapsis (m)

26000

24000

22000

20000
250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

1750

Orbital Velocity (m/s)

200

Transfer Windows
Years 1 -25

Years 26 -50

Years 51 75

Years 76 -100

Gravity Assists:
A gravity assist is a maneuver in which you use a flyby of a secondary celestial body (such as a
planet or moon) to alter your orbit about the primary (typically the sun, but occasionally a planet: for
instance, when navigating the Joolian moon system). Gravity assists are useful because they allow
you to gain or lose orbital energy or make expensive maneuvers such as plane changes for free;
however, they are difficult to set up and require careful planning and lots of patience. That said, once
you master them, you can manage feats you wouldn't have thought possible. Stochasty
1. Firstly, you have to put yourself into a transfer orbit, ensuring that the
celestial body is travelling in the direction you want to go in.
2. Time Accelerate until you reach the SoI of the celestial body.
3. Plan another course correction manoeuvre at Periapsis to increase your
Apoapsis height after leaving the SoI, it is most effective when you are
closer to the body, but ensure you wont collide with anything and that
you wont be accidentally aerobraking.
4. Time Accelerate until you leave the SoI of the celestial body.
5. When you check the map you will notice that your Apoapsis height has
increased.
6. You can repeat this, changing your course when furthest away from the
body you are getting a gravity assist from, until you have reached a the
SoI of another planet or anywhere really.
7. You can use gravity assists to go from Kerbin to Duna, or Jool to Kerbin
without using a lot of fuel. It is one of the most efficient ways of
interplanetary travel but is also one of the hardest manoeuvres.

8. You can perform a powered gravity assist. Accelerating at your periapsis

has the greatest effect on your apoapsis. This still applies to your
periapsis during a gravity assist. When you accelerate during your fly-by,
fuel is used very efficiently to increase the apoapsis of your final
trajectory. This is a very difficult technique because it is hard to control
your final trajectory even when using a manoeuvre node but can save a
lot of time and a lot of fuel.

Delta-V Requirements:
(To Low Orbit)

Mn: ~5620m/s
Minmus: ~5550m/s
Moho: ~8430m/s
Eve: ~6890m/s (And Gilly: ~8750m/s)
Duna: ~5980m/s (And Ike: ~6360m/s)
Dres: ~6650m/s
Jool: ~9095m/s

Pol (From LJO): ~3400m/s

Bop (From LJO): ~3380m/s
Tylo (From LJO): ~3130m/s
Vall (From LJO): ~2760m/s
Laythe (From LJO): ~2380m/s

Eeloo: ~8750m/s