dv tools mfd
TRANSCRIPT
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 1
Delta-V Tools MFD (DVToolsMFD) User Manual
Version 1.0 for Orbiter Space Flight Simulator 2010
Copyright 2012 Mark Herzig 31 March 2012
Contents
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2
2 System Requirements ............................................................................................................ 2
3 Installation .............................................................................................................................. 2
4 Thrusters Program ................................................................................................................ 3
4.1 Recording Delta-V Usage ................................................................................................ 6
5 Calculators Program ............................................................................................................. 9
5.1 Delta-V Calculator ......................................................................................................... 13
5.2 Altitude Change Calculator ............................................................................................ 17
5.3 Vessel Docking Calculator ............................................................................................. 20
5.4 AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator ....................................................................................... 22
5.5 AeroBrake Landing Calculator ...................................................................................... 26
5.6 Powered Deorbit Calculator ........................................................................................... 30
5.7 Powered Landing Calculator .......................................................................................... 33
6 Tutorials ............................................................................................................................... 36
6.1 Altitude Change Calculator Tutorial .............................................................................. 36
6.2 ISS Synchronization Tutorial ......................................................................................... 43
6.3 Moon Landing Tutorial .................................................................................................. 49
6.4 Earth Landing Tutorial ................................................................................................... 59
6.5 Mars Landing Tutorial ................................................................................................... 76
Appendix A Recommended Plugins ...................................................................................... 94
Appendix B Thrusters ............................................................................................................ 95
Appendix C IMFD Course Delta-V Program ...................................................................... 96
Appendix D Terms of Use .................................................................................................... 102
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 2
1 Introduction
Delta-V Tools MFD consists of two programs:
Thrusters Program: A program to monitor Delta-V usage.
Calculators Program: A set of sub-programs to help calculate Delta-V parameters and time
to burn for typical orbital maneuvers.
2 System Requirements
This software is created for Martin Schweigers Orbiter Space Flight Simulator 2010. Earlier
versions of Orbiter are not supported.
DVToolsMFD is best viewed in generic (glass) cockpit view with a minimum resolution of
1600x1200.
3 Installation
To install DVToolsMFD, unpack the software package in the Orbiter installation folder.
Maintain directory structure.
To activate DVToolsMFD, go to the Modules tab on the Orbiter Launchpad. Select
DVToolsMFD to activate it.
To launch DVToolsMFD select Delta-V Tools from the Orbiter MFD menu.
To follow the tutorials in this manual or use the accompanying scenarios you will need to install
the plugins specified in Appendix A.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 3
4 Thrusters Program
The thrusters program is the default program loaded when DVToolsMFD is launched. Realtime
mode is the default mode. NOTE: When this program is launched the main thrusters are fired
very quickly because certain vessels (such a DeltaGliderIV-2) report invalid thruster information
until the main thruster has been fired at least once. In testing no observable changes to vessel
position have been seen as a result of this.
Layout (shared by all modes):
Function Buttons (shared by all modes):
Shift-G PRG Toggle the program (Thrusters Program, Calculators Program).
Shift-M MOD Toggle the mode (Realtime, Max, Max Vacuum, Hypothetical).
Shift-R REC Start/Stop recording Delta-V usage.
Shift-A ABT Displays software version information.
List of Thrusters:
The list of thrusters displayed is described in Appendix B. Descriptions of each of the columns
are below. Differences between the modes are noted in the descriptions.
Name: The name of the thruster which will be one of the thrusters listed in Appendix B.
List of thrusters
List of propellants
Vessel mass
Mode
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 4
Id: The Id of the propellant (fuel) source feeding this thruster (i.e. the fuel source this
thruster is attached to). This Id will correlate to an Id in the List of propellants.
Thrust (N): Thrust (force) in Newtons. In Realtime and Hypothetical modes this is the
current thrust being produced. In Max mode this is the maximum thrust this thruster can
produce in the current environment (for example, atmospheric pressure affects thrust). In
Max Vacuum mode this is the maximum thrust this thruster can produce in a vacuum.
NOTE: In testing it appears some vessels (such as DeltaGliderIV-2) do not differentiate
between Max thrust and Max Vacuum thrust, so for these vessels these two modes will
display the exact same information.
Ve (m/s): Effective exhaust velocity (specific impulse as a speed) in meters/second. NOTE:
In testing it appears some vessels (such as DeltaGliderIV-2) do not differentiate between
Max thrust and Max Vacuum thrust, so for these vessels these two modes will display the
exact same information.
Mf (kg/s): Mass flow in kilograms/second. In Realtime and Hypothetical modes this is the
current mass flow. In Max and Max Vacuum modes this is the maximum mass flow for this
thruster.
Bt (s): Burn time in seconds. In Realtime mode this is how long you could burn this thruster
if you were to burn only this thruster right now. Hypothetical mode is similar to Realtime
mode except the hypothetical burn time calculated by the Calculators Program is subtracted
from the burn time displayed in Realtime mode. If you have not performed any calculations
using the Calculators Program (i.e. hypothetical burn time is 0), then Realtime and
Hypothetical mode will display the same value. In Max and Max Vacuum modes this is how
long you could burn this thruster if you were to burn just this thruster with a fully loaded
vessel. NOTE: When in Realtime or Hypothetical mode you will notice when you burn a
single thruster the burn time of all other thrusters using the same fuel source will decrease
even though they are not being used.
Dv (m/s): Delta-V in meters/second. In Realtime mode this is the Delta-V remaining if you
were to burn only this thruster right now. Hypothetical mode is similar to Realtime mode
except the hypothetical Delta-V calculated by the Calculators Program is subtracted from the
current remaining Delta-V. This is useful if you want to see how much Delta-V would be
remaining if you were to hypothetically perform the maneuver as calculated by the
Calculators Program. In Max mode this is the maximum Delta-V available in the current
environment with a fully loaded vessel. In Max Vacuum mode this is the maximum Delta-V
available in a vacuum with a fully loaded vessel. NOTE: In testing it appears some vessels
(such as DeltaGliderIV-2) do not differentiate between Max thrust and Max Vacuum thrust,
so for these vessels these two modes will display exactly the same information.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 5
T%: Percent of maximum thrust. In Realtime and Hypothetical modes this is the current
percent of maximum thrust (100 means the thruster is being currently run at maximum and 0
means it is currently not running). In Max and Max Vacuum modes 100 will always be
displayed.
List of Propellants:
This is the list of propellant (fuel) sources that are available to the vessel. The number of fuel
sources will vary depending on the vessel. Descriptions of each of the columns are below.
Differences between the modes are noted in the descriptions.
Id: The Id of this propellant (fuel) source. This Id will correlate to the Id in the list of
thrusters. Multiple thrusters can share the same fuel source. The row with an Id of Total is a
sum of all of the fuel sources. NOTE: Some vessels have fuel sources that are not used by
any of the listed thrusters.
Mass (kg): Mass in kilograms. In Realtime mode this is the amount of fuel currently
remaining. Hypothetical mode is similar to Realtime mode except the hypothetical fuel mass
used as calculated by the Calculators Program is subtracted from the mass of the fuel
currently remaining. This is useful if you want to see how much fuel would remain if you
were to hypothetically perform the maneuver as calculated by the Calculators Program. In
Max and Max Vacuum modes this is the maximum amount of fuel that can be stored in this
fuel source.
Efficiency: Fuel source efficiency. This number is used to calculate the effective exhaust
velocity of any thrusters using this fuel source. The higher the number, the more efficient the
fuel source is. For example, the same thruster attached to a fuel source with an efficiency of
1.0 will have a lower effective exhaust velocity then if it were attached to a fuel source with
an efficiency of 1.1. And it will burn fuel more quickly (have a higher mass flow) if attached
to a fuel with an efficiency of 1.0 versus being attached to a fuel source with an efficiency of
1.1.
Mf (kg/s): Mass flow in kilograms/second. In Realtime and Hypothetical modes this is the
current mass flow. In Max and Max Vacuum modes this is the maximum mass flow for this
fuel source, which is the sum of all thrusters using this fuel source running simultaneously at
maximum thrust.
Rem%: Percentage of fuel remaining. In Realtime mode this is the percentage of fuel
currently remaining. Hypothetical mode is similar to Realtime mode except the hypothetical
fuel used as calculated by the Calculators Program is subtracted from the fuel currently
remaining. In Max and Max Vacuum modes 100.00 will always be displayed.
Vessel Mass:
Two rows are displayed.
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Vessel Empty Mass: The mass of the vessel when empty (i.e. the dry mass where the total
mass of all fuel sources would be 0). The percentage in parenthesis is the percentage of the
vessel total mass that is not fuel. As fuel is used, this percentage will increase. If all fuel has
been used this percentage should be 100.00.
Vessel Total Mass: The total mass of the vessel. In Realtime mode this is the current mass
of the vessel. Hypothetical mode is similar to Realtime mode except the hypothetical fuel
mass used as calculated by the Calculators Program is subtracted from the current mass of
the vessel. In Max and Max Vacuum modes this is the maximum mass of the vessel (all fuel
sources are full). The percentage in parenthesis is the percentage of the maximum mass of
the vessel. For Max and Max Vacuum modes this will always be 100%.
4.1 Recording Delta-V Usage
Recording Delta-V usage is the only user action available from the Thrusters Program. To begin
recording press the REC function button (Shift-R). You can begin recording in any of the modes.
While recording is in process the display will have a red REC in the upper right hand corner as
shown here:
To stop recording press the REC function button (Shift-R) again. You will see the Thrusters
Recorded screen as shown here:
Recording in progress
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DVToolsMFD calculates the mass difference from the start and stop of recording. Then the
rocket equation is used to generate the Thrusters Recorded display. So when you burn any
thruster attached to a specific fuel source, Delta-V will be displayed for all active thrusters
attached to the fuel source, including those not used.
Only the main thrusters where used in the recording test used to generate the screenshot above.
The retro thrusters and hover thrusters are attached to the same fuel source, so hypothetical
Delta-V will be recorded for them. Nothing was recorded for retro thrusters because the retro
thrusters were closed. The hover thrusters where open and hypothetically if the same amount of
fuel (302.61 kg) was used by the hover thrusters, then you would have had to burn the hover
thrusts for 30 seconds to burn the same amount of fuel. And the Delta-V would be the same (392
m/s).
RCS thrusters where not used in the recording test used to generate the screenshot above. The
RCS thrusters are attached to a different fuel source then the main thrusters. Therefore the mass
of the fuel source attached to the RCS thrusters remained the same (593.53 kg) while the total
mass of the vessel decreased (from 20,200.22 kg to 19,894.26 kg). Therefore once recoding has
ended there is 12 m/s additional Delta-V available to the RCS thrusters as calculated by the
rocket equation.
NOTE: Press the MOD function button (Shift-M) to exit the Thrusters Recorded display and
return to the last mode.
List of Thrusters:
Delta-V of 392 m/s by burning
main thrusters for 20 seconds
Hover thrusters where not used
during recording, but since
mass change is used for
calculations this is the
hypothetical Delta-V had the
hover thruster been burned
instead
RCS thrusters where not used
during recoding, but since total
mass decreased and the mass
of the RCS fuel source did not
change, RCS thrusters gained
12 m/s Delta-V
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 8
Only differences between the standard modes are listed here:
Thrust (N): The amount of thrust at the time recording was stopped. If the thruster was not
being used, 0 will be displayed.
Mf (kg/s): The mass flow at the time recording was stopped. If the thruster was not being
used, 0 will be displayed.
Bt (s): The amount of time the thruster was burned during recording. As mentioned above
this can be hypothetical.
Dv (m/s): The Delta-V lost or gained during recording. As mentioned above this can be
hypothetical.
T%: The percent of maximum thrust at the time recording was stopped. If the thruster was
not being used, 0 will be displayed.
List of Propellants:
Only differences between the standard modes are listed here:
Mass (kg): The mass of the fuel source at the time recoding was stopped.
Mf (kg/s): The mass flow of the fuel source at the time recoding was stopped.
Rem%: The percentage of fuel remaining at the time recording was stopped.
Dp (kg): Change in fuel mass in kilograms. This is the amount of fuel used during
recording.
Vessel Mass:
Only differences between the standard modes are listed here:
Vessel Empty Mass: The percentage in parenthesis is the percentage of the vessel total
mass that is not fuel at the time recording was stopped.
Vessel Total Mass: The total mass of the vessel at the time recording was stopped.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 9
5 Calculators Program
The calculators program is a collection of sub-programs that perform Delta-V calculations for
various orbital maneuvers. Navigation between the Thrusters Program and the Calculators
Program as well as navigation between Calculators Program sub-programs is depicted below.
Thrusters Program
Calculators Program
Delta-V Calculator Altitude Change
Calculator
PRG
MOD
Vessel Docking
Calculator
AeroBrake Deorbit
Calculator
Powered Deorbit
Calculator
Target Dialog
AeroBrake Landing
Calculator
Powered Landing
Calculator
Surface Base
(atmosphere)
Surface Base
(no atmosphere)
TGT
TGT TGT
Vessel
MOD MOD
A/P
A/P
Blank (no
target)
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 10
Target Dialog
The target dialog is accessed by pressing the TGT function button (Shift-T). You can target the
following objects:
Vessel: Enter the name of the vessel you want to target. For example, ISS.
Surface Base: Enter the name of the surface base you want to target. For example, Brighton
Beach.
Surface Base Pad X: Enter the name of the surface base with a Pad X suffix to target a
specific launch pad on a surface base. For example, Brighton Beach Pad 6.
Surface Base Runway X: Enter the name of the surface base with a Runway X suffix to
target a specific runway on a surface base. For example, Cape Canaveral Runway 33.
Additional notes about the target dialog:
Leave the target blank to deselect a target and return to the Delta-V Calculator.
You cannot target a specific latitude/longitude.
You can only target surface bases on the surface closest to the current vessel position. For
example, if your vessel is closest to the Moon, then you would not be able to target Cape
Canaveral, but you would be able to target Brighton Beach.
DVToolsMFD reads the appropriate configuration files to determine if a targeted launch pad
or runway is valid. So if configuration files are not in the standard location, or the
configuration files for a surface base are not named using the recommended naming
conventions, then DVToolsMFD will not be able to find the specified launch pad or runway.
Thruster Selection
The currently selected thruster is displayed in yellow in the lower right hand corner of the
display. The selected thruster will be used to perform all calculations.
You can change the currently thruster using the TH- function button (Shift-R) or TH+ function
button (Shift-H). The list of available thrusters is described in Appendix B.
Setting Inputs
Most of the sub-programs have inputs that can be set. Use the PRV function button (Shift-P) or
NXT function button (Shift-N) to select an input. The value of the currently selected input will be
displayed in white.
Press the SET function button (Shift-S) to change the currently selected input. This will pop up a
dialog. In parenthesis next to the dialog name will be the expected input(s). Enter the desired
value in the dialog and press the Enter key on your keypad to apply your selection. If you want
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 11
to close the dialog without entering a value (you want to cancel), press the Esc key on your
keypad.
Function Buttons
All of the sub-programs have the same set of function buttons. Not all of the function buttons
are used by every sub-program. For example, the REL function button (Shift-B) is not use by the
Delta-V Calculator.
The Function Buttons section in each of the sub-program sections below will explicitly point out
which function buttons are not used by that specific sub-program.
Target Location Markers
Some fields in the AeroBrake Landing Calculator and Powered Landing Calculator will contain
target location markers. The exact fields are pointed out in the respective sections below.
Target location markers provide a visual clue to the location of the selected target relative to the
current velocity of the vessel.
The definitions of the target location markers are:
^> The target is in front and to the right
v> The target is behind and to the right
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Limitations
All sub-programs share the same internal calculator, so switching modes will reset the inputs.
For example if you entered a Delta-V of 100 in the Delta-V Calculator and then pressed the
MOD function button (Shift-M) to use the Altitude Change Calculator and then pressed the MOD
function button (Shift-M) to go back to the Delta-V Calculator, the Delta-V will be reset to 0
(instead of the previously entered 100).
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5.1 Delta-V Calculator
The Delta-V Calculator is a generic Delta-V Calculator. You only need to provide one input
parameter and the Delta-V Calculator will calculate all other parameters.
Layout:
Function Buttons:
Shift-G PRG Toggle the program (Thrusters Program, Calculators Program).
Shift-M MOD Toggle the mode (Delta-V Calculator, Altitude Change Calculator).
Shift-P PRV Select the previous input.
Shift-N NXT Select the next input.
Shift-S SET Launches dialog to set the currently selected input.
Shift-T TGT Launches the Target Dialog.
Shift-R TH- Select the previous thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-H TH+ Select the next thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-L H/V Function is not used.
Shift-D A/P Function is not used.
Shift-B REL Function is not used.
Shift-A ABT Displays software version information.
Only set one of
these inputs and the
rest of them are
calculated
Sub-program name
Selected thruster Surface reference
Thruster level to use
in calculations
Calculated outputs
Real-time state of
the vessel and
selected thruster
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Hypothetical Delta-V:
This section is an input and output section. These are mutually exclusive in that setting an input
will cause all other inputs in this section to be re-calculated (exception being Start Speed and
End Speed which can be set independently). These are hypothetical values meaning they reflect
the state of the vessel if the burn were to be performed. Descriptions of each of the fields are
below.
Delta-V (m/s): Delta-V of the hypothetical burn.
Burn Time (s): The duration of the hypothetical burn.
Total Mass (s): The mass of the vessel at the end of the hypothetical burn.
Start Speed (m/s): The expected vessel speed in a vacuum at the start of the hypothetical
burn. If not explicitly set this will be calculated as 0.
End Speed (m/s): The desired vessel speed in a vacuum at the end of the hypothetical burn.
If not explicitly set this will be calculated as the Start Speed + Delta-V.
Hypothetical Thrust:
This section allows you to adjust the percent of maximum thrust for the selected thruster that will
be used in the calculations. These are mutually exclusive in that setting one will cause the other
to be re-calculated. Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Thruster Level (%): The percentage of maximum thrust for the selected thruster. Setting
this will set the Acceleration that will be produced at the current vessel mass.
Acceleration (m/s): The desired acceleration from the selected thruster. Setting this will
adjust the Thruster Level to produce the desired acceleration at the current vessel mass.
Other than a number, you can enter g for acceleration of gravity currently being applied to
your vessel at your current location. You can enter s for acceleration due to gravity at the
surface (i.e. altitude of 0) of the reference surface closest to your vessel.
Current Vessel State:
This section displays real-time state of the vessel and the currently selected thruster.
Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Thruster Level (%): The current percentage of maximum thrust for the selected thruster.
Thrust (N): The current thrust being produced by the selected thruster.
Total Mass (kg): The current vessel mass.
Acceleration (m/s): The current acceleration being produced by the selected thruster.
Mass Flow (kg/s): The current mass flow being produced by the selected thruster.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 15
Propellant Mass (kg): The current mass of the fuel source attached to the selected thruster.
Hypothetical Vessel State:
This section displays outputs as calculated. This is the hypothetical state of the vessel if the burn
where to be performed as specified by the inputs entered into the calculator (in the Hypothetical
Delta-V and Hypothetical Thrust sections). Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Thrust (N): The hypothetical thrust that would be produced if the hypothetical burn were to
be performed. This is a function of the inputted thruster level.
Acceleration (m/s): The acceleration at the end of the hypothetical burn. This would be the
maximum acceleration that occurs at the very end of the burn when the vessel mass is at its
lowest.
Mass Flow (kg/s): The mass flow during the hypothetical burn. This is a function of the
inputted thruster level.
Propellant Mass (kg): The mass of the fuel source attached to the selected thruster after the
hypothetical burn completes (i.e. the amount of fuel that would remain after the burn).
Delta-Propellant (kg): The amount of fuel required to perform the hypothetical burn.
Burn Distance (km): The distance the vessel would travel in a vacuum during the duration
of the hypothetical burn.
Example Calculations
How long will I need to burn the main thrusters at 100% to apply a Delta-V of 1000 m/s?
o Press the TH+ function button (Shift-H) until Main is the selected thruster.
o Press the NXT function button (Shift-N) until Delta-V is selected.
o Press the SET function button (Shift-S), type 1000 in the dialog and press the Enter
key on your keypad.
o Burn Time in the Hypothetical Delta-V section will have the answer.
What is the Delta-V if I burn the retro thrusters at 90% until the vessels mass is 20,000 kg?
o Press the TH+ function button (Shift-H) until Retro is the selected thruster.
o Press the NXT function button (Shift-N) until Total Mass is selected.
o Press the SET function button (Shift-S), type 20000 in the dialog and press the Enter
key on your keypad.
o Press the NXT function button (Shift-N) until Thruster Level is selected.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 16
o Press the SET function button (Shift-S), type 90 in the dialog and press the Enter key
on your keypad.
o Delta-V in the Hypothetical Delta-V section will have the answer.
How much propellant will I use if I burn the Hover thrusters for 500 seconds at a level to
maintain current altitude?
o Press the TH+ function button (Shift-H) until Hover is the selected thruster.
o Press the NXT function button (Shift-N) until Burn Time is selected.
o Press the SET function button (Shift-S), type 500 in the dialog and press the Enter key
on your keypad.
o Press the NXT function button (Shift-N) until Acceleration is selected.
o Press the SET function button (Shift-S), type g in the dialog and press the Enter key
on your keypad. NOTE: g will set the desired acceleration to current gravity which
will be the amount of hover thrust required to offset gravity.
o Delta-Propellant in the Hypothetical Vessel State section will have the answer
(NOTE: This is an estimate since the amount of thrust needed to maintain current
altitude will change as your vessel mass decreases).
How far will my vessel travel in a vacuum if I were to burn RCS linear thrusters to decrease
my speed from 20 m/s to 10 m/s?
o Press the TH+ function button (Shift-H) until Tran-B is the selected thruster.
o Press the NXT function button (Shift-N) until Start Speed is selected.
o Press the SET function button (Shift-S), type 20 in the dialog and press the Enter key
on your keypad.
o Press the NXT function button (Shift-N) until End Speed is selected.
o Press the SET function button (Shift-S), type 10 in the dialog and press the Enter key
on your keypad.
o Burn Distance in the Hypothetical Vessel State section will have the answer.
Tutorials
See Mars Landing Tutorial.
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5.2 Altitude Change Calculator
The Altitude Change Calculator calculates the amount of Delta-V and the exact time to perform
a burn to raise or lower your periapsis or apoapsis.
Layout:
Function Buttons:
Shift-G PRG Toggle the program (Thrusters Program, Calculators Program).
Shift-M MOD Toggle the mode (Delta-V Calculator, Altitude Change Calculator).
Shift-P PRV Select the previous input.
Shift-N NXT Select the next input.
Shift-S SET Launches dialog to set the currently selected input.
Shift-T TGT Launches the Target Dialog.
Shift-R TH- Select the previous thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-H TH+ Select the next thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-L H/V Function is not used.
Shift-D A/P Function is not used.
Shift-B REL Function is not used.
Shift-A ABT Displays software version information.
Sub-program name
Thruster level to use
in calculations
Set either the
desired Periapsis or
Apoapsis
Surface reference Selected thruster Current real-time
state of vessel
Delta-V required for
hypothetical altitude
change
Calculated burn
parameters that can
be entered into the
IMFD Course Delta-
V program
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 18
Hypothetical Altitude:
This section is an input section. These are mutually exclusive in that setting the Periapsis will
cause the Apoapsis to default to the current apoapsis. And setting the Apoapsis will cause the
Periapsis to default to the current periapsis. Also note that if you set the Periapsis to an
altitude greater than the current apopasis altitude and perform the burn, then the old periapsis
will become the new apoapsis. And if you set the Apoapsis to an altitude less than the altitude
of the current periapsis altitude and perform the burn, then the old apoapsis will become the new
periapsis. Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Periapsis (km): The desired periapsis altitude.
Apoapsis (km): The desired apoapsis altitude.
Hypothetical Thrust:
See Delta-V Calculator Hypothetical Thrust section.
Current Vessel State:
This section displays real-time state of the vessel. Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Periapsis (km): The vessels current periapsis altitude.
Time To Periapsis (s): The amount of time before the vessel reaches the current periapsis.
Apoapsis (km): The vessels current apoapsis altitude.
Time To Apoapsis (s): The amount of time before the vessel reaches the current apoapsis.
Eccentricity: Current orbit eccentricity.
Hypothetical Delta-V:
This section displays the hypothetical Delta-V as calculated from the inputs entered into the
calculator (in the Hypothetical Altitude and Hypothetical Thrust sections). Descriptions of each
of the fields are below.
Delta-V (m/s): Delta-V of the hypothetical burn.
Burn Time (s): The duration of the hypothetical burn.
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Burn Parameters:
This section displays calculated burn parameters. These are calculated from the inputs entered
into the calculator (in the Hypothetical Altitude and Hypothetical Thrust sections). These are
intended to be entered into the IMFD Course Delta-Velocity program as described in Appendix
C.
Tutorials
See Altitude Change Calculator Tutorial.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 20
5.3 Vessel Docking Calculator
The Vessel Docking Calculator calculates the time to perform a burn and the length of the burn
to synchronize your vessel speed with the target vessel at the desired distance. This calculator is
only available if the target is another vessel.
Layout:
Function Buttons:
Shift-G PRG Toggle the program (Thrusters Program, Calculators Program).
Shift-M MOD Toggle the mode (Delta-V Calculator, Altitude Change Calculator).
Shift-P PRV Function is not used.
Shift-N NXT Function is not used.
Shift-S SET Launches dialog to set the End Speed.
Shift-T TGT Launches the Target Dialog.
Shift-R TH- Select the previous thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-H TH+ Select the next thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-L H/V Function is not used.
Shift-D A/P Function is not used.
Shift-B REL Function is not used.
Sub-program name
The desired target
relative speed
The vessel state
relative to the target
at the end of the
burn if you were to
burn right now,
including burn
parameters
Selected thruster Surface reference Selected target
The current real-
time vessel state
relative to the target
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Shift-A ABT Displays software version information.
Hypothetical State Inputs:
This section is an input section. This is a hypothetical value meaning it reflects the state of the
vessel if the burn were to be performed. Since there is only one input, the PRV function button
(Shift-P) and NXT function button (Shift-N) do nothing. Description of the only field is below.
End Speed (m/s): The desired target relative speed.
Current State:
This section displays real-time state of the vessel relative to the selected target. Descriptions of
each of the fields are below.
Target Distance (km): The current distance from the vessel to the selected target.
Relative Speed (m/s): The vessels current relative speed to the selected target.
Time To Target (s): The amount of time before the vessel reaches the selected target.
Hypothetical State:
This section displays the hypothetical state of the vessel and the required burn parameters. These
fields will turn yellow when you are nearing the burn. These fields will turn red if you have
passed the burn time, meaning you will overshoot the selected target. A couple ways to use this
is to time a burn to end at certain distance from the target by performing the burn when Target
Distance is the distance you want to be from the target. Or you can wait until Time To Burn is
0 and burn so that you will end up directly on the target. Descriptions of each of the fields are
below.
Target Distance (km): The distance from the vessel to the selected target if the burn were
to be performed right now. This updates in real-time and will decrease as you approach the
target.
Time To Burn (s): The amount of time before you must perform the hypothetical burn in
order to reach your desired end speed at a distance of 0 km to the selected target (i.e. you will
be at the same position as the target).
Burn Time (s): The duration of the hypothetical burn.
Tutorials
See ISS Synchronization Tutorial.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 22
5.4 AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator
The AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator calculates the exact time to perform a deorbit burn to allow
aerobrake reentry to be performed to land at the desired target. The AeroBrake Deorbit
Calculator is intended to be used with the AeroBrakeMFD. The AeroBrakeMFD is used to
calculate the aerobrake reentry trajectory based on the desired Delta-V and angle of attack (AoA)
as provided as inputs to the AeroBrakeMFD.
Layout:
Function Buttons:
Shift-G PRG Toggle the program (Thrusters Program, Calculators Program).
Shift-M MOD Toggle the mode (AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator, AeroBrake Landing Calculator).
Shift-P PRV Select the previous input.
Shift-N NXT Select the next input.
Shift-S SET Launches dialog to set the currently selected input.
Shift-T TGT Launches the Target Dialog.
Shift-R TH- Select the previous thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Selected target Surface reference Selected thruster
Calculated burn
parameters that can
be entered into the
IMFD Course Delta-
V program
Sub-program name
Landing position as
predicted by the
AeroBrakeMFD at
time MJD
Desired distance
from target
Vessel position after
the burn
Current vessel state
relative to target
and current MJD
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 23
Shift-H TH+ Select the next thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-L H/V Function is not used.
Shift-D A/P Toggle between AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator and Powered Deorbit Calculator.
Shift-B REL Function is not used.
Shift-A ABT Displays software version information.
AeroBrake Inputs:
This section is an input section. Even though there are two fields it is a single input. When you
press the Set function button (Shift-S), you must enter MJD longitude latitude in that order. West
longitude or south latitude must be entered as a negative number with no W or S suffix. East
longitude or north latitude must be entered as a positive number with no E or N suffix.
Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Position: The predicted position as manually copied from the Land Pos predicted by the
AeroBrakeMFD.
MJD: The exact time at which the predicted Land Pos was copied from the
AeroBrakeMFD. The Set dialog will default to the MJD at the time the Set function button
(Shift-S) was pressed. The default may need to be changed to ensure an accurate calculation.
Hypothetical State Inputs:
This section is an input section. This is a hypothetical value meaning it reflects the state of the
vessel if the burn were to be performed. Since there is only one input, the PRV function button
(Shift-P) and NXT function button (Shift-N) do nothing. Description of the only field is below.
Offset Distance (km): The desired distance from the target at the end of the burn.
Current State:
This section displays real-time state of the vessel and current state relative to the selected target.
Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Position: The current vessel position.
Target Distance (km): The distance from the vessel to the selected target using current
vessel radius for calculation.
Target Bearing (): The vessels current absolute bearing to the selected target.
Target Pos: The position of the selected target.
Closest Distance (km): The distance to the selected target at the closest point.
Closest Bearing (): The vessels bearing to the selected target at the closest point.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 24
Closest Pos: The position at which the vessel we be at the closest distance to the selected
target during the current orbit as calculated using orbital math.
Time To Closest (s): The amount of time before the vessel reaches its closest point to the
target.
MJD: The current time with precision suitable for use in the AeroBrake Inputs section.
Eccentricity: The current orbit eccentricity which will turn red if the current orbit is not
circular to indicate that calculations are only accurate if the orbit is circular.
Hypothetical State:
This section displays the hypothetical state of the vessel after performing the reentry (deorbit
burn and aerobraking). It also displays the position at which the burn must occur. Descriptions
of each of the fields are below.
Position: The hypothetical vessel position
Target Distance (km): The hypothetical distance from the vessel to the selected target.
Target Bearing (): The vessels hypothetical absolute bearing to the selected target.
Burn Pos: The position at which to perform the deorbit burn which is the position where
Time To Burn in the Burn Parameters section reaches zero.
Burn Parameters:
This section displays calculated burn parameters. These are calculated from the inputs entered
into the calculator (in the AeroBrake Inputs and Hypothetical State Inputs sections). These are
intended to be entered into the IMFD Course Delta-Velocity program as described in Appendix
C.
Usage
Press the TGT function button (Shift-T) and enter a surface base runway or pad. For
example, Cape Canaveral Runway 33.
Make sure the closest distance to your target is close enough to perform a landing with the
amount of fuel remaining. For example, in order to perform an unpowered landing the
closest distance to your target will probably need to be less than 20 km. The BaseSyncMFD
can be used to help adjust the closest distance.
For accurate calculations make sure you are in a circular orbit (i.e. eccentricity is 0). The
IMFD Orbital program (Circularize mode) can be used to circularize your orbit. If your orbit
was really eccentric, you may need to use the BaseSyncMFD again after the circularization
burn, as your closest distance may have moved.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 25
Launch the AeroBrakeMFD in the other MFD (the AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator needs to
remain open).
Press the HDv function button on the AeroBrakeMFD and enter the hypothetical Delta-V.
On Earth typically 50-100 m/s will work.
Use RCS thrusters to put your ship at the desired angle of attack (AoA) you want to use
during aerobraking through the atmosphere. For example, with DeltaGliderIV-2 engage the
reentry autopilot P104S40 to set your AoA to 40.
Enter the MJD as displayed on the AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator and corresponding Land
Pos as displayed on the AeroBrakeMFD into the AeroBrake Inputs section of the AeroBrake
Landing Calculator. If AeroBrakeMFD does not calculate a Land Pos, then you will need to
increase the hypothetical Delta-V (via HDv function button) until a Land Pos is generated.
At this point the AeroBrake Landing Calculator will calculate the Time To Burn in the Burn
Parameters section. You can disengage the reentry autopilot as it will interfere with the
actual deorbit burn. You should also remove the hypothetical Delta-V from the
AeroBrakeMFD by pressing the HDv function button and leaving it blank.
Use the IMFD Course Delta-Velocity program to perform the burn. You need to set GET to
the Time To Burn MJD as calculated by the AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator. And set dVf to
the negative hypothetical Delta-V as entered into the AeroBrakeMFD. For example, if
hypothetical Delta-V was set to 90, then enter -90 for dVf. Details about using the IMFD
Course Delta-Velocity program is described in detail in Appendix C.
Once the burn has finished you should reengage the reentry autopilot at the same AoA as
used to calculate the Land Pos.
Use the AeroBrakeMFD to monitor your reentry trajectory. If all was done correctly, you
should end up very near your target with minimal or no adjustments necessary (i.e. you will
probably be able to set the AoA autopilot and sit back and watch the reentry).
Once your reentry is complete you can disengage the AoA autopilot. For example, when
your speed reaches around 800 m/s on an Earth reentry disengage the AoA autopilot.
Bring up the Surface MFD and/or HSI MFD and/or AeroBrake Landing Calculator to help
perform the actual landing.
Tutorials
See Earth Landing Tutorial and Mars Landing Tutorial.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 26
5.5 AeroBrake Landing Calculator
The AeroBrake Landing Calculator can be used to supplement or replace the standard Surface
MFD and HSI MFD to help you land your vessel at the desired target runway at the desired
speed. Unlike the other calculators, the selected thruster does not factor into the calculations.
Instead it assumes an unpowered landing and uses your current horizontal and vertical speed in
the calculations.
Layout:
Function Buttons:
Shift-G PRG Toggle the program (Thrusters Program, Calculators Program).
Shift-M MOD Toggle the mode (AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator, AeroBrake Landing Calculator)
Shift-P PRV Function is not used.
Shift-N NXT Function is not used.
Shift-S SET Launches dialog to set the End Speed.
Shift-T TGT Launches the Target Dialog.
Shift-R TH- Select the previous thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-H TH+ Select the next thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Sub-program name
Desired landing
speed
Selected target Surface reference Selected thruster is not used
Current vessel state
relative to target
Hypothetical vessel
position when you
reach the selected
End Speed if you
were to average
your current
Horizontal Speed
and Vertical Speed
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 27
Shift-L H/V Function is not used.
Shift-D A/P Toggle between AeroBrake Landing Calculator and Powered Landing Calculator.
Shift-B REL Toggle between displaying relative bearings and absolute bearings. If relative bearings are selected an R will be displayed next to displayed bearings.
Shift-A ABT Displays software version information.
Hypothetical State Inputs:
This section is an input section. This is a hypothetical value meaning it reflects the state of the
vessel at the end of the calculations. Since there is only one input, the PRV function button
(Shift-P) and NXT function button (Shift-N) do nothing. Description of the only field is below.
End Speed (m/s): The desired landing speed.
Current State:
This section displays real-time state of the vessel and current state relative to the selected target.
Descriptions of each of the fields are below. Note that the interval for calculation speed is longer
than Powered Landing Calculator (5 refreshes vs. 2 refreshes), to provide more stability for
calculating Hypothetical State. Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Position: The current vessel position.
Target Distance (km): The distance from the vessel to the selected target using current
vessel radius for calculation.
Target Bearing (): The vessels current absolute bearing to the selected target.
Runway Heading (): If the selected target is a runway then this will be the heading of the
selected runway.
Target Pos: The position of the selected target.
Closest Distance (km): The distance to the selected target at the closest point.
Closest Bearing (): The vessels bearing to the selected target at the closest point.
Closest Pos: The position at which the vessel we be at the closest distance to the selected
target during the current orbit as calculated using great circle math.
Time To Closest (s): The amount of time before the vessel reaches its closest point to the
target.
Horizontal Speed (m/s): The average horizontal speed of the vessel using the horizontal
distance traveled over the last five refreshes.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 28
Acceleration (m/s): The rate at which the vessels horizontal speed is changing.
Vertical Speed (m/s): The average vertical speed of the vessel using the vertical distance
travelled over the last five refreshes.
Vert Acceleration (m/s): The rate at which the vessels vertical speed is changing.
Altitude (km): The vessels altitude above the nearest surface.
Course (): The vessels course.
Course Change (/s): The rate at which the vessels course is changing.
Pitch (): The vessels pitch.
Bank (): The vessels bank.
Hypothetical State:
This section displays the hypothetical state of the vessel when you reach your desired landing
speed specified in the Hypothetical State Inputs section. Because current vessel state is used in
the calculations, constant acceleration/deceleration is assumed. Therefore the calculations here
are very rough and will typically be fluctuating. And so they should be used as a guideline for
unpowered landings, and should not be relied on solely. Do your best to adjust your vertical
speed and horizontal speed to keep these fields green, which will give you the best chance for a
successful landing. This is intended as a supplement and not a replacement to standard MFDs
such as the HSI MFD. Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Position: The hypothetical vessel position. This is calculated by calculating the hypothetical
horizontal distance traveled to reach your desired landing speed. The hypothetical horizontal
distance traveled is calculated by multiplying the calculated Time To Land by the calculated
hypothetical average horizontal speed, which assumes constant deceleration.
Target Distance (km): The hypothetical distance from the vessel to the selected target.
This will be negative if you are going to overshoot the target (i.e. coming in long).
Conversely, his field will be positive if you are coming in short. This field will turn red if it
is greater than 2,500 meters long or short of the target.
Target Bearing (): The vessels hypothetical absolute bearing to the selected target. This
field will turn red if the hypothetical Target Distance is greater than 2,500 meters long or
short of the target.
Altitude (km): The hypothetical altitude of the vessel. This is calculated by calculating the
hypothetical vertical distance traveled by multiplying the calculated Time To Land by the
hypothetical calculated average vertical speed, which assumes constant vertical
acceleration/deceleration. This will be negative if the calculated value is below the surface
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 29
(i.e. coming in low). Conversely, this field will be positive if you are coming in high. This
field will turn red if it is 2,500 meters low or high of the target.
Time To Land (s): The amount of time before your desired landing speed is reached. This is
calculated using the current horizontal speed of the vessel and current deceleration of the
vessel. In other words, constant deceleration is assumed, which is almost certainly never the
case on an unpowered landing. So this will fluctuate as you land.
Tutorials
See Earth Landing Tutorial.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 30
5.6 Powered Deorbit Calculator
The Powered Deorbit Calculator calculates the amount of Delta-V and the exact time to perform
a burn to approach the specified target at the desired end speed and distance from the target. The
formulas used by this calculator were derived using trendlines from data gathered from repeated
Moon landings under varying scenarios. This differs from all other calculators in which
calculations are from known physics formulas. As a result, its use on surfaces other than the
Moon may be inaccurate and is not recommended. Even on the Moon inaccuracies may occur.
Layout:
Function Buttons:
Shift-G PRG Toggle the program (Thrusters Program, Calculators Program).
Shift-M MOD Toggle the mode (Powered Deorbit Calculator, Powered Landing CalculatorAeroBrake Landing Calculator).
Shift-P PRV Select the previous input.
Shift-N NXT Select the next input.
Shift-S SET Launches dialog to set the currently selected input.
Shift-T TGT Launches the Target Dialog.
Selected target Surface reference Selected thruster
Desired distanced
and speed from
target at end of
deorbit burn
Sub-program name
Thruster level to use
in calculations
Vessel position at
burn and after burn
Current vessel state
relative to target
Calculated burn
parameters that can
be entered into the
IMFD Course Delta-
V program
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 31
Shift-R TH- Select the previous thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-H TH+ Select the next thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-L H/V Function is not used.
Shift-D A/P Toggle between AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator and Powered Deorbit Calculator.
Shift-B REL Function is not used.
Shift-A ABT Displays software version information.
Hypothetical State Inputs:
This section is an input section. This is a hypothetical value meaning it reflects the desired state
of the vessel after the calculated deorbit burn completes. Descriptions of each of the fields are
below.
Offset Distance (km): The desired distance from the target.
End Speed (m/s): The desired vessel speed when the deorbit burn completes (i.e. the
desired approach speed to the target).
Hypothetical Thrust:
See Delta-V Calculator Hypothetical Thrust section.
Current State:
This section displays real-time state of the vessel and current state relative to the selected target.
Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Position: The current vessel position.
Target Distance (km): The distance from the vessel to the selected target using current
vessel radius for calculation.
Target Bearing (): The vessels current absolute bearing to the selected target.
Target Pos: The position of the selected target.
Closest Distance (km): The distance to the selected target at the closest point.
Closest Bearing (): The vessels bearing to the selected target at the closest point.
Closest Pos: The position at which the vessel we be at the closest distance to the selected
target during the current orbit as calculated using orbital math.
Time To Closest (s): The amount of time before the vessel reaches its closest point to the
target.
Eccentricity: The current orbit eccentricity which will turn red if the current orbit is not
circular to indicate that calculations are only accurate if the orbit is circular.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 32
Hypothetical State:
This section displays the hypothetical state of the vessel after performing the deorbit burn. In
addition some burn parameters are displayed. Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Position: The hypothetical vessel position
Target Distance (km): The hypothetical distance from the vessel to the selected target.
Target Bearing (): The vessels hypothetical absolute bearing to the selected target.
Vertical Speed (m/s): The vessels estimated average vertical speed needed to reach the
target following the burn. This is useful to help predict the vertical speed that you will need
to program into a hover autopilot to reach the target. This is a function of the Hypothetical
State Inputs and the hypothetical Altitude (specifically Altitude/(End Speed/End
Distance)).
Altitude (km): The vessels estimated hypothetical altitude.
Time To Closest (s): The estimated time it will take you to reach the target once the burn
completes. This is a function of the Hypothetical State Inputs (specifically Offset
Distance/End Speed).
Burn Pos: The position at which to perform the deorbit burn which is the position where
Time To Burn in the Burn Parameters section reaches zero.
Burn Time (s): The duration of the hypothetical burn.
Burn Parameters:
This section displays calculated burn parameters. These are calculated from the inputs entered
into the calculator (in the Hypothetical State Inputs and Hypothetical Thrust sections). These are
intended to be entered into the IMFD Course Delta-Velocity program as described in Appendix
C.
Tutorials
See Moon Landing Tutorial.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 33
5.7 Powered Landing Calculator
The Powered Landing Calculator calculates the time to perform a burn to reduce your speed to
zero and end up precisely on your target.
Layout:
Function Buttons:
Shift-G PRG Toggle the program (Thrusters Program, Calculators Program).
Shift-M MOD Toggle the mode (Powered Deorbit Calculator, Powered Landing CalculatorAeroBrake Landing Calculator).
Shift-P PRV Function is not used.
Shift-N NXT Function is not used.
Shift-S SET Function is not used.
Shift-T TGT Launches the Target Dialog.
Shift-R TH- Select the previous thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-H TH+ Select the next thruster from the list in Appendix B.
Shift-L H/V Toggle between locking Horizontal Speed or Vertical Speed for Required Speed calculation.
Shift-D A/P Toggle between AeroBrake Landing Calculator and Powered Landing
Selected target Surface reference Selected thruster
Current vessel state
relative to target
Hypothetical vessel
position if you were
to burn the selected
thruster until your
Horizontal Speed is
0
Required Horizontal
Speed or Vertical
Speed to land at
target, depending
on which one is
locked
Sub-program name
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 34
Calculator.
Shift-B REL Toggle between displaying relative bearings and absolute bearing. If relative bearings are selected an R will be displayed next to displayed bearings.
Shift-A ABT Displays software version information.
Current State:
This section displays real-time state of the vessel and current state relative to the selected target.
Descriptions of each of the fields are below. Note that the interval for calculation speed is
shorter than AeroBrake Landing Calculator (2 refreshes vs. 5 refreshes). Descriptions of each of
the fields are below.
Position: The current vessel position.
Target Distance (km): The distance from the vessel to the selected target using current
vessel radius for calculation.
Target Bearing (): The vessels current absolute bearing to the selected target.
Target Pos: The position of the selected target.
Closest Distance (km): The distance to the selected target at the closest point.
Closest Bearing (): The vessels bearing to the selected target at the closest point.
Closest Pos: The position at which the vessel we be at the closest distance to the selected
target during the current orbit as calculated using great circle math.
Time To Closest (s): The amount of time before the vessel reaches its closest point to the
target.
Horizontal Speed (m/s): The average horizontal speed of the vessel using the horizontal
distance traveled over the last two refreshes.
Acceleration (m/s): The rate at which the vessels horizontal speed is changing.
Vertical Speed (m/s): The average vertical speed of the vessel using the vertical distance
travelled over the last two refreshes.
Vert Acceleration (m/s): The rate at which the vessels vertical speed is changing.
Altitude (km): The vessels altitude above the nearest surface.
Course (): The vessels course.
Course Change (/s): The rate at which the vessels course is changing.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 35
Hypothetical Burn:
This section displays the hypothetical state of the vessel if you were to burn the selected thruster
right now until your horizontal speed is 0. This will constantly change as your vessel position
changes. A couple ways to use this is to time a burn to end at certain distance from the target by
performing the burn when Target Distance is the distance you want to be from the target. Or
you can wait until Time To Burn is 0 and burn so that you will end up directly on the target.
Descriptions of each of the fields are below.
Position: The hypothetical vessel position
Target Distance (km): The hypothetical distance from the vessel to the selected target.
Target Bearing (): The vessels hypothetical absolute bearing to the selected target.
Time To Burn (s): This is when you should burn to land directly on the selected target.
Altitude (km): The vessels estimated hypothetical altitude.
Burn Time (s): The duration of the hypothetical burn.
Required Speed:
This section calculates either required vertical speed or required horizontal speed to land at the
closest point to the target. Use the H/V function button (Shift-L) to lock either your vessels
current horizontal speed or current vertical speed. The locked speed will be highlighted in
yellow. For example, if you lock horizontal speed, then based on your vessels current horizontal
speed a hypothetical vertical speed will be calculated. This hypothetical vertical speed is the
vertical speed you must maintain given your current horizontal speed, to land at the closest point
to the target. This hypothetical vertical speed can be entered directly into a hover autopilot. The
reason the closest point is used instead of the target point is that the closest point is on your great
circle path. And, if you are going to make a successful landing, the closets point should
eventually be less than 100 meters from the target, or you wont have much success landing.
Horizontal Speed (m/s): Either the vessels current horizontal speed, of if Vertical Speed is
locked then the horizontal speed required to land at the closest point to the target.
Vertical Speed (m/s): Either the vessels current vertical speed, of if Horizontal Speed is
locked then the vertical speed required to land at the closest point to the target.
Time To Closest (s): If your horizontal speed and vertical speed are set to the values in this
section, this is the time it will take to reach the closest point to the target.
Tutorials
See Moon Landing Tutorial and Mars Landing Tutorial.
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 36
6 Tutorials
This section contains tutorials of the Calculators Program sub-programs. Before doing any of
the tutorials make sure you have installed the required plugins as specified in Appendix A.
6.1 Altitude Change Calculator Tutorial
This tutorial will demonstrate raising a 30x30 km circular orbit around the Moon to a 500x500
km circular orbit around the Moon. This tutorial will demonstrate the use of the Altitude Change
Calculator.
Launch the DVToolsMFD->DG4 Moon Orbit scenario. This scenario starts with your vessel in
about a 30x30 km circular orbit (i.e. eccentricity is 0) around the Moon.
The left MFD should be loaded with DVToolsMFD with the Altitude Change Calculator sub-
program running as shown here:
Press the NXT function button to select Apoapsis in the Hypothetical Altitude section of the
Altitude Change Calculator.
Our current orbit is
roughly a 30x30
km circular orbit
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 37
Press the SET function button on the Altitude Change Calculator and enter 500 in the
Apoapsis dialog and then press the Enter key on your keypad.
Apoapsis is
selected
We would like to
raise our apoapsis
to 500 km
If we burn our main
thrusters for
5.7758 seconds at
any time we will
raise our apoapsis
to 500 km
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 38
Replace the Orbit MFD in the right MFD with the Interplanetary MFD (IMFD) to perform
the deorbit burn as described in Appendix C. NOTE: Since you are currently in a circular
orbit you can burn anytime. As a result the Time To Burn MJD in the Burn Parameters
section will be fluctuating and can be ignored. In other words the dVf from the Burn
Parameters section must be copied to IMFD, but the Time To Burn (TEj) can be anything.
Before the deorbit burn your IMFD screen should look something like this:
Once the IMFD has finished the burn, your apoapsis should be around 500 km.
TEj can be
anything since we
are in a circular
orbit, in this case
we just kept the
default
We set dVf to
94.982 in IMFD as
calculated in the
Burn Parameters
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 39
Press the PRV function button to select Periapsis in the Hypothetical Altitude section of the
Altitude Change Calculator.
After the burn our
apoapsis is around
500 km
Periapsis is
selected
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 40
Press the SET function button on the Altitude Change Calculator and enter 500 in the
Periapsis dialog and then press the Enter key on your keypad.
The right MFD should still be loaded with the IMFD in Burn Vector view. So press the <
function button next to BV followed by pressing the PG function button in the right MFD to
exit Burn Vector view. Then use the IMFD to perform the deorbit burn as described in
Appendix C. NOTE: Unlike the first burn to raise our apoapsis, you must burn at the Time
To Burn MJD specified in the Burn Parameters.
Before the deorbit burn your IMFD screen should look something like this:
We would like to
raise our periapsis
to 500 km
If we wait about
3870 seconds and
burn our main
thrusters for
5.4326 seconds we
will raise our
periapsis to 500
km
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 41
Once the burn has completed you should be in roughly a 500x500 km circular orbit.
Set dVf to 89.5383
in IMFD as
calculated in the
Burn Parameters
and TEj should be
within a second of
the Time To Burn
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 42
After the second
burn we are in
roughly a 500x500
km circular orbit
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 43
6.2 ISS Synchronization Tutorial
This tutorial will demonstrate how to synchronize your speed with the ISS at a distance of less
than 1 km. This tutorial will demonstrate the use of the Vessel Docking Calculator.
Launch the DVToolsMFD->DG4 ISS Synchronization scenario. This scenario starts with your
vessel about 70 km from the ISS. The orbit of your vessel has already been aligned and
synchronized with the ISS and we are our on our final approach orbit to the ISS.
The left MFD should be loaded with DVToolsMFD with the Vessel Docking Calculator sub-
program running with a target of ISS as shown here:
Press the TH+ function button on the Vessel Docking Calculator to switch to retro thrusters
We are about 70
km from ISS with a
relative speed of
108 m/s which
means we will
reach the ISS in
about 640 seconds
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 44
Press the H key on your keyboard until you are in Docking HUD Mode as shown below.
Retro thrusters
have been
selected
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 45
Switch to rotational thrusters by pressing the ROT function button in the upper left hand
corner of glass cockpit view.
Use your rotational thrusters (1, 3 for left/right and 2, 8 for up/down) to line your vessels
direction indicator up with the velocity of the target relative to the ship indicator
(indicated by the circle with a + in the middle). If this indicator is not visible, its location is
depicted by the arrow with V[ISS] on top of it, as shown in the screenshot above. Assuming
your vessel is in a similar position as the screenshot above, you would need to initially use
left rotation by pressing the 1 key on your keypad, to line up the indicators. Use the 5 key on
your keypad to kill your rotation as needed to fine-tune your alignment. Once they are lined
up, your screen should look something like the screenshot below. NOTE: Directly behind
the velocity of the target relative to the ship indicator is the velocity of the ship relative
Your vessels
direction indicator
The velocity of the target relative to the ship is currently not
visible, but is directly left as depicted here by the left arrow
Rotational
thrusters selected
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 46
to the target depicted by a circle with a dot in the center of it. If you choose to use main
thrusters instead of retro thrusters to synchronize your speed, then you would line your
direction indicator up with the velocity of the ship relative to the target indictor instead.
Sit and wait until the Target Distance in the Hypothetical State section of the Vessel
Docking Calculator is around 1 km. Based on the above screenshot we will have to wait over
600 seconds. Feel free to fast forward time using the T key on your keyboard. Just make
sure you continually make adjustments to keep your vessels direction indictor on top of the
velocity of the target relative to the ship indicator. If you do need to make adjustments it
is recommended you slow time back to normal time using the R key, make your adjustments
and then fast forward time once aligned.
When the Target Distance in the Hypothetical State section of the Vessel Docking
Calculator is around 1 km press and hold the Minus key on your keypad to synchronize your
speed with the ISS. You will need to burn for the amount of time specified by the Burn
Time in the Hypothetical State section of the Vessel Docking Calculator. You will need to
simultaneously use rotational thrusters as needed to keep your vessels direction indictor on
The vessels direction indicator is lined up with
the velocity of the target relative to the ship
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 47
top of the velocity of the target relative to the ship indicator. This is a little tricky and
may take some practice.
When the burn if almost finished, you will see the velocity of the target relative to the
ship indicator move rapidly off the screen which means you have synchronized your speed
with the ISS. If all went well you should be within 1 km of the ISS with a relative speed of
less than 1 m/s.
If we burn our retro thrusters right now for 33.44 seconds we would
end up around 1 km from the ISS with a relative speed of 0
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 48
The actual docking is left as an exercise for the reader. The Orbiter documentation contains
a tutorial that describes this procedure in detail.
We have completed the burn and
are about 1 km from the ISS with a
relative speed of less than 1 m/s
Now that our speed is synchronized with
the ISS we can take our time to aim our
vessel to the approach path
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 49
6.3 Moon Landing Tutorial
This tutorial will demonstrate landing at Brighton Beach Pad 1 on the Moon from a 30x30 km
circular orbit around the Moon in a DeltaGliderIV-2. The BaseSyncMFD was used to get our
current orbit within 1 km of the target. This tutorial will demonstrate the use of the Powered
Deorbit Calculator and the Powered Landing Calculator.
Launch the DVToolsMFD->DG4 Moon Deorbit scenario.
The left MFD should be loaded with DVToolsMFD with the Powered Deorbit Calculator
sub-program running with a target of Brighton Beach Pad 1 as shown here:
In the right MFD launch the COM/NAV MFD and use the function
buttons as appropriate to change NAV1 to 132.20 MHz which is the frequency for Brighton
Beach Pad 1.
Target is Brighton
Beach Pad 1
Our closest
distance to the
target on this
current orbit will be
less than 1 km at a
bearing of 1.52
(typically you want
your orbit to pass
as close as
possible to the
target for powered
landings on a
landing pad)
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 50
Our strategy will be to use the Powered Deorbit Calculator to calculate a deorbit burn using
main thrusters to get us around 10 km of our target at a speed of around 25 m/s.
Press the SET function button on the Powered Deorbit Calculator and enter 10 in the Offset
Distance dialog and then press the Enter key on your keypad.
Press the NXT function button on the Powered Deorbit Calculator to highlight End Speed in
the Hypothetical State Inputs section.
Set NAV1 to 132.2
MHz, which is the
frequency of
Brighton Beach
Pad 1
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 51
Press the SET function button on the Powered Deorbit Calculator and enter 25 in the End
Speed dialog and then press the Enter key on your keypad.
We have set the
Offset Distance to
10 km and have
highlighted the End
Speed
When the deorbit
burn completes we
want to be 10 km
from the target with
a horizontal speed
of 25 m/s
When the deorbit
burn completes our
altitude will be
around 28 km, and
we will be about
400 seconds from
the target,
requiring a vertical
speed of about -70
m/s to lower our
altitude to 0
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 52
Replace the COM/NAV MFD in the right MFD with the Interplanetary MFD (IMFD) to
perform the deorbit burn as described in Appendix C. Before the deorbit burn your IMFD
screen should look something like this:
Once the deorbit burn has been completed by IMFD, immediately engage the H-Level
autopilot by pressing the L key on your keyboard.
Once your ship has leveled with the horizon, immediately press C on your keyboard to stop
the H-Level autopilot. NOTE: You may need to press C twice to disable the H-Level
autopilot. Just make sure that no autopilots are enabled at this point by looking at the
autopilot indicators at the bottom center of glass cockpit view.
Immediately enter p200s8 and press the Return key on your keyboard to load the auto hover
autopilot. Press the E key on your keyboard to enable the auto hover autopilot.
Press the MOD function button on the Powered Deorbit Calculator to switch to the Powered
Landing Calculator.
Press the REL function button on the Powered Landing Calculator to switch to relative
bearings, which will help us line our vessel up with the target later.
All autopilots are
disabled
Set dVf to -1644.7549
in IMFD as calculated
in the Burn
Parameters and TEj
should be within a
second of the Time To
Burn
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 53
Press the TH- function button in the Powered Landing Calculator until Tran-B appears in the
lower right hand corner. This means that translation back thrusters will be used in the
calculations.
Replace the IMFD in the right MFD with the VOR/VTOL MFD. The VOR/VTOL MFD
should already be tuned to NAV1 132.20MHz, which is Brighton Beach Pad 1. If all went
well, our course should be within a degree of the target, but our vessel will most likely be
pointing in the wrong direction.
Translation back
thrusters have been
selected
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 54
Use 1 and/or 3 on your keypad to use rotational thrusters to point your vessel toward the
target. Use the 5 key on your keypad to kill rotation as necessary to fine tune the alignment.
We are pretty much
on course to reach
the target as
depicted by the
yellow arrow on top
of the green line, but
we are pointing in
the opposite
direction
After using rotational
thrusters we are
now pointing directly
at the target but our
course is slightly to
the right, which is
easily adjusted with
translation thrusters
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 55
Press the 2 key on your keypad repeatedly until the Vertical Speed in the Current State
section is about the same as the Vertical Speed in the Required Speed section of the
Powered Landing Calculator. It is better to error on a value that is lower than the Required
Speed value as we will be lowering this value later as we get closer to the target to account
for the loss of horizontal speed to land.
Switch to linear thrusters by pressing the LIN function button in the upper left hand corner of
glass cockpit view. If your vessel is facing the target, then you should not need rotational
thrusters anymore.
Use left/right translation by using 1 and 3 on your keypad to keep your vessel in line with the
landing pad. If the target is to the left, then press the 1 key on your keypad to use linear
thrusters to perform a left translation. If the target is to the right, press the 3 key on your
keypad to use linear thrusters to perform a right translation. The idea with the left/right
translation is to get your relative bearing to the target as close to 0/360 degrees as possible.
The relative bearing is depicted by the Target Bearing in the Current State section of the
Powered Landing Calculator.
Linear thrusters
selected
We have adjusted
the hover autopilot
so our vertical speed
is holding at around
-66 m/s, which is the
required vertical
speed to land at the
target given our
current horizontal
speed of 25.789 m/s
Horizontal speed is
locked meaning
required vertical
speed will be
calculated
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 56
You will need to turn on the hydraulic power in order to lower the landing gear. Press the F8
key on your keyboard to switch to virtual cockpit mode. Press CTRL-UP arrow on your
keyboard to go to the upper panel. Turn on the hydraulic power by pressing the HYD
PRESS button on the left hand of the upper panel as shown below.
Press F8 to switch back to glass cockpit mode.
Our landing strategy is to perform our final burn to reduce our horizontal speed to 0 using
our translation back thrusters by pressing the 9 key on your keypad. You will perform this
final burn when Time To Burn is around 1 second as shown in the Hypothetical Burn
section of the Powered Landing Calculator. As you approach the target keep an eye on the
Altitude in the Hypothetical Burn section of the Powered Landing Calculator. You want to
Press the HYD PRESS button to turn
on hydraulic power, once on the light
will turn on to signify it is running
Our vessels relative bearing to the target is about 0 which is also reflected in the
VOR/VTOL MFD by the yellow arrow directly on top of the green line
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 57
keep this between 1 and 2 km by using the 2 key on your keypad to lower your vertical speed
as required (this recommendation is to give you a buffer so you dont crash into the ground,
and advanced users can aim for an altitude between 0 and 1 km). You may also need to use
left/right translation by using 1 and 3 on your keypad to keep your vessel in line with the
target as described previously.
As you are performing your burn with the translation back thrusters the information
displayed within the Hypothetical Burn section should remain fairly constant. You should
also see your horizontal speed drop.
If all went well, you should be on top of the landing pad at an altitude between 1 and 2 km.
When this reaches
about 1 second
press and hold the 9
key on your keypad
for about 83
seconds and you
should end up over
the landing pad at
an altitude of about
1.8 km
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 58
At an altitude of about 500 km press 2 on your keypad to slow your vertical speed to around
5-10 m/s. If you are beginner, a slower vertical speed is recommended so you have more
time to make adjustments if you move off the pad. Make any adjustments as necessary with
your linear thrusters to keep the cross centered in the VOR/VTOL MFD.
At an altitude around 100-200 km press 2 on your keypad to slow your vertical speed to 1-2
m/s for landing.
When your altitude is less than 100 km press G on your keyboard to lower your landing gear.
Land your vessel, making any adjustments as necessary with your linear thrusters to keep the
cross centered in the VOR/VTOL MFD. If your vertical speed is too high when you touch
down, you will destroy your landing gear.
We have finished the burn with the translation back thrusters and we are 1 meter
from the center of the landing pad at an altitude of 1 km
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 59
6.4 Earth Landing Tutorial
This tutorial will demonstrate landing at Cape Canaveral Runway 33 on the Earth from a
311x311 km circular orbit around the Earth that originated from undocking from Mir in a
DeltaGliderIV-2. The BaseSyncMFD was used to get our current orbit within 10 km of the
target (if you will be landing on a runway like we do in this tutorial, you probably dont want to
get any closer than 5 km so you have room to position yourself to land). This tutorial will
demonstrate the use of the AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator and AeroBrake Landing Calculator.
Launch the DVToolsMFD->DG4 Earth Deorbit scenario.
The left MFD should be loaded with DVToolsMFD with the AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator
sub-program running with a target of Cape Canaveral Runway 33 as shown here:
In the right MFD launch the AeroBrakeMFD.
Press the HDv function button on the AeroBrakeMFD and enter 90 into the Hypothetical
DeltaV dialog and then press the Enter key on your keypad. The value 90 was derived from
testing and typically a value between 50 and 100 will work for Earth deorbit burns in
DeltaGliderIV-2. Variations are usually due to differences in vessel altitude. More details
later in this tutorial.
Press the TGT function button on the AeroBrakeMFD and enter the Target Pos from the
Current State section of the AeroBrake Deorbit Calculator into the Target Base dialog and
then press the Enter key on your keypad (just enter the two numbers separated by a space and
do not enter the degree symbols or comma).
Target is Cape
Canaveral Runway
33
Our closest
distance to the
target will be about
9 km at a bearing
of 356 which is
south of the target
(typically you will
want to be within
20 km of target on
your final orbit
before using this
calculator for Earth
runway landings)
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 60
Your AeroBrakeMFD should now look something like this:
Target Pos from
Current State is
entered into the
Target Base dialog
on AeroBrakeMFD
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 61
Fast forward time until the green current vessel position maker on the AeroBrakeMFD is
roughly opposite the yellow target position maker as shown here:
Target Position
which is the
position of Cape
Canaveral Runway
33
Hypothetical
DeltaV of 90 m/s =
dVf of -90 m/s
Current vessel
position is opposite
target position
Target position
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DVToolsMFD User Manual 2012 Mark Herzig 62
Press the F8 key on your keyboard to switch to virtual cockpit mode.
Type p104s40 on your keyboard and hit the Return key on your keyboard. The FC
BACKUP DISPLAY in the mi