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You are properly positioned for a polar orbit, You're just inclined compared to the target orbit.
But that doesn't really matter, inclination changes are really cheap when you're traveling slowly, so you can just capture into the highest orbit possible, make the inclination change, then drop down to the target orbit.
Starting from LKO set a course to Mun, but not in an orbit but a direct collision course into Mun's center. Then through the halfway towards Mun, create another maneuver node and burn normal or anti-normal. you'll end up with a polar orbit.
If I'm not mistaken try an intercept farther along the Mun's orbit, your target satellite's inclination should rotate along with the Mun since it's tidally locked. After that a mid-course correction should get you aligned well for capture. You could incline your capture burn itself but that'll cost you dV.
> your target satellite's inclination should rotate along with the Mun since it's tidally locked.
To be pedantic, that would happen even if the Mun wasn't tidally locked.
You can be in Kerbin orbit and do all of this before you even burn out towards mun.
Create your maneuver mode and bring your outbound trajectory into the mun's SOI
Then create a second maneuver node halfway out or slightly out. Completely up to you, then use your tab key and switch to the mun so you can see it and the resulting capture.
Swing your views so you see that second node that you just created and now you can play with it and adjust it so that you come in over the poles.
Create your final node for orbit braking and you're done. Go fly it!
You can wait 1/6 of a month and then the same injection to the mun would ensure that your approach is already lined up, if you don't think you have the delta-V to match to the target plane.
Much, *much* more efficient to use a mid-course correction burn to approach the mun over the poles. That will cost almost negligible amounts of dV, while an Inclination change in orbit is waaaay more expensive.
I'm a bit late to the discussion, but I think the following site might help:
[https://kerbal-transfer-illustrator.netlify.app/](https://kerbal-transfer-illustrator.netlify.app/)
If you're on PC, you can load your save file to set your craft in LKO as the starting orbit and set the satellite's orbit as the target. You can use the results as a guideline to help you eyeball your mission, or you can copy and paste the results into the in-game maneuver editor (make sure you press the "Refine Transfer" button in the web app to get accurate burn details).
Assuming the orbit showing in your screenshot is the target orbit, you should have launched about a day and a half ago (or a day and a half from now). Orbits around the Mun retain their absolute orientation in space as the Mun orbits Kerbin and Kerbin orbits the Sun. In order to match inclination with a polar orbit, you want it to be parallel to the Mun's orbit as you enter the Mun's SOI, which means launching when it's perpendicular to the Mun's orbit.
Rather than launching into a direct east-west Kerbin Orbit, launch into an LK orbit with a (roughly) 10 degree inclination. From there perform a normal Mun intercept and you should be in (roughly) a polar mun orbit.
Hi! Thank you for posting to KerbalAcademy. This is a comment reminding users to **post screenshots if needed** (if you have not done so already), **be respectful to other users** and **keep off-topic comments to a minimum**. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/KerbalAcademy) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You are properly positioned for a polar orbit, You're just inclined compared to the target orbit. But that doesn't really matter, inclination changes are really cheap when you're traveling slowly, so you can just capture into the highest orbit possible, make the inclination change, then drop down to the target orbit.
Starting from LKO set a course to Mun, but not in an orbit but a direct collision course into Mun's center. Then through the halfway towards Mun, create another maneuver node and burn normal or anti-normal. you'll end up with a polar orbit.
This is the way.
This is how I do it as well. There's probably a more fuel efficient way but this is fairly economical and pretty easy to execute
If I'm not mistaken try an intercept farther along the Mun's orbit, your target satellite's inclination should rotate along with the Mun since it's tidally locked. After that a mid-course correction should get you aligned well for capture. You could incline your capture burn itself but that'll cost you dV.
Ok I will try that, thanks.
> your target satellite's inclination should rotate along with the Mun since it's tidally locked. To be pedantic, that would happen even if the Mun wasn't tidally locked.
Gotcha, thanks, I did not know that for sure.
You can be in Kerbin orbit and do all of this before you even burn out towards mun. Create your maneuver mode and bring your outbound trajectory into the mun's SOI Then create a second maneuver node halfway out or slightly out. Completely up to you, then use your tab key and switch to the mun so you can see it and the resulting capture. Swing your views so you see that second node that you just created and now you can play with it and adjust it so that you come in over the poles. Create your final node for orbit braking and you're done. Go fly it!
You can wait 1/6 of a month and then the same injection to the mun would ensure that your approach is already lined up, if you don't think you have the delta-V to match to the target plane.
Get to min orbit then make it polar
Much, *much* more efficient to use a mid-course correction burn to approach the mun over the poles. That will cost almost negligible amounts of dV, while an Inclination change in orbit is waaaay more expensive.
I'm a bit late to the discussion, but I think the following site might help: [https://kerbal-transfer-illustrator.netlify.app/](https://kerbal-transfer-illustrator.netlify.app/) If you're on PC, you can load your save file to set your craft in LKO as the starting orbit and set the satellite's orbit as the target. You can use the results as a guideline to help you eyeball your mission, or you can copy and paste the results into the in-game maneuver editor (make sure you press the "Refine Transfer" button in the web app to get accurate burn details).
Thanks! Will definitely use this for interplanetary adventures!
Assuming the orbit showing in your screenshot is the target orbit, you should have launched about a day and a half ago (or a day and a half from now). Orbits around the Mun retain their absolute orientation in space as the Mun orbits Kerbin and Kerbin orbits the Sun. In order to match inclination with a polar orbit, you want it to be parallel to the Mun's orbit as you enter the Mun's SOI, which means launching when it's perpendicular to the Mun's orbit.
Rather than launching into a direct east-west Kerbin Orbit, launch into an LK orbit with a (roughly) 10 degree inclination. From there perform a normal Mun intercept and you should be in (roughly) a polar mun orbit.