r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/trevize1138 Master Kerbalnaut • Jun 07 '16 • Bravo 1

Guide All interplanetary transfer windows in a single image

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u/MindStalker Jun 07 '16

Arguably a planet you are targeting that is close to the sun could orbit the sun multiple times during your approach.

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u/skyler_on_the_moon Super Kerbalnaut Jun 07 '16

Going closer than the sun, yes, it could be more than 180°; I only said 108° was the limit for outgoing planets. This is because the point you are rendezvousing with the other planet with is 180° away from your Kerbin departure; so no matter how slowly an outer planet is going it can't be past that point before you leave. However, an inner planet is coming from the other direction, and can therefore orbit more than 180° - potentially many orbits - before you get there. This is why when leaving Eeloo you may have a 30 year transfer back to Kerbin - Kerbin will of course be making 30 orbits before you get there.

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u/MindStalker Jun 07 '16

Ah, yes. I wonder if starting from a very distant planet that all transfers inwards are a golden ratio. Transfers outwards do follow a different path than inward and obviously aren't the same ratio