TLI checklist (Quickstart)
The next step on our journey to the moon is the Trans Lunar Injection, also called TLI. With a single burn of the SIVB engine we'll escape the EPO and extend our orbit so that we reach the moon. In future versions hopefully there will be a TLI "autopilot", at the moment you have to do it by your own. Of course you can do the TLI burn as you like, but we suggest to use the IMFD off-plane intercept program together with the auto burn feature.
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| You have to install and activate Jarmo Nikkanen's Interplanetary MFD (IMFD) 4.2.1 to do the TLI burn as explained below. |
You can use the generic cockpit to control IMFD by using it's key codes, but we suggest to use the MFDs on the main panel or the G&N lower equipment bay panel just because there are easier to use. The following is no IMFD manual or tutorial, but just a short "checklist" to configure IMFD, use the IMFD manual for more informations on how to use it.
- Open IMFD
- Choose "Course" and then the "Off-Plane Intercept" program.
- Press TGT, enter "Moon"
- Press PG
- Press Z+ until you see the earth on the MFD.
- Press PG
- Press NXT until TIn (time to intercept) is highlighted.
- Press SET, enter "280k", this is a good default value we can start with.
- Press ADJ until 10x is displayed.
- Press NXT until TEj (time to ejection) is highlighted.
- IMFD chooses a default TEj automatically, but the real TLI burn was done during the 2nd orbit, so we have to move the ejection point one orbit later. Press +, the solid blue "earth radius line" begins to move counterclockwise around the earth, continue until the line is one orbit further, TEj should be now about 8000k to 9000k.
- Press ADJ until 1x is displayed.
- Press + or - , watch if the burn time (BT) decreases and play with different settings to find the point where the time (BT) is minimal.
- Now we've calculated a burn (or IMFD did that for us), but since the SIVB is quite low on fuel we should do some more burn time optimization: Press NXT until TIn (time to intercept) is highlighted.
- Press ADJ until 10x is displayed.
- Press + to increase the time to interception and look if the burn time (BT) decreases. If it does, increase TIn further to minimize BT, but make TIn not greater than 320k, otherwise you'll arrive at the moon a little bit late.
- Now you can again optimize TEj a little bit as explained above, again to minimize your burn time (BT).
- Burn calculation is done, now we let IMFD do the burn. Press PG.
- Press AB (autoburn).
- If you like use time acceleration until time to burn (TtB) is about 200s.
- Wait until autoburn is complete.