Align MFD
AlignMFD is an MFD mode designed to allow the pilot to align the ship's orbital plane with that of a target orbital plane. It indicates orbital elements of the ships current and target orbits, relative inclination of the two orbits, the angles of the current radius vector from the ascending and descending nodes and estimated burn time to zero out the relative inclination. The target plane can be the orbital plane of a target body or vessel, or another orbital plane.
AlignMFD is called by selecting it from the SEL button below the desired MFD display or by the hot key LeftShift+A for the left display or RightShift+A for the right display.
Control buttons
- REF:Brings up a menu list of reference bodies.
- AR:Automatically selects the body with the highest gravity potential on the ship as reference, usually the body the ship is orbiting.
- TGT Shift+T:Allows the user to select a target's orbit to align with.
- ELS Shift+E:Allow the user to input a custom orbit to align with.
On screen data
- Inc: Orbit inclination of Current (your ship) and target
- LAN: Longitude of the Ascending Node of Current (your ship) and target
- RInc: Relative inclination between current and target orbits, in degrees
- Rate: How fast the current orbital plane is changing, in degrees per second
- AN: Ascending node
- Tn: Number of seconds until the next node
- TthA: estimated number of seconds until alignment during the next burn at the next Ascending node
- TthD: estimated number of seconds until alignment during the next burn at the next Descending node
Alignment burns should be done near the nodes. Near the Ascending node (AN), rotate the ship to Normal- (antinormal), and near the Descending node (DN), rotate the ship to Normal+ (normal).
See also
Orbiter\Doc\Orbiter.pdf, Orbiter User Manual, 15.8 Align orbital plane, page 85, Martin Schweiger.