You start by treating the orbital mechanics as plot constraints, not gimmicks. Every launch window is a deadline; the moon’s gravity well becomes a literal trap that can crush a crew if they misjudge the burn. Show the crew debating whether to take the safer, longer trajectory that keeps them in line with the planet’s orbital resonance or to gamble on a tighter, riskier path that saves resources but risks collision with micrometeoroids. Make the decision morally heavy: a crew member’s survival could hinge on a single calculation. Let the physics drive the tension, and let the characters’ ethics—whether they’ll sacrifice comfort for speed or refuse to cut corners—be the real drama. The orbital dynamics give you a framework; the moral choices give it soul.

Launch windows fall on every 90‑minute orbital period, so you only have a 30‑minute slice each day where the planet’s inclination lines up with your rocket’s trajectory. That’s your delta‑V budget – the thrust you need to throw off the orbit just enough to hit the resonant orbit, but not so much that you deplete your propellant bank. One burn could swing you into the resonant path, guaranteeing a safe, steady climb, or it could shave a few hundred meters per second, giving you a chance to dodge a predicted micrometeoroid swarm. The math is simple: Δv = Vfinal − Vinitial, and the timing equation tells you when that Δv must be applied. Put the numbers on a whiteboard, let the crew see the cost of each option, and watch them weigh comfort against survival. That’s where the physics sets the stage and the ethics delivers the punch.

Nice. Just remember the math can be cruel—if they take the cut‑back burn and miss the window, the ship might slip out of orbit altogether. Make sure the crew knows that failure isn’t just a plot point, it’s a death sentence. That keeps the moral stakes real and the tension tight.