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What I came to observe is that the Docking Ports (Any size, any make) never behave consistently. Docks sometimes, sometimes doesn't. I have also ensured that the parts have the correct orientation, is controlled from the port, the destination port is targeted and everything else (disabling RCS and SAS just before docking). Didn't work out. I then tried editing the save file from various VERIFIED sources, but all i found was that they were in perfect order. Nothing indicated that the ports had erroneously considered itself docked when it wasn't. So drew a blank there too. I simply can't figure out the pattern of successful or unsuccessful docking. Looks like the ports have a mood of their own. What am I missing?? The game runs smooth as butter, but a huge headache when i have to start docking stuff. If it doesn't dock, start the mission all over again and HOPE to work perfectly. I have come to notice that docking had issues in previous versions, say before year 2015. Very rarely have docking problems been reported in 2016-17, so I assume it's been debugged. So what would be my issue? (I would have attached my quicksave.sfs file, but u cant figure out how.)

My version of KSP is 1.1.0 I Built and SSTO to mun, inside the SSTO there is a Mun lander that has the MK1-2 command pod along with it's own lander can, the docking port of the lander is the normal sized docking port, and the SSTO's docking port is the huge Sr docking port, (Remember the two crafts where built docked together) when i undocked the two crafts and did my mission, the docking ports refuse to dock back again. and yes i did try to rotate the lander several times, i also did smash into the port, AND also i did try to back away a few times. nothing worked so, anyone has an idea on how to solve this?

I found some really nice and easy ways of docking I wanted to share. Since my time today is limited, I'm not going to finishing this post right away, I'll do further editing of the OP to include more methods. Everyone is welcome to share theirs, if they're better explained than mine or new I'll include them with a reference to the author. 1. My absultely favorite method I can't believe I haven't thought of earlier. Really, I just discovered this method very recently and I hit my forehead onto the table for not thinking of it earlier. Dependencies: (- having completed the rendezvous maneuver successfully (this tutorial is just on docking)) - Torque wheels on both vessels - Control over both vessels (all SAS features on both vessels) - propulsion on one vessel (not necessarily RCS) 1.: get the two vessels close together (less than 100 Meters should be fine) and cancel out relative velocity as precise as possible (0.1 m/s might be too much). To do this, switch to target mode, point retrograde and burn (very gently) until your velocity-indicator reads 0.0 m/s. If you're not close enough to your target, get closer first. 2. tell SAS to point towards the target. Make sure RCS is disabled while the ship turns to prevent any change in relative velocity. It needs to stay zero. 3. switch to the other vessel using the "/" button. 4. repeat step 2 with the other vessel. 5. Throttle up very gently on any of the two vessels until you move towards the target at 0,5 to 1 m/s. If your relative velocity was zeroed out sufficiently and the distance between them wasn't too big, they will dock. this method works surprisingly well, even with very big and sluggish vehicles.

I am trying to build a rover with the docking method, only i can't get these two to dock even though the docking ports are right on top of each other. Is this a bug or am i doing something wrong?

Hello all, Whenever I try to separate the CSM from the 3rd stage, the four fairing pieces that come with the rocket do not detach. I know that I have my staging correct. Does anyone have any helpful tips? Any help is appreciated. mustangpilot51

So I've a question for some of the more nuanced players who swear by Vernor Engines over the RCS thruster blocks. I personally typically use them as secondary controls during very heavy launches to keep things aimed where I want them, and after that I ignore them. For those of you who typically only use Vernors, how do you place your engines for front/back translation during docking maneuvers? Assuming your docking port isn't on your nose, as mine is typically strapped to the side somewhere, it's not simply a matter of using your engines as you need to brake in fine increments as you line up, so without some very unique attachments (like strapping some I-Beams on at awkward angles), I'm wondering how it's done? Words are good, pictures would be awesome! Thanks in advance.

I have been trying to dock this for 45 minutes, I just realized that the hatch is closed, on both sides none the less. But there is no option to open them. What have I done wrong?

Just a shower thought Particularly the mk1 passenger cabin can be really annoying, but there are plenty of times when it would be easier to get crew out of a part of the vessel that's just not where the cabin is. Clearly the crew can move around within the ship, since they'll happily transfer between pods, so this idea doesn't seem to break the established rules. Right clicking a hatch should have an option to "eva crew", bringing up the crew list (like clicking a hatch) and showing every kerbal on the vessel. Approaching a hatch with an eva kerbonaut and hitting B should either bring up a the transfer highlighter so you choose where they go, or just put them in the nearest cabin that has a space and we'd take it from there ourselves.

If I launch a single rocket with a command module and lander into orbit of the Mun, let's say, I know that if I immediately decouple the vessels and then dock them together, it won't fulfill the contract because it came from the same launch. But when I land the lander on the surface and then meet up with the command module again in orbit the second time, will that satisfy the contract? I'd like to not have to build additional rockets just for the purpose of the docking and see if I can knock it out instead during another contract mission. Thanks!

In honor of love lost Place (or have) a space station in orbit of Kerbin in range of 100x100 to 120x130 with at least two docking ports Place a female kerbal in the space station. The method of doing so is expected to use up one of the docking ports. Send as a male kerbal to to the space station at high speed. In particular: * Have a TWR of at least 2.5 on the pad. * Get shock heating during ascent * Get a space station intercept within 2.5km while still suborbital (PE below 70km); use the velocity matching burn also as your orbital insertion burn * Dock with the space station within one orbit after launch. Hard mode: * Intercept space station with PE still below the ground * Exceed 5 TWR at some point during flight. * Dock within half an orbit * Do not rotate the space station Insane mode: Do it in RSS (adjust space station height to something reasonable) I have done easy mode entirely by accident in my career save, and hard mode on purpose. My entry (hard mode): http://imgur.com/a/nLjVU I got to intercept and matching velocities within 6 minute of launch. I managed to fail to record the time to dock, but from this point it was without time acceleration and couldn't have been more than 5 more minutes. Balanced mods welcome. If you really want to keep score, probably the best way in keeping with the spirit of the challenge is minimum time to dock. Yeah that leads to radical risky docking maneuvers but that's the Kerbal Way.

I need help with the docking tutorial in the game. I was trying to complete them all and I've done them all up to the docking one where I get stuck. So the part I am having issue with is I get the orbit right. Then I have to get my transfer orbit within 5km of the other ship. That's tough but I have done it before. Now comes the real kicker. So I need to slow down so I don't miss it. It says you should start slowing down when you are under 15 km. So I have two questions 1st. How do I know when I am under 15 km. 2nd. When I do start slowing down my separation between the two they become so far apart it is impossible to catch back up to without speeding up again. I've been looking at videos of tutorials and can't seem to find any info on helping me and I have only found 1 video of someone completing this tutorial. Please any help would be really appreciated, thank you.

Title says it all. I can't dock in this version. I've been playing ksp for 3 years and never had a problem docking, but magnets aren't engaging and I'm convinced it has something to do with a corrupt part file? I'm hoping someone who is good at coding can help me debug it. I've tried changing the states of the clamp o trons to = ready to no avail. Hopefully someone can find what I'm missing. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/35588260/no docking luck.sfs

Docking with Ludwig is docking with style! At this time, i have no clue if it is possible to edit manoeuvre nodes in IVA with RPM. So i still need to go to map view to set the Hoffman transfer node.

I got this issue whit 1.1.3 whit a apollo mission it only shows disable crossfeed or set as target on both docking ports !

Well I continue my experiment trying to build the cubical space station further, I add pre-built sections and try docking 4 docking ports at the same time which can be tricky to make sure all four connect but it is possible the only problem is that my FPS goes down to 4 so we try some impact tests

In my career mode, I recently accepted a contract to build a space station. The launch of the first module went without a hitch, but I was so hasty on the second ( I just used the same spacecraft, but with another cockpit to fulfill the crew capacity requirement) that I forgot to add RCS thrusters. After pushing my close approach to .3 kilometers, when I started killing relative velocity, I realized "uh-oh, I forgot the RCS bits and pieces". I however succeed in docking through careful prograde and retrograde burns, along with thrusting toward and away from the target. I want you to do something similar. Here are the requirements. 1. The first module must have at least one mk1 lander can, an antenna, and power generation. 2. Neither the first, nor the second module may have ANY form of RCS thruster (0-10 engine is allowed however) 3: Post a picture of the ship on the launchpad, three pictures of the rendezvous procedure, one from map view showing close approach arrows, and a picture of the docked spacecraft. A video is okay too.

I need a more aerodynamic docking port for the nose of some of my spaceplanes. I'd like to get a part that functions like the stock clamshell docking port, but with the shape and model of the stock aerodynamic nose cone. Essentially, this docking port: with this covering it: Can anyone assist me with this? Or point me in the right direction if someone has already done it?

Help! I cannot undock my vessels anymore. A while ago I docked a unshielded 1.25M docking port to a shielded docking port. Did a couple of EVA's and wanted to return the crew home. But I could not undock. I pressed the undock option on one of the docking ports. The option disappeared but the vessel remains docked. I tried editing the save file but I still can't undock the vessels. I do not want to delete the vessel since I've spend quite a while on the orbiting station. Here I got the save file excerpts from the 2 docking ports : Shielded port on crew transport vessel : PART { name = dockingPort1 cid = 4293538438 uid = 1628668193 mid = 2728356412 launchID = 15 parent = 5 position = -0.000441193580627441,-8.34658908843994,3.93390655517578E-06 rotation = 0.0004590763,0.7070953,-0.0005075785,0.707118 mirror = 1,1,1 symMethod = Radial istg = 0 dstg = 0 sqor = -1 sepI = 2 sidx = -1 attm = 0 srfN = srfAttach, 75 attN = bottom, 75 mass = 0.1 temp = 278.707014779893 tempExt = 273.579767810387 tempExtUnexp = 4 expt = 0.5 state = 1 connected = True attached = True flag = Squad/Flags/default rTrf = dockingPort1 modCost = 0 EVENTS { } ACTIONS { } PARTDATA { } MODULE { name = ModuleDockingNode isEnabled = True crossfeed = False stagingEnabled = False state = Docked (dockee) dockUId = uid = 1301555407 dockNodeIdx = 0 EVENTS { Undock { active = False guiActive = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Undock guiName = Undock category = Undock guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } UndockSameVessel { active = False guiActive = True guiActiveUncommand = True guiIcon = Undock guiName = Undock category = Undock guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } Decouple { active = False guiActive = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Decouple Node guiName = Decouple Node category = Decouple Node guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } SetAsTarget { active = True guiActive = False guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Set as Target guiName = Set as Target category = Set as Target guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 200 externalToEVAOnly = False } UnsetTarget { active = False guiActive = False guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Unset Target guiName = Unset Target category = Unset Target guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 200 externalToEVAOnly = False } EnableXFeed { active = True guiActive = True guiActiveEditor = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Enable Crossfeed guiName = Enable Crossfeed category = Enable Crossfeed guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } DisableXFeed { active = False guiActive = True guiActiveEditor = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Disable Crossfeed guiName = Disable Crossfeed category = Disable Crossfeed guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } MakeReferenceTransform { active = True guiActive = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Control from Here guiName = Control from Here category = Control from Here guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } ToggleStaging { active = True guiActive = False guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Disable Staging guiName = Port: Enable Staging category = Disable Staging guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { UndockAction { actionGroup = None } DecoupleAction { actionGroup = None } EnableXFeedAction { actionGroup = None } DisableXFeedAction { actionGroup = None } ToggleXFeedAction { actionGroup = None } } DOCKEDVESSEL { vesselName = Crew quarters vesselType = 3 rootUId = 3382957609 } } MODULE { name = ModuleAnimateGeneric isEnabled = True aniState = LOCKED animSwitch = False animTime = 1 animSpeed = 1 deployPercent = 100 animationIsDisabled = False stagingEnabled = True deployPercent_UIFlight { controlEnabled = True minValue = 0 maxValue = 100 stepIncrement = 1 } EVENTS { Toggle { active = True guiActive = True guiActiveEditor = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Toggle guiName = Close Shield category = Toggle guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 5 externalToEVAOnly = True } ToggleStaging { active = True guiActive = False guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Disable Staging guiName = Disable Staging category = Disable Staging guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { ToggleAction { actionGroup = None } } } MODULE { name = ModuleDockingNodeNamed isEnabled = True portName = taurus initialized = True controlTransformName = stagingEnabled = True EVENTS { renameDockingPort { active = True guiActive = True guiActiveEditor = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Rename Port guiName = Rename Port category = Rename Port guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 2000 externalToEVAOnly = False } ToggleStaging { active = True guiActive = False guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Disable Staging guiName = Disable Staging category = Disable Staging guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { } } } Unshielded docking port on orbital station : PART { name = dockingPort2 cid = 4293933134 uid = 1301555407 mid = 2842429246 launchID = 2 parent = 4 position = 0,-7.73098945617676,0 rotation = 0.7071068,0,0.7071068,0 mirror = 1,1,1 symMethod = Radial istg = 0 dstg = 0 sqor = -1 sepI = 1 sidx = -1 attm = 0 srfN = srfAttach, -1 attN = top, -1 attN = bottom, 4 mass = 0.05 temp = 205.221251737256 tempExt = 213.995940280198 tempExtUnexp = 4 expt = 0.5 state = 1 connected = True attached = True flag = Squad/Flags/default rTrf = dockingPort2 modCost = 0 EVENTS { } ACTIONS { } PARTDATA { } MODULE { name = ModuleDockingNode isEnabled = True crossfeed = False stagingEnabled = False state = Docked (docker) dockUId = 1628668193 dockNodeIdx = 0 EVENTS { Undock { active = False guiActive = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Undock guiName = Undock category = Undock guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } UndockSameVessel { active = False guiActive = True guiActiveUncommand = True guiIcon = Undock guiName = Undock category = Undock guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } Decouple { active = False guiActive = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Decouple Node guiName = Decouple Node category = Decouple Node guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } SetAsTarget { active = True guiActive = False guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Set as Target guiName = Set as Target category = Set as Target guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 200 externalToEVAOnly = False } UnsetTarget { active = False guiActive = False guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Unset Target guiName = Unset Target category = Unset Target guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 200 externalToEVAOnly = False } EnableXFeed { active = True guiActive = True guiActiveEditor = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Enable Crossfeed guiName = Enable Crossfeed category = Enable Crossfeed guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } DisableXFeed { active = False guiActive = True guiActiveEditor = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Disable Crossfeed guiName = Disable Crossfeed category = Disable Crossfeed guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } MakeReferenceTransform { active = True guiActive = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Control from Here guiName = Control from Here category = Control from Here guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } ToggleStaging { active = True guiActive = False guiActiveEditor = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Disable Staging guiName = Port: Enable Staging category = Disable Staging guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { UndockAction { actionGroup = None } DecoupleAction { actionGroup = None } EnableXFeedAction { actionGroup = None } DisableXFeedAction { actionGroup = None } ToggleXFeedAction { actionGroup = None } } DOCKEDVESSEL { vesselName = Taurus vesselType = 3 rootUId = 3382957609 } } MODULE { name = ModuleDockingNodeNamed isEnabled = True portName = crewquart initialized = True controlTransformName = stagingEnabled = True EVENTS { renameDockingPort { active = True guiActive = True guiActiveEditor = True guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Rename Port guiName = Rename Port category = Rename Port guiActiveUnfocused = True unfocusedRange = 2000 externalToEVAOnly = False } ToggleStaging { active = True guiActive = False guiActiveUncommand = False guiIcon = Disable Staging guiName = Disable Staging category = Disable Staging guiActiveUnfocused = False unfocusedRange = 2 externalToEVAOnly = True } } ACTIONS { } } } What am I doing wrong??

Hi After returning from the Mun's surface to dock at my Munar space station the whole station starts swinging back and forth. It gets so bad that it started to break up and cause explosions. What I find odd is that it was fine when I left. The first time it happened I noticed I had all my 'lights on' and on the dark side I lost battery power and thus couldn't power my SAS. However the second time this wasnt an issue and I have no idea what is causing it. The station is built with a module in the middle with 6 docking ports facing all different directions. I've then docked from all sides with fuel tanks and science labs etc. I tried turning my RCS on to counter it but it doesn't seem to be helping at all. Anyone have any ideas on what could be the issue?

Anyone else got a ship alongside another, targeted a docking port, selected a ventral docking port (a side or top one) and done a 'command from here'? Even though the docking ports are almost aligned, when I select 'command from here' and then click the 'target' option on the SAS the ship goes nose down and does a summersault causing a collision. I'm not sure what it's trying to target but it isn't the docking port I selected.

So I completed my first docking last night after fiddling around with it for 30 minutes or so. My ship wasnt turning as I would expect it to. By that I mean, I press D to turn it to the right, but instead the nose of the ship (where the docking port was) would turn like down & to the left. This made it extremely difficult to line up the docking. Anyone know exactly what was happening? Maybe its something to do with having the navball show relation to target instead of orbit or something? Or why else would the ship not control the way you expect it to?

Hi all. Does anyone know if there is a shielded large docking port in a mod. Just wondering if you could point me in its direction I would be most appreciative. Thanks. Peace.

hey I'm currently working on a interplanetary ship, to fly to Jool. My plan is to have multiple launches and dock the ship together in Kerbin Orbit. I have send up a Fuel Tank with docking ports so far. Now I'm gonna send up my engines and dock them. My question is: Does fuel transfer threw docking ports or do i have to connect it in some other way in order to have the fuel reach teh engine? Thanks in advance

Strong magnetic fields do help new players with their first dockings, but it takes little practice to reach the level where it's just annoying. It causes the vessel (parent and target) to wobble around if their masses aren't large enough, it results in different roll so if you want symmetry and proper solar panel alignment, you're gonna have a bad day with constant undocking and docking. This is particularly important with larger lateral structures. Only perfectly aligned vessels will approach and immediately snap together so the whole experience is like uncanny valley of the robotics - n00bs are ok with it and extreme pros are ok with it. I'd reduce it to a more comfortable level. It would barely impact the mentioned player groups, but it would make docking easier for the rest. P.S.: It appears to me the force is identical for all ports which makes situations with the Junior port quite annoying.

Hi, I have built a spaceship in orbit, but when I first wanted to try it out I saw the navball going crazy. As you can see there are 3 orange tanks connected with 2 side docking ports. All ports connect and hold it together steady but the navball showing wrong direction (gaining speed on progade, target and manouver nodes totally offset by 180°). Game is 100% vanilla, no mods. Is there a fix, so I can use my ship's navball? Or forget those double docking port aligments...