Kerbin orbital rescue contracts.

[strider3]

These have bitten me in the butt previously. In the past I could not dock with the ship that contained the kerbonaut to be rescued...because "we don't own that ship". At other times the ship didn't even have a docking port. How do you rescue someone in Kerbin orbit if you cannot dock with their ship? There is no way to know what kind of vessel you are trying to rescue the Kerbal from without accepting the contract...and then it's a penalty when you find out it can't be done (with your current equipment and abilities).

How do you guys and gals accomplish these types of contracts?

Edited December 23, 2016 by strider3

[Superfluous J]

(Note, I've never taken one of these)

Can't you use ] and [ to switch to the ship and then EVA the kerbal? Also, you may suddenly "take ownership" of it once you do that. Also, the Claw should work regardless.

I'm assuming you're using an unmodded install, but the message is unknown to me so I just have to ask, do you have any mods that could change contracts or "owning" of parts?

[Aegolius13]

If you just need to rescue the kerbal, not recover the scrap, you don't even need to dock - you can just EVA over.  The rescue target is supposed to become active once you get within 2 km, I think.  Sounds like you might have a bug or mod problem if that doesn't happen.

[bewing]

What the others said is right. Get within 2.2km, and use [ or ] to switch focus. Suddenly you own that "ship". (always just a pod, really)

If you need to dock/grab that scrap, then only a klaw will do. (This applies to the contracts where you have to recover the ship as well as the stranded kerbal.)

 

[strider3]

OK...I have again learned something new. Thank you!

[psychogre]

To do these Kerbal + ship rescue contracts, I rely on the features of the KAS & KIS mods.  My rescue craft has a docking port on the front, but then I also bring along a second (same-sized!) docking port, spare parachutes, and even a heat shield for larger modules to be collected (the contract usually has information on the size).

Once I rendezvous with the craft to be rescued, I move to be within a few meters (I call it parallel parking).  Have an engineer Kerbal do an EVA (with a wrench or power tool) to install the spare docking port on one end of the derelict.  With that in place, the craft can be docked together, and other items installed as needed.

From there, the derelict can be taken back to Kerbin (or even mated to spare fuel tank + engine), and returned to the surface, without needing to deorbit the rescue craft also.

[Kryxal]

This is one of the trickier things to get the first time, you need to switch with [  or ] within close range.  Note for later that you do NOT need to match velocities (but until you get more experience it's a good idea).

[Loren Pechtel]

On 12/22/2016 at 5:50 PM, bewing said:

What the others said is right. Get within 2.2km, and use [ or ] to switch focus. Suddenly you own that "ship". (always just a pod, really)

If you need to dock/grab that scrap, then only a klaw will do. (This applies to the contracts where you have to recover the ship as well as the stranded kerbal.)

 

Minor disagreement--the "ship" can be anything that can house a Kerbal, not only a pod.  I've found them in aircraft parts and with mods that give base parts you can find them in space also.

As for contracts to recover the part--if you don't have the Klaw researched you won't get them, period.

[bewing]

Well, a generic "pod" means just that -- anything that can house a Kerbal.