Need help with docking

[PlatinumBlast]

Hello, does anybody here know how to rendezvous and dock with spacecraft easily and efficiently? I'm building a small station at the moment - around 100km above sea level, and when I managed to dock the second stage (comms and power) to the main parent module, I was quite proud, and I decided to go ahead and try attach the third and fourth modules, (crew and research modules) but then I nearly gave up completely when I just couldn't get a rendezvous with the craft again, even though I had a good 1.5k Delta V at my disposal. Also, anybody know how to directly insert a photo into these posts? Sorry if this sounds stupid.

Any help would be greatly appreciated  

[James Kerman]

1 hour ago, PlatinumBlast said:

Hello, does anybody here know how to rendezvous and dock with spacecraft easily and efficiently?

I found this guide really helpful when I first learned to dock:

 

1 hour ago, PlatinumBlast said:

Also, anybody know how to directly insert a photo into these posts?

The forum does not host files so you need to join an image hosting service (I use imgur but any should work) and link your files into the forum.

[Adenosine Triphospate]

Funny, usually its the docking that proves the hardest for me (but its usually down my rubbish design, like putting  a docking port on the underside) and the rendezvous the easiest.

Since you've already done a rendezvous before, you should really just be able to replicate what you've done! I'm afraid I can't do a better job than a visual guide at explaining.

As for the image, if you downloaded KSP via Steam, its possible:

1. Get a screenshot in game (F12, but this is also the aerodynamic overlay, so change aerodynamic overlay to another key in the main menu settings)
2. Upload it to Steam Cloud (when you close the game, or click shift-tab and click view screenshots, a window appears where you can upload)
3. Find your profile on Steam, find screenshots, and click the screenshot. This should take you to a webpage of just the screenshot.
4. Copy the URL (web address)
5. Back on the forum, start a post. There should be an 'insert other media' button. Click it and click 'insert image from URL'  and paste the URL.
6. The screenshot should appear in the post!

[micha]

If you haven't come across him yet, I can highly recommend watching Scott Manley's YouTube videos about KSP.

Quite a few years ago he did an entire video series for beginners, most of which should still be applicable.

Rendezvous: 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Docking:

Spoiler

 

Also, the "Docking Port Alignment Indicator" mod is -very- useful when docking..

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by micha

[Starhawk]

This question about how to play the game has been moved to the Gameplay Questions section.

KSP Moderation Team

[Superfluous J]

I'll toss my own rendezvous and docking tutorial out there.

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Flibble]

27 minutes ago, micha said:

Also, the "Docking Port Alignment Indicator" mod is -very- useful when docking..

Oddly I find it much harder to dock using DPAI compared to just eyeballing it from the game camera.

[Dan Kerman]

Illustrated guide to docking

 

This got me thru understanding rendezvous and docking... Explains the navball too... add the docking alignment tool and you will find docking easy, I hope.

[fulgur]

The Docking Port Alignment Indicatior is useful, there is a Navball DPAI which I find much easier to steer by. It has a nice red marker on the navball, and all you have to do is line it up with the target marker and the prograde marker, and you can let it drift.

https://spacedock.info/mod/1098/Navball Docking Alignment Indicator CE-2

[PlatinumBlast]

Thanks, I think this will probably be enough information for me to actually be able to complete a rendezvous easier now, but if I still can't I'll try out those mods you sent me. :D