Shuttle Recovery of entire spacecraft - and carrying back to KSP!

[TouhouTorpedo]

Sadly, no video, but lots of screenshots. I didn't even plan this, it just happened as I went while testing a new computer.

I designed a space shuttle but my old laptop didnt have enough power to actually play it. With my new computer I finally could tweak it and make it fly right, so I did, made it kind of landable/flyable, and got it to orbit. After, I decided it would be a shame not to test its on orbit abilities - So I launched a target to use as cargo, picked it up, tangled with the Physx engine trying to spin me to death after grappling, and finally... well you'll see as you read on.

Shuttle in hanger

Shuttle on orbit

"Retro" The target rocket. This is launched by Mechjeb since I want to be sure its in roughly the right circular orbit altitude (choosen here as about 73km)

The meeting in space.... This is the moment of truth where I started closing up the clamps on it.

Flying two ships back to KSP at once? You betcha!

Cut away view... Honest.

The pernament home of the first craft I've ever built to recover anything from space... let alone an entire spacecraft! Now has a home next to the runaway until I lose my persistance file.

And incase you're wondering... thats Ornie Kerman there!

I may grab a video once I get fraps onto this machine in the future. Since I know what I'm doing now, sort of. (hopefully next time I can land with a tail still on it...)

[szpw]

You rendezvoued with it, grabbed it AND carried it back to the KSC. Now that is an amazing accomplishment.

[Martonaut]

very nice

[Ted]

That is pretty amazing, quite the achievement.

Well done!