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How do I meet another spaceship/Kerbal in orbit?


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I am stuck with the "explore kerbin" contract and I need to get one vessel close to another, but I don't know how to do it.

I've managed to land on the mun so far and need more contracts (I think I won't get a mun related contract until I finish that one)

Btw I've tried the docking tutorial but I also can't complete that one

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Get into the same orbital plane as the target spacecraft and have your orbit touch the target spacecraft's orbit at one point. If you're behind the other vehicle you want the rest of you orbit to be lower so that you orbit slightly faster and close the range with successive orbits. If you're ahead of the other vehicle you want your orbit to be higher so that you orbit slower than the other ship and they catch up a little bit with each orbit.

If you have your tracking station and mission control upgraded you'll be able to select the other ship and see where the two ships will be in the next orbit. If you're not upgraded you can select a target by clicking on it when it gets within 100km. You can then switch the navball to target mode when you're getting close and try to line up your prograde marker to the target prograde marker (and retrograde to target retrograde).

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29 minutes ago, Reactordrone said:

Get into the same orbital plane as the target spacecraft and have your orbit touch the target spacecraft's orbit at one point. If you're behind the other vehicle you want the rest of you orbit to be lower so that you orbit slightly faster and close the range with successive orbits. If you're ahead of the other vehicle you want your orbit to be higher so that you orbit slower than the other ship and they catch up a little bit with each orbit.

If you have your tracking station and mission control upgraded you'll be able to select the other ship and see where the two ships will be in the next orbit. If you're not upgraded you can select a target by clicking on it when it gets within 100km. You can then switch the navball to target mode when you're getting close and try to line up your prograde marker to the target prograde marker (and retrograde to target retrograde).

thanks for the help, but I got one question: how do I lock my view to the target? Ive seen some YouTubers doing it so I want to know how, because it would probably help a bit

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1 hour ago, Neil Kermstrong said:

how do I lock my view to the target?

Do you mean how to get your navball to show your distance and orientation to the target?

To do that you click on the small green window set in the top of the navball. It's the one that says "Orbit" in it with the number showing your orbital speed. When you click on it it will switch to show "Target" and "Surface" numbers.

When it is in "Target" mode the prograde/retrograde markers change to show you which direction is towards and away from your target.

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12 minutes ago, HvP said:

Do you mean how to get your navball to show your distance and orientation to the target?

To do that you click on the small green window set in the top of the navball. It's the one that says "Orbit" in it with the number showing your orbital speed. When you click on it it will switch to show "Target" and "Surface" numbers.

When it is in "Target" mode the prograde/retrograde markers change to show you which direction is towards and away from your target.

What I meant was like when matt lowne a planet, his screen view is locked to the planet he was, but thats helpful too.

By the way just now I managed to rescue a stranded Kerbal from the kerbin's, orbit, and my rockets were below 3km from eachother, so thanks 4 the help :)

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7 hours ago, Neil Kermstrong said:

What I meant was like when matt lowne a planet, his screen view is locked to the planet he was, but thats helpful too.

What you meant is rather for missions to planets/moons than for orbital rendezvous with ships/Kerbals.
 

You can do it by clicking on the planet/moon when you are in the map view and press „Focus View“.

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Once you get close to the stranded Kerbal, or their pod, you can switch vessel to them (use ] to switch between vessels in close range), and then you will be able to control them and EVA over to your rescuing ship. Remember to turn on RCS with "R" to activate their jetpack.

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6 minutes ago, eatU4myT said:

Once you get close to the stranded Kerbal, or their pod, you can switch vessel to them (use ] to switch between vessels in close range), and then you will be able to control them and EVA over to your rescuing ship. Remember to turn on RCS with "R" to activate their jetpack.

Thanks, it worked, now this Kerbal has finally returned to his home after years stranded :)

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38 minutes ago, Neil Kermstrong said:

That looks good, but about the rescue stranded kerbals contracts, how do I rescue the stranded Kerbal if I can't control them with Eva?  (This is an unrelated question but still),

You'll have to rendezvous first, coming close at approx 2km, then you switch to the other vessel with the Kerbal to rescue.

Here's a video tutorial

 

And in case the Kerbal is stranded on the surface of a CB (Mun, Minmus...), land your rescue ship within 2 km. if it's a tiny bit further, you can walk/fly with you rescue's ship Kerbal to the Kerbal to rescue, as soon as you're within reach, you can switch to the other vessel and Kerbal.

Edited by VoidSquid
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2 hours ago, VoidSquid said:

You'll have to rendezvous first, coming close at approx 2km, then you switch to the other vessel with the Kerbal to rescue.

Here's a video tutorial

 

And in case the Kerbal is stranded on the surface of a CB (Mun, Minmus...), land your rescue ship within 2 km. if it's a tiny bit further, you can walk/fly with you rescue's ship Kerbal to the Kerbal to rescue, as soon as you're within reach, you can switch to the other vessel and Kerbal.

 

2 hours ago, Echo__3 said:

This is little tutorial that I made on the topic

You'll get it!

Many thanks for the help guys.

I see KSP players like to help newbies :)

edit: you guys helped me a lot, now I finally completed the "Explore Kerbin" contract

Edited by Neil Kermstrong
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