Elite docking club

[ComradeGoat]

Simple question: have you docked two ships (must be separate launches, with proper intercepts) with NEITHER of them having RCS?

[iBoesen]

nope that would that would definitely be very tricky

[Tada]

it is not hard, but why bother?

[ComradeGoat]

it is not hard, but why bother?

Deep space, I was saving weight.

[rryy]

I have done it several times when I forgot my RCS (or the RCS ports...), and it wasn't that difficult. The ships were small, though, and I was able to switch between them and orient them in a good position. It would probably be a lot more difficult with large space stations.

[Sof]

Deep space, I was saving weight.

Unless you miraculously had them lined up perfectly and hit first time with just enough speed from LKO to be bang on, I very much doubt you actually saved weight by burning all that extra fuel manouvering instead of just letting the RCS make it easier.

[Felsmak]

Meh. RCS is more stylish.

[ComradeGoat]

I have done it several times when I forgot my RCS (or the RCS ports...), and it wasn't that difficult. The ships were small, though, and I was able to switch between them and orient them in a good position. It would probably be a lot more difficult with large space stations.

The one time I had to do it, it was a small, twin NERVA powered ship, returning to Kerbin from interplanetary space and docking at my station.

[Richy teh space man]

I wouldn't class it as a piece of cake, but yeah I've done it

[sewerbird]

Yup, docked two Gemini-style no-mods: the fact they were so light, had small engines, and the might of the docking port magnetism made it pretty easy.

[Felsmak]

Would it count if I used improvised RCS blocks built from regular engines?

[The Destroyer]

Yup, I was in minmus orbit. The station had RCS, but I never controlled the station. I realized my HOME recon didn't have RCS, so I attempted a engine-only docking, and suceeded.

Piece of cake!

[Bekiekutmoar]

Docking with RCS is easy for me.

Docking two 'sentient' ships (command pod or probe module) without RCS is doable but usually takes more time.

Docking to a non-sentient ship (for example a fuel tank with docking module) without RCS is impossible for me. I tried it recently around Dres, but got a little frustrated and eventually 'docked' the vessel with Dres going 500 m/s.

[Qumefox]

So long as you don't have such a stupid-high TWR that makes small corrections impossible, and low enough ship mass that pod torque can rotate the ship fairly quickly, docking without RCS isn't that much harder than with using RCS.

[Splode]

I've never been dumb enough to forget RCS

[Blackstar]

Does running out of propellant while learning how to dock and having to do it (successfully) without RCS for the final pass count?

Docking with uncontrolled objects like floating fuel tanks is actually a lot easier in KSP than in real life since we don't have to match rotation as well -- time warp or switching ships cheats and removes all angular momentum.

[Juanfro]

If by "docking" you mean "crashing", and by "no RCS" you mean "I had no more RCS left" I think I have just done that.

[satcharna]

I've done it with MechJeb's Smart A.S.S feature, but never without. Basically just made the target vessel point its port at me while I burnt my nuclear-powered fuel station towards it. I imagine I could do it without MechJeb, but I don't usually forget RCS.

[ouion]

no,i did not i need rcs

[SkyRender]

Docking has never required RCS, it's just generally easier that way since it gives you the most valuable tool for such: a low-thrust output option. I cringe every time I see someone dock in a video by way of leaving RCS and ASAS on constantly. So much wasted monopropellant...

[Vanamonde]

I suppose one could also build a rover that slides across the ground without wheels, but it's not clear to me how that would make one an "elite" rover builder.

[Space.exe]

Hey guys drawingnvada here i made a space station well sorta i got the design but im new so i dont know how to dock and i was wondering is someone could do it for me i will give something in return my skype is zander.foster1

[Sordid]

I don't think this is difficult. You can use those small radially attached liquid fuel engines divided up into action groups in place of RCS ports, thereby satisfying the requirement of no RCS and retaining fine control of the vessel.

[Nuke]

i docked one of those orange tanks, full, to another thing. with a tiny probe docked at one end only equipped with a sas and an ion thruster.

[CalculusWarrior]

I think I've done it once, but that was by accident. I prefer bringing in my ships nice and slow; I experience a lot of lag, especially near my larger stations, so I need plenty of time to react to things going awry...