tSk

Isn't there a way to port all my current ships and flights from a single-player saved game to a server I create? I've tried using 'Generate from Universe' and copying the contents of the Universe folder, but while all my Kerbals show up where they should be in the Administration building (Jeb is piloting Pioneer 3, etc.), none of the actual spacecraft show up in the tracking center.

You can also use the TAC Fuel Balancer mod to dump all the ship's remaining fuel once you get it where you want it to be. It's a great mod to have, anyway. It helps move fuel around the different tanks in your ship - something that you can do anyway, just with more clicking around than you have to do using the mod.

I'm not sure but I think I see the problem. The difference, if I'm right, is that you're burning prograde relative to the planet and not relative to the target ship. That would explain why it has that effect. Prograde is the direction you're traveling, relative to some other object, which is usually the planet you're orbiting; retrograde is the exact opposite direction. Thus, when you burn facing prograde, you add to your velocity, which causes you to gain altitude on the other side of your orbit. But burning retrograde has exactly the opposite effect. What's happening in the tutorials, I think, is that the people you're watching are burning retrograde while their navballs are set to <i>target</i> mode. That means the retrograde marker on the navball doesn't show the opposite of the direction they're traveling, but the opposite of the direction their target is traveling. Burning in that direction therefore causes them to 'slow down' relative to the target ship - in other words, their orbits line up - which is normal procedure for a rendezvous. If I'm right, your navball is set to 'orbit' or 'surface' mode. Therefore, your retrograde marker points in the opposite direction your ship is traveling relative to the planet, and by burning in that direction, you're slowing yourself down relative to the planet and losing altitude.

@lizarddan: Your situation is exactly the same I was in during my first career, trying to learn how to do an orbital rendezvous to rescue Jeb from high orbit. Like you, I also had no RCS parts yet. In reality, it's a pretty simple procedure once you get the hang of it. Here's how to save your kerbal: Once in orbit in the chase ship, target the stranded ship. Maneuver and burn so that your orbit lines up roughly with your target's orbit, but is not identical to it. If the ships are in identical orbits, they'll never catch up with each other. At either the ascending or descending node on your map, place a maneuver node and tweak the purple arrows until your orbital inclination matches the target's. Burn as required. The orbits should now be "flat" relative to each other. Congratulations, you've removed one whole dimension from the equation. Find the marker for "intercept 1" on your map. Place a maneuver node at that location and tweak it (playing with prograde/retrograde should be all that's required) so that the markers for intercept 1 and target position at intercept 1 line up as close as possible. That's where you'll intercept your target. Note the separation; you want it to be a kilometer or less ideally. To save fuel, you may want to wait a few orbits before doing this, letting the ships get closer together. Execute the maneuver. Afterward, you should now be on course to intercept your target. When you reach the intercept point, you'll need to kill your relative velocity quickly or risk overshooting. Click the top of your navball where it gives your speed, until it reads "target". This shows you your velocity relative to your target, and changes the prograde and retrograde markers on your navball to correspond to the target ship. That last part is crucial. Point your ship at the retrograde () marker and burn your main engine. By thrusting in the opposite direction of the target's motion relative to you, you reduce your relative velocity. Keep it up until your velocity reads as 0.0. If you overshoot, just turn the ship around and burn in the other direction. You are now stationary. And now the fun part. Unless you've been very exact, it won't stay at 0.0 for long. The ships will gradually begin drifting apart unless their orbits are exactly the same. So it's time for a walk. Switch back to the other ship and say goodbye (for now) to your stranded vessel, then jump out and head for the chase ship using your jetpack. Good luck!