Thomas Cook

I'm not using Mechjeb just yet, as I would like to fully get the hang of docking. Once I think the job gets tedious, I'll install it. But as Richy teh space man said I fully agree. Within a few kilometers, I set the navball to "Target" and burn down the distance using the retrograde to zero. Then I use the pink prograde to set my velocity towards the target. Then see the distance get smaller. However after a while the distance closure gets lesser and lesser. At that time repeat the maneuver and get closer every time. I mostly repeat it two to three times. Once you're very close look at the map screen. Both orbits's should match very well.

LOL, I agree that's a great answer. Emberassing how noob I feel now. That will work indeed. However I would like to understand the concept of docking using practically nothing but your navball and the distance between the ships. I've seen players using that and it seems so easy. However I just do'n't get the hang of it.

Hello fellow Kerbonauts. I've been playing KSP for a few weeks now and start to get the hang of it more and more. Also docked about 10 times and it goes better and better every time I do it. However, there is one issue I can't resolve, and that is docking on the dark side of moons or planets. When I got both ships between a few meters apart from each other I set both ship to a north / south orientation. At least I know then, that the heading is correct. After that I RCS my way around till docked. But on the dark side of the planet I always end up keeping both ships pretty close together till the sun comes up again. I have seen videos of people being able to dock with just the navball and even without RCS, but I can't seem to grasp the concept. Can someone help me or give me advice how to help me dock at night? I have searched the forum for this question since I have a full confidence someone asked it earlier. I just couldn't find any threads. A link to an earlier thread would be helpfull as well. My thanks in advance.

Without any pictures I don't think we could help that much. But does this also happen with very simple designs? If you just grab the one kerbal command pod and slap 2 fuel cans and a rocket under it. If it also explodes at that height, I think something is buggy.

The FTP link results in asking for a login name and password. The only reasons I can think of that docking won't work optimally are the same as mentioned before: 1. The docking ports are not properly placed on the ship. I sometimes make that mistake with the senior docking port. 2. Both the source and target ship got SAS enabled. You can quickly see this if you also got RCS enabled. Both ships should spew RCS fuel into space. 3. Sometimes it just takes a few seconds before both port, but this should never be langer than about 5 to 8 seconds. Other than that I can't think of anything else.

Could you, maybe upload the image of the plane with the center of mass and center of thrust enabled? My planes always seems to fail at that point. I've also had lots of trouble when fuel got consumed. It seems that if you consume fuel, the center of mass could change, tipping planes in directions you don't want.

Hey everybody. I bought KSP about three weeks ago and I was sold after the first ridculous crash landing. In the beginning I've played some of Scott Manley's tutorials, just to get the basics. After that I've been learning more and more. By this time I've landed on Minmus and back safely, and ready to go to another planet. This game really drags you in. Awesome. I must say that I'm very thankfull and impressed with all the effort Squad puts in this gem. I have the fullest confidence this will only get better. Second I want to say I'm very impressed with the stuff many of you make. So often I see ideas that I couldn't think of or thought was impossible, was made true by some of you guys. Some even seems "easy". Very impressed. Anyway, just saying hi.