Single Launch Vessels & Docking Ports

[plotz]

Greetings, fellow Kerbals!

After quite a few months of reading articles and posts on this forum, I decided to finally register here. I have been playing KSP since a year or so and finally gotten around to learning the "fine arts" of this game: Efficient SSTO design (w/o R.A.P.I.E.Rs ), station building, docking.

My question revolves around the latter two aspects. I've got a nice little station in orbit around Kerbin (career mode). Docking and undocking various vessels has not caused any problems yet. However, I am using the Station Science mod. Thus I sent up a vessel consisting of the Mod's lab and two experiments (plant growth and prograde kuarqs) that are DOCKED with their small return vessels. Now the game will not let me undock these vessels and only offers me the "control from here" option, when I right-click the docking ports (any side).

The ports are aligned OK, all vessels have command modules, power,... .

How do I get these to undock now? I've attached a screenshot. Any help is greatly appreciated. The KSS is bound to be extended and docking ports are in high demand .

Thanks!

Edited April 13, 2015 by plotz

[Harry Rhodan]

two experiments (plant growth and prograde kuarqs) that are DOCKED with their small return vessels.

Those aren't docked. You clipped the docking ports into each other.

[Octa]

The Experiment Vessels were docked to the lab in the VAB?

It looks like the docking port of the experiment vessel is "clipped" into the lab port. Go back to the VAB, you should be able to move it a bit outwards. The port has a plate on top, you can see it in the back of your screenshot (with purple light). This plate should be visible.

[plotz]

- that eluded me. Sadly, the module is in space for some days game time now. Guess I am going to just launch it again then. The other one is at least guaranteed to produce a spectacular fireball across Kerbin's sky.

Thanks for pointing this out, Harry and Octa!

[THX1138]

I blame the game for this. It's stupid that the VAB is genuinely eager to clip docking ports into each other. It should be coded to quit doing this.

[celem]

It is one of those things that a lot of us are probably watching for automatically and by this point sub-consciously. Bugs me too and always has.