docking contract

[Default]

Will the game call your contract complete if you bring up a ship with a probe core and a docking port that also has a second probe core and docking port, undock them and then re-dock? I just tried but I had left my game on over night with the ship in orbit and wasn't sure if that might have stopped the game from recognising that I had completed the contract. If the game wont allow this, it makes no sense to me since the first docking attempt in real life was done with the empty ascent stage.

[KerbMav]

If the game wont allow this, it makes no sense to me since the first docking attempt in real life was done with the empty ascent stage.

What does your contractor care about what happened in real life? They want what they want for their money.

[AbacusWizard]

Yeah, the contract really does want one object in orbit to dock with a second object in orbit that came from a completely separate launch. I, too, realized this after launching a single two-part craft, intending to undock and redock. When I discovered why this didn't work I just launched a second copy of the same craft and swapped modules while in orbit.

I guess this is because the contract is supposed to be testing both fine maneuvering AND the ability to set up an orbital rendezvous. A quick undock-and-redock would be demonstrating only a little skill of the former and none of the latter.

[KSK]

Yeah, the contract really does want one object in orbit to dock with a second object in orbit that came from a completely separate launch. I, too, realized this after launching a single two-part craft, intending to undock and redock. When I discovered why this didn't work I just launched a second copy of the same craft and swapped modules while in orbit.

I guess this is because the contract is supposed to be testing both fine maneuvering AND the ability to set up an orbital rendezvous. A quick undock-and-redock would be demonstrating only a little skill of the former and none of the latter.

This. Especially since there's a similar in-game tutorial contract for rendezvous as well. Also, as far as I know, the first orbital docking attempt was on Gemini 6 - and would have been between two separately launched spacecraft, Gemini and (unmanned) Agena had the Agena not been destroyed at launch. The first successful docking attempt was on Gemin 8 - again with a separately launched Agena docking target.

Edit: I like the mission success text for both contracts.

Edited June 1, 2015 by KSK

[sal_vager]

I'm pretty sure the contract states that two separate vehicles need to be involved, so undocking and redocking one vessel isn't going to count, sorry.