What should I do?

[Sharkman Briton]

I don't launch much in the game, and I want to do something, I have only been to the Mun once (Orbit) and Minmus twice (Orbit) So I don't know what to do something with. On the other hand I haven't ever had a space station before as I've never docked before (I did once, with MJ) as I can't rendezvous. So I'm stuck for choice, Kerbin space station, More Mun stuff (landing/more orbiting) or more Minmus stuff (more orbiting/landing) or anything else, and I'm generally in limbo as I have no clue what to do. The Mun is boring but it seems fitting to explore there first, Rendezvous and space station building seems very intimidating, especially the Rendezvous part, and I like Minmus, but it seems unfitting, and generally a bad choice. Could somebody please help me here? And if you have a suggestion that isn't one of these, tell me.

[UniQueKakarot]

Go and explore the rest of the kerbol system?

On the other hand, building a space station, docking and rendezvousing is something that is hard at first but as you learn how to do it, it becomes fairly easy. Just put up a pod with a docking port and try to rendezvous and dock with it just for the practise. And F5 is your friend for such learning missions.

And dont neclect the usefullness of minmus, its a sutable place for refueling your rockets for interplanetery missions.

-UniQ

[Sharkman Briton]

Thank you, the part of docking I can't do is Rendezvous, all I know is that you plan a close approach once you get close enough burn retrograde relative to the target so your speed in relation to that is very low, and then RCS and dock, the part I won't be able to do will be slowing down, as I imagine by the time I've turned retrograde in respect to the target, it's already miles ahead of me.

[AndyMt]

Minmus is excellent to learn landing. And getting lot's of science if you play career mode.

Rendevouz: I use maneuver nodes to plan and do my rendevouz. And the "Traget" speed indicator in the navball is very helpful to reduce the speed difference before you actually get too close.

And: watch Scott Manley's videos about the topic.

[Mister Dilsby]

Thank you, the part of docking I can't do is Rendezvous, all I know is that you plan a close approach once you get close enough burn retrograde relative to the target so your speed in relation to that is very low, and then RCS and dock, the part I won't be able to do will be slowing down, as I imagine by the time I've turned retrograde in respect to the target, it's already miles ahead of me.

You don't exactly thrust retrograde. A good technique is to, as you approach, thrust off the retrograde marker and "push" that marker onto the target bearing. (navball must be in Target mode of course). Remember, you are trying to have zero relative velocity at the same time you have zero distance to target. So, use the "push the retro marker" technique to gradually reduce both to zero at the same time--always correcting your heading towards the target as you approach and as you reduce velocity. I try to be under 100m/s relative when I'm 10km away, and under 10 m/s relative when I'm one or two km away, but depending on available thrust sometimes I get a little bit saucy and practically "suicide burn" into the docking port.

Once you can rendezvous, then we can talk about things like N-S port alignment and three-axis control authority

[cutlercollin99]

Make a Boat!

Or use BD Armory to have some fun.

[Sharkman Briton]

Oh no, I can rendezvous, just not properly, like slowing down, my closest approach ever was 2.0km, after ages of reloading after my manuevre node gave me the slightest error but a huge distance.

[Mister Dilsby]

Oh no, I can rendezvous, just not properly, like slowing down, my closest approach ever was 2.0km, after ages of reloading after my manuevre node gave me the slightest error but a huge distance.

That's not a rendezvous, that's a flyby That's why I'm saying don't try to do it just with the maneuver node, work on your close approach techniques. Once you figure out docking you will never be bored even in LKO.

[Sharkman Briton]

Okay. Time to make a rocket that actually flies and doesn't flip out.

[KerBlammo]

Land on the Mun. Its a very satisfying accomplishment.

[Belphegor]

an easy way to do it is when you get close, preferably less than 5km, to kill all relative speed. thrust retrograde until you go 0m/s then point straight towards the target and thrust forward a bit. from then on use rcs to correct so the target stays aligned with your heading. and offcourse slow down by the time you are about to crash into it

getting a close encounter with the target is even easier, get into a similar orbit as your target. if it's ahead of you make your orbit a bit lower on one side (so you go faster than the target) but keep one 'intersection point' where you travel through the path of your target. if the target is behind you make your orbit a bit wider so you go slower. you'll see 2 markers in map view saying 'closest encounter xxkm', and 'target position at intersect' at one point the targets position will shift to the other side of the intersect point (in front or behind depending if you are catching up to it or it to you) then you set a manouvre node on the intersect point and match orbits, but not completely. keep an eye on those markers and they will shift closer together. play with the manouvre node a bit to get them as close as you can, preform the burn and warp untill a bit before the intersection point. if you do it right your speed relative to the target should be pretty low and it won't require a big burn to match speeds

also, make a cannon that shoots kerbals

[AndyMt]

Land on the Mun. Its a very satisfying accomplishment.

I fully agree. The most rewarding moment in any game I have ever played I think (and that is over 30 years).

[Bloody_looser]

1. Build a ground base on Minmus.

2. Land a rover there.

3. Accidentally shatter the base with your rover.

4. ????

5. Butthurt!

After that you'll have constant urge to repair\rebuild your base, supply it and stuff. It will keep you busy for some time.

[Sharkman Briton]

I've launched the station core into orbit, without a hitch! (Except the first attempt where I forgot to disable the crossfeed between sr docking ports I was using as decouplers, ending up with the circularization stage having no fuel. Second attempt fixed this however.) Thanks, guys, next thing I'm going to do is either try and dock onto this thing or launch a Mun mission.

[Hyfe]

This really helped me with orbital rendezvous. Another tip I could offer is to keep your eye on the prograde marker rather than the direction the ships nose is pointing, as your making your final approach it's really important to keep that node over the target node. Also, Clicking on your navball where it says "Orbit 200 m/s" will change it to Target mode and display your relative speed to the target, which is very helpful. Just follow the steps exactly and you'll be doing it with your eyes closed before you know it.

P.S. Full credit and tonnes of props to whomever made this excellent aid, it certainly wasn't me, I just found it via google. Thanks mysterious stranger!

[Werwolf]

Rendezvous practice. I can't say it enough. Get it to where you can do it in one or two orbits for a meeting, and the actual closing in/docking in 10 minutes or less. In your sleep. Hanging upside down in a closet blindfolded.

It will be absolutely CRITICAL to be able to rendezvous easily, as well as a good understanding of dV and the many, many ways of saving it by using gravity assists, to exploring the rest of the system and not getting frustrated. If you nail those two things down - you will be able to go anywhere, at any time.

[Sirine]

Learn to read the Navball. It tells you a lot of info. If you really understand it. Learn it and it will be lifetime useful.

It is easy to distinguished a person who understand fully about the Navball, and the one who don't.

Please allow yourself to have a few day just to learn about the Navball.