Docking, How do I allign two ships?

[ToukieToucan]

So this is my first time docking and I'm close to the ship i want to dock (20 meters) and going 0.3 m/s.

no spinning going on by the way

edit: I completed the docking training, this gives me motivation!

update: I docked! Not as hard as imagined thanks for all your help!

isnt it glorious. Jebediah would be proud of me if it werent for that I killed him...

Edited September 14, 2015 by ToukieToucan

[Claw]

You can switch to the other vessel using ] or [. Once in control of the other vessel, you can target the incoming ship and turn to aim the docking port at the incoming ship. Then switch back to the original and proceed in.

Other things to know.

• You can target specific parts of the vessels, such as the docking ports (although the alignment can be off in special situations)
  
• Make sure there is no trim input (By switching to each vessel and pressing ALT+X)
  
• Sometimes turning SAS off at the last second for the docking ship helps it align better
  
• Quicksave/Quickload is your friend

Now that you are this close, take your time. Patience... By the way, awesome job getting the rendezvous complete.

Cheers,

~Claw

[Superfluous J]

I made a tutorial video just for this exact thing. You could find worse ways to spend 10 minutes.

[The_Rocketeer]

A neat trick is to align both vessels to the same vertical axis as the planet. In an equatorial orbit, this is the same as aligning to 'normal' or 'antinormal', but if you don't have the relevant icons on the navball, it's the 0 or 180 marks on the horizon line, where the blue and brown halves meet. Then it's just a case of using RCS translate controls to move your vessel above/below the other one and then move slowly towards it.

[ToukieToucan]

I made a tutorial video just for this exact thing. You could find worse ways to spend 10 minutes.

I'm on the wrong side of the ship, RCS is very rough aswell (pretty big ship) so I guess I'll make my station point to the ship.

[Superfluous J]

I'm on the wrong side of the ship, RCS is very rough aswell (pretty big ship) so I guess I'll make my station point to the ship.

Pointing is very much in the cards, but for future reference that video shows how to align using just the one craft, and how to do it with very little RCS.

Granted that ship is much smaller than yours, though as someone who has never docked before I would not recommend your first docking be with those ships you have there. There's a reason NASA had an entire program (Gemini) to learn how to dock 2 ships together and nothing else.

[ToukieToucan]

Pointing is very much in the cards, but for future reference that video shows how to align using just the one craft, and how to do it with very little RCS.

Granted that ship is much smaller than yours, though as someone who has never docked before I would not recommend your first docking be with those ships you have there. There's a reason NASA had an entire program (Gemini) to learn how to dock 2 ships together and nothing else.

I had this mission to make a refueling station in orbit and have 4000 liquid fuel (havent unlocked orange tanks so stacked two half size tanks on it and came short by just 200 liquid fuel.)

also, I will complete a contract for docking and could even bring the station to the mun for a mun base so 3 contracts in one.

[ForScience6686]

Set the docking port as target, line up your ship to be in the right plane as the port. Keep an eye on the nav ball and use rcs to move your prograde marker over the target marker. Check that you are properly aligned to dock straight with port, disable SAS right at contact. Keep it slow.

[ToukieToucan]

Set the docking port as target, line up your ship to be in the right plane as the port. Keep an eye on the nav ball and use rcs to move your prograde marker over the target marker. Check that you are properly aligned to dock straight with port, disable SAS right at contact. Keep it slow.

Aligning is the problem for me.

[ForScience6686]

I would guess you are having torque issues with improperly placed rcs thrusters. Causing rotation in lateral movements.

( Edit) it might be easier to try out docking with a small craft first. It is a difficult task until you learn the fundamentals. Give my advice a try and watch that nav ball carefully to see how your inputs are affecting the alignment. And make sure to select the port as target.

Edited September 13, 2015 by ForScience6686

[The_Rocketeer]

Is there a reason the technique I suggested wouldn't work? It essentially give you a fixed reference for aligning both crafts.

[GoSlash27]

I generally line up one axis at a time for safety.

First I set myself up so I'm a few meters clear of the target port's plane. Then I line up lateral, then vertical.

Finally, I close to target at not more than .2m/sec, correcting any errors as I go.

It gets easier the more you do it.

Best,

-Slashy

[Kryxal]

I think this is just construction and practice issues. Incidentally, if you have the correct pilot skills or probes, I'd rather hold normal than 0 or 180 if in a non-equatorial orbit due to orbital mechanics (though just having a fixed point's better than not).

[Clipperride]

If you plan on regular docking, its worth taking a little time placing your RCS thrusters an equal distance above and below the CoM of your final stage. Then you can translate using IK, JL and HN without your ship spinning at all. Switching to Locked viewing mode can help visualise which axis is which. Small velocity changes (you can always use time warp, being careful to slow it down rather than speeding it up at the crucial moment!) in one plane at a time makes life easier whilst getting the hang of it.

You've done the hardest part by getting into station keeping range. A few goes and it'll be second nature.

For quicksaves, I keep a save when I'm first near my target and another regularly along the way. Then you can revert to the start if you accidentally save after getting into a difficult position.

[Snark]

Aligning is the problem for me.

Yeah, that can be a pain, particularly since the game doesn't give you any real aids for that, and eyeballing can be tricky.

The Navball Docking Alignment Indicator mod is a really handy one that I highly recommend. Very minimalistic, uses practically no memory, has no controls to use or UI to get in your way. All it does is this: when your target is a docking port, it adds a red icon to the navball such that, if you center it in the crosshairs, it means you're perfectly aligned with the target port's orientation. Takes all the eyeballing out of figuring out your alignment.

There's also this other mod that serves a similar purpose, which some people like. Personally, it's not my cup of tea, since it adds UI to the screen and I'm very jealous of screen real estate.

[ToukieToucan]

Yeah, that can be a pain, particularly since the game doesn't give you any real aids for that, and eyeballing can be tricky.

The Navball Docking Alignment Indicator mod is a really handy one that I highly recommend. Very minimalistic, uses practically no memory, has no controls to use or UI to get in your way. All it does is this: when your target is a docking port, it adds a red icon to the navball such that, if you center it in the crosshairs, it means you're perfectly aligned with the target port's orientation. Takes all the eyeballing out of figuring out your alignment.

There's also this other mod that serves a similar purpose, which some people like. Personally, it's not my cup of tea, since it adds UI to the screen and I'm very jealous of screen real estate.

Thanks, I'll check it out and I will post my results.

[Ripper2900]

If you don't use any alignment mods, it's a hard task.

If your core or pilot is skilled enough to have target-hold, start by going to both ships, target the other, then have sas lign up the ships to point towards each other. Else you'll have to do it manually (not that hard though).

Turn your target ship back to attitude hold. (important else it will start to 'hunt' for your ship when you get very close).

From the other ship, keep it on target-hold, use 'v' button to change view mode to chase or lock. Then you can start using rcs to close in and dock.

Good luck

[ToukieToucan]

One problem with the mod: My ship was too bulky and had RCS in wrong places so docking would be near impossible for a beginner like me. The reason I made such a big ship was to make a refuelling station as well. Though I will first set my goal to docking. By roughly guessing where the station would need to be at the launch I made an oribt 6 km away from the craft (yes I am using Mechjeb but only for precise orbits (I dont think many astronauts control the craft manually either.)

Edited September 14, 2015 by ToukieToucan

[Clipperride]

Here's how I manage the final approach http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/131792-Docking-The-Last-100m-Made-Easy%28er%29

[Corw]

It is possible to align fairly easily in stock, as mentioned before, by rotating ship to point to vertical axis. You can see the example here:

The best advice I can give you is to do it slow and practice. Use the NavBal and learn how to use it well. Docking is not something you can just yolo on visual. There is a reason why docking to ISS takes hours

[ToukieToucan]

It is possible to align fairly easily in stock, as mentioned before, by rotating ship to point to vertical axis. You can see the example here:

The best advice I can give you is to do it slow and practice. Use the NavBal and learn how to use it well. Docking is not something you can just yolo on visual. There is a reason why docking to ISS takes hours

Thanks, I'll try it soon. Whats the difference between docking and staging mode?

also, lining ships up would be very hard for me since I had a massive bulky ship with wrong RCS placement. Also no reaction wheels. Going to try with a small agile craft soon.

[Superfluous J]

Whats the difference between docking and staging mode?

Staging mode is the mode you use. Docking mode is the mode you don't use. Ever. For anything.

Actually some people use it for rovers.

I'm actually being serious, but if you must know, it screws up your keys so the spacebar - instead of staging - toggles WASDQE between translate (what the IJKLHN keys do) and rotate (what the WASDQE keys do normally). Why someone would want to risk staging just to confuse their brains about what the keys do is beyond me.

Going to try with a small agile craft soon.

Good

Note, your station is not lost. Once you've mastered docking (or at least are comfortable with it), you can build a tug in the VAB that is designed to attach to your large ship and balance its RCS jets Or at least have a TON of reaction wheels so unbalanced jets aren't as big a deal. Then - with your more balanced ship and better feel for docking, you should be able to get them connected.

And don't feel bad about not getting it. My first docking attempt caused both of my orange tanks (yes, each ship had one) to collide in a cross formation at about 50m/s. Needless to say I didn't actually get the docking done on that attempt.

[ToukieToucan]

Staging mode is the mode you use. Docking mode is the mode you don't use. Ever. For anything.

Actually some people use it for rovers.

I'm actually being serious, but if you must know, it screws up your keys so the spacebar - instead of staging - toggles WASDQE between translate (what the IJKLHN keys do) and rotate (what the WASDQE keys do normally). Why someone would want to risk staging just to confuse their brains about what the keys do is beyond me.

Good

Note, your station is not lost. Once you've mastered docking (or at least are comfortable with it), you can build a tug in the VAB that is designed to attach to your large ship and balance its RCS jets Or at least have a TON of reaction wheels so unbalanced jets aren't as big a deal. Then - with your more balanced ship and better feel for docking, you should be able to get them connected.

And don't feel bad about not getting it. My first docking attempt caused both of my orange tanks (yes, each ship had one) to collide in a cross formation at about 50m/s. Needless to say I didn't actually get the docking done on that attempt.

uhm... my probodobodyne HECS randomly overheated when I was in a stable orbit of about 80 000 meters, is this a bug?

[Superfluous J]

uhm... my probodobodyne HECS randomly overheated when I was in a stable orbit of about 80 000 meters, is this a bug?

Yes. One they seem to be working on.

Well, probably. If it had radiators attached to it and it was right after the dock, I've had the hot engines heat up radiators quickly, and then those radiators heated up the thing they were attached to. But that's a long shot. More likely a heat bug.

[Warzouz]

I'm on the wrong side of the ship, RCS is very rough aswell (pretty big ship) so I guess I'll make my station point to the ship.

Did it worked out ? It's the easier way to handle docking.

1- Taget the dockling port, Go near it (10m) with SAS activated

2- Swith to other ship, control from the targe doching port

3- rotate your ship to your docking port is aligned, wait for perfect stabilisation

4- Swtich again to first ship. Simply go forward slowly

This way, you don't have to translate sideways, but both ship must be able to rotate (they usually can, even very slowly).

This is the easiest way to dock without indicator mods. Personaly, I use indicator mods, because I love to translate around target ships and end perfectly docked. I find it that much relaxing.