Docking fun

[Superfluous J]

I don't remember by first actual docking, but I'll never forget my first ATTEMPT. Two ships, each a 3-man command pod with a docking port on top and an orange tank with a Mainsail on the bottom (because why not) crashed into each other in very close to a perfect X configuration, at about 100m/s relative velocity. The orange tanks explody-vanished, and the command pods and mainsails kept going on their merry ways, no longer connected to each other.

I'm sure the first successful one was nowhere near as cool.

[max_creative]

To be exact, mine was a 500 or so ton interplanetary hab with no RCS,. Basically no SAS, and big solar panels getting in the way. The other was a CTV with barely any monopropellant and 4 weak RCS quads. And I have to 3 more times. 

[Waxing_Kibbous]

For me good practice for docking was/is doing LKO rescues- My first one was from pretty far away, like >500m, but now I get within 10-20m just for fun and to get really comfortable with getting in close to another vessel. I've docked without RCS before* (albeit with a pretty small and nimble vessel) just because I got so used to doing close approaches without it.

 

*not on purpose One always has to forget something, it's an unwritten rule

Edited April 4, 2016 by Waxing_Kibbous

[Docsprock]

I have only successfully docked twice, (2 times), in 2000 hrs of play. It took me about 5 straight hours last time. I wont be doing it again.

[Yanksxx21]

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I struggle with those dang manuver nodes.

[Peder]

Docking have always been my favorite thing.

( I would say im an expert in docking and rendevouce )
First of all it is kind of impressive to fly find and dock with something so small in the sky..
Since then I build advanced space stations and planets on other planets ect.

I think my first docking was after 7 houres or so since that is how long it took me to figure out how to build a rocket that could go into orbit for the very first time in ( version 16 of ksp or something like that )

After that i saw a youtube video about docking and how to navigate ect. and well docking have always been very natural for me.

I cannot remember what I dock the very first time, but i think it was the two 1 person black capsuls.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Peder

[lazykidgz]

I first docked just over a week ago, I 'tried' to do a space station thingy and got my 1st part to orbit with no problem.

However, I brain-farted when I sent my docker(2nd part) without the RCS thruster block, instead I put like 16 linear ports around my ship. Which gave me NO vertical control while trying to dock...

So, being me, I docked without RCS at all, eyeballed my line of sight with docking ports and only used my engine to cancel relative velocity and angles, and after like 5 tries, it finally happened! Was very proud of myself haha

[Avatarium]

My first time docking was a nightmare. I pulled out my hair by the handfuls and could gnaw on a ten-penny nail into thumb tacks. I had put a contract station into LKO with science lab and room for 5 Kerbals. I wanted it to be a refueling station ... so I had the large orange tank and a mono that fit it as well. Then I accepted a contract to add to my station. Another science lab and make station have room for 15. I had done several rescue missions and thought I could get the job done. Boy did I fool myself. Yes I was born on April 1st to boot. Just turned 50 btw. But I had used all my liquid fuel and oxidizer making a close encounter. I had only mono to slow my craft down then to speed back up. took me 3hrs to get close. Ran out of mono when I was 70m away. I drifted in and docked. Surprised myself. Did not dock a the port I wanted and ended up destroying a set of solar panels. Was relieve but miffed. I left it like that.   

[Navy2k]

At my first docking I overshot my target about 15 times including 2 quickloads because i ranout of fuel, was very frustrating but i slowly got the hang of it. After that i gut pretty good the next 50-100hours playtime. I now tried it again without mechjeb after 1500h and i must say it took a bit to get beck to the level I already where. But it was a bit like riding a bike after a few years and beers, you get where you want to be. =)

 

 

[Curveball Anders]

I did my first 5-6 dockings manually, then I switched to MJ.

Now I always dock new designs manually 1-2 times, then I delegate

[moogoob]

Docking isn't that hard. I had lots of practice in Orbiter first. Keep it slow, you have all the time in the world. Now rendezvous... THAT took me a very long time watching MechJeb and Scott Manley to figure out.

2 hours ago, Curveball Anders said:

I did my first 5-6 dockings manually, then I switched to MJ.

Now I always dock new designs manually 1-2 times, then I delegate

Mechjeb uses ten times the monoprop that it needs to when docking. If you've got lots, you're fine.

[theend3r]

8 minutes ago, moogoob said:

Docking isn't that hard. I had lots of practice in Orbiter first. Keep it slow, you have all the time in the world. Now rendezvous... THAT took me a very long time watching MechJeb and Scott Manley to figure out.

Mechjeb uses ten times the monoprop that it needs to when docking. If you've got lots, you're fine.

I always dock manually as it's a child's play for me now but from what I heard, MJ doesn't waste as much monoprop lately.

[moogoob]

Just now, theend3r said:

I always dock manually as it's a child's play for me now but from what I heard, MJ doesn't waste as much monoprop lately.

Really? I'll have to try it out when I get home!

(still going to dock manually most of the time, but it would be nice for repetitive missions if MJ's gotten its act together a bit)

[Curveball Anders]

10 hours ago, moogoob said:

Docking isn't that hard. I had lots of practice in Orbiter first. Keep it slow, you have all the time in the world. Now rendezvous... THAT took me a very long time watching MechJeb and Scott Manley to figure out.

Mechjeb uses ten times the monoprop that it needs to when docking. If you've got lots, you're fine.

It's not hard, but it's boring

I like to design and build stuff, flying them is just to prove that my design works.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Curveball Anders
gramar

[CattyNebulart]

My first few attempts ended in failure even after watching some youtube videos on it, but then there was a tutorial video on docking by scot manly and then I finally succeeded. Burned through several hundred units of monoprop though.

[moogoob]

25 minutes ago, Curveball Anders said:

It's not hard, but it's boring

I like to design and build stuff, flying them is just to prove that I design works.

Sure, not much happens, it's mostly drifting actually, punctuated by a bit of panic when you realize that you're 10 meters ABOVE where you wanted to be. Some I guess just don't find it boring. I find drifting in to a dock can be strangely relaxing after what may have been a harrowing ascent for your poor Kerbals.

[mrclucks]

I first used mechjeb to dock for me while building a space station and saw how slow and in efficient it was compared to the videos I saw of people docking with ease.  I thought what the heck and researched on how, and thus I discovered the ijklhn keys.  Now I use the keys for everything especially docking

[rcp27]

In my first attempt at rendezvous I had picked up on the technique to burn towards the target then burn retrograde to kill relative motion idea. What I failed to do was make sure the nav ball was in "target" mode, so when I burned retrograde I just de-orbited my ship. That was a bit of an oops.

[max_creative]

I figured it out on my own. Gene Kerman's tutorial is so not useful.

[msasterisk]

Below is a timeline of my attempts at docking, starting at 0.90. Each event is separated by a line break.

My first docking attempt: couldn't figure out orbital mechanics. Gave up.

A while later, I discovered RCS.

Made my first rendezvous when I finally learned orbital mechanics to some degree.

Learned about target mode on the navball, didn't know what it did though.

After a de-orbit happened instead of a rendezvous, I thought the prograde marker in target mode was which way the target was facing. In fact, I had simply forgotten to switch to target mode.

Figured out what the markers meant.

Worked out how to move in on the target by keeping the retrograde node on the antitarget node.

Docked!

Kerpallo missions.

Kir station.

Minmus planetary base.

By now, nearly six months have passed. Career mode saves have risen and fallen, sandbox LKOs have been cluttered with debris, and 1.0 has come out. Visiting an earlier save, I came upon two ships, drifting through space in each other's general direction, and realized that my first docking attempt had never been finished. I took control and docked the two ships with only the main engine.

In conclusion, my first docking attempt took about half a year to finish. Have fun!