Docking Tutorial-RCS problems

[Klapaucius]

5 hours ago, VoidSquid said:

Following your way literally, that would mean for me using my right hand for the HNIJKL keys and consequently then the left hand for the mouse to manipulate the camera, having my arms and hands crossed that way, right?  That would look very silly and awkward, lol  

Crossed arms silly? Check out the video at 2:20.  Better yet, watch the whole thing! 

 

 

[Jake_IV]

Just read through this again. It should almost be a tutorial. 

However, I couldn't help but notice the drum sets don't dock. Just like my craft.  I think it still comes down to practice and patience on my part, though. 

Which leads me to a question. Is there a way to calculate (or guesstimate) how long I have to dock once I get a close rendezvous before the craft start to head in different orbital directions? 

[bewing]

6 hours ago, Jake_IV said:

Which leads me to a question. Is there a way to calculate (or guesstimate) how long I have to dock once I get a close rendezvous before the craft start to head in different orbital directions? 

The problem is that if you come to a close rendezvous, and come to a 0.0 relative velocity dead stop -- then the answer is "instantaneously" to some degree of accuracy. So 1) you need to specify the minimum relative speed that classifies as "different orbital directions", 2) it depends on your orbital velocity, because it's a lot different at 2200 m/s than it is as 150 m/s, 3) it depends on the geometric configuration of the two rendezvoused ships and their exact distance -- a ship at 100m normal separation is going to have a nearly identical orbital period, and one with a 100m altitude difference is going to have a totally different period. And it's the difference in periods that is the main cause for orbital drift.

But just to put a number on it, in LKO after a rendevous and dead stop, I usually figure I have 30 seconds before things start to drift too badly.