What Is The Most Difficult Docking Method?

[NeoMorph]

I think it is the one where the docking port is on top of the craft rather than the along the axis of the craft. Getting lined up sends the SAS crazy if the RCS isn't perfectly balanced and then it is really twitchy when you almost touch becuase the ship is shaking like it's in a heavy gale due to moving so slow and each correction moves the ship one way and then the SAS over corrects and then tries to fix it but in the meantime you have entered another correction and the SAS is now trying to null that out too.

But when you finally dock the overhead port to the underneath port of another craft you get a really good feeling...

Here is the result...

[satcharna]

I once put docking ports for extra fuel tanks between the wings on my biplane spaceplane, without considering that docking would require me to go in in one direction, spin around without taking out the control surfaces I'd need for reentry, and then move in sideways without damaging the tail of the plane.

I never put docking ports there again.

[MRab2]

Blindfolded

[Temstar]

I once docked a spaceplane with an inline, upwards pointing docking port to the under side of a space station

...using the main engines after running out of RCS fuel

...when I docked, the main engines where out of fuel too, the last puff of thrust to send me upwards used up the very last drop of fuel

...I was moving on all three axis in relation to the station, I just happened to bump into it when the two docking ports brushed against each other

It was 20% skill and 80% pure unadulterated dumb luck, I hope I never have to do that again.

[SunJumper]

Most difficult docking method I've done? A two-command-pod craft that is only capable of docking, and even then, is only really able to transfer crew (which is easier without docking).

Most difficult docking method ever? Invert the movement/roll keys, etc, and dock with an upside down command pod, without RCS, while modding the ports to repel each other, such that they must touch with 10cm/s of motion to dock, and give them a collision tolerance of 20cm/s.

So, does impossible count as difficult?

[Krizzen]

Try docking an L-shaped craft. The shifted CoM makes literally every input send the craft rotating and translating in a very unintuitive direction. I did this, and I recommend no one attempt it. You will pull out all your hair, guaranteed.

Oh, and when you have a docking port misaligned, I think you can right-click and click "Control from Here" and it will re-orient your nav ball. Alternatively, you can place a pod of some sort aligned with the docking port in question.

[toric5]

i thought it would be by using SRBs...

[Fractal_UK]

My most difficult docking was docking two spaceplanes to an interplanetary tug, due to some kind of bug the docking ports were translationally displaced from their actual location meaning that whenever I pointed my docking port at the target on the navball, they were actually pointing at an arbitrary hull section rather than the actual docking port. I had to do usual docking procedures to get close then just eyeball the rest.

To make matters worse, I had to dock two of these spaceplanes (one on each side) of the interplanetary tug and both at identical angles in order to preserve the ship's centre of mass. Trying to go to Jool without a centre of mass in the middle of the ship would not have been my idea of fun...

Anyway, after a while, the mission was accomplished.

[SkyRender]

Any docking made with unbalanced thrust is going to make for not-fun times. On two different occasions I managed to put myself in a situation where my docking craft was using RCS situated at the rear of the center of mass relative to the target. Made adjusting for differences in position a nightmare, let me tell you...

[Nibb31]

The most difficult docking method is when you play KSP drunk.

[llamatoes]

My hardest docking was when I was coming in from above, for a triple dock, so I had a secure connection, but I didn't need it , I was accelerating at about 0.2 of a g

[Jokurr]

Having your docking port not on the same axis as your C of M is a total pain. I once tried using the inline docking port on a ship as my original design did not have room for one. It was way off from where the C of M was, and that was probably the most frustrating experience I’ve ever had in the game. Never am I doing that again, I’m always sure to make room for a docking port that on the same axis as the C of M, and that RCS thrusters are symmetrical about that point.

[katateochi]

i thought it would be by using SRBs...

Thats so Kerbal, we need to ask Scott Manley to attempt that in a vid!

The most difficult docking method is when you play KSP drunk.

I've tried this, big mess, bigger headache. Almost anything KSP is impossible under the influence!

Most difficult docking I've done was on the night side, pitch black and I'd forgotten to put any lights on either craft. Couldn't see a darned thing. So I one aligned prograde, the other retro, so I knew the ports were facing in the right direction and then did the dock using just navball feedback. It was very satisfying and darn good training.

When doing docking with a port not on the crafts axis, I select the offset port and set "control from here" on it. That makes it a load easier as it shifts the control round.

[Noticeably FAT]

For me it's actually a tossup between docking from the map and docking a stupidly unbalanced tiny little craft. It was little more than a probe core, mapping dish, a single large solar panel and ion drive/tank. Then to move four of them from the delivery vehicle to the interplanetary mission I made a little 'tug' out of an RCS tank and thrusters. It had next to no ability to translate (it wanted to just spin), and more thrust than it could ever need.

[ZedNova]

Docking with only one engine.

[Tristavius]

Docking 150 tons of fuel with a 3-way adapter to a station already massing in excess of 300 tons without effective RCS and about 1 FPS.

While drunk.

Man that took some careful 0.1m/s approaching.

[NeoMorph]

Oooh... I wonder if you do docking with using multiple sepatrons. Would be scary as hell.

[Vostok]

I'd say the most difficult is where your two ships are in opposite orbits. You've gotta get it right first time, see?

[Phawks]

I'd say the most difficult is where your two ships are in opposite orbits. You've gotta get it right first time, see?

Yeah, alignment becomes a huge issue in that case. Then again, so does an approach velocity on the order of 3-5 km/s. That does give you a spectacular display of fireworks, however; either from the massive engines you use to slow down, or from the collision itself.

My XO in ROTC sent me a video of exactly this same thing. The title was his trademark phrase, "Have you ever seen the Hulk f*** a freight train at full speed?"

I was disappointed as he only partially delivered; there was no Hulk, nor freight train, to be found. There were Kerbals on EVA though. And they enjoyed it​. As did I.