Signs you've mastered the art of docking

[rosenkranz]

That should be a catch phrase for this game

No doubt!

On another note, for clean tanks. IIRC, KAS will allow a Kerbal to grab an RCS block (they can grab a lot of thing, but i've not tested this). You could dock a tank(s) with a tug and have a Kerbal EVA to retrieve the blocks. These might be useful later.

[chuangatronic]

How so? I always turn the target port to match the direction of approach of the other ship. It makes docking quicker and simpler and doesn't use any fuel if you just use reaction wheels. Seems like a no-brainer to me...

Jsfalconero pretty much nailed it on the head for the most part. If you're docking to a part heavy system, the less disturbance the better. Also, try docking to an unmanned, unprobed, unpowered station, that's the worst...

[Garek]

My most awesome docking was when I assembled my station: I already had the core with a tug in orbit. So I would launch the next module to the station, directly, no parking orbit. Get it to about 200m and stop relative, then have the tug fetch the module from the launcher and dock it to the station, while the launcher floats in the distance, waiting to be deorbited (Probe control ftw).

[Anton P. Nym]

You are right, but his celebrity in the KSP community seems to provide immunity to criticism in regards to his skill.

Scott Manley isn't popular because of his 1337 skillz, but because he can get the job done and explain how he did it in a manner that folks can understand and copy. Criticising his skill is pretty much moot.

-- Steve

[Psycix]

Good point, I'd also like to add that while he may not be the best, he is usually the first [to make a video about it]

I have learned a lot of interesting KSP ideas, phenomena and exploits by watching his videos.

[Smidge204]

I know I've gotten pretty good at docking since I'm now able to connect on the first try, with zero bumping/wiggling between apparent contact and when it zooms out to show you the joined craft. Just a gentle kiss and BOOM! Perfect!

Still use RCS, but generally not much.

The problem with the "align COM" technique is it's not very good if your docking port is, for whatever reason, far away from the COM or if the axis of the docking port doesn't pass through the COM. For example, if you are using an Inline Clamp-O-Tron.

A better indication is the navball. If you have "control from here" for one docking port and the other port set as the target, then the target and pro/retrograde markers can be used. If both docking ports are aligned (e.g. point one ship "North" and the other "South") then just put the prograde marker as exactly centered on the target marker as you can, and they'll dock. Use SAS to hold the target ship steady.

How do you rotate large ships? I've tried adding more ASAS modules (particularly near the CG), but that doesn't seem to work very well.

1: For now, the smaller reaction wheels provide the same torque as the larger ASAS rings, but with much less mass. This will probably be fixed in a future release, so git while the gittin' 's good as they say.

2: It doesn't matter where you place reaction wheels, rotation will always be about the COM for a free-floating body. (Proof available upon request, but just try it in KSP for yourself!)

=Smidge=

[Seret]

Quite right, but a large station with heavy parts pointed off in random directions is liable to experience unplanned explosive disassembly if you try and maneuver it too much.

Probably not a good idea to design stations with heavy parts pointed off in random directions then eh?

I always keep rotation in mind when I design mine. The central component is always a manuever core containing sets of reaction wheels, heavy components are kept close to the core and I try and keep them pretty balanced.

[ComradeGoat]

If you have to reorient the station you're doing it wrong. You have to be able to dock without RCS without reorienting your target also, otherwise it's a useless endeavor.

I can, and have, but it is quite tedious, especially in low orbit round a small body, where tidal forces are significant.

[SuperBigD60]

Scott Manley isn't popular because of his 1337 skillz, but because he can get the job done and explain how he did it in a manner that folks can understand and copy. Criticising his skill is pretty much moot.

-- Steve

Agreed, though I couldn't find those words

Also, you guys are insane, I could never be that effective in my docking. Although I can at least set up a rendezvouz and dock better than mechjeb, so there's that

[acealeam]

• Being annoyed at MJ's ability to dock efficiently. Only mildly annoyed. It's not like it's a lot of work, anyway.
  

I disagree. That's how I learned docking. Mechjeb flipped out and I had to step in to get this thing docked. Many ripped out strands of hair and an hour later, I had done it. Plus, it's almost a little deterrent for using it. Not enough for it to matter much, but a little bit.

[czokletmuss]

Signs you've mastered the art of docking

Docking without RCS thrusters.

I was playing 0.22 carrer mode and I was in the middle of Minmus Apollo-style misssion (Minmus orbit rendez-vous) when I realized I don't have any RCS thrusters nor monopropellant. I said "oh well" and docked using main engine. When I was buidling the next spacecraft I realized what have I accomplished

[Cooly568]

Docking without RCS thrusters.

I was playing 0.22 carrer mode and I was in the middle of Minmus Apollo-style misssion (Minmus orbit rendez-vous) when I realized I don't have any RCS thrusters nor monopropellant. I said "oh well" and docked using main engine. When I was buidling the next spacecraft I realized what have I accomplished

I've been knocking ships in the right direction since 0.18, I almost never use RCS to dock.

[Shalashalska]

When you dock a 300 ton kethane miner to a 2600 ton spacedock which has no rcs and only the only SAS on the station comes from a single cupola. While you have an FPS of 10.

[[email protected]]

When you dock a 300 ton kethane miner to a 2600 ton spacedock which has no rcs and only the only SAS on the station comes from a single cupola. While you have an FPS of 10.

I learned to stop docking massive ships (.17?) when every time I reloaded the Kraken paid me a visit and ripped apart my stations, or they simply vanished like my Minmus station which had been in a 50 KM equatorial orbit...it seriously just vanished after I had brought all my ships out and docked them in preperation for my Duna hop.

[cloudflint]

You know when you have mastered docking when your flight plan for missions involving docking pretty much consists of "Go there and dock"

[Shalashalska]

I learned to stop docking massive ships (.17?) when every time I reloaded the Kraken paid me a visit and ripped apart my stations, or they simply vanished like my Minmus station which had been in a 50 KM equatorial orbit...it seriously just vanished after I had brought all my ships out and docked them in preperation for my Duna hop.

I get around that by docking, unloading kethane, and then undocking without reloading.

Also, I just used orbital construction to make a replacement station, except this time it's 2500 tons without rocketparts, probably something like 10000 tons with rocketparts. The old one had a distinct lack of docking ports after I docked the kethane miner at above 0.3 m/s a few times. Apparently, docking port seniors do not like catching 270 ton kethane miners that are going at more than 0.3 m/s, even after strutting them onto the craft.

[Kerbart]

When you dock a 300 ton kethane miner to a 2600 ton spacedock which has no rcs and only the only SAS on the station comes from a single cupola. While you have an FPS of 10.

Well yeah if you have it moving that smoothly docking is easy...

[Rocketscience101]

When you run a Kerbal out of pack fuel around the mun, and then you have to bring an unmanned ship to him.

[thereaverofdarkness]

1.) Looking away from the screen and focusing on the nav ball because it's more accurate and useful.

2.) Ships always dock immediately, never wobble around first.

3.) Not bothering to put RCS on your rocket because it's more fuel mass efficient to set a trajectory that leads you directly into the docking port.

[Psycix]

I wonder if you guys also do this:

I turn of SAS right before touching the ports. This allows the magnetic pull to rotate the ports towards eachother and gives more tolerance, even a terrible off-center dock can easily wobble to center itself.

Edited November 22, 2013 by Psycix

[Kerbart]

I wonder if you guys also do this:

I turn of SAS right before touching the ports. This allows the magnetic pull to rotate the ports towards eachother and gives more tolerance, even a terrible off-center dock can easily wobble to center itself.

I used too. Then again I'm nailing it too much these days to get any wobble in the first place. Docking goes more like this: “Distance 1.5... 1.4... 1.3... 1.2... 1.1... SSSCHWOP aaaaand we're dockedâ€Â

But turning off SAS is a great trick if you're struggling to line up the ports, that's for sure!

[-RanZ-]

I have mastered docking... once you learn how to utilize the nav ball and how to match orbits without map mode it is quite easy. Also, when I figured out chase view the actual docking process was much easier

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

I did it. And I was overwhelmingly proud when I managed it the first time

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[Caelib]

Coming out of "Map View" and realize you're 100m from your target after rendezvous.

[Alchemist]

Docking without the navball and with maneuvering around the target? Soyuz T-13 style.