Satellite rescue. Without docking port

[ceauke]

Hi guys

How can I deorbit a satellite that is stuck in Kerbin orbit? My satellite has no fuel.

I tried building a ship with 6 big catching arms (like a baseball glove) in front and try to push it retrograde, but it's super difficult for me. COG is a mess and once I lose the stranded ship from the glove, it's spinning uncontrollably.

Any ideas?

Any ideas using STOCK parts?

Next time I'm adding docking ports to all my ships.

Edited December 15, 2013 by ceauke

[sal_vager]

I'd try a cone of girders or plates on the front of the craft, so the probe will naturally slide to the center of mass of your vessel, you could then push it (carefully, you want your engines to be able to cope with any off axis load) until its periapsis is low enough

[quasarrgames]

The baseball glove idea is pretty much the best one out there for this situation. But you will need to fine-tune it. try making a chamber big enough to house the satellite, with about 20 or so landing legs on the front to open and close it and keep the satellite steady once you have it. You may also need vectoring engines and reaction wheels for the deorbit burn in case the satellite is A symmetrical. There are other methods that you can use, but they may be slightly harder. If this method doesn't work, tell me.

[Panzerbeard]

What Sal said, just build a big collection bin using the structural panels and put landing legs around the opening, so you can close it once you've scooped up the vehicle.

Of course, if you're not adverse to using mods, Kerbal Attachment System is a fun way of doing it too.

[makinyashikino]

Just put another satellite in a retrograde orbit to the first one, that way you destroy both satellites with about 4km/s relative velocity.

[Smidge204]

If all else fails, you can use HyperEdit to either "land" it or simply delete it outright. Presumably you want to do it legit, so you're just gonna have to keep trying with the "catcher" ship to deorbit.

Note of warning: Don't use time acceleration; the ships will pass right through each other oscillation overthruster style.

=Smidge=

[ceauke]

Thanks for the great idea about the landing legs. Here I was dreaming of having version .24 with hinges and hydrolics ;-) and meantime I can just user landing legs.

Another question... How do the saves work in carreer mode? I dont want to fly the same mission over and over again. Can i save before the catch so I can reload and retry?

[Smidge204]

Quicksave/Load ought to work fine in career mode.

If you want, you can give yourself "extra saves" by going into the /saves/(game name) folder wherever KSP is installed and making copies of the quicksave.sfs file. Restore these copies to revert to a previous quicksave.

=Smidge=

[LethalDose]

If the center of Mass gets squirrelly after you catch the satellite, you could try making the rest of the craft massive enough so that the satellite's mass is relatively insignificant and can't cause too many problems.

[Kasuha]

If the center of Mass gets squirrelly after you catch the satellite, you could try making the rest of the craft massive enough so that the satellite's mass is relatively insignificant and can't cause too many problems.

Mass won't help. If you need to fight unbalanced ship, pack enough SAS modules.

[DisarmingBaton5]

Mass won't help. If you need to fight unbalanced ship, pack enough SAS modules.

^This, or RCS. Or you could just be careful.