Mission using only IVA and Map View! IMAGE HEAVY, BEWARE!

[DisarmingBaton5]

Hello, fellow Space Agency owners/administrators/directors/mission controllers/pilots/whatever position one may claim for one's space agency, if any!

I was testing a low part lifter (see the Munshine thread) by throwing an orange tank into orbit. However, just putting a tank in space seemed useless, so I decided to give it a docking port and call it a docking target! However, I have docked many a time, and no longer find it challenging enough to warrant the use of a docking target without the associated station. Thus, I set myself a challenge: Dock to the target using only IVA and the Map view if necessary. (I used RasterPropMonitor to ease the trouble and to provide external cameras, but the rest is stock) The following is what ensued...

CREW:

Erfel Kerman, Commander, Pilot

Joefred Kerman, Docking Assistant, Guinea Pig

Munbart Kerman, SCIENCE^TM Officer (sandbox mode, but hey, why not)

MISSION PROFILE: Fly to, Rendezvous with, and Dock with the target using only the instruments inside the cockpit. (And some help from the map view navball )

CRAFT: The KTO3 uses an eighteen thruster OMS for thrusting in addition to thirty-two thrusters for Attitude Control. It is launched atop a Munshine III. Cameras are laid out as follows (MAKE A NOTE OF THIS IF YOU WANT A SENSE OF ORIENTATION FROM THE INSTRUMENTS):

ExtCam1: Docking Camera/Forward Camera, Attached to CM

ExtCam2: Rear Facing Camera, Attached to SM

ExtCam3: Port Camera, Attached to SM

ExtCam4: Starboard Camera, Attached to SM

ExtCam5: "Up" Facing Camera, Attached to SM

ExtCam6: "Down" Facing Camera, Attached to SM

ExtCam7: Forward Facing HullCam, Attached to Launcher

ExtCam8: Aft Facing HullCam, Attached to Launcher

MISSION:

First, the Docking Target must be launched into orbit and prepared for Rendevous and Docking.

With that in orbit, the KTO3 (manned spacecraft) is rolled out to the launchpad and begins its ascent.

After burning for too long during ascent, Erfel manages to push his spacecraft to a 215x95km orbit, which is suboptimal.

The Docking Target is targeted and the orbital ballet begins.

After many orbits, Erfel first sights the Orange tank on his docking camera! The crew is elated.

The spacecraft turns around to perform a "braking burn" and synchronize orbits with the target.

After managing to "park" next to the target, Erfel Kerman begins his journey toward the docking port. However, when he reaches the port and attempts a docking, the target begins to inexplicably tumble wildly! Erfel backs away from the target to observe the rate of spin. He captures these three images within seconds of each other:

Realizing he cannot dock to the target if it is spinning this way, and cannot dock when so low on monopropellant, Erfel decides to abandon the docking and begins a retrograde burn to return home.

He jettisons the Service Module once it runs dry of propellant, leaving him with only one camera.

Turning around to view the jettisoned SM

Erfel's final view of the SM before the CM is rotated to prepare for reentry

The pod is rotated back just as the top of the atmosphere is reached

The parachutes are deployed at a few km above the surface, then full chute deployment at 500m AGL. Erfel sees the great difference between AGL and ASL readings and realizes he will land in hilly terrain or possibly mountainous terrain. The crew braces for a hard impact.

Successful landing!

Erfel, Joefred, and Munbart all return safely, if after a partial failure during the mission. The docking target remains in orbit as a piece of debris to be cleaned up at a later date.

PARTIAL FAILURE

To anyone who has survived reading/looking this far: I highly recommend you try this yourself, whether you use stock parts of modded ones. RPM is like the KER or MJ of the cockpit, and yet seems to make the experience even more challenging. It was a lot of fun to fly this mission having only a limited amount of information at a time given the four screens and low rate at which the screens updated. Again, anyone reading this really should try out flying from the cockpit. It's a blast

[ThatKerbal]

Whered all those camera's come from!? I want them cameras! What mods! i like having tons of camera! i can see everything! what cameras!

[Deathsoul097]

Lolaks, if you would bother to read the last paragraph, you would know that they are from RPM (Raster Prop Monitor).

[DisarmingBaton5]

Lolaks, if you would bother to read the last paragraph, you would know that they are from RPM (Raster Prop Monitor).

Or the first

The cameras are so much fun. Try mounting them on airplanes; interesting results!