Rendezvous with Real Solar System/10x Kerbol System

[dlrk]

I had taken a break from KSP, and more or less forgot how to rendezvous. I'm also now using 10x Kerbal system, based on RSS.

Would anyone be able to explain the best way to rendezvous and dock with an orbiting spacecraft?

[Xetalim]

Well, nothing changes except that you need more dV to get into orbit. Nothing changes(according to me, nothing changes, there are probably people out there who think something else, correct me if i am wrong.)

[Guest]

Well, nothing changes except that you need more dV to get into orbit. Nothing changes(according to me, nothing changes, there are probably people out there who think something else, correct me if i am wrong.)

^this.

Also, I think NathanKell forked Alex Moon's launch window planner for RSS; if I'm hallucinating then it's really easy to adapt the planner to whatever Kerbin you use (I forked it for a 6.4:1 Kerbin).

[dlrk]

Heh, that's what I thought, but I don't seem to remember how to rendezvous at all, or my method was ridiculously bad(seems to to take ~2000DV for the rendezvous, even if launching right into the inclination).

A new explanation would really be helpful here, (:

[Awaras]

The easiest way without using launches timed to launch straight to a rendezvous is this:

Get into an orbit that is a few kilometers lower than the orbit of your target. (I'm assuming that your target is in a circular orbit and is NOT in a lowest possible orbit. If it is as low as possible, the same principle works if you get into an orbit a few kilometers ABOVE your target). Make sure to match inclinations.

Once in orbit, select the craft you are docking with as target. Then set up a maneuver node anywhere a few minutes ahead of your craft and increase the prograde value until your projected apoapsis reaches the altitude of your target. You should see the closest approach markers appear. (If you are starting from a higher orbit you do the same except retrograde).

Now left click on the center circle of the maneuver node and, holding the left mouse button drag the maneuver node around your orbit until you get an as-close-as-possible intercept (1-2 km is fine). Execute the maneuver node. Click on your velocity indicator above the navball to switch to 'Target' mode.

Once you are a few kilometers from your target, burn retrograde until your relative velocity is zero. Point towards your target (pink marker on navball) and accelerate to around 20-40 m/s. As you orbit, you will start to gain lateral velocity relative to your target, so you will probably not be able to get close enough to dock with just one burn.

Once you are as close as possible, again burn retrograde to zero out your velocity. Point towards your target again, accelerate to 5-10 m/s. Rince and repeat until you are close enough to dock.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Awaras

[JiWint]

get into orbit.Then one point of your orbit to touch targets orbit.Do a few orbits while raising periapsis and you'll see

[DonLorenzo]

I uploaded a rendez-vous tutorial just yesterday:

It's not in RSS, but the principles don't care about planet size

[Captain Sierra]

The easiest way without using launches timed to launch straight to a rendezvous is this:

Get into an orbit that is a few kilometers lower than the orbit of your target. (I'm assuming that your target is in a circular orbit and is NOT in a lowest possible orbit. If it is as low as possible, the same principle works if you get into an orbit a few kilometers ABOVE your target). Make sure to match inclinations.

Once in orbit, select the craft you are docking with as target. Then set up a maneuver node anywhere a few minutes ahead of your craft and increase the prograde value until your projected apoapsis reaches the altitude of your target. You should see the closest approach markers appear. (If you are starting from a higher orbit you do the same except retrograde).

Now left click on the center circle of the maneuver node and, holding the left mouse button drag the maneuver node around your orbit until you get an as-close-as-possible intercept (1-2 km is fine). Execute the maneuver node. Click on your velocity indicator above the navball to switch to 'Target' mode.

Once you are a few kilometers from your target, burn retrograde until your relative velocity is zero. Point towards your target (pink marker on navball) and accelerate to around 20-40 m/s. As you orbit, you will start to gain lateral velocity relative to your target, so you will probably not be able to get close enough to dock with just one burn.

Once you are as close as possible, again burn retrograde to zero out your velocity. Point towards your target again, accelerate to 5-10 m/s. Rince and repeat until you are close enough to dock.

Quick addendum to this is that you want to be above the target if you are ahead of it and below the target if it is ahead of you (ahead being used in the context of progress around the planet.

[Tank Buddy]

I have a video that may help: Rendezvous Starts at ~ 7:10

[Guest]

One more thing. Watch your inclination! Really, if you don't do it right at launch, it'll eat up half you dV before you can even think about a rendezvous. Changing inclination is bloody expensive IRL, and RSS simulates that. If you've got more than 0.1 degree of inclination to correct, you might have trouble (about 0.5 degrees and it's a scrub if you're using a Soyuz). I've ran afoul of this a few times. Otherwise, it's just like in normal-scale KSP, just that it takes longer due to dVs involved (you really want to watch your fuel in RSS).