Serious problems with interception/docking

[technion]

Early efforts at docking should involve ports at the front/rear of a rocket. Sideways ports like you have are way harder to hit, and you have reasonable chances of running into bugs where ksp points the pink indicator badly as you get close.

[Pecan]

Example practice docking drone (you need two of them!). Once launched these have enough fuel and RCS to change orbits, rendezvous and dock several times. Obviously, this depends on how good you are at it though :-(

Note that RCS is initially on the CoM-line but will move depending on relative use of RCS/rocket fuel (above and below the CoM respectively). Make sure you keep the battery charged by orienting the solar panel to face the sun.

1.573t, (Kerbin) TWR 1.14, (vacuum) deltaV 1,314m/s.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Pecan

[Yarrula]

I learned how to dock by watching mechjeb do it. Video Tutorials and articles are one thing, but watching the auto pilot do it in game was much more helpful. Once you've seen it done a few times, practice turning mj off at different points and take over manually. With practice, you shouldn't need mods at all.