Docking?

[shaunlake]

As you know, the 0.14 update is out this week. Maybe.

So, this update gives us the opportunity of making space stations. I\'ve tried to put a small station into orbit, but it didn\'t work. So, the solution is a modular space station, which is welded directly in the orbit.

Does anybody have any ideas of making 'docking' node?

[Ydoow]

Persistence is .14

Docking is planned for .15

There won\'t be any true way to dock until then.

You can approach, and touch. But not much aside from that

[Zephram Kerman]

Maybe build a ship with two long, wobbly arms that squeeze together like a clip. Bash them together in orbit to build a short chain. Preferably without explosions, tumbling, screaming and crying. But you\'d have to hit it hard enough to push the two clips together. (Is that a dilemma, or 'finesse'?)

[Gojira]

Persistence is .14

Docking is planned for .15

There won\'t be any true way to dock until then.

You can approach, and touch. But not much aside from that

You seem to forget the modding API that\'s coming with 0.14.

[shaunlake]

Maybe just tree big arms made of fuel tanks. Between them just a little place for a shuttle. But it works only with shuttle (it does? i\'ve tried). How about modular space stations?

[JupiterII]

Shouldn\'t it be possible for modders to make a docking part? With the ability to code your own parts.

[SteevyT]

Docking in action, all stock parts too.

Notice how the extended landing gear holds the two craft (well, pieces of craft) together.

[Alehkhs]

Docking in action, all stock parts too.

Notice how the extended landing gear holds the two craft (well, pieces of craft) together.

Nice. I had posted this elsewhere last night:

Cool to see a variation on the concept.

[SteevyT]

Aw, I thought I was first.

I guess that\'s what I get for sleeping.

[shaunlake]

SteevyT

Alehkhs,

THAT is the kind of docking node I was trying to create. Thanx men, I think your ideas deserve a great cookie.

[dvc]

Nice. I had posted this elsewhere last night:

Cool to see a variation on the concept.

I said WTF? in 3:02..

U shud work for ESA man ;]

[Ydoow]

Nice. I had posted this elsewhere last night:

Cool to see a variation on the concept.

That really reminds me of a type of vesicular transport used by human cells.

I can\'t, for the life of me, remember the name of it. I know it starts with a C (cAMP? Clapta?) and binds around molecules looking similar to a spherical carbon

Anyhow, I\'m really really impressed and awestruck. Very great craft for cleaning up the atmosphere of junk, or maybe make a game of soccer with them

[Shiar]

an excellent idea is Space football. But for now I suppose we\'re going to have to be content with shooting penalties.

[SteevyT]

Imagine the tackles in space football. (or did you mean European?)

KSP Orbital Collision

[StelarCF]

Imagine the tackles in space football. (or did you mean European?)

KSP Orbital Collision

Awesome.

[Shiar]

Imagine the tackles in space football. (or did you mean European?)

European (and the entire rest of the world) Football.

[Twinky827]

I think there\'s a docking claw in a parts pack that sticks to thinks when you activate....

[Nibb31]

No, the docking ring parts are not functional yet. They are just for show.

It is feasible to build a docking system based on landing legs. I succeeded in two rendez-vous and grappling attempts with such a device:

- First was a Gemini 4 type mission, where I was able to separate from my upper stage, turn around, and dock with it again. This was pretty successful, with a hard dock, but the assembly started a wild spin. I had to detach the upper stage before my kerbals blacked out.

- Second was a Gemini 6-7 type mission, where I was able to rendez-vous, approach, and grapple the other craft (unfortunately at an angle) with the landing legs. Unfortunately, because ASAS doesn\'t work on the target spacecraft, I was unable to connect the two docking pods face to face, so I only got a 30° angle when the landing legs closed. Once grappled, again, everything started spinning wildly. I was unable to take any pictures because it was really unstable and after a few seconds the spacecraft were thrown apart in opposite directions.

So basically, I don\'t think docking is possible yet, beven if someone comes up with a docking adapter plugin, because:

1) There is no attitude control on the passive spacecraft. Its orbit is on rails, but it just tumbles, as if the ASAS (or MechJeb, I tried both) wasn\'t active, although they were. This makes it very hard (or near impossible) to align and achieve a nice point to point dock.

2) When you have grappled an ship, something puts the whole thing into a uncontrolled spin or tumble, which makes it unstable. This might be because of the ASAS or MechJeb trying to recover control and miscalculating the mass or shape of the docked spacecraft.