Stop a space station from spinning around?

[dryer_lint]

Hi guys!

So, recently I've been trying to do an orbital rendezvous/docking with my... "space station" (at the moment it's just one command pod ). Anyways, I was able to get close to it with my docking ship, but when I approached, I found it rotating around. When I switch to it, I can manually stop the spinning, but when I switch back, it just starts again... SAS is enabled but it doesn't do anything when I switch away.

So, does anyone know what the problem is here? Any help is appreciated!

[TechnicalK3rbal]

Are there any parts clipping on it? that can cause phantom rotation, and even, sometimes, actual motion.

[FiresThatBurn]

Any engines running? If not then try saving a quicksave(F5) and reloading(F9) Hope it helps! Oh and what mods are you using if any?

[Overjay]

Are there any parts clipping on it? that can cause phantom rotation, and even, sometimes, actual motion.

I double this post. Clipping can cause TOO WEIRD stuff (I have one station's orbital parameters, apo and peri, jumping between 1600 and 1200 very rapidly). Even if its enabled in editor.

[dryer_lint]

Hmm... I don't think any parts are clipping, I mean, it seems normal when you look at it.

[Taki117]

If you timewarp it will stop the rotation (even just 5x will do it)

[dryer_lint]

Yeah, but I can't move when timewarp is on

[Claw]

You are probably hitting the flight state bug with v0.23.5. Simply go to your space station and stop the rotation with SAS. Then press ALT-X to zero out your trim. Now you should be able to switch back to your ship and complete the docking.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Claw

[Claw]

I double this post. Clipping can cause TOO WEIRD stuff (I have one station's orbital parameters, apo and peri, jumping between 1600 and 1200 very rapidly). Even if its enabled in editor.

The debug part clipping enabled option only lets you clip parts in the editor, and does not effect behavior in flight. Clipping parts with the ALT+F12 clipping enabled carries a lot of risk, and can result in a lot of bad things if not done carefully.

[ScopusAurelius]

When you say it is rotating around, do you mean very slowly, as in about one rotation per orbit? Just enough to make a slow docking maneuver annoying? If so, then there is nothing you can do about this. If a port is facing the surface, 180 degrees on the other side of the body the port will be facing away from the surface. The relative positions are created by the station NOT spinning, actually.

Well, technically one could come up with a weight distribution that would net one revolution per one orbit and keep the docking ports from spinning, I suppose. I am lazy and simply stick my ports at the "bottom" and "top" of any stations.

[Claw]

... Well, technically one could come up with a weight distribution that would net one revolution per one orbit and keep the docking ports from spinning, I suppose. ...

You can't in stock KSP because there is no gravity gradient. So craft can't be tidally locked to Kerbin.

[ScopusAurelius]

Well, no, not tidally locked. But as long as you can cause spin by having a single beastly full tank 90 degrees off radially, one could spend weeks experimenting with a balancing act to "emulate" a 1:1.

We can cause spin, in stock, right? Hell, I need to lose all my mods and re-learn the game.

[Claw]

Well, no, not tidally locked. But as long as you can cause spin by having a single beastly full tank 90 degrees off radially, one could spend weeks experimenting with a balancing act to "emulate" a 1:1.

We can cause spin, in stock, right? Hell, I need to lose all my mods and re-learn the game.

Ahh well in that case I misunderstood what you were getting at.

So yes, in stock you can make things rotate. However, as soon as you time warp or leave the object, rotation will stop. So you could do it short term. I think there is also a mod that will restart rotation for you after warp, and someone is working on a mod that will maintain rotation through warp and while you are away from the craft.

Although I think all that is maybe straying off the thread's topic.