Forums / Discussion / General

Post everything Kerbal Space Program-related. Please. Think about Jebediah.

May I introduce you the proud work of my mouse, keyboard, and a week of learning how to rendezvous: The Kerbal Space Station

generic name, I know.

Hmm have you got any advice about space stations? I really want to create one of them but the only thing i have done so far is sending a drone to the moon. And destroying afterwards.

Yeah. Space stations, our first topic can be this..

Here's a tutorial that explains docking pretty well. Also a set of written instructions on the wiki.
Basically, you get your ship in an orbit of similar size to your target, but not exactly the same. Use the "set as target" feature and maneuver nodes to achieve this. Since either you or your target is closer to the earth, one will be moving faster, and eventually catch up to the other. This could take several complete orbits, but hey. Once your nearest intercept is close enough to your target (say, less than 5 km), use maneuver nodes to bring your orbit to the same size as your target's. Then, switch your navball to "target" mode. The speedometer will show your speed relative to the target, and the prograde/retrograde markers will mark where to increase/decrease this speed. Once you've gotten to within a hundred meters of your target (and your relative speed is less than 1 m/s), turn on RCS and switch to docking mode (between the staging marker and the orbital map marker). Here, the RCS will move you up, down, left, right, forward, and backward, as opposed to just pushing the ship in the direction you want it to turn. Scoot up toward the ship. Then, switch to the target "[" or "]" so that you can line its docking port up with your ship's. Switch back to your ship, then gently nudge the docking ports together. They'll start attracting each other if they're close enough. Once they've attracted, just ram your ship forward to seal the lock.

Well, space stations aren't too hard to build once you learn how to rendezvous easily. If you're a noob, like I was, it isn't very easy to intercept a target for the first time. It takes practice, so make a ship with docking nodes that you can deploy twice. And make sure you have a decent amount of fuel, too.

In an effort to get this thread off the ground (heh… heh…), I present you with my first interplanetary mission, Dunar Orbiter Mk 1 (I'm great with names).

Due to my somewhat sloppy planetary transfer, it's in a polar orbit. The rocket used for the mission was crashed into the Dunar surface.

I'll probably make a guide on rendezvousing this weekend, if I have time for it. I haven't managed to land anything on the surface of the Mun (I try, it's not easy), because my first mission I'm doing to the Mun is a Return mission. My lander is almost prepared, but I'm anxious. I tried several missions to the Mun before, a few I've landed but those few I did not manage to get back from.

I'll post pictures of that mission once I make the preparations for it, until then: good night.

F5 to quicksave, F9 to load it, if you didn't already know this. Helps a heap. I found that an MK 2 lander can with 4 small tanks and a big tank (of medium diameter) is enough to land and get back with fuel to spare.

I know how to quicksave, although I forget to sometimes (and that costs me).
Does anyone else also forget to quicksave?

Well, I know what channel to watch for a new KSP video now.