hah, I just did my first docking trip, too. I used this video to help me figure it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHkY3FusJIQ

Basically, start out in an orbit about 5k underneath the other vessel, and make it your target on the map. Then watch the intercept nodes to see when they get really close, 2-3k max, if you can help it. you'll probably have to orbit a few times. then, make a maneuver node for a SMALL transfer maneuver to push your AP up to the orbit of the other craft and make the burn. Switch your navball to Target mode (click on the Orbit/Surface label until it says target). Orbit 180degrees and burn in the retrograde direction according to the target navball until your speed hits zero.

At this point, you'll want to switch to the other craft, select the docking port, and click "control from here". This is only needed if your docking port is not directly opposite your engine. Anyway, take the craft and point it due north and turn on SAS. Switch back to the other craft.

With the other craft, use the target navball to get closer to the target by pointing straight at the pink circle and firing your engines. Get within 1km and point back to the retrograde and zero out your velocity. Repeat this until you can get within 25-100m. Then, turn on your RCS, switch control to your docking port, if necessary, and point due south (or the exact opposite of whatever the other craft is pointing). Then, just use the RCS controls to get close enough for the magnets on the docking ports to attract, and BAM, you're docked.

I do small movements with the RCS in one direction at a time, cancelling them out to zero my velocity back. I imagine as you get better you can do it faster by doing more than one direction, but it's hard to zero your velocity with just the navball and RCS, because the RCS directions don't make sense with how you're facing. I tried to rearrange my camera and ship to get it to make sense, but it still sucked.


Anyway, here is a pic of my great success! It's just two probes, but it works. Guess I'll go de-orbit them and switch over to my Duna mission. I'm loving the alarm clock, lol. Also, get Kerbal Engineer Redux.

1/11/2014 11:58:37 PM

there is nothing more satisfying in this game than learning how to dock!

1/12/2014 12:04:51 AM

yeah, failing miserably at landing on Duna right now
Looked at some tutorials and youtube videos, and one guy spent 15 minutes doing nothing but spamming science. Thanks, guy, you can keep that out, it's not relevant to how to get there and back, k? Still, I'm mucking it up bad. The few times I've gotten close, I tip over on landing and have to try again.

1/13/2014 12:15:42 AM

make sure you are quicksaving! (F5... F9 loads)

1/13/2014 8:37:10 AM

Elon Musk just sent a thread about a KSP mission to his entire SpaceX company...



http://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1v4o0x/spacexpowered_moon_mission_in_the_realism_overhaul/

[Edited on January 14, 2014 at 8:27 PM. Reason : ]

1/14/2014 8:27:31 PM

Wow, I'm really liking this docking tool. Makes it so much easier.
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43901-0-23-Docking-Port-Alignment-Indicator-%28Version-3-0-Updated-12-18-13%29

1/27/2014 12:05:14 AM

Pissed and happy tonight.

Pissed as i wasnt paying attention to an SOI change, and now Im no where near my intercept point planned dunno WTF happened. Wasnt sped up or anything. Why wasnt I watching it? ...

As I was not crash landing on the Mun! Finally had a perfect landing, that has a decent amt of fuel I think to be able to get off the damn thing. Maybe even get back to Kerbal (not sure on this one yet).


Now to work out what the RCS directions really mean, and how to visually plot them. As mostly tonight I had them up, but couldnt figure out what went where. Finally just started pushing buttons and watching my numbers go up for down, and stopping when they looked good.

2/11/2014 11:33:25 PM

if you change the camera angle to chase mode, it makes the rcs directions a lot more intuitive... i use it when docking.

2/11/2014 11:35:26 PM

Use the docking tool I posted right before your post. Chase view is helpful, but that mod makes chase useless

2/13/2014 5:13:13 PM

^ & ^^ thanks!

aaronburro How did you get your resources readout to look like that?

2/13/2014 5:14:23 PM

has to be a mod... i like the look of it though. i've been playing without mods for a while but that one looks cool. There is a planet factory mod that adds a lot more places to visit when you visit all of the stock planets/moons!

2/13/2014 7:32:34 PM

It's the KSP Alternate Resource Panel mod. The main reason I have it is because it allows you to stage from the map. It's also nice because it shows you the current stage's fuel beside your total fuel.
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43901-0-23-Docking-Port-Alignment-Indicator-%28Version-3-0-Updated-12-18-13%29



I'm trying to get a kerbal-drivable rover onto the Mun. How did yall accomplish that feat? Right now I'm fiddling with a sky crane type contraption, but that seems like it will be very heavy to get off the ground...

2/14/2014 7:41:07 PM

i usually attach my rovers to my landers and detach them.

2/15/2014 9:22:11 AM

NASA and KSP are teaming up for an asteroid capture mission, similar to the one proposed for the end of this decade in real life and an "official mod" will be co-released with the new version of KSP oonish (dunno exactly when)

Also, planning a trip to another planet?
http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/

use this tool. it's amazing.

3/18/2014 9:57:42 AM

Asteroid redirect mission update is out. download it. it's badass.

can grab and move asteroids now...

and new parts that make it possible to recreate the SLS

[Edited on April 1, 2014 at 7:25 PM. Reason : ]

4/1/2014 7:24:03 PM

FUCK YES!

4/1/2014 9:33:00 PM

http://xkcd.com/1350/#p:77456438-b9e4-11e3-8002-002590d77bdd

4/2/2014 1:45:26 AM

Crazy excited about this update. Downloading it tonight.

4/3/2014 10:50:39 AM

the new parts are incredible. i'm still trying to optimize my launchers using these new parts! (and i haven't even unlocked them all yet)

4/3/2014 4:38:27 PM

4/17/2014 12:44:21 PM

http://store.steampowered.com/app/220200/iliketochaha

40% off again... 16 bucks. completely worth it!

5/6/2014 10:05:22 PM

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/22/kerbal-space-program-why-nasa-minecraft

5/23/2014 11:38:04 AM

I just put a biodome in orbit (from a mod) at 250km altitude above Kerbin while I await the right phase angle to go to Duna on another mission.

6/22/2014 10:38:52 PM

betting .24 comes out on friday. Theres a ton of media videos out yesterday which is showing it mostly finished.

7/15/2014 9:20:16 AM

Where did you hear Friday from?

7/15/2014 1:54:14 PM

VERSION .24 IS NOW OUT! DOWNLOADING NOW!

7/17/2014 10:22:24 PM

Quote :

"Kerbal Space Program, the award-winning, indie space agency sim game from Squad, is launching its latest update, Kerbal Space Program: First Contract, as part of its active development cycle. This major release, numbered 0.24, is a substantial advancement in the game's Career Mode, which challenges players to run a space agency. It is also the first time the game offers a 64-bit version for Windows via STEAM and the KSP STORE. Squad released this ANIMATION VIDEO to commemorate the update. Players will now have the opportunity to take on CONTRACTS, manage Funds, a new in-game currency that allows players to buy rocket and plane parts, and earn Reputation for their efforts. Reputation is raised for completed contracts and bringing Kerbals back in one piece. Failing missions, or gasp, blowing them up lowers Reputation. "FIRST CONTRACT is a massive step forward for Career Mode. Finally, we're starting to paint a clear picture of our original vision for the complete thing." creator and lead developer Felipe Falanghe said. "Although there is still a lot to add on future updates, the new Career features should help new players pick up the game in a much more structured manner. One of my favorite aspects, is how it's added new challenges for even the most veteran players. We've found ourselves here, building contraptions we have never had the need to build before, and actually discovering totally new, fun ways to play the game." Contracts are offered based on a player's Space Program's reputation, which starts off at neutral. After an initial set of starter contracts, dynamically generated contracts are created in three levels of 'prestige', Trivial, Significant and Exceptional. Reputation regulates the amount and level of offers that are available. Contract types include: Testing Parts: Perform a test of a part in a specific location, situation and within given flight parameters (when applicable). Collecting Science: Return or transmit any scientific data from a specific location. Kerbal Rescues: Rescue a Kerbal who is stuck in orbit. Planting the Flag: Plant the Agency's flag on the surface of a given location. Exploring the Solar System: Complete several exploration goals for an unreached location. Contracts are found in the new Mission Control building, which was previously not an interactive part of the Kerbal Space Center. Players can accept or decline contracts, offered by companies, institutions and other Kerbin entities, or Agencies. Contracts are generated by a context-aware system, which takes into account a player's in-game progress. Signed contracts come with a deadline, so players must finish their objectives in time. Players will ALSO FIND new engines, updated parts and vessel recovery, which means you can reclaim the value of landed parts and any resources they contain, as well as new and improved tutorials in the update. Happy Launchings! Cheers"

http://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/2aznvf/kerbal_space_program_first_contract_now_available/

7/18/2014 1:38:58 PM

welp, there goes my weekend

7/18/2014 7:46:34 PM

Quote :

"Where did you hear Friday from?"

I didnt, I guessed. Correctly evidently. Theyve done releases before on friday.

7/19/2014 2:36:12 PM

it came out thursday.

7/19/2014 5:24:42 PM

eh close enough

I cant play it. Not sure if its a mod Ive got or the game itself. Theres a lot of x64 issues going around, keeps crashing as soon as I actually get into the game (loading the KSP campus). Put a bug ticket in last night, need to see if anyone came up with anything.

7/20/2014 8:39:45 AM

that's weird... why don't you get the 32 version?

I have played completely stock for the past few releases and i find it's a lot of fun that way.

7/20/2014 10:03:35 AM

Im playing it now just to play.

Looking at logs with some devs, its not the mods, its the game. Theres some big backend bug (unity) thats causing my crash. Its supposedly quite widespread.

7/20/2014 4:13:01 PM

.25 came out today. you can now blow the building up at the space center if you hit them with a rocket.

10/7/2014 5:51:10 PM

^ to add

http://themittani.com/media/kerbal-space-program-025-preview

If you dont want to know much, at least watch the first minute or so. Its really worth it to see some "precision" in the game.

10/7/2014 9:03:09 PM

Scott Manley is the man

10/8/2014 4:11:49 PM

Hellooooooooooooooooooo, Scott Manley here

10/8/2014 10:55:41 PM

OK, so I realize this is *OLD*, but I just watched the video in the previous link, and I completely lost it when he fired a rocket straight at the VAB.

12/6/2014 8:04:11 PM

yeah! destructible buildings!

In a few week KSP is officially making a jump from "Beta" to "Alpha"... this is going to be the biggest update probably ever in the history of KSP. going from version 0.25 to 0.90

12/6/2014 8:26:06 PM

Are they saying it's a lot of major changes, or is it just a status change with a lot more polishing of existing features?

12/6/2014 8:57:07 PM

lots of upgrades to the game. There will be upgrade-able facilities, more parts, trainable kerbals (it now matters if you kill Jeb), etc.

12/6/2014 9:47:52 PM

BETA IS OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE!

Version .90 released tonight! I know what I'm doing over christmas break!

Quote :

"Kerbal Space Program, the award-winning, indie space agency sim game from Squad, released its latest update, Beta Than Ever and it's available to download today through the KSP Store, Steam and other participating online retailers. Updates are free to existing players. While still in active development for PC, Mac and Linux, KSP: Beta Than Ever marks a major milestone, as it is the game’s first beta release. It’s the first major step in the process of growing out of early access and into a fully launched game. Building upon a long term project that was introduced with the last update’s destructible facilities, players will now have the ability to start from the ground up with a basic space center and turn it into a sprawling compound in the new upgradable facilities feature. It’s not just buildings, either. Players will unlock new capabilities and bonuses as their career path progresses. Speaking of progression, the new Kerbal Experience system allows for the Kerbals, themselves, to progress as they never have before. Kerbals have gained specialized skills that players can improve by taking them on missions. Advanced piloting, science gathering and spacecraft repairs are just a few of the things Kerbal crews can do as they gain experience. In surprise move, Squad and the European Space Agency (ESA) have banded together to provide a special treat for players. They have granted Squad use of their logo and imagery in Kerbal Space Program. Fresh off the unprecedented success of their Rosetta mission, their cooperation adds even more detail to players who’d like to recreate their own ESA missions in the game. Other exciting features include: A Retooled Craft Editor: Build crafts better than ever before with advanced part sorting and construction gizmos that allow players to place, offset and rotate the different parts on your craft. Expanded Contracts: Brian “Arsonide” Provan, creator of the highly rated mod, “Fine Print,” has implemented and expanded his mod into the game, granting greater variety, depth and difficulty to the previously implemented contract system. Biomes Everywhere: KSP-TV host, Alyson “Tanuki Chau” Young created new biomes for the game, bringing them to over 100 areas from which Kerbals can collect, store and send science data. The new biomes have been placed all across the universe, giving players bigger incentive to explore every inch of the game. New Mk3 SpacePlane parts: Prolific modding community member, Christopher “Porkjet” Thuersam has overhauled and added to the popular collection of Mk3 parts that allow crafts to carry larger payloads. "We've come a long way," said KSP lead developer, Felipe Falanghe. "The decision to go into beta is a big step and there's no better way to say it than with an update the size of Beta Than Ever. It means we're in the home stretch. We're not done with the game by any means, but it's matured to a point where we can safely say that hitting 1.0 is within sight.""

12/15/2014 10:39:20 PM

It's funny going back to the beginning of this thread... I played this for the first few days without even knowing map mode existed!

12/17/2014 8:25:36 AM

I've nerded out...

I recreated Deep Space 9 in kerbal...

http://imgur.com/a/uKW26

12/24/2014 2:18:29 AM

Really enjoying the beta 0.90 career mode changes. makes for way more strategic decisions.

12/25/2014 9:12:04 PM

http://store.steampowered.com/app/220200

on sale again for 17.99

12/31/2014 3:07:06 PM

http://www.gfycat.com/ExemplaryBeneficialAmericanlobster

[Edited on January 16, 2015 at 10:18 PM. Reason : ]

1/16/2015 10:12:53 PM

If I can land on Planet Moon, then I will totally buy this!

1/16/2015 10:26:18 PM

http://www.wral.com/love-space-learn-more-at-museum-of-natural-sciences-astronomy-days/14374428/

Astronomy thing at the science museum downtown will have Kerbal Space Program workshops!

1/21/2015 8:35:15 PM

Kerbal Space Program 1.0 comes out 04/27/2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4/20/2015 10:25:52 PM