I did my first docking in LEO
- Thread starter DMG_AMP
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Altaïr
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Well, congratulations on your first docking!
Don't worry, we all struggled to do it the first time, we know it's not an easy task. But once you understood how it works it becomes easier.
Don't worry, we all struggled to do it the first time, we know it's not an easy task. But once you understood how it works it becomes easier.
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Nice, docking is a skill that will come in reaaaally useful during more complicated missions. The first time i managed to dock was a kind of milestone, marking the point where i started getting good at the game. Of course it took a while to optimize, tho it might be easier with the new system (idk i dock with old school method anyway, so it doesnt make a difference to me lol.
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Yeah, i think i started playing when there was just one section in the part menu (idk how called), then had a break for quite a while cos my parents took my tablet. Then I returned a bit after 1.4.06 release.Took a few months of playing to dock (i couldn't adjust orbits properly back then, it was quite random lol)
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My first SFS docking wasn't that epic because back then the docking ports were paid expansion, and I was base game. So I had done several orbital rendezvous by the time I got the expansions and the dockong ports. In KSP, however, it was much more epic.
I had everything ready to dock, it was only a matter of using the RCS and bringing those porta together, but when I started pressing directions, the spacecraft started to do everything except what I wanted it to do.
I thought my game was broken I started to freak out...
And what was happening was that I didn't know I had to rotate the camera and align it with the spacecraft's perspective. I had the camera relative to the planet, so when I pressed "left", trying to go the craft go to the left because that's where the docking port was from my perspective, the spacecraft wanted to go "right and down", because that's where "left" was from its perspective.
Certified 'Bruh' Moment.
I had everything ready to dock, it was only a matter of using the RCS and bringing those porta together, but when I started pressing directions, the spacecraft started to do everything except what I wanted it to do.
I thought my game was broken I started to freak out...
And what was happening was that I didn't know I had to rotate the camera and align it with the spacecraft's perspective. I had the camera relative to the planet, so when I pressed "left", trying to go the craft go to the left because that's where the docking port was from my perspective, the spacecraft wanted to go "right and down", because that's where "left" was from its perspective.
Certified 'Bruh' Moment.
James Brown
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First of all, congratulations of successfully docked in LEO
Then, I want to talk about the time when I first tried docking:
When I first try docking, that time was… more than three years ago?(I don't rmb cuz it's a long time ago), but anyway, that's not the point. So back to my process:
When stef first added docking port to the game. That time I thought: Yay! Finally SFS is a game that is comparable with Space agency! So I entered the game and only found out that docking port is in the expansion pack!
Later, stef finally added a smol docking port to the game. That time I can't wait to try it, so I build an ordinary rocket with the docking port attached to the top. After several process of separation and launching, I finally get to control it(Ofc I did bring RCS with me cuz I know docking needs RCS). When I saw the RCS control buttons I thought: Well it is just like Space Agency easy! But I soon found out that the button works differently than Space agency's one! If you have played Space Agency before you'll know that if you control the rocket(you can say module) with RCS, the rocket will rotate, move in the direction based on the initial orientation of the rocket, well you may not understand what I said cuz my description skill is quite worse so I can only describe to you in a limited way. If you really don't understand what I said let me give you an example: In Space Agency let's say you have a rocket with a docking port pointing upside in it's initial orientation then if the docking port points in the opposite direction and you want to click the arrow pointing at the top in the RCS control panel how will the rocket move? It will move downward as I said: the rocket will move based on the initial orientation of the rocket. But SFS works differently, the rocket will move based on the current orientation of the rocket. So the rocket I mentioned above will move upward no matter what direction it is pointing.
After a while I finally found out the difference, I proceed the mission only to find out I struggled with targeting the rocket that I want to dock because of the orbital problem after I found out. I rmb Stef made a tutorial about that before so I watched it. When I watched Stef's tutorial I finally understand how to dock! Only to found out that the docking port is not that attractive!
Everyone has different ability, some will master docking in a short time, some will master it a very long time. How I mastered docking is just an example, with all that tutorial doesn't mean you can master it, that's all
Then, I want to talk about the time when I first tried docking:
When I first try docking, that time was… more than three years ago?(I don't rmb cuz it's a long time ago), but anyway, that's not the point. So back to my process:
When stef first added docking port to the game. That time I thought: Yay! Finally SFS is a game that is comparable with Space agency! So I entered the game and only found out that docking port is in the expansion pack!
Later, stef finally added a smol docking port to the game. That time I can't wait to try it, so I build an ordinary rocket with the docking port attached to the top. After several process of separation and launching, I finally get to control it(Ofc I did bring RCS with me cuz I know docking needs RCS). When I saw the RCS control buttons I thought: Well it is just like Space Agency easy! But I soon found out that the button works differently than Space agency's one! If you have played Space Agency before you'll know that if you control the rocket(you can say module) with RCS, the rocket will rotate, move in the direction based on the initial orientation of the rocket, well you may not understand what I said cuz my description skill is quite worse so I can only describe to you in a limited way. If you really don't understand what I said let me give you an example: In Space Agency let's say you have a rocket with a docking port pointing upside in it's initial orientation then if the docking port points in the opposite direction and you want to click the arrow pointing at the top in the RCS control panel how will the rocket move? It will move downward as I said: the rocket will move based on the initial orientation of the rocket. But SFS works differently, the rocket will move based on the current orientation of the rocket. So the rocket I mentioned above will move upward no matter what direction it is pointing.
After a while I finally found out the difference, I proceed the mission only to find out I struggled with targeting the rocket that I want to dock because of the orbital problem after I found out. I rmb Stef made a tutorial about that before so I watched it. When I watched Stef's tutorial I finally understand how to dock! Only to found out that the docking port is not that attractive!
Everyone has different ability, some will master docking in a short time, some will master it a very long time. How I mastered docking is just an example, with all that tutorial doesn't mean you can master it, that's all
Alright then. Only because you asked for it.
Challenge:
Design a spaceplane shuttle that can deliver a 25 tons payload (any payload, just has to weight 25 tons) to a surface base on Ganymede (Base must weight at least 30 tons and have at least 5 different buildings), pickup another 25 tons payload from the base, and deliver it to another base on Mercury (same requirements than the Ganymede base). Then shuttle must go back to Earth and land safely at any point of the planet.
Rules:
Challenge:
Design a spaceplane shuttle that can deliver a 25 tons payload (any payload, just has to weight 25 tons) to a surface base on Ganymede (Base must weight at least 30 tons and have at least 5 different buildings), pickup another 25 tons payload from the base, and deliver it to another base on Mercury (same requirements than the Ganymede base). Then shuttle must go back to Earth and land safely at any point of the planet.
Rules:
- Refueling, aerobrake, orbital assembly, launchpad assembly, docking and reconfiguration are allowed at all points of the flight.
- Aesthetic bp editing and part clipping are allowed too. What's not allowed is to modify the stats of any part using bp editing.
- Ion engines are not allowed.
- Cheats are obviously not allowed.
- The shuttle, payload, and base must take no damage.