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[ShadowHammer]

It's fairly tricky to learn how to use maneuvers. Perhaps you should look up a tutorial.

Spoiler: my rather terrible mini tutorial (click to show/hide)

Basically, you want to make one orbit bigger than the other so that eventually one will catch up to the other, and you want both orbits to be perfect circles with no inclination. Then, when the smaller orbiting craft (smaller orbit, not smaller craft) is a bit behind the bigger orbiting one (how far behind it needs to be depends on how much larger the big orbit is, but it should be between a sixth and an eighth of an orbit (someone with more experience should be able to give you a better estimate)) you want to make a maneuver.

Since in your case the rocket that will execute the maneuver will be in the larger orbit, your maneuver will probably be a retrograde burn. When you start to pull the retrograde icon on the maneuver node, you should see a dotted line appear. This is the course your rocket will take if you execute the maneuver.

Keep pulling the retrograde icon until your projected orbit crosses the actual orbit of your target, and then mouse over the point of intersection (note that it is extremely important for the target to actually be "set as target". To do this, mouse over the target ship, click, and select "set as target"). This will show you the "separation at closest approach", aka how far away they'll be at their closest point.

Continue to adjust your maneuver, constantly checking how this value is changing. When it gets to be around a couple kilometers, you should then execute the maneuver. However, if you find that it reaches a certain number and then starts rising again, you are either too close or too far behind he target, and you will have to either wait a little while and try again (or just make a new node farther along your orbital path), or rewind time (you can use the quick save and load from quick save feature, if you want. This is considered by some to be cheating, but I think it's acceptable for your first time). When the two craft are getting very close together (after you have executed the maneuver), hopefully you'll have both craft moving around the same speed, and you can then jet pack over from one to the other.

To do this, exit the pod, press "r", and then you will be able to control your movement using wasd, with CTRL and SHIFT for up and down. Note that if you stop holding down "w", you will keep moving forward until you slow yourself down/stop with "s", due to the fact hat you're in space. Jet packing is very difficult, so this may take you a few tries.

Once you have gotten into the other ship, maneuver yourself so that your flight path passes through the upper atmosphere, to utilize a technique called aero braking. The friction will slow you down so that landing is easier and requires less fuel/is less likely to tear your parachutes off.

Sorry if this sounds condescending, it's written in my explaining tone, which usually comes across (unintentionally) as patronizing.

I'm not very good at describing stuff, so a tutorial is probably easier than trying to figure out what I mean. If this is helpful, though, then that's great.

[WillowLuman]

Oh, and use maneuver nodes to predict stuff, rather than burning to see what happens. If you try to do this without maneuver nodes, you will waste your fuel.

[MarcAFK]

I actually had no idea what people were saying about maneuvering for rendezvous, but when I did the rendezvous tutorial in the game I finally got it, the only thing I miss Is rotating your orbit using normal/ anti normal or whatever, I think I have I figured out thx to the help in the ksp thread I just haven't played for a while.

Tldr; try the I game rendezvous tutorial, it's one of the Munar ones.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I get all that. The only thing I don't get is which of the markers I'm supposed to fire for. I only saw four: The yellow prograde and retrograde markers, and two lavender markers that weren't the right one.

[ShadowHammer]

I get all that. The only thing I don't get is which of the markers I'm supposed to fire for. I only saw four: The yellow prograde and retrograde markers, and two lavender markers that weren't the right one.

There should be a blue north/south set of markers. If you don't see those, then that is strange indeed, and those are the ones used to adjust inclination, so they're pretty vital.
Also, what is the question? Which marker does what, or which direction should you burn?

[GreatWyrmGold]

Which direction do I burn. Wiki research suggests that the lavender ones are prograde and retrograde for the targeted thing's orbit, but why would you need that?

[GreatWyrmGold]

Crap, how did I end up in atmosphere? Oh dammit, I just ejected the stage instead of throttling why do I always do that? Now I'm coming out of atmosphere crap.


_{Oh, how I wish I shared your enthusiasm, Archie.}

Despite my best efforts (not much--basically lowering the landing struts and extending the antennae to try and reduce drag), it takes fourteen more effing orbits before I slow down enough to land Archibald. The sixth brought my apoapsis into the quintuple digits, the eighth brought it below 95k (it started above 107-108 klicks, I forget exactly), the ninth almost takes it down to 90k, the eleventh makes it just above 81,500 while also taking us about a third of the orbit in atmosphere, the twelfth brings the periapsis below 65k and the apoapsis to a few hundred above 75k, the thirteenth had the apoapsis shifting so I had to move my cursor to keep up and brought the apoapsis into atmosphere (ends ~65k) yes! as well as bringing the periapsis below 60k but not below 1k sadly. Half an orbit later, though, I get a landing about a sixth (?) of the planet past the KSSC. (We land about a quarter before the Center.)

It is DULL. And I can't just switch or speed through blindly, because I'm always worried that this is the orbit we land, this is the orbit I'll need to pay attention for.


<sub>Come on, you selfish inanimate bastard. Let us effing land!

Why are there targeting circles around random planets?

We prepare for landing. FINALLY!
...It's neat to see the land moving at an appreciable rate from this high up.</sub>

A problem occurs. The charge runs out for the reaction wheels and whatnot, and the command pod...well...


<sub>Oh dear.

"You've got mo' bad news for me, 'avenchoo?"

"No maneuverin'? Bit rum, don'choo think?"

"Groun's approachin' awful fast, guv'na...think Oi need mo' tea..."

Almost there...

"Well, tha' wen' bettr'n 'xpected. In th' bloody deset again, though."

"An' Oi need a bit o' 'elp..."</sub>

Eight hours and forty minutes, a day and a half, in space.


_{Oh, right, I was supposed to science something. What was that thing again?}


I'm sick of this capsule. Rescue came so close...then went so very far away...I can't take it.

I wait for apoapsis, point retrograde, and detach the useless rocket. Then I get out and see what I can do.


_{Space looks much emptier when you're so close to falling into it...}

It...I don't do much...


_{That's Jeb, behind the pause menu.}

The more I try, the more I fail.
I'm probably doomed. Well-done, Jeb...


So. Um. Any advice on how to retrieve Jeb, and ideally the SciMax 5? (Hey, that's a good chunk of science!)

[BigD145]

Jeb can take science out of pods and instruments. At the very least get the instrument data into the pod. Other than that, getting a capable ship with fuel to spare is your ticket to success. If you're off orbit with Jeb you can adjust where they overlap by burning North or South. Getting a larger orbit than Jeb's will give you leeway to go around until you can make a maneuver node that will get you a close encounter. The maneuver node tells you where to point. You can drag the maneuver nodes around your current orbit to time things and then make a new maneuver at the close encounter, the future orbit, to get the orbits near to each other. That'll give you time to make adjustments before zooming by Jeb. If you're zooming by Jeb you want your rocket pointed in the direction you're going so you can slow down. If he's zooming by you need to do the opposite.

[ShadowHammer]

Which direction do I burn. Wiki research suggests that the lavender ones are prograde and retrograde for the targeted thing's orbit, but why would you need that?

Wait. Which markers are we talking about? Are these the markers that show up immediately when you open the maneuver node, or are they they markers that show up on the orbital paths, after you have adjusted the maneuver? Because I think that might be a problem: the same word is being used in different places to mean different things, which actually seem very similar if you are just trying to describe them with words.  I can't right now, but tomorrow I'll try to put a screenshot up of what I'm talking about with the markers.

[SOLDIER First]

ACTIVATE RETURN TO THE PAST AND RESTART THE ENTIRE LP

[WillowLuman]

Spoiler: Next time on Bay12 Space Program... (click to show/hide)

[GreatWyrmGold]

Jeb can take science out of pods and instruments. At the very least get the instrument data into the pod.

If Jeb could get into the pod, our problems would be much fewer.

Which direction do I burn. Wiki research suggests that the lavender ones are prograde and retrograde for the targeted thing's orbit, but why would you need that?

Wait. Which markers are we talking about? Are these the markers that show up immediately when you open the maneuver node, or are they they markers that show up on the orbital paths, after you have adjusted the maneuver? Because I think that might be a problem: the same word is being used in different places to mean different things, which actually seem very similar if you are just trying to describe them with words.  I can't right now, but tomorrow I'll try to put a screenshot up of what I'm talking about with the markers.

I was talking about the navball markers.

ACTIVATE RETURN TO THE PAST AND RESTART THE ENTIRE LP

...

[BFEL]

Which direction do I burn. Wiki research suggests that the lavender ones are prograde and retrograde for the targeted thing's orbit, but why would you need that?

Wait. Which markers are we talking about? Are these the markers that show up immediately when you open the maneuver node, or are they they markers that show up on the orbital paths, after you have adjusted the maneuver? Because I think that might be a problem: the same word is being used in different places to mean different things, which actually seem very similar if you are just trying to describe them with words.  I can't right now, but tomorrow I'll try to put a screenshot up of what I'm talking about with the markers.

I was talking about the navball markers.

I like how I'm the only one who understood this.

And by the way, when targeting something for intercept, I.E. docking or taking Jeb from one ship to the other the lavender circle is "toward your target" and the lavender less-circular thing is "away from your target." These are very much exact straight-line type things, so don't try and use them for going to the Mun for example

Basically, get an orbit somewhat close to your target, select them and burn toward them, once you are close burn away from them so you match velocities (when targeting something in this way the speedometer above the navball shows speed relative to target. Try and get this to zero once you are close enough to jetpack over from.)
After that its just relying on your astoundingly terrible jetpacking skillz. Which you seriously should work on in sandbox for awhile.

Also, I recommend you try Mechjeb, assuming they have a release for this version out. Watching the computer perform maneuvers is astoundingly helpful in understanding how to do those maneuvers yourself.
That and Scott Manley videos. Seriously, man is a genius.

[BigD145]

Mechjeb is an okay teacher, depending on which version you have. 169 I know works. It's not perfect or anything but it gets the job done consistently. It can be very impatient, especially in its rendezvous. There it will add 100km or so to its orbital height, which is not always necessary but is always dV hungry.

If you do decide to try mechjeb, use it in sandbox. Career mode functionality unlocks with the tech tree.

[GreatWyrmGold]

_{Now, THIS is a precarious position.}

Shit.


We relaunch Archie.


<sub>"Oi d'no, shoulln' Oi get some hazad pay, t'least?"

"Wachoo mean, Oi'm already floin'?"

"Oh. Tha' 'xplains a lot."</sub>

I fail to reach orbit, not getting enough acceleration at apoapsis to make an orbit.


_{I'm sure the world below thinks we're a lot prettier than we think the world below is.}

The second time...


_{Is that a periapsis I see?}

...works!

Although thereafter I go through a weird thing where everything was invisible. It gets cleared up, though.
After much spinning, I found the blue marker! After more spinning (and confusing the functions of the w and s keys more than once...), I line up with it and prepare to burn.


_{Burn, baby, burn! Orbital inferno!}

I flub a little, but get to a 0.3-degree inclination.
The intersect distances are hundreds of kilometers! (843.8 to be exact.) I locate a Scott Manley tutorial, note that I'll need to be going around the time it's done, and close KSP.

But hey, we're in orbit now!