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[Anvilfolk]

I made a Mun kethane mining station, a  Mun kethane conversion orbital station, and a mun kethane skycrane... and now the large docking ports don't connect. Any ideas why that is? I can post screenies later.

The skycrane has wide landing legs, so that the mining station/rover can get under there, and is really close to the docking port. But then it simply doesn't connect, not even when I blast a little off the ground, they are perfectly aligned and target set. Anyone know if it's a problem with the large docking ports?

[forsaken1111]

Would need to see pics. Docking ports could be the wrong way round or something. This is why you test stuff like that on kerbin before launching them to the mun!

[Sean Mirrsen]

The large docking ports are flat, and therefore especially prone to being connected "wrong side out". Or, in worse cases, "wrong node in", since you can accidentally stack them into their top node.

[Anvilfolk]

The large docking ports are flat, and therefore especially prone to being connected "wrong side out". Or, in worse cases, "wrong node in", since you can accidentally stack them into their top node.

I feel this is probably what happened

http://steamcommunity.com/id/anvilfolk/screenshots/ <- they're last 4 screenshots.

I can't seem to (un)set target on the desired docking port, so that's probably what happened. This sucks Gonna have to get a rescue mission and then another skycrane to the Mun.

[Sean Mirrsen]

"Set target" is absolutely not needed for docking. Any two ports close enough to each other will dock.

The ports also seem to be facing the right way, so there is no problem there either.

The problem is the mass of the vessels. The ports may align, but are not close enough for their magnetic force to budge the mass of the lander or the crane, especially on the surface. Ground operations with docking ports, even in Mun gravity conditions, require the ports to be practically rammed into each other.

[Aseaheru]

Unless with boats. But who wants to go .7 m/s?

[Anvilfolk]

The problem is the mass of the vessels. The ports may align, but are not close enough for their magnetic force to budge the mass of the lander or the crane, especially on the surface. Ground operations with docking ports, even in Mun gravity conditions, require the ports to be practically rammed into each other.

At the risk of sounding kinky, I've done plenty of that... I've even undeployed landing gear and unceremoniously dropped onto the rover :\

[Greiger]

I've done it.  My first successful Mun landing!  And I didn't use autopilot for any of it!  *I did still use mechjeb for my fancy custom info window though*



I am so happy, and so is he!  The rocket didn't even tip over!  He could even feasibly re-launch, connect to my orbiting fuel tank and big engine and make it back alive!

[Anvilfolk]

Gratz!

KSP is one of those games that makes you WORK for your objectives. And when you finally get there... dayum, ain't no feelin' so fine!

Now get'er back to Kerbin!

[Greiger]

I hit the gas pedal too hard taking off and now I am the proud owner of a manned "space station" in solar orbit.  Totally didn't expect to break gravity that fast.

When the press asks I'll just say that solar orbit was the plan all along.

(It's just as well because it seems I forgot parachutes on both the lander and the engine)

[forsaken1111]

I hit the gas pedal too hard taking off and now I am the proud owner of a manned "space station" in solar orbit.

When the press asks I'll just say that that was the plan all along.

(It's just as well because it seems I forgot parachutes on both the lander and the engine)

Send a rescue mission! Grab KAS and slap some parachutes on the side, refuel it with a pipe, then off you go home!

[Graknorke]

I hit the gas pedal too hard taking off and now I am the proud owner of a manned "space station" in solar orbit.

When the press asks I'll just say that that was the plan all along.

(It's just as well because it seems I forgot parachutes on both the lander and the engine)

Send a rescue mission! Grab KAS and slap some parachutes on the side, refuel it with a pipe, then off you go home!

Or just take the kerbals home. The ship looks pretty disposable.

[Greiger]

The engine actually already had a KAS winch on it just in case I flubbed the docking, though I had also forgotten to actually attach anything to that winch.  Didn't matter much though because even though the engine had an AI on it, the engine didn't have a prayer of getting anywhere near the wayward lander and having any fuel left, so I sent it back home (which is where I noticed I forgot parachutes and bombed some innocent wilderness creatures).

I will plan a rescue mission.   I was kinda partial to Jebdo.  He flies all my spaceplanes, once I'm reasonably certain they are not deathtraps.  And he won't come back like the others do.

[forsaken1111]

I hit the gas pedal too hard taking off and now I am the proud owner of a manned "space station" in solar orbit.

When the press asks I'll just say that that was the plan all along.

(It's just as well because it seems I forgot parachutes on both the lander and the engine)

Send a rescue mission! Grab KAS and slap some parachutes on the side, refuel it with a pipe, then off you go home!

Or just take the kerbals home. The ship looks pretty disposable.

We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard!

[MarcAFK]

Finally gave in and bought the full version, I'm hoping to finally learn how to do orbital transfers and actually land somewhere before .22 comes out.