@@MikeAben You're students are so lucky, I was lucky enough to have a brilliant maths teacher at O and A level in school set me up for doing electronic engineering at uni but none of the lecturers in maths there measured up to my school teacher.
Mike, I dont know how I'd play this game without your help. Thank you so much. You are a god at instructional videos. So articulate that I can play them a second time for review at 1.5x speed and you're still crystal clear and articulate.
I know these videos are old and have been out for a while, but after hanging up KSP for a number of years and coming back, I just want to say that my immense appreciation for the formatting and educational nature of these videos knows no bounds. Thanks for breakin it all down barney style :thumbsup:
Using the nav ball direction of the target to get a precise alignment is a great tip. Double that for aligning Normal to begin with. The Docking Mode is essential for console as it allows for linear RCS. We have to keys to use.
I find it much easier to use docking mode than the translation keys. It lets you keep your hand in the standard WASD position and keep control of the mouse.
@@DiggitySlice I'm too dumb for that. I'd be trying to switch back and forth and accidentally hit the throttle.. then my ship would smashing into the space station
Yes, docking ports attract each other. This can be adjusted somehow, and you can have two docking ports on the same vessel attracting each other - if the attraction force on one is 0 you get a kraken drive (free deltav)
Every time I think there's nothing more you can teach me about this game, there's just controls you speak about and everything just makes sense. Both vessel control and also docking like damn you're awesome
Pilot Math: To obtain the reciprocal heading (180 degrees out from an initial heading), use “plus 2, minus 2”. Assuming initial heading is 072, you would add 2 to the first digit, in your case here, 0 + 2 = 2. Your second digit is 7 - (minus) 2 = 5. Last digit remains the same at 2. Put it together for your heading and you have 252 degrees. For headings greater than 180, use “minus 2, plus 2”.
Thank you very much for your “in depth” video. You are now the number one resource for the newly that I am. Special thanks for the maths aspect you share in some of your work.
You made some comments about the "Docking Feature" and how you felt it was an unfinished feature, FYI its for the Console ppl and gives us control of our RCS system to our left stick for docking which is a great help for the console game and makes it super simple to dock more realistically than a PC can......
Good video and I haven't done a docking maneuver yet but wondering ahead of time how to "un-dock". It is the only thing missed in this video. Maybe it is obvious but I already knew the idea behind docking I watch these videos to learn the tricks of the interface since KSP doesn't explain the simple things very well. For instance, when I did my first mun flyby I switched focus to the mun, which was helpful for the maneuver but then couldn't figure out how to switch the focus back to the ship. I accidentally figured it out. Then on my first career satellite mission I got the craft to the correct orbit (took a couple tries since it said "keosynchronous" but I ended up having to go "clockwise") then wanted to get back to KSC but couldn't find the "right button" till I decided to try another time hit escape and there it was -go to KSC-. One of the biggest issues with this game for me has been how unintuitive and illogical some of the controls are.
I agree that KSP doesn't teach you these things very well. To undock, just right-click on one of the docking ports and select "undock". If the one you selected doesn't have that option, then it will be other one it is connected too.
I get the docking process but i dont get how to get 2 vessels into the same orbit and into an encounter. I play on console so i dont know if that hinders my ability or not.
That would be learning to rendezvous. There should be a link to a rendezvous tutorial below the video, but this would be a more recent one. th-cam.com/video/aWevPmvbLI8/w-d-xo.html
Do you know why the aim camera function doesnt appear for me? I am still in control of craft 1 - i zoom out to craft 2 and if i right or left click any part nothing happens?
I think your asking for a rendezvous video, not a docking video. I have a few of them covering various situations, including starting from an orbit very far from the target. Do you have a specific situation in mind?
hey so i made a station recently and docked something for the first time but my station wobbles when the ship is docked, is there any solution mid-flight for this or will i need to deorbit it and try again?
A few things to try. First, disable all but one set of reaction wheels. They tend to fight with each other, especially if they are oriented along different axes. If this doesn't resolve it, or if you just want to stiffen the station, an engineer can attach struts across the docking ports via EVA. You can also use autostruting by right clicking on parts. Careful with this last one, as there is a weird rotation bug that can creep in. Autostruting to the grandparent part seems safer. Finally, a quick timewarp stops all rotation and wobbles, though the wobble may resume if the underlying cause hasn't been addressed.
Just wanted to say "Thank you!" for the help.. Only problem I have now is I have to do another rendezvous and docking maneuver because I did something stupid in my excitement, and now Jeb and Bob are stuck in orbit. Good news is, it should be a lot easier to dock the second time
@@MikeAben I havent Tryed it yet but it can be possible, because when i first started to play i didnt know how to timewarp and just pressed every thing so Thank you.
I find the docking mode to be much easier to use than the translation keys. It lets you keep your hands in the standard position and feels very natural. If you're having trouble using the translation keys, I implore you try docking mode. You may find it easier. Don't avoid it just because a youtuber told you it had no purpose.
Unfortunately for me, I'm relegated to console KSP. These methods are virtually impossible, because by the time I'm done fiddling with camera angles, I'm already flying past the object I wanna dock to because my controller just won't allow me to switch fast enough. They should've never made a console port for this game; as fun as it appears...
been trying to catchup and dock for 9 months for now.. Still i have no idea what to do smh.. kerbal space 2 is coming out and I have no incentive to even keep playing the game. Is there any tutotial that could show me how to rendezvous and dock?
The way I dock is, set up your intercept maneuver and then complete it. In the bottom corner you have a "maneuver node" purple tab, that also has an "approach info" tab. Use the "approach info" tab, wait for your T- to reach 40 seconds and burn off some relative speed you have to your target. You do that by tapping the Navbal speed indicator until it says "Target". Understand that prograde and retrograde mean to and away from, so if in Target mode you have a speed of 200m/s as you approach... you want to burn about 175m/s in retrograde when you are T- 40s from your intercept. At this point, you should be approaching your target at 25m/s, and your T- has likely CLIMBED to around 2 minutes or more. Again, wait for T- 40s and then begin to burn and push your retrograde vector onto the anti-target marker, until your relative speed becomes as close to 0 as you want. The MOST IMPORTANT POINT at this stage is STOP BURNING if your T- climbs beyond 1 minute! Orbit is curved, not a straight line, so whenever you add or take away speed, you're essentially adding speed in more than 2 directions. If your T- is below a minute, the orbit curve is close enough yo a straight line, hence its ok to burn or add speed at this time. Mike does have a rendezvous video and it helped me understand what was going on immensely. Mike likes to burn gently at T- 3 minutes... I do not like that approach. I find a full throttle burn at T-40s to shave off speed, your T- will climb to beyond T-1.5m, then again wait for T-40s and burn HOWEVER YOU NEED to shave off your last 25m/s of speed. Key for me is the 40s or 30s mark as again, your intercept becomes a straight line and so your burns are more accurate in this window of time. If you burn to far away (T- 1.5m and beyond) you're wasting your time and/or it's fiddly and you can lose patience. The game has this exact scenario in its training menu and tells you exactly how to manage it. The game uses the window of 15km... just like I use T- 40s full throttle and Mike starts at T- 3minutes gentle throttle. Just personal preference. Also note if your RCS thrusters are active in pitch roll and yaw, you'll likely want to cry! Turn those directions off in the actuation switches on them. Not to mention KSP 2 will have better and additional training menus to teach people how to play. It takes practice that's all. Don't be bummed out when you don't manage it first time. I struggled by following YT tutorials TOO strictly, in reality, follow my advice of shaving off speed only when your target is T- 40s and it becomes a walk in the park.
I watched this tutorial, Got an 0.3 km rendezvous.. got 30m away, then realised I had the rendezvous ship from the other tutorial.. not the docking one
@@Dolph_Vader When playing manually it's full thrust all the way, baby! Yes, you can get into ideal TWR to maximize efficiency, but I honestly don't find the effort worth it. That said, I have a modded let's play with a launch program I wrote in kOS. It's full thrust until 25 km at which point it locks the TWR to 0.9. Something more dynamic would likely be better, but I've not gotten to doing that and, frankly, it's not a high priority.
@@MikeAben that makes sense. When you're building properly the difference isn't as big. I remember when i was a n00b and I'd strap extra solid boosters (before vanilla ksp had TWR), that max Q limiter did save me gazillions of deltaV by throttling back my liquid engines till the air was thinner. Now it's just a habit to use it every time but usually doesn't even do much manipulation of the throttle.
Yes, tweaking the thrust limiter in the VAB is the key. Way back, before KSP even gave you the total mass (and I hadn't heard of Kerbal Engineer), I had a spread sheet where I recorded all the part and fuel masses and engine thrusts, and it calculated TWR and delta-v for me.
Ive tried repeatedly to do this, I do what you say and it kinda works, but i can never get the intercept where i meet the other probe/module No other tutorial really describes it much as well
Are you talking about setting up the rendezvous? That is getting the two spacecraft to be close together. I have a video for that linked under the info tab at the top right. Let me know if this isn't what you mean.
I did it recently in a live stream because I forgot to put on thruster blocks. It's not hard if you just point the two docking ports at each other as in method #1 in this video.
There is the "Lowne" method, but that requires either top-end probes or 3-star pilots for both vessels. Fine for Sandbox Mode, easy enough for Science Mode, but comes quite a lot later in Career Mode.
He comes from a teaching background and considering the point of the video, to be a beginners tutorial, the changes in his cadence are to help put emphasis on specific ideas as it can quickly become overwhelming. If the pace is too slow for you, just increase the speed of the video.
Up Next: Building a Low Tech Spaceplane - th-cam.com/video/Zd1xlaLoQeo/w-d-xo.html
You sound and teach like a professional teacher but you teach Kerbal space program, thank you
You caught me. 30+ years teaching high school math.
@@MikeAben i knew it
Shame about docking mode though
@@MikeAben You're students are so lucky, I was lucky enough to have a brilliant maths teacher at O and A level in school set me up for doing electronic engineering at uni but none of the lecturers in maths there measured up to my school teacher.
Mike, I dont know how I'd play this game without your help. Thank you so much. You are a god at instructional videos. So articulate that I can play them a second time for review at 1.5x speed and you're still crystal clear and articulate.
I know these videos are old and have been out for a while, but after hanging up KSP for a number of years and coming back, I just want to say that my immense appreciation for the formatting and educational nature of these videos knows no bounds. Thanks for breakin it all down barney style :thumbsup:
I finally did it. My "secret" was reducing RCS throttle limit to the minimum to move lol
Glad you said that. I forgot that was a thing until I read your comment. It made a huge difference
Absolutely awesome presentation. The tutorial in KSP did not help me at all, but you were able to teach me in about five minutes. Thank you!
Yeah, they have bad tutorials.
Using the nav ball direction of the target to get a precise alignment is a great tip. Double that for aligning Normal to begin with. The Docking Mode is essential for console as it allows for linear RCS. We have to keys to use.
I was wondering about the control set up on consoles.
I find it much easier to use docking mode than the translation keys. It lets you keep your hand in the standard WASD position and keep control of the mouse.
@@DiggitySlice I'm too dumb for that. I'd be trying to switch back and forth and accidentally hit the throttle.. then my ship would smashing into the space station
i wish ksp was a subject in school
Yes, docking ports attract each other. This can be adjusted somehow, and you can have two docking ports on the same vessel attracting each other - if the attraction force on one is 0 you get a kraken drive (free deltav)
bro I have been going back and forth between videos. I love this channel.
I have been playing for 100 hours I didn't know about the IJKL HN keys. Wow. Thanks Mike
Every time I think there's nothing more you can teach me about this game, there's just controls you speak about and everything just makes sense. Both vessel control and also docking like damn you're awesome
My first docking took 2000 m/s.
Decided I needed to watch your video on docking to get better.
Had no idea ijkl and h, n controlled RCS.
The delta v was only after I was in orbit to docked.
(Not to the part I was intending)
The one I also sent up to dock thinking it would be easy.
1st time you dock for real is a wonderful feeling
another excellent lesson from you Mike! Thanks a lot!
Pilot Math: To obtain the reciprocal heading (180 degrees out from an initial heading), use “plus 2, minus 2”. Assuming initial heading is 072, you would add 2 to the first digit, in your case here, 0 + 2 = 2. Your second digit is 7 - (minus) 2 = 5. Last digit remains the same at 2. Put it together for your heading and you have 252 degrees. For headings greater than 180, use “minus 2, plus 2”.
I realize this is an old video but I came across it, and Yep, I was looking through the comments to see if anyone had already mentioned this yet.
I was searching for it so many daus and you made it sir thank you so much
You bet.
Thank you very much for your “in depth” video. You are now the number one resource for the newly that I am. Special thanks for the maths aspect you share in some of your work.
love your last name
completely not watching this during a moon mission where i have to dock with my main ship
I did it! FINALLY GOT 2 crafts docked!! thanks
Thanks, Mike. Worked the first time without reverting.
I would be lost without you Mike Aben.
ksp crashed while watching this, but this helped a lot!!
You made some comments about the "Docking Feature" and how you felt it was an unfinished feature, FYI its for the Console ppl and gives us control of our RCS system to our left stick for docking which is a great help for the console game and makes it super simple to dock more realistically than a PC can......
ksp is on console?
@@mrkitkat0069 yes
Thanks! know this video is old but it helped me dock.
You Mike are clearly in first place with explaining KSP. They really need to offer you a job paying 7 figures at KSP2.
id recommend lowering your rcs thruster limit (if possible) so that each key press is less drastic for fine tuning the approach
Omg, thank you so much. I’ve been trying to accomplish for the longest time.
I personally find docking mode essential, it makes life so much easier
Thank u for helping me. Im trying to dock since i started to play ksp.... :)
FINALLY A GOOD TUTORIAL
thanks youre the best!!!! Thanks from Argentina!!!
Thanks for the video dude, really helpful
Good video and I haven't done a docking maneuver yet but wondering ahead of time how to "un-dock". It is the only thing missed in this video. Maybe it is obvious but I already knew the idea behind docking I watch these videos to learn the tricks of the interface since KSP doesn't explain the simple things very well. For instance, when I did my first mun flyby I switched focus to the mun, which was helpful for the maneuver but then couldn't figure out how to switch the focus back to the ship. I accidentally figured it out. Then on my first career satellite mission I got the craft to the correct orbit (took a couple tries since it said "keosynchronous" but I ended up having to go "clockwise") then wanted to get back to KSC but couldn't find the "right button" till I decided to try another time hit escape and there it was -go to KSC-. One of the biggest issues with this game for me has been how unintuitive and illogical some of the controls are.
I agree that KSP doesn't teach you these things very well. To undock, just right-click on one of the docking ports and select "undock". If the one you selected doesn't have that option, then it will be other one it is connected too.
@@MikeAben Thank you very much. Wasn't sure I'd get a response it seems so rare nowadays. I guess un dock is kind of obvious.
the moment when you play this game since 2018 but all your flying attempts failed
omg insane video, so good voice :) like
i would be interested in a comparison of the different docking port options
Thanks bro❤
I get the docking process but i dont get how to get 2 vessels into the same orbit and into an encounter. I play on console so i dont know if that hinders my ability or not.
That would be learning to rendezvous. There should be a link to a rendezvous tutorial below the video, but this would be a more recent one.
th-cam.com/video/aWevPmvbLI8/w-d-xo.html
I cannot get the option to aim camera when I click on any part, not sure if I am missing a setting?
how do you get those greenboxes that tell you where your target spacecraft is?
They are there by default, but F4 toggles them on and off. You may have it off.
@@MikeAben thank you
Do you know why the aim camera function doesnt appear for me? I am still in control of craft 1 - i zoom out to craft 2 and if i right or left click any part nothing happens?
How do you get such good relative speed I speed past my targets and I can't get close to it for a long time
Really good vid but plz can you make a video of how to dock when they are far so far that you can’t see the target green thing.
I think your asking for a rendezvous video, not a docking video. I have a few of them covering various situations, including starting from an orbit very far from the target. Do you have a specific situation in mind?
Bro it's so hard every time I try to orbet my rocket will woble or it will make me forget what derection to move
hey so i made a station recently and docked something for the first time but my station wobbles when the ship is docked, is there any solution mid-flight for this or will i need to deorbit it and try again?
A few things to try.
First, disable all but one set of reaction wheels. They tend to fight with each other, especially if they are oriented along different axes.
If this doesn't resolve it, or if you just want to stiffen the station, an engineer can attach struts across the docking ports via EVA. You can also use autostruting by right clicking on parts. Careful with this last one, as there is a weird rotation bug that can creep in. Autostruting to the grandparent part seems safer.
Finally, a quick timewarp stops all rotation and wobbles, though the wobble may resume if the underlying cause hasn't been addressed.
@@MikeAben thanks again.
Just wanted to say "Thank you!" for the help..
Only problem I have now is I have to do another rendezvous and docking maneuver because I did something stupid in my excitement, and now Jeb and Bob are stuck in orbit.
Good news is, it should be a lot easier to dock the second time
Amazing. Thanks
Mike how do i turn the Green Square on i dont kn ow how to turn it on. THe one that show how far away objects are.
Trying hitting F4. This toggles on and off ship icons.
@@MikeAben I havent Tryed it yet but it can be possible, because when i first started to play i didnt know how to timewarp and just pressed every thing so Thank you.
I get the principles are the same but I wish somebody would do this on Consol more specifically PS4
I find the docking mode to be much easier to use than the translation keys. It lets you keep your hands in the standard position and feels very natural.
If you're having trouble using the translation keys, I implore you try docking mode. You may find it easier. Don't avoid it just because a youtuber told you it had no purpose.
Don't you have two working hands?
Unfortunately for me, I'm relegated to console KSP. These methods are virtually impossible, because by the time I'm done fiddling with camera angles, I'm already flying past the object I wanna dock to because my controller just won't allow me to switch fast enough.
They should've never made a console port for this game; as fun as it appears...
Make a maneuver just before the rendezvous point. Start the burn when the time to node is the same as the burn time. I'm on console as well.
I just put so much satellites into orbit it's hard to not dock
Very good Mr Aben, if you can do that, why bother with the navball docking aid mod in your modded career series?
Thanks!!!
been trying to catchup and dock for 9 months for now.. Still i have no idea what to do smh.. kerbal space 2 is coming out and I have no incentive to even keep playing the game.
Is there any tutotial that could show me how to rendezvous and dock?
The way I dock is, set up your intercept maneuver and then complete it. In the bottom corner you have a "maneuver node" purple tab, that also has an "approach info" tab. Use the "approach info" tab, wait for your T- to reach 40 seconds and burn off some relative speed you have to your target. You do that by tapping the Navbal speed indicator until it says "Target". Understand that prograde and retrograde mean to and away from, so if in Target mode you have a speed of 200m/s as you approach... you want to burn about 175m/s in retrograde when you are T- 40s from your intercept. At this point, you should be approaching your target at 25m/s, and your T- has likely CLIMBED to around 2 minutes or more. Again, wait for T- 40s and then begin to burn and push your retrograde vector onto the anti-target marker, until your relative speed becomes as close to 0 as you want. The MOST IMPORTANT POINT at this stage is STOP BURNING if your T- climbs beyond 1 minute! Orbit is curved, not a straight line, so whenever you add or take away speed, you're essentially adding speed in more than 2 directions. If your T- is below a minute, the orbit curve is close enough yo a straight line, hence its ok to burn or add speed at this time.
Mike does have a rendezvous video and it helped me understand what was going on immensely. Mike likes to burn gently at T- 3 minutes... I do not like that approach. I find a full throttle burn at T-40s to shave off speed, your T- will climb to beyond T-1.5m, then again wait for T-40s and burn HOWEVER YOU NEED to shave off your last 25m/s of speed. Key for me is the 40s or 30s mark as again, your intercept becomes a straight line and so your burns are more accurate in this window of time. If you burn to far away (T- 1.5m and beyond) you're wasting your time and/or it's fiddly and you can lose patience.
The game has this exact scenario in its training menu and tells you exactly how to manage it. The game uses the window of 15km... just like I use T- 40s full throttle and Mike starts at T- 3minutes gentle throttle. Just personal preference. Also note if your RCS thrusters are active in pitch roll and yaw, you'll likely want to cry! Turn those directions off in the actuation switches on them.
Not to mention KSP 2 will have better and additional training menus to teach people how to play. It takes practice that's all. Don't be bummed out when you don't manage it first time. I struggled by following YT tutorials TOO strictly, in reality, follow my advice of shaving off speed only when your target is T- 40s and it becomes a walk in the park.
why did you not call the 3rd method lazy lown docking metheod?
What is h and N for xbox
How do i even get to my target? I can't get a perfect orbit and they're never the same?
There's a link to how to do a rendezvous under the info tab. In case you missed it, here it is again.
th-cam.com/video/j_57NSlkzt4/w-d-xo.html
I watched this tutorial, Got an 0.3 km rendezvous.. got 30m away, then realised I had the rendezvous ship from the other tutorial.. not the docking one
That sounds like something I would do.
@@MikeAben 🤣
Does it matter which port im using
No, but the two ports docking have to be the same size.
@@MikeAben Thank you
For some reason I cant set the docking port as a target. any ideas?
You also have to be controlling the vessel that is doing the docking.
Also, the distance to the port to dock (not necessarily to the current target even if it’s the same vessel) should be smaller than 200 meters.
yeah but i want an explanation of how to get a transition orbit closer than 500 kilometers of my space station
th-cam.com/video/aWevPmvbLI8/w-d-xo.html
When I click Control From Here on my docking port, nothing ever happens.
If the docking port and command pod are oriented the same way, you won't notice a difference.
Are you the khan academy guy?
No, but I get that a lot.
Me: I can do this.
Mike: **starts talking**
Me: **confused screaming**
can you do a video on mechjeb2 launch to rendezvous?
Sorry, but I don't play with that mod.
@@MikeAben what do you do about maxQ? I do you eyeball the thrust based on transonic effects ?
@@Dolph_Vader When playing manually it's full thrust all the way, baby! Yes, you can get into ideal TWR to maximize efficiency, but I honestly don't find the effort worth it.
That said, I have a modded let's play with a launch program I wrote in kOS. It's full thrust until 25 km at which point it locks the TWR to 0.9. Something more dynamic would likely be better, but I've not gotten to doing that and, frankly, it's not a high priority.
@@MikeAben that makes sense. When you're building properly the difference isn't as big. I remember when i was a n00b and I'd strap extra solid boosters (before vanilla ksp had TWR), that max Q limiter did save me gazillions of deltaV by throttling back my liquid engines till the air was thinner. Now it's just a habit to use it every time but usually doesn't even do much manipulation of the throttle.
Yes, tweaking the thrust limiter in the VAB is the key. Way back, before KSP even gave you the total mass (and I hadn't heard of Kerbal Engineer), I had a spread sheet where I recorded all the part and fuel masses and engine thrusts, and it calculated TWR and delta-v for me.
Docking mode is for consoles
Ive tried repeatedly to do this, I do what you say and it kinda works, but i can never get the intercept where i meet the other probe/module No other tutorial really describes it much as well
Are you talking about setting up the rendezvous? That is getting the two spacecraft to be close together. I have a video for that linked under the info tab at the top right.
Let me know if this isn't what you mean.
Docking Method 4:
Mechjeb
so i need RCS to do the docking?
It's much easier with it, but it can be done without using method 1 in the video.
You can show how to dock without RCS and SAS... Is not that hard
Rcs help in slight movement without rcs it is possible but too difficult
@@jd_bhalani no its little harder bcs u have to think about future steps.... U can also set trust limiter to .5
I did it recently in a live stream because I forgot to put on thruster blocks. It's not hard if you just point the two docking ports at each other as in method #1 in this video.
There is the "Lowne" method, but that requires either top-end probes or 3-star pilots for both vessels. Fine for Sandbox Mode, easy enough for Science Mode, but comes quite a lot later in Career Mode.
@@_Meriwether Isn't that essential method one here with you being able to lock onto the target?
Why is this feature in the game so hard. It makes me not want to play
Then don’t play, because its not hard. You just aren’t good at it yet.
It is about being semi realistic. Honestly, all you need to do is learn the process and it starts becoming second nature.
Quite hard to follow
Bruh
NGL I really hate when people say words slower as if their talking to children. Thumbs down.
He comes from a teaching background and considering the point of the video, to be a beginners tutorial, the changes in his cadence are to help put emphasis on specific ideas as it can quickly become overwhelming. If the pace is too slow for you, just increase the speed of the video.