If you use this guide for the maximum, you will save dozens of hours of your life - not to mention gallons of sweat made during horrible disasters which followed my first tries with this operations.
I will try to show you how to dock rendezvous two modules or even join them together.
I wish you strong will and If you dont get something, read it again immediately!

Rendezvous is kinda standard procedure which precede every docking or flight to another celestial body. We will talk here in a scale of one orbit around Kerbin for now. Mun,etc. will wait for some next time.

It is necessary to get in space two rockets with same type of Docking port ("Clamp-O-Tron"[wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com]) and RCS thrusters .



Im using on my rocket from picture different type Shielded Clamp-O-Tron[wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com].
So I will launch first rocket and make it as accurate as possible on orbit 100 000m corrected with Mun. Next step is launching second rocket so it can join with the first one. From now I will usse marking as Rocket A and B.



Once you will have ready Rocket B on the Launching Ramp, enter the map and click on A and choose "Set as Target".



Launch time of B is now crucial. You need to easily catch A so you dont have to wait too long on orbit. You have to remember how long took the way of Rocket A on the 100 000m orbit. Same time will be applied for B. In my case will be enough to launch B in moment where A meets the west coast of southern continent(picture).



You will be able to see Rocket A above your head once you start to ascend (If you will be in distance of max 100km).



Now because A is on 100 000m orbit we need to put our B on lower orbit so it can B catch up (Against the all logic in this: Lower the orbit is, the lower time is needed to circle around the planet). So that is why I set B on minimal orbit possible - 70 000m.



And as in previous guide I will correct orbit angles.



Now comes the tricky part which you can easily solve with math (but who wants that right?), but we will try it with trial-and-error procedure.
Once you see B closing to A, create in a next half of orbit Node and slowly add Pograde so the B orbit will be increased. Then just watch the projection until there will two new points.



You can see those points at number 1. Point in white circle is Position of rocket B (mine). Orange circle shows position of rocket A which we want to rendezvous. There are some texts under the circles: Intersect 1/2 shows distance to other rocket in that point (Separation), according to a picture it is 55.1km. This is what we need to try lower as much as possible with properly set Node. This is the moment where comes my favorite mod where you with + and - buttons modify Prograde vector value. Increment defines one step of click. Separation can be lowered by modifying Prograde or by Radial maneuver (those turquoise icons). In real shoud be enough to modify only Prograde. If you are not able to lower separation under 2km, you should try to move with Maneuver Node to other position. My rocket would fall behind target by those 55km in my case. So I will move my Node for some distance farther. You can easily grab that Node with mouse and move it in some way. You will be able to see in real time changing projection so you can try with this to move those two separation point close together. You will reach some reasonable values after few tries and modifying prograde (number 2 and 3). That will be your maneuver.
Addendum: You can see two different Intersect points (1 a 2) on map, which merges here together. Once your B rocket would have higher Orbit in some place than A, those point will be separated and you will get two Intersection points. That will give you two points where are your rocket closest to each other and their trajectories are "crossing" in altitude meanings. This also means usually bigger difference in rocket trajectories and bigger deltaV used to adjust speed of target rocket.



Once you make the Move, you will find out that theory is different from real use (as usual) and it means in planetary measurement even 1km difference. Press R key to activate your RCS thrusters and you can use H key (Prograde +) and N key (Prograde -) to adjust distance and lower it. RCS thrusters are able to make with rocket very gentle moves and we will talk about them soon.

There will be kinda fast sequence of actions which are needs to be done as accurate as possible so you will save A LOT of fuel.


1) Notice that your value of orbit speed had changed to Target speed. This value shows our relative speed against Rocket A. And our goal will be to lower this speed in closest possible point to an almost 0m/s. So you need to recognize targets movement vector against your own. That will show you NavBall as well with Pink target icon and your Prograde green icon. They are nicely close to each other in my case so I will let my rocket enclose target to separation value on map.

2) 1.8km is close enough to begin lowering relative speed of B againt A.

3) So I will turn over rocket to retrograde and find out where is to it Pink retrograde target icon (pink 3-star). So the basics are to align those two icons in one point. You will do it simply as it seen picture 3. I willtarget my rocket slightly below rockets retrograde in line with targets retrograde a burn engines (Not on full throttle). You should see slowly relative speed dropping and also should see how the green retrograde icon moving onto pink targets retrograde icon.

4) Still keep in that thinked line until green icon covers the pink one and your relative speed will be under 5m/s.

5) Now you can turn your rocket back to prograde vector. Green prograde icon and pink target prograde icon should aligned as well. Howeever, the movement around orbit will move with these icons too and they will shift away from each other. So you need to correct this time to time. That is the time RCS thrusters and keys I, J, K and L. These keys are shifting your rocket in sides.
You can see that my rocket is slightly shifting down and right. So if I want to align icons again I will hold key J and K for a moment. That will shift my rocket slightly up and left and icons will be once again aligned.

6) Rocket here is movin way too much up and left so I need to hold for a while keys I and L to move down and right.

7) I will slow my rocket with N easily to even 0m/s. Or with H speed up rocket a little so I can reach target. But never be too much anxious and be cautios (there is nothing more painful than watchng your two rocket beeing hit each other - who saw Gravity[www.imdb.com], understands :) )

This whole process with previous one is kinda only increasing or lowering orbit the only thing is that your rocket B will approach the same orbit as A.


This was the first way how to do it. Second one would be to control Rocket A and lower orbit to reach rocket B. So the only difference is use Retrograde instead of Prograde and adjusting speed to Rocket B would be slowering it instead of speeding up. So to slower targets speed would show on NavBall as burning engines in a prograde of target. Now here dont apply rule about line with target but with crossing target. So instead line of: Retrograde target ----- Retrograde rocket ----- Aim cross; counts: Prograde rocket ---- Prograde target ---- Aim cross. This counts to using engines, once you reach relative speed under 5m/s use your RCS and guide is same as previous.

We made succesful Rendezvous process. Now we can start with Docking procedure it self.

Moveable object means a rocket which is able to rotate around its axis easily (kinda not possible with massive Stations or modules without power).
Will talk about version where using rocket B.

Once you reach second rocket so you are able to visualy recognize parts on it, you can click on its Clamp-O-Tron and with RMB and Set as Target that particular Docking module.

Now you can easily aim both rocket towards each other. So you can use [ or ] to switch on other rocket. Find optically rocket B a double time click on it. That is other way how to set it as target too. Aim B on A. Now you should have both rockets against each other with docking ports.
Switch back to B and with IJKL and HN keep Prograde towards rocket A.

Once again mark other docing port as a target like previous time.



Once you will be from A under 30m away, keep your speed under 0,5m/s. Now you can switch your controls to more sensitive with Caps Lock key. You can recognize this on the panel down left on the screen that markers will change into blue color.


You can see there also three icons, one for classic rocketing, sedond one for docking and the third one is map. Anyway, dont use that second dockinh icon, its useless, the only thing it does is switching controls WASD with IJKL. Just useless.
With sensitive controls is eaier to keep prograde towards docking port.


When you enclose to target on few meters, lower your relative speed on 0,1m/s to make contact nice and peaceful. Note: You can see here also window from Docking Aligment mode. Will explain later on next example.


You will recognize the successful connection of both rockets when camera look will change into more wide and you will rotate around both rockets.

So once we managed to successfully dock two modules together there should be also some use for it, right? :)
Useful feature of connected modules is so called Energy Transfer. That works also on parts of one rocket, but there is some limited use only.
So fuel and energy transfer is for for example reassign fuel from one tank to other.


You can do this easily by holding left alt key and RMB on both fuel tank where you can choose which tank will be filled (IN), or empty it with OUT buttons. Dont forget to transfer all elements of fuel.


You can use it also on Monopropellant or Eelectric energy.

And because I decide to leave one rocket here and bring both kerbonauts back on surface on one move, I will transfer all free energies from rocket B to A. I can also manually turn off rocket B engine once I have no use for it.



While we are here at the engine, look at the button Lock Gimbal. You can lock the tilting of engine. Gimbal is assistant element which helps rocket to turn in space. This is the element which ables to turn those hundrer of tonnes rocket after launch.

Last thing here is Decoupler. Use it on Rocket B and separate useless part of rocket away.

Now you need to be focused on one thing. You have two control modules on one rocket and both have opposite vectors of Prograde (What is for one Prograde means for the other one Retrograde). That can make a little mess on our NavBall and you need to think about it what you see there.


Notice that movement of my rocket around Kerbin is from left to right side.
So our engine is turned into retrograde, right?
Well, but icon on NavBall shows that we are moving in Prograde. Why?
Because our primary conrol module is that one from rocket B which we used to catch rocket A.
You can easily click with the RMB on the docking port or control module of rocket A and select Control from Here button. That will choose what element is prime for conrolling the rocket and that one will define what move you do on NavBall which will show it now correctly.

Landing back on Kerbin is easy, but when you need to land accurately there might come some challange. The easiest point to practice on is KSC.
So how to do it? You need to realize that Kerbin rotates around its axis and one day last for 6 hours. Then you need to think about time spend on rocket getting into maneuver node where we want to burn retrograde. And then rocket needs some time to land on mother kerbin.

So make a node somewhere before KSC and slow it to somewhere like in middle of ocean between KSC and next continent.


Once you will be like a 10 seconds from Node, you should have landing trajectory about 50km off KSC. Picture 1 shows distance cca 100km.
So I need to modify Node and when I will have about 1 minute to solid crash with surface I will adjust trajectory little bit in sea behind KSC.


And since Im trying to land with two modules at once It will be smart to separate them and let land alone how they were originally designed.

ATTENTION!!!: If you want succesfully land with two modules at once, they cant separate from each other on more than 2,5 km. Game it self stops counting physic for other objects in space so it does not count with atmospehere or parachutes and module will crash into surface.

Air friction will do the job and slow you down according to entry angle more or less close to KSC.
You can select on the top middle HUD panel hidden Recovery button and "grab" module back to KSC.

Dock two small modules is quite easy after some practice. But how about to dock with Space station? And what if the rocket has docking port not directly at axis of it but somewhere on side?
Here we go.

I will launch some station (for example like this one below, it good enough for showcase).



I will set Station on orbit stable with Minmus (second Kerbin moon).

Then I launch my own rocket via standard procedure and prepare it for rendezvous.



Theory...

And reality (after correcting it with RCS)



Then I will approach to the station and "stop" my rocket.



You can see on the next pricture what rocket I made for this docking maneuver.
I have Port on side and maneuvering could seem to be more difficult.


This is the right time for the mini plugin: Docking port aligment. So set Control from Here on that sided one. Then choose target on Station. Next task is turn both port towards each other. This will show us plugin and its popuping window. You can see on number 3 that ports are way to different way. We need to set them as on number 4 - they will be set exactly towards each other.
Once you set control of rocket, there will be applied whole new way how to control it. Now you need to imagine rocket in a way that docking port is tip of the rocket and control it like that. You will find out soon and get it what I mean :)


You can see on this picture that NavBall cant work with setup like this a shows literally crap. Thats why we need to rely on us self and our observing skill and get rocket where we want it.

So as you can see this kinda all about experimenting with it because whole thing is really tricky when NavBall shows nonsences.

have patience a use sensitive controls via Caps Lock.

EVA, or Extra Vehicular Activity

And because I dont like to fly just like that I brought one extra passanger which I want to move on the station.


Find a hatch of you rocket a click on it with LMB. And click on EVA at the person.
Alernative: if you know name of your kerbonaut you want to make EVA, you can click on picture in right down corner.
Once you EVA him, your kerbonaut will be hanging out of rocket at ladder.
You can move on it with WASD. If you are with him on module with free slot, your can enter pressing F key. And finally: you can let the ladder be with Space key.


However there is a difference between controlled flight and being carried away (Not good at all)

You can press R key to turn on RCS thrusters so you will have once again situation under control.


You can see on picture which keys controls which direction. Circle with dot shows direction backwards, Circle with cross shows forward (this is common marking of vectors in technical industry).

Mind you dont have limitless RCS fuel (you can check with RMB on kerbonaut).
Once you move kerbonaut on station, you can disconnect rocket.


And land back on KSC.

Full understanding of all what is said here will take you hours and hours of practice. So train and practice.

Advance task: Join with the rocket which orbits around polar sides (bi-polar orbit or inclination 90°). Crucial is timing of rocket launch, you can simply time your launch in moment when targeted rocket flyby over KSC.

Extreme task: Try to time rocket launch just in time when targeted rocket flyby over KSC so you can instantly dock to it in less then 5 minutes after launch. It could seem to be impossible task but opposite is right and mastering this will save you ALOT of time.

This is all for this time. We will look next time on the advance methods how to deliver payload onto orbit :)



Ahoy!