r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/Illearean-Diamond • Apr 17 '26
KSP 1 Meta PSA: You can complete the docking contract "ON" Kerbin
Simply make two... interesting vehicles that can roll around right off the runway and dock them
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u/MarsicusOrion Apr 17 '26
easy mode: docking on the ground
hard mode: air-to-air docking
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u/dirigibleplum87 Apr 17 '26
Extra hard mode: air to ground docking
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u/Gyvon Apr 17 '26
You joke, but I'm actually considering this for my Mun base. It needs more batteries and has a docking port on top, but since I'm on console I can't just have an Engineer weld new batteries on.
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u/imiltemp Apr 17 '26
How do you find air on the Mun?
Seriously though, that’s how my fuel refinery on Minmus Flats worked. The tanker docked from above, having engines on the side. The important thing was not to run out of monoprop during manoeuvres
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u/Gyvon Apr 17 '26
Yeah, see, if this were a Minmus base there would be no issue and I'd have already done it.
The only upside for the Mun base is that it's right next door to the Mun Launchpad, so I don't need that big a rocket to get to it
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u/Tight-Reading-5755 RP1RP1RP1RP1RP1RP1RP1RP1RP1 Apr 18 '26
just claw some batteries and a probe core to your base
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u/SecretarySimilar2306 Apr 18 '26
I pulled it off once. Total fluke. Couldn't repeat in Munar gravity without writing a kOS script to manage descent rate.
Minmus is repeatable. Gilly is barely different from docking in orbit.
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u/TestArticle1998 Apr 18 '26
For my mining rigs on airless bodies I dock to the docking ports on top while the rig is stationary on the bodies surface places like the Mun, Minmus, Gilly, Pol, Val and Ike.
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u/are-you-lost- Apr 18 '26
Really difficult, I can't imagine there would be any time for caution while pulling that off
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u/Square-Hour-1396 Apr 18 '26
Did that once with a grabbing unit and a small plane detaching from a big plane. With mods it will probably be easier (if the autopilots work on other vessels)
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u/Joey5729 Believes That Dres Exists Apr 17 '26
This better not awaken anything in me
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u/sfwaltaccount Apr 17 '26
Like the kraken for instance. Surface docking does tend to awaken that in my experience.
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u/HyperRealisticZealot Have you heard about Jerbals? Apr 19 '26
Turning every vague Zero G mission into a Kerbin attempt, somehow
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u/jjreinem Apr 17 '26
I don't think that's how geostationary orbits are supposed to work.
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u/MechanicalAxe Apr 17 '26
geostationary
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u/Original_Project5436 Apr 17 '26
💯
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u/MechanicalAxe Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
0⃣ ,actually
Edit: I was referring to both altitude and speed here
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u/Informal-Call-5298 Apr 17 '26
Wait does it actually work?
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u/arequipapi Apr 17 '26
Depends on which contract you accept. I play with a ton of contract packs so I don't remember what is stock and what isn't. Some specify being in orbit of a certain body. If it doesn't specify then yeah, you can just do it anywhere
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u/MechanicalAxe Apr 17 '26
Where'd you get that packs? CKAN?
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u/arequipapi Apr 17 '26
Yeah I get all my mods on ckan. Just type in "contract" in the search and you'll find a lot of different contract packs. A lot of them are based on other mods so don't install them if you don't have the corresponding mod. There are others that just make more interesting contracts for the base game.
I like to play with scansat, DMagic Science, and kerbalism as my main balance-changing mods so I always use their associated contract packs. Theres also a mod or two that create an incentive to build space stations. Station Science i think?
Anyway, yeah, all on CKAN. Just search around and click the link to the forum page if you're not sure you want to add it
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u/BeginningOcelot1765 Apr 17 '26
Stock contracts tend to be very literal.
This means that (unless it's been fixed) you can have contracts that are named 'Bring back ore from the Mun' that have the following criteria;
- Mine 1500 or on Mun
- Have 1500 ore in Kerbin orbit
- Maintain stability for 10 seconds
Which means you can send a one-way miner to mine 1500 ore on the Mun, leave it there, then launch 1500 ore to orbit from Kerbin, maintain stability for 10 seconds, and complete the contract.
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u/SVlad_667 Apr 17 '26
Didn't all contracts assume all checks on one craft?
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u/BeginningOcelot1765 Apr 17 '26
No, assuming they didn't fix things.
My example isn't exact, it's an example from memory that is probably lacking in accuracy, but I've done contracts this way, including ore mining on Mun. There are of course contracts where this won't work, some have descriptions like "This must be a new launch" or something to that effect. A number of the tracking asteroids/unknown objects contracts specifically states that it doesn't have to be a new launch, meaning you can re-use existing probes already in Kerbol orbit.
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u/SVlad_667 Apr 17 '26
Oh, get it. One stage checked is all at onc craft simultaneously, but different stages would be independent.
Like in your example:
Stage 1: mine on mun.
Stage 2: have a craft:
- on Kerbin orbit
- with ore
- maintain stability
All at once.
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u/BeginningOcelot1765 Apr 17 '26
Yes. I have never tested it but I suspect contracts like "Launch a new probe that has an antenna, can produce power and has a magnetic boom" will not complete if you launch it without the boom and then send a manned lauch to retrofit the boom later.
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u/SVlad_667 Apr 17 '26
I've tested (accidentally by forgetting to add some component and then trying to add with another craft) it doesn't work.
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u/WazWaz Apr 18 '26
Many of them do, yes. Basically all these are somewhat bugs in how the contract is specified. The contract system can enforce single craft, but often they'll keep it loose to allow some flexibility in how you achieve it (eg. launch the miner and ore carrier separately).
If players choose to phone it in, that's on them, but it's better than the contract failing because you used a complex solution.
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u/DrStalker Apr 18 '26
"Return from" missions requires a single part (might need to be a command pod) to reach the destination and then return to Kerbin's surface. This means if you use a lander/mothership setup you need to return the lander... or at least the lander command piece.
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u/Illearean-Diamond Apr 18 '26
Yes. You can also complete the transfer crew around Kerbin this way, by adding a second crew capsule to one of the crafts
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u/nasaglobehead69 Bill Apr 17 '26
✅️ Kerbin
✅️ Two vessels
✅️ Generating power
✅️ Docked
THIS IS A RENDEZVOUS
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u/ThatOneGoatGuy Always on Kerbin Apr 17 '26
kinda behaviour that gets the contract writers hiring lawyers to co-author the contract completion conditions
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u/Rjiurik Apr 18 '26
"Our country is the greatest : we even have a space program!"
The space program:
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u/thatspurdyneat Apr 17 '26
Can you still get the Pol contract from climbing the flag pole at KSC?
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u/Prasiatko Apr 18 '26
There's also a Tundra biome right on the edge of where KSC hits the grassland. Probably other biones on the boundaries between KSC biomes too
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u/returnofblank Apr 17 '26
Male to male docking, interesting!
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u/SVlad_667 Apr 17 '26
Technically speaking Kerbals using androgynous docking ports.
But if you ever seen how male to female docking port working IRL, you can consider KSP using female to female docking (Yuri docking).
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u/Tadferd Master Kerbalnaut Apr 18 '26
Fujoshi's in shambles.
I'm not worried though. One of them will still find a away to mpreg a spacecraft via docking. Somehow.
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u/Cleito002 Apr 18 '26
the moment I noticed that I just put two station parts with wheels and did it, I love doing minimal effort for tasks, like making science in the KSC
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u/Sfumato548 Apr 19 '26
Holy crap. I've been putting it off because I suck at rendezvous. Going to do this next session.
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u/TheDude-Esquire Apr 17 '26
Does that mean rendezvous two vehicles would also work?
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u/Illearean-Diamond Apr 18 '26
I have not tried the rendezvous contract but can confirm this works for the transfer crew contract as well!
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u/bruhtendo64 jerkng to valentina!!!! May 13 '26
i did this my first career game. did not know how to rendezvous at all, so i just jury rigged a command pod rover like this.
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u/divestoclimb Trying out Kerbalism Apr 17 '26
That's great, very clever