Stabilizing your craft in orbit

kerbal-space-program

Is there a hot-key, trick or maneuvering technique to stabilize your craft in orbit so it does not roll, pitch and yaw relative to the planet it is orbiting? I'd like to get my first station part up there. I reckon it makes the job much more easier later on to attach something when it does not move.

Best Answer

There are two ways you can do this:

  1. Stabilize your delivery rocket prior to releasing the station. You can do this with RCS and ASAS modules. It won't be perfect, as the momentum imparted through the disconnection can't be neutralized.
  2. Stabilize your station after releasing it. You'll need to include either a cockpit (or probe body) to be able to control it, some RCS, SAS torque modules, and electricity to power it all.

Regardless of which you pick, enabling SAS (by pressing T), will attempt to kill all rotation. To enable RCS (which SAS will use to help), press R. It won't stay on the same heading (because it can't take planet rotation into account), but it will make it much easier to dock. KSP .21 (the currently latest version) has revamped ASAS to no longer oscillate back and forth when trying to auto-stabilize your craft. It will use electricity, though, so make sure you either have enough electricity, or can generate enough for SAS.