Docking with a Target

This script will dock any rocket with a targetted rocket. The script assumes the target is a ship and it is next to the target.

The complete program is available in a variety of languages:

Java, Python

First of all, we start with connecting to the server, initializing service instances and getting the active vessel.

    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException, RPCException, StreamException {
        //This script assumes the vessel is next to the target and the target is a ship.
        try(Connection conn = Connection.newInstance("Docking with a target")) {
            SpaceCenter sc = SpaceCenter.newInstance(conn);
            MechJeb mj = MechJeb.newInstance(conn);
            Vessel active = sc.getActiveVessel();

import krpc

#This script assumes the vessel is next to the target and the target is a ship.
conn = krpc.connect(name="Docking with target")
sc = conn.space_center
mj = conn.mech_jeb
active = sc.active_vessel

Then, we set the first docking port as the controlling part, find a free docking port attached to the target vessel and set it as the target.

            Parts parts = active.getParts();
            parts.setControlling(parts.getDockingPorts().get(0).getPart());

            System.out.println("Looking for a free docking port attached to the target vessel");
            for(DockingPort dp : sc.getTargetVessel().getParts().getDockingPorts())
                if(dp.getDockedPart() == null) {
                    sc.setTargetDockingPort(dp);
                    break;
                }

print("Setting the first docking port as the controlling part")
parts = active.parts
parts.controlling = parts.docking_ports[0].part

print("Looking for a free docking port attached to the target vessel")
for dp in sc.target_vessel.parts.docking_ports:
    if not dp.docked_part:
        sc.target_docking_port = dp
        break

Finally, we engage Docking Autopilot and close the connection when it finishes.

            DockingAutopilot docking = mj.getDockingAutopilot();
            docking.setEnabled(true);

            Stream<Boolean> enabled = conn.addStream(docking, "getEnabled");
            enabled.setRate(1); //we don't need a high throughput rate, 1 second is more than enough
            synchronized(enabled.getCondition()) {
                while(enabled.get())
                    enabled.waitForUpdate();
            }
            enabled.remove();

            System.out.println("Docking complete!");
        }
    }
}

print("Starting the docking process")
docking = mj.docking_autopilot
docking.enabled = True

with conn.stream(getattr, docking, "enabled") as enabled:
    enabled.rate = 1 #we don't need a high throughput rate, 1 second is more than enough
    with enabled.condition:
        while enabled():
            enabled.wait()

print("Docking complete!")
conn.close()

The vessels should now be docked.