All Questions
41
questions
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
If Crew Dragon can dock autonomously, why is there a crew aboard when they change from docking port to another?
I was watching the redocking the other night and they kept mentioning that it can redock autonomously. If so, why is the crew there? Is it there as a backup in case the autonomous system fails? Is ...
31
votes
3
answers
7k
views
What would happen to the ISS if the Russians undocked their part?
So... RIA Novosti (Russian media agency) made a video, where they show the Russians ostensibly undocking the Zarya module and the US part of the station falls into the atmosphere (someone was playing ...
- 7,925
4
votes
3
answers
454
views
Did the ISS just turn upside-down? Nauka docking attitude maneuvers; did the cupola near pointing zenith and therefore show only black sky w/ stars?
This answer to Is the ISS going to yaw and assume the XPOP attitude for Nauka docking? contains lots of information on the attitude trajectory in yaw-pitch-roll space, but from those I can't envision ...
- 148k
6
votes
0
answers
260
views
Can a spacecraft be "too large to dock" to the ISS?
A comment below Is Starship planned to fly directly to the ISS without first stage? Is it even possible? says:
to my best knowledge, the Starship will never be near the ISS. it is too large to dock ...
- 148k
5
votes
1
answer
320
views
Why will the Soyuz MS-17 be relocated on the ISS?
According to the Soyuz MS-17 Wikipedia page, the spacecraft is planned to relocate from Rassvet nadir to Poisk zenith on 10 March 2021. This 3 weeks before the next Soyuz, MS-18 arrives.
From ...
- 5,334
11
votes
1
answer
800
views
How are Kounotori modules unbolted? Who or what does the unbolting?
NASA Spaceflight's Final JAXA H-II Transfer Vehicle bids farewell to ISS says:
Following CBM vestibule depressurization, 16 bolts that held the Kounotori 9 spacecraft to the Station were removed in ...
- 148k
2
votes
1
answer
125
views
ISS Docking / Undocking schedule availability
Is there a website or other API from where the ISS planned docking / undocking events could be available?
I would also be interested in historical docking undocking events.
Thank you very much in ...
- 710
6
votes
1
answer
192
views
What is the specified procedure to follow if there is a fail to create an airtight seal during hard dock?
I was watching the docking process of Dragon to the ISS including both the "soft dock" process, which was then followed by the hard dock involving 2 sets of 6 locking mechanisms.
I believe I'm ...
- 161
8
votes
1
answer
476
views
What is this diagram shown during Dragon docking with the ISS?
While docking with the ISS, the live stream showed this diagram with a green line starting at the capsule and looping around the area of the ISS. It would sporadically change and loop around the ...
- 878
4
votes
4
answers
581
views
How do Space Ships dock themselves so flawlessly to the ISS?
Use of sensors and lasers seems obvious, but what all goes into the system that achieves this? What does the process entail? Example includes SpaceX's recent autonomous docking to ISS of Crew Dragon.
- 151
13
votes
1
answer
4k
views
How many spacecraft can dock at the ISS at once?
With CST-100 looking likely to start flying (eventually) and Crew Dragon prepping for a human spaceflight, plus the existing Soyuz program I got to wondering how many craft could be docked at the ISS ...
- 7,925
4
votes
0
answers
99
views
Just how record-setting was the launch-to-docking time of the April-4-2019 Progress resupply mission?
Digital Trend's article 3-plus-hour supply trip from Earth to International Space Station breaks record mentions that this was even faster than the typical "fast-track" Russian launch-to-docking time ...
- 148k
1
vote
1
answer
135
views
Difference between "undock" and "depart" (SpaceX Dragon Mission 1); when did it leave?
Reading the Astronomy SE question Did I see the dragon capsule on Friday night? I thought I'd check some times.
Wikipedia's SpX-DM1 says:
...
- 148k
25
votes
1
answer
5k
views
What are these green text/line displays shown during the livestream of Crew Dragon's approach to dock with the ISS?
During the livestream of Crew Dragon's approach to docking, at 6:24 a laptop display is shown with lots of green text and a camera view of the International Space Station. What's going on?
- 12.1k
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What is Crew Dragon approaching in this picture?
Crew Dragon (without a crew) just docked to the ISS for the first time last night. Most of the news reports on it are using the below photo. I thought it was supposed to dock to the Harmony module's ...
- 1,405