Would you like to take control of the interface used by the NASA astronauts to attach the Dragon 2 spaceship to the International Space Station? Well, now it is possible through the ISS Docking Simulator made by SpaceX.
The simulator is based on designs created by SpaceX Crew Dragon Displays, which gives the possibility to manually pilot the vehicle towards the ISS.
Shane Mielke, who leads all that is related to the UI/UX of the simulator in the course of the last three years of this project, explains that the simulator, which can be accessed by anyone with a computer, is used also by NASA itself as an educative resource for 6-12th grade students.
Dragon 2 is originally a reusable spaceship built by the American firm SpaceX and, unlike its antecessor, it can attach autonomically to the ISS. The challenge here is to attach it manually to the station located in the low orbit.
Where to start with the ISS Docking Simulator?
The only thing you need to do is to enter the website dedicated to the simulator, read carefully the instruction manual, and lastly, click Begin.
There is also a warning that the movement in the space is slow and requires patience and precision.
General instructions
After the simulator starts, it can be noted that the interface stands out especially with its various numerical indicators. The green numbers here should be kept below 0.2 to be able to achieve a successful attachment.
Rotation controls (To the right of the screen)
These controls are used to set right the rotation axis, and they are recommended to use at the start. Being oriented in the right way is also fundamental for a successful attachment. The mouse or the arrows can be used for these controls.
Position controls (To the left of the screen)
After checking the rotation, these controls enable you to move your position in different directions, including backward and forward. For these, you should use the mouse or W, A, S, and D keys.
Pression levers
These controls have similar levers and the adjustments can only be made with small and precise movements. The advice here is to not make big movements when close to ISS.
Green diamond
The objective is to catch up with this element that is positioned in the interface for the attachment.
Blue numbers
These numbers indicate the velocity (rotation and the movement) and the necessary values moving towards the ISS can be found in the lower right part.
On paper, managing to achieve the attachment seems easy, however, it is essential practicing to get more familiar with the controls and to obtain relatively stable handling. Otherwise, it is possible to end up experiencing a crash or getting too far from the ISS, resulting in the failure of the mission.
