With more private spaceship traffic expected at the International Space Station in the coming years, two US astronauts are set to embark on a spacewalk Friday to install a special parking spot for them.
Americans Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins will step outside the orbiting laboratory to attach an international docking adaptor launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship last month.
[...] Built by Boeing, the circular adaptor measures around 42 inches (one meter) tall and about 63 inches (1.6 meters) wide.
The adaptors will work with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon, two spaceships under construction that are planned to ferry astronauts to the space station.
The docking adaptor is more sophisticated than past equipment because it will allow automatic parking instead of the current grapple and berthing process managed by astronauts.
It also has fittings that will enable the space station to share power and data with the spacecraft.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 21 2016, @05:16AM
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Sunday August 21 2016, @05:24AM
They did this yesterday or this morning. They aren't preparing anything, they did it.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by n1 on Sunday August 21 2016, @06:46AM
Thanks for providing a link [independent.co.uk] to the updated and more timely story in your comment.
We sincerely apologize for not posting this time sensitive story within the appropriate time frame. I hope this oversight has not caused distress and confusion in the space exploration community.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Sunday August 21 2016, @07:00AM
Fail to see the problem. I hit several sites every day that carry relevant news. Hell, I didn't even know if they did it yesterday or this morning, I just knew it was a done deal. For all I know it was a bleached blond on Fox news that told me (although I suspect it was Fark).
I'm a reader, not an editor. The editor's job is to ensure the story is accurate. The reader's job is to hold the editor's feet to the fire. Saying they're preparing to do something they finished 12 hours ago is just, well, lame.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 21 2016, @08:10AM
You state this on a site where the comments are usually more informative than the summary and often moreso than the story link.
However once a reader has offered a more relevant link i do expect an editor to paste it into the summary. Your value add as usual has been less than useful.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 21 2016, @08:15AM
Isn't it kinda interesting that an American company still has the technology to DO anything? Even an adapter ring.
Seems all the Americans can do much anymore is fund someone else to do it. Land of the Banker and the Hand-Shaker.
Very few people seem to have the actual ability to actually create anything other than paperwork and confusion.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Sunday August 21 2016, @09:05AM
I think it's worse than that. The English-speaking world seems to have become a Neo-Fascist/Neo-Nazi factory in recent years. I gather things are pretty bad in Australia too at the moment, All we can do it hate and blame. Here in Blighty we recently voted to put a stake through the heart of our financial services industry. We don't do much manufacturing or engineering, but what we do have is often in collaboration with foreign companies, which is good (because overall we are bigger than the sum of the parts), but we just voted to show them two fingers as well.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 21 2016, @09:33AM
Turn your bots off..... or stop smoking that stuff......
Ban me if you wish.
I used to like this site.....
Hint: news.google.com......
Delay in news is not news....
Refund?
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 21 2016, @09:40AM
guess Im done.....
its getting to useless...
dam... I was hoping for somthing better than that other site-(fuck...Slashdot, there I said it.)
Get it together or die....
the net is not very forgiving....
Refund refund refund.........
oh wait.... I never gave...
Oh thank god.....
Good i waited....
First adapters and all....
I may check back later....
log my IP and see if I can stick to my word.....
don't smile too much if I don't...
Forever yours..... Anonymous
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 21 2016, @10:27AM
I can see this "International Space Station" from my viewing location on the surface of the Earth when i am, like, 20 degrees into the night.
This is not consistent with a bunch of reflective tubes and panels @400 km over the surface shining sunlight back to me. Or moonlight. Or city light.