from the where's-a-kerbal-when-you-need-one? dept.
SpaceX Crew Dragon simulator challenges you to dock with the ISS, and it's not easy:
It's a good thing I'm not on board the historic SpaceX Crew Dragon launch to the International Space Station scheduled for May 27. It turns out I suck at piloting a spacecraft.
SpaceX released a docking simulator online Tuesday that lets anyone try to safely connect the crew capsule with the ISS. Spoiler alert: I missed.
"This simulator will familiarize you with the controls of the actual interface used by NASA astronauts to manually pilot the SpaceX Dragon 2 vehicles to the International Space Station," SpaceX said, warning that the process "requires patience and precision." I had neither.
My attempt at the delicate dance of control and corrections didn't go well. "Do not use large movements near the ISS," SpaceX advised. I'm pretty sure I accidentally crashed into one of the ISS solar arrays.
Fortunately, the upcoming SpaceX Demo-2 mission will be crewed by NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who are trained experts at this whole complicated docking thing.
The astronauts probably won't have to call on their training. "Crew Dragon missions will autonomously dock and undock with the space station, but crew can take manual control of the spacecraft if necessary," SpaceX tweeted.
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine also took to Twitter on Tuesday to remind everyone that he aced the simulator on his first try last year. Show-off.
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[20200530_203823 UTC: UPDATE: Launch was successful, all systems nominal, first stage successfully landed on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You", and Ben and Doug are on their 19-hour flight to the ISS (International Space Station). Live coverage continues all the way through docking.]
Today's the day— weather permitting, America is returning to space:
During Wednesday's technically smooth countdown, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken came within 17 minutes of launching before a scrub due to poor weather. Now the crew will suit up and try again on Saturday despite still iffy weather.
SpaceX is working toward an instantaneous launch at 3:22pm ET (19:22 UTC). The big concern again today is the development of thunderstorms near the launch site this afternoon, which could violate a number of weather criteria, including not just precipitation, but also residual electric energy from lighting in the atmosphere. Overall, the chance of acceptable weather at launch time is about 50 percent, forecasters estimate. They are also watching for down-range conditions in case an emergency abort is required during the rocket's ascent to space.
This is nothing new for NASA or U.S. human spaceflight. As the commander, Hurley, noted on Twitter Friday that his first space mission in 2009 scrubbed five times for weather or technical issues before it finally lifted off. "All launch commit criteria is developed way ahead of any attempt," Hurley said. "This makes the correct scrub or launch decision easier in the heat of the moment."
It has been such a long, long road for NASA and SpaceX to reach this moment—thousands of engineers and technicians have labored to design, develop, test, and fly hardware for the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket over the last decade. But now the hardware and crew are ready, and at just the right time, to go fly.
[...] A combined NASA and SpaceX webcast will begin today at 11am ET (15:00 UTC).
Launch is scheduled for exactly 2 hours from the time this story goes live.
You can also join the discussion on channel #Soylent on IRC (Internet Relay Chat).
Just a few weeks ago, we had a story about how SpaceX released a docking simulator that lets anyone try to safely connect the crew capsule with the ISS. SpaceX had a history of not taking itself too seriously. The drone ships for landing the Falcon-9 boosters are named Just Read the Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You (from Iain M. Banks' Culture fictional universe)... knowing full-well the ships' names would be announced every time there was a landing attempt. Then came the names of the fairing recovery ships: Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief. And, of course, there was the time Elon Musk launched his bright red Tesla Roadster (and star man) on as the payload the inaugural launch of the Falcon Heavy.
So, it should come as no surprise that an Anonymous Coward wrote in to tell us that SpaceX had been at it again; the docking simulator had an Easter Egg embedded in it! Here's a link to the simulator again:https://iss-sim.spacex.com/
Apparently, if you do a 180 and pitch down you can see Elons' Roadster. Extra points if you bump it into the atmosphere for burn up. Is this for real? Who will be the first Soylentil to achieve and confirm these?
Previously:
(2020-05-13) SpaceX Crew Dragon Simulator Challenges You to Dock with the ISS, and It's Not Easy
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:03PM (3 children)
I trained on Elite, synchronizing with the starion's rotation.
Eventually bought a docking computer, I tired of the work and the occasional scrapes on my spaceship.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Revek on Wednesday May 13 2020, @08:28PM
I trained on kerbal space program. Eventually someone wrote mechjeb. Now ships dock themselves about 80% of the time. I docked to the ISS though today in three minutes. Easy as can be. Zero out roll, yaw and pitch and boost in fast until you get to 10m. Then creep forward and dock.
This page was generated by a Swarm of Roaming Elephants
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @10:20PM
Almost in Star Citizen, just 0.1 versions more!
The spaceships come pre-scratched and dusty, with complimentary smears on the windscreen for added immersion, so at least we have that.
(Score: 2) by Kell on Wednesday May 13 2020, @11:17PM
I trained on Orbiter - being a hard-physics accurate representation of space dynamics, virtually all of my skills are transferable to KSP, Space Engineers or other realish environments. If you want something with more depth and an extraordinary difficulty curve, give Orbiter a go. I used to carry my printed (and very thick!) flight operations manual with me on the bus to uni to read up on orbital mechanics... took a long time to master.
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 2) by Snospar on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:04PM (5 children)
If you've ever managed to dock anything in orbit above Kerbal then this should be a piece of cake. As they explain, small movements are key and approaching very slowly - just try and do the exact opposite of what you see in Star Wars and you'll be just fine.
Huge thanks to all the Soylent volunteers without whom this community (and this post) would not be possible.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:12PM (1 child)
Pitch Yaw and Roll are relatively stable in the simulator... lock them in on zeroes then translate your Y and Z to zeroes as best you can (they will drift, particularly as you get close), then head in and slow down to "blue speed" as you get close.
Without reading the instructions I had to reset once, but succeeded on the 2nd attempt (after I figured out what the controls were doing...)
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @10:14PM
Yeah this was super easy. It would be even easier with a joystick instead of four buttons for translation.
There is a similar docking simulator at Kennedy Space Center which was a bit harder (but still not too bad) because you had limited fuel and once you ran out you couldn't make any more adjustments to your course...
The moon lander one was way harder because gravity.
(Score: 3, Funny) by richtopia on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:59PM (1 child)
I've docked tons of spacecraft in Kerbal. But in this simulator I don't see the MechJeb menu anywhere....
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Thursday May 14 2020, @05:33AM
I'm a big mechjeb fan but I've never had good luck with auto docking. Manual docking is easy enough anyway.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Wednesday May 13 2020, @08:44PM
Thanks, I came here to ask how this compares to Kerbal. Kerbal Space Program is amazing for learning some fundamental concepts behind rocketry/space travel, although I'm sure there are lots of technical details omitted.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 4, Funny) by Bot on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:15PM (2 children)
Try to align with the hexagons and go slow, lunar lander was way more difficult (also bc we never went to the moon but this is another issue)
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:34PM
BTW, three hexes = 666.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 14 2020, @12:16AM
Lunar lander? Was that the predecessor to Jupiter Lander?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:17PM (1 child)
Full throttle @720° spin with a few loops.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 14 2020, @12:10AM
For frack's-sake Starbuck!! Combat landings were not authorized!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by WizardFusion on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:25PM (1 child)
Well, that was easy.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @06:57PM
Expect an email, fax, phone call, and a Zoom notification from Musk. He put the sim up to find the next Starfighter.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:54PM (4 children)
Rather not support anything connected to Dictator Musk for awhile.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @05:59PM
You are confused about who the actual dictators are. Tesla and Alameda County came to an agreement, so it is moot anyway.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @10:28PM (2 children)
Good choice, son. Boeing cares about their employees, especially the ladies, and wouldn't dream [seattletimes.com] of putting them at risk [king5.com] during this crisis. It's beyond irresponsible of little Elon to open a week sooner.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 14 2020, @12:28AM (1 child)
Why does it matter if "ladies" are affected more than men?
Musk opening isn't the problem people have with him, but rather it's his "My ego is above the law so I will do what I want when I want and you can't touch me" attitude of late.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 14 2020, @12:22PM
The fine American men at Boeing know how to treat a lady right, unlike the musky incel weedbros at Tesla and SpaceX.
Tesla can't be allowed to reopen because the Constitution has been suspended by our hero governors. The firm hand of government must be used to slap Ebong Susk's raw ass into submission.
(Score: 2) by istartedi on Wednesday May 13 2020, @10:29PM (2 children)
Got it first time too. I hope the real thing shows more significant digits than the sim. Spending several seconds wondering if 0.1 meters was going to change to 0.0 or 0.2 was an unnecessary hassle. I can't say it was *easy*, especially towards the end. For some reason I couldn't get the Z-axis to stabilize and I had to keep correcting it. This made sense when I was far out and might have had some minor deviation in the Yaw-axis. Once again, -0.0 almost certainly hid some significant digits. OTOH, it made no sense at all when I was less than a meter from the station and kept having to zero out the Z-axis. I can't believe the real thing has that much of a pucker factor, or lack of significant digits, unless the haptic and visual feedback factor of reality makes up for it.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 2) by rigrig on Thursday May 14 2020, @12:07AM (1 child)
Pah, you had digits?
My rate of approach was NaN all the way. At least the color changed from green to cyan(and orange) to give some indication, but I do hope the real thing will have actual numbers.
I can't believe we have cars navigating traffic by themselves, but we let humans handle this kind of maneuvering which computers would actually be good at.
No one remembers the singer.
(Score: 2) by rigrig on Thursday May 14 2020, @12:08AM
Also I can't even be bothered to even read TFS, apparently.
No one remembers the singer.
(Score: 2) by Muad'Dave on Thursday May 14 2020, @02:03PM
YES!!! Docked it first try! [imgur.com] I haven't played a video game in 20 years, etiher.