“Requires accurate manoeuvres…” Scientist explains complex docking process in Axiom Mission 4

ANI

Bengaluru, July 14, 2025 (ANI): While explaining the undocking process in the context of the Axiom Mission 4, the Space Scientist and Professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, RC Kapoor said, "Docking requires very accurate and carefully orchestrated manoeuvres. It is not so easy..."

Transcript

00:00Expecting to be un-docking in few minutes.

00:03See, from your question you can remove how.

00:06It's really very important because, as you remember,

00:09when the docking was about to take place,

00:11how much sort of tension was there

00:13because it's a very, very accurate

00:15and with very carefully orchestrated manoeuvres

00:19that are involved while at the moment of docking.

00:24So docking is not so easy that they simply come together.

00:28Because each time you give a fire to the thruster,

00:32the orbit changes slightly.

00:34So there is the chaser and the target.

00:40There is a slight mismatch in those positions

00:44at which the two will get properly engaged.

00:48So all of this is very carefully carried out

00:51until there are magnetic guides

00:55that pull the capsule towards them

00:59and then a soft capture takes place.

01:02After that, latches are involved

01:05and then a hard capture is done

01:07and then one makes sure that there is no leakage of the inside air

01:12and pressure is okay and all goes well.

01:16By the same token, now we have to reverse that.

01:19See, now the whole process is being reversed.

01:22So right now, the capsule is in a tight, hard capture situation

01:28with the International Space Station.

01:30So now the latches will be removed

01:32and before that, they have to make sure the pressure is okay

01:36and there is no possibility of leakage.

01:40Then the cargo has to be shifted.

01:42Whatever material is being brought down,

01:45it may be instruments and then some other waste also,

01:47it could be there.

01:49Then all the four astronauts also in their proper suits,

01:53proper fully, in their proper gear,

01:57they make an entry into the capsule,

02:00they take their positions.

02:01Then the ground control

02:03and the controls in the space station,

02:07they are in communication

02:08and then at that time,

02:10one makes sure that disengagement should be commenced.

02:14So the latches will be removed

02:16so you are in the state of soft capture

02:19and at a very, very low speed,

02:22it could be a few centimetres per second

02:24at which disengagement takes place,

02:28which we are saying as undocking.

02:30And then the distance or rather separation

02:33between the space station

02:36and this grace capsule,

02:39dragon's grace capsule,

02:42the distance begins to increase.

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