back to article Russian cargoship fluffs Space Station docking test

Russian cargoship Progress M-15M has failed to couple with the International Space Station in a test of its new automated docking system. Russian 'Progress' cargo vessel as seen from the International Space Station Russian Progress not making much progress today Progress had already dropped off its supplies to the ISS, but …

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  1. Chris Miller

    Perhaps Elon Musk could lend them a hand?

    1. Ian Yates
      Thumb Up

      I was just thinking that it highlighted how far SpaceX had come in such a short time.

    2. 8Ace
      Thumb Down

      Not quite

      Dragon can't perform any sort of automated docking at all. The capsule is manouvered manually from the ground until it is close enough to be grabbed by the arm on the ISS. The ISS crew then dock the craft using the arm. Progress can dock automatically when it is manouvered close to the ISS whilst ESA's ATV is completely autonomous in that from the moment it launches it's on it's own. It steers it's own way to the ISS and once close enough performs it's own docking. No outside intervention required. Whilst Dragon is a wonderful achievement it has a long way to go before matching the automated Progress and ATV vehicles navigation and docking capabilities.

      1. Ian Yates

        Re: Not quite

        Understood, but Dragon got a lot closer without any issues than Progress did ;)

        I don't think it will be long before Musk & Co. have a fully automated docking vehicle, given their progress to date.

  2. stucs201

    "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

    If it ain't broke, don't fix it...

    1. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

      Re: "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

      It could be that they had to because parts for the existing system were becoming scarce.

      1. Vulch
        Headmaster

        Re: "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

        They often dismount bits of the existing Kurs system and bring them back for re-use if there's room available on a Soyuz return which helps stretch the supply, but there's also a "Not made in Russia" element going on. Significant parts of the old system are made in Ukraine and they're trying to reduce the dependence of their whole space programme on what are now foreign countries.

      2. Allan George Dyer
        IT Angle

        Re: "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

        Or the software vendor stopped supplying the security patches for such an old and obsolete OS...

    2. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Re: "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

      One of the advantages of the new system is it only has 1 antenna instead of 5.

      1. Anonymous John

        Re: "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

        It's not an advantage if it doesn't work.

        1. Annihilator
          Boffin

          Re: "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

          "It's not an advantage if it doesn't work."

          "there has been a time in the evolution of everything that works when it didn't work."

          1. IglooDude

            Re: "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

            "there has been a time in the evolution of everything that works when it didn't work."

            Except, one would think, reproductive organs.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: "The new system is an upgraded version of the existing Kurs automated docking system"

          "It's not an advantage if it doesn't work."

          I thought all the best software stopped working if you didn't pay for an upgrade at least once every couple of years?

          Or is it only gullible IT departments that believe this rubbish?

  3. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

    Kurs-NA

    Course (Kurs) Not Available?

    1. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

      Re: Kurs-NA

      More of a Kurs-related DNF. (Where's the F1 Icon?)

      1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

        Re: Kurs-NA

        So this one was designed by Adrian Newey?

  4. E 2

    24 hour refractory period? Not impressed.

  5. benzaholic
    Pint

    So much traffic

    Dragon capsule, Progress that wants to come back for more, Japanese unit,...

    Sounds like it's getting busy up there.

    And Dragon was not even capable of attempting an automated docking yet. It had to be grabbed by the Canadarm. Russia had automated docking years and years ago. I don't think NASA ever had automated docking capabilities.

    They may be doing it with old parts and old technology, but the Russians do have some spacefaring tricks of their own.

    Beer because it's National Tequila Day in the USA, and that's the closest available icon. Salud!

    1. Robert Sneddon

      Parking

      During the last Shuttle flight to the ISS in 2011 the station had the Japanese HTV-2 cargo ship, a Progress cargo capsule, a Soyuz capsule and the European "Amaldi" ATV docked to it at various ports. The Shuttle's launch was delayed by a few days as the ATV was manoeuvering to dock with the ISS and the mission controllers didn't like the idea of having two separate spacecraft moving around in the vicinity of the station at the same time.

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. ravenviz Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Blimey, they're queuing up.

    1. Shagbag

      Yeah, and it won't be long before Blackpool Council try and put some speed cameras up there.

  8. Levente Szileszky
    Thumb Up

    Space dimensions are awesome...

    "The cargoship was 161km from the station when the glitch occurred and has now backed up to 484km, Russian space agency Roscosmos and Russian Mission Control said in a joint statement."

    ...aren't they? :) Docking was already under way from HUNDRED AND SIXTY KILOMETERS AWAY...? And it's backed up to almost FIVE HUNDRED kilometers just to try again?

    It makes a difference when there's not much traffic around you, I guess.

  9. andrewsi
    Facepalm

    I think I see the problem

    It's backed up to 484km from the station. But the station is orbiting at just 408km from the Earth.

    Therefore the cargo ship is now orbiting 76km below the surface of the Earth.

    1. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

      Re: I think I see the problem

      Yeah, I just felt a rumble as it passed through the mantle underneath our office building...

  10. John A Blackley

    Wot's that conversion from metric to imperial again?

    1. Robert Forsyth

      1.6km ~= 1m, therefore:

      161km ~= 100 miles

      484km ~= 300 miles

      I guess they are NASA distances converted to metric

      1. Oninoshiko
        Boffin

        1.6km ~= 1m?

        you have to draw the circle pretty big for that to be right...

        1.6km = 1600m

        (mi is miles, not m which is meters)

    2. stucs201

      Metric? Imperial?

      What are these strange units you speak of. Surely it should be in linguini or brontosaurus lengths or something.

      1. Subtilior

        Re: Metric? Imperial?

        I assume you mean Apatosaurus lengths.

      2. error handler

        Re: Metric? Imperial?

        Indeed. This would be much easier if we were using proper measurements with a basis in the real world, so here are some better figures.

        ISS is currently orbiting at a height approximately equal to 121,689 African elephants standing on top of each other.

        The Russian cargo ship was at a distance of roughly 14,636 London bus lengths from ISS when it had a problem, and it has since backed off to 44,000 London bus lengths.

        They're both orbiting at around 45 megafurlongs per fortnight (it's hard to visualise this sort of speed, but if you imagine a Reg journalist heading towards a pint of beer on the other side of the room you probably won't be too far off).

        1. Muscleguy

          Re: Metric? Imperial?

          "They're both orbiting at around 45 megafurlongs per fortnight"

          is that widdershins or sunwise?

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