I struggle with parallel parking, so I’m not the type that reckons they’ll be able to pull off docking the SpaceX Crew Dragon with the International Space Station (ISS).
For those who think they might have a shot, here’s your chance to try ahead of the historic May 27 launch.
Yesterday, SpaceX released a docking simulator online, along with a short video to up the ante.
Working with, or for, Elon Musk isn’t exactly my idea of a good time right now, but he doesn’t feature in the video:
According to the opening screen of the simulator, it 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,” and requires “patience and precision”.
That’s me ruled out.
There are seven docking tips available, before you begin with a screen that looks like this:
From there, it’s all about fine motor control and your docking skills.
I back you, and if anything goes wrong, you can always reset and start again, which is a luxury not afforded to the real crew members.
Get started with that simulator here.
[source:cnet]
