Cool! The Chinese are using APAS! I was expecting something more like the Russian Probe/Drogue system.
Thanks everybody! The see that the service module of the mini-space lab hasn't yet been attached to the crew module. We could expect a mid-2010 launch with the most of the crew module completed.
The picture of Shezhou docking Tiangong shows Taingong having 5 docking adaptors but the actual Taingong has just one. But, are they docking adaptors ??
Quote from: Chandonn on 02/28/2009 01:55 pmCool! The Chinese are using APAS! I was expecting something more like the Russian Probe/Drogue system.After Orion 3 (the second ATLAS delivery) there won't be an APAS on ISS for them to dock to, so I suspect they'll be rethinking their plans if they want to visit ISS.
Quote from: Jorge on 02/28/2009 01:59 pmQuote from: Chandonn on 02/28/2009 01:55 pmCool! The Chinese are using APAS! I was expecting something more like the Russian Probe/Drogue system.After Orion 3 (the second ATLAS delivery) there won't be an APAS on ISS for them to dock to, so I suspect they'll be rethinking their plans if they want to visit ISS.In that world where the two US segment APAS have been replaced by LIDS, the Chinese could either adopt LIDS or install a passive APAS-89 on some future available Russian hybrid adapter (assuming the Chinese are ever involved with ISS).
Both India and China will use Russian technology in docking operations. I think both the Shenzhou and Indian OV will be compatible with Russian docking ports on the ISS.
a) there are no APAS ports on the Russian segment today, nor planned to be installed ever.
Therefore, its very possible that the Indian capsule, if it ever flies, would use probe and cone, and the Chinese vehicle might mate with the US segment.
Quote from: johnxx9 on 02/28/2009 04:32 pmBoth India and China will use Russian technology in docking operations. I think both the Shenzhou and Indian OV will be compatible with Russian docking ports on the ISS.The statement above is a little misleading. China is clearing using some sort of APAS variant for its dockings, but although India is using some Russian technology in its capsule, it is not clear if they will use Russian docking technologies, or which variant they might use if they did use Russian hardware.And, although I stated above that its possible to integrate APAS with the Russian segment:a) there are no APAS ports on the Russian segment today, nor planned to be installed ever.b) Although APAS technically is "field replaceable" with hybrid, its a really big job.Therefore, its very possible that the Indian capsule, if it ever flies, would use probe and cone, and the Chinese vehicle might mate with the US segment.
Technically not true but practically true (Zarya has an APAS port, however PMA-1 is attatched)
Is the Chinese APAS compatible with the present APAS-95 on the American docking ports in ISS ??Isn't LIDS same as APAS ?? I thought that it just was a variant with smaller diameter.
I think China would eventually enter the ISS project. US accuse China of bad human right record every year. A permit to enter the ISS project somehow links to the human right record of China. They think if allow China to enter the ISS project, it would be a huge reward for China. I don't know whether China's human right would be improved in the coming years. But China would sooner or latter has the ability to build its own spacestation. By then, the permit to enter the ISS project will no long seen as a reward for China.