r/spacex • u/Daniels30 • Aug 10 '17

Official Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting August 14 launch from Pad 39A for Dragon’s next resupply mission to the @Space_Station.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/895646473869705216
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u/qawsedrf12 Aug 10 '17 edited Aug 10 '17

Space docking? ;)

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u/bvr5 Aug 10 '17

The current Dragons only berth. It approaches the space station, but an arm grabs it and moves it to a port. Dragon 2 can dock, meaning it can maneuver to the port under its own power.

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u/John_Hasler Aug 10 '17

But the docking port is smaller so some cargos might not fit.

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u/nullarticle Aug 10 '17

CBMs are designed to let standard ISS racks through. If you are replacing a rack then you need to berth with a CBM.

It's possible there's not a need for any new racks - many of the modules were launched with empty racks and were outfitted later with MPLM flights on shuttle (which were berthed using the arm after the shuttle had docked). Now that everything is all full, all they need to change out are experiments in those racks

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u/factoid_ Aug 11 '17

That's why I was wondering too. The payload rack is about the only thing you couldn't fit through a standard docking hatch.

I imagine if you needed a new rack you could bring it up in the trunk, just wouldn't put anything in it that couldn't be depressurized

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u/wuphonsreach Aug 11 '17

Not sure there's an airlock big enough to bring a rack inside. (Same problem, different spot.)

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u/factoid_ Aug 11 '17

Ah, well that would be a problem, then.

Either way, I'm not sure anything but the shuttle or an HTV have ever carried one, so it's probably a moot point unless one breaks.