SSP 50920A, INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PROGRAM: NASA DOCKING SYSTEM (NDS) USERS GUIDE (NOV-2010)

SSP 50920A, INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PROGRAM: NASA DOCKING SYSTEM (NDS) USERS GUIDE (NOV-2010)., The NASA Docking System (NDS) Users Guide provides an overview of the basic information needed to integrate the NDS onto a Host Vehicle (HV). This Users Guide is intended to provide a vehicle developer with a fundamental understanding of the NDS technical and operations information to support their program and engineering integration planning. The Users Guide identifies the NDS Specification, Interface Definition or Requirement Documents that contain the complete technical details and requirements that a vehicle developer must use to design, develop and verify their systems will interface with NDS. This Guide is an initial reference and must not be used as a design document. In the event of conflict between this Users Guide and other applicable interface definition or requirements documents; the applicable document will take precedence. The NDS is the NASA implementation of an androgynous peripheral docking system, which can operate in either the active (chaser) or passive (target) vehicle role. The NDS is compliant with the International Docking System Standard (IDSS). The NDS can be installed on any two Host Vehicles to enable docking mission applications such as: International Space Station (ISS) cargo/crew transport, technology flight demonstration, on-orbit assembly and rescue operations. The ISS Common Docking Adapter (CDA) element will be the first “host vehicle” that will be equipped with a NDS. The CDA will allow spacecraft properly equipped with the NDS to dock to the ISS and receive available station resources. The term Visiting Vehicle (VV) is used by the ISS Program for cargo/crew transport vehicles that typically berth/dock to the station for periods up to 210 days. The Users Guide may also use the term VV to describe a Host Vehicle, since ISS VVs are expected to be the initial users of the NDS. This Users Guide draft release is being written concurrently with NDS development. The information in this draft is subject to change as the NDS designs are finalized, certified and delivered.