I'm comparing different docking mechanisms, but I can't find the mass of the NASA Docking System.
1 Answer
In 2010 NASA published SSP 50920 NASA Docking System (NDS) User Guide, with information intended for people designing vehicles that would use NDS.
Section 3.3.1 Mass Properties states the following:
The NDS assembly mass properties are defined in JSC 65795. The NDS assembly Not To Exceed (NTE) control weight is:
- 750 pounds (lbs) NDS -301 and -303 configurations
- 704 lbs NDS -302 configuration*
- 711 lbs NDS -304 configuration
[*](Note, the -302 configuration mass includes the weight of the avionics boxes that are installed inside the Host Vehicle. The additional hardware needed to integrate the -302 with the Host Vehicle are not included in the NTE mass above and estimated to be approximately ~65 lbs).
Asterisk in brackets before the parenthetical added by me, because I believe it corresponds to the asterisk next on the -302 configuration line. The use of lbs for mass and "configuration mass includes the weight" is the fault of the writers of the document, not me.
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1$\begingroup$ fun fact: I found this while reassuring myself that the NDS was both present on the ISS and the Starliner but not Dragon, searching DuckDuckGo (which is fed by Bing? I think?) for "NASA Docking System" $\endgroup$2024-11-10 08:39:22 +00:00Commented Nov 10, 2024 at 8:39