Dock the SpaceX Dragon 2 From Home

Many of you will have been following the historic launch attempt of the SpaceX Dragon 2 which will see American astronauts launch from US soil for the first time since 2011. The launch scheduled today has been scrubbed due to weather, which isn’t uncommon in spaceflight, and is rescheduled for this weekend. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you can’t simulate what the astronauts might see on orbit!

SpaceX has released a free online simulator that allows you to pilot the Dragon 2 module and dock with the International Space Station (ISS) with the actual display used by the NASA astronauts. Check it out here:

SPACEX - ISS Docking Simulator

Successful docking is achieved when all green numbers are below 0.2 and your RATE is below -0.2 m/s. Play again and review the DOCKING TIPS to familiarize yourself with the interface and the goals of the mission. You have successfully docked with the International Space Station.

In the meantime, if weather permits tonight you can still see the crescent Moon in the West after sunset, along with earthshine softly illuminating the full face of the Moon with Earth’s reflection off into space.

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Stay well, and clear skies!