The means for hard docking a number of space vehicles with a rotating space station includes an axially positioned dome on which are located two intermeshing docking turrets. Each turret carries multiple docking ports extending radially from the turret axis, along which final access to the space station is accomplished through the turret hub. The turrets intermesh and rotate about their hubs, by means of a power source and suitable ring gears and bevel pinions, to successively position one of the docking ports on the axis of rotation of the space station, while the remaining ports are positioned off center, and alternately rotated into such docking position to receive an additional spacecraft. The arrangement allows docking in-line with the axis of rotation of the station, and multiple vehicles to be thus docked and then placed in holding position.
Multiple in-Line Docking Capability for Rotating Space Stations
1972
18 pages
Report
No indication
English
Dynamic behavior of large flexible rotating space stations during docking maneuvers
Engineering Index Backfile | 1963
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