Russian docking systems for international space station assembly and support

The paper deals with the Russian docking systems that were used for assembly and support of operation of the International Space Station (ISS). The systems implement a virtually identical simple cyclic control method for two different types of docking units: “probe-cone” (for axially symmetrical vehicles and modules with a mass of up to 25 tons) and “peripheral” (for reusable spacecraft with a mass of up to 110 tons). The paper provides a brief description of such docking units that were originally developed before the ISS project started, as well as their variants redesigned to meet certain constraints imposed by the station. Peripheral units supported dockings with such spacecraft as Space Shuttle, which delivered to orbit modules and other components of the US orbital segment. “Probe-cone” type units linked up all the modules of the Russian segment. They made possible dockings of Russian manned and cargo spacecraft, as well as the European ATV cargo vehicle, that are indispensible for ISS support.