Docking with the ISS is a fun challenge: this SpaceX online simulator is used by NASA and allows you to test your skills

If you ever wondered how is the docking system of SpaceX’s Dragon2 spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), attentive, because this online simulator allows you to check it easily.

The simulator, programmed by SpaceX’s own engineers, allows anyone to try to dock that spacecraft through a series of controls that are virtually identical to those used by astronauts if they need that manual coupling. Achieving it is not easy, but there is already a competition of “speedruns” which shows that there are people who achieve it in just 20 seconds.

It is hard but not impossible

The simulator’s own website shows two controls at the bottom left and right, in addition to a HUD in which you can check information on movements and speed that are key to achieving a perfect coupling.

In fact, any press on the controls causes the rotation, inclination or position to vary significantly (the “-” and “+” on the left side allow “acceleration” or “braking”), and in front of us we will always have a kind of virtual channel of hexagons that help us to know that we are on the right track.

We can control the simulator with the mouse, but if we want to go further it is also possible to control all functions with keyboard: The WASDQE keys control movement, while the cursor, comma, and period keys control rotation.

The simulator has been around for some time and was programmed by Shane Mielke. With him it is possible familiarize us with the actual controls NASA astronauts use to pilot the Space X Dragon 2 ships in manual mode when trying to dock them to the International Space Station.

As this developer explains, the simulator fully mimics the real controls and interface present on the screens of Crew Dragon ships, and in fact this simulator is also used at NASA as part of its educational program.

The simulator has become a small viral video game for some users who are now creating inadvertently a competition of ‘speedruns’ to try to achieve the fastest possible coupling. There are several Those who have published their achievements on YouTube, and there are those who achieve it in just 20 seconds.

The thing has gone further, and instead of applying manual skill there are developers who have created “bots” in JavaScript for do that coupling autonomously through the use of artificial intelligence. Others have done something similar en Go y WebAssembly, and certainly this is another curious exercise to overcome the challenge posed by the game.

The subscriber has wanted to try it too, of course. At first it takes a bit of getting used to the controls and it is likely that on the first try or the second you will end up wandering through space without control like me, but with a little practice it is possible to achieve a perfect fit. Doing it in 20 seconds, yes, it is another matter, because in my case I have invested at least 3 or 4 minutes to achieve it. And you?

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