DRAGON ORBITAL OPERATIONS
Crew Vehicle · ISS Docking Simulator
Simulator Main
Mission Briefing & Flight Manual

Dragon / ISS Docking Simulator

Use this guide to approach the International Space Station, align Dragon with the docking adapter, complete soft and hard capture, verify the pressure seal, and perform a controlled undocking and departure.

Capture Range0.03 m
Maximum Closing Rate< 0.10 m/s
Maximum Offset< 0.15 m
Maximum Attitude Error< 1.5°
01

Mission Objective

Safely dock Dragon with the International Space Station by controlling position, closing speed, and spacecraft attitude.

ApproachMove toward the station at a controlled closing rate.
AlignCenter the docking target and remove pitch, yaw, and roll errors.
CaptureMeet all four docking criteria at contact.
DepartAfter docking, release the clamps and back away safely.
02

Display Layout

Left PanelGuidance mode, starting distance, Range, Closing, Lateral, Vertical, Pitch, Yaw, Roll, vehicle status, timeline, hold, abort, and undock controls.
Center DisplayDocking camera view, ISS docking adapter, reticle, target, velocity vector, status messages, and range/rate/alignment data.
Right PanelTranslation controls, attitude controls, docking criteria, and the flight event log.
Bottom BarMain-page and full-screen buttons plus keyboard reminders for Reset, Hold, and Auto Dock.

Center Display Symbols

Green CircleDocking target
Cyan CrosshairDocking axis
Cyan MarkerVelocity vector
04

Flight Controls

Translation

Moves Dragon without rotating it. In Manual mode, each RCS firing changes velocity and the resulting motion continues after the control is released.

  • Up / Down: Move vertically.
  • Left / Right: Move laterally.
  • Forward: Move toward the ISS.
  • Back: Move away from the ISS.

Attitude

Rotates Dragon around its three axes. In Manual mode, pitch, yaw, and roll rates continue until opposite rotational thrust or HOLD cancels them.

  • Pitch: Nose up or down.
  • Yaw: Nose left or right.
  • Roll: Rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.

Operational Buttons

Hold PositionActively fires corrective RCS thrust to reduce translation and rotation rates toward zero.
Abort / Back AwayImmediately commands Dragon away from the station.
Auto DockAutomatically aligns, approaches, and docks Dragon.
Undock / DepartAvailable after docking; releases the vehicle and backs away.
05

Keyboard Controls

KeyFunctionKeyFunction
WForwardSBack
↑Translate up↓Translate down
←Translate left→Translate right
IPitch upKPitch down
JYaw leftLYaw right
QRoll leftERoll right
HHold positionAAuto Dock
RReset simulation——
06

Docking Criteria

All four conditions must be satisfied when Dragon reaches the capture point.

Contact Range≤ 0.03 m
Closing Rate< 0.10 m/s
Total Offset< 0.15 m
Attitude Error< 1.5°
A contact that is too fast, too far off-center, or poorly aligned is rejected and Dragon automatically retreats.
07

Docking Sequence

Final
Approach
Initial
Contact
Soft
Capture
Capture
Latches
Hard
Capture
Pressure Seal
Verified

Capture Clamp Order

The 12 clamps darken in opposing pairs rather than closing clockwise.

12 / 6 o'clock
9 / 3 o'clock
11 / 5 o'clock
1 / 7 o'clock
10 / 4 o'clock
2 / 8 o'clock
08

Undocking & Departure

The undock option becomes available after a completed hard dock and verified pressure seal.

  1. The pressure seal is released.
  2. The capture clamps open in reverse opposing-pair order.
  3. Hard capture is released.
  4. Dragon separates from the docking adapter.
  5. The vehicle slowly backs away from the ISS.
  6. The departure automatically stops near 5 meters.
Allow the automatic departure sequence to finish before applying manual controls.
09

Manual Momentum & RCS Flight

Manual mode uses near-frictionless spacecraft motion. A thruster pulse changes Dragon’s velocity or rotation rate, but releasing the control does not stop the motion.

Persistent TranslationForward/back, left/right, and up/down motion continue at the acquired velocity until opposite thrust, HOLD, Auto Dock, abort, or an automatic sequence changes it.
Persistent RotationPitch, yaw, and roll continue at the acquired angular rate until an opposite rotational command or HOLD cancels the rotation.
Counter-ThrustTo stop, briefly fire the opposite control. For example, after moving right, apply left thrust until the lateral velocity is nearly zero.
Stronger RCS PulsesManual thruster commands provide a more noticeable change in velocity and consume more propellant than the earlier training model.

How to Stabilize Dragon

  1. Watch Range, Closing, Lateral, Vertical, Pitch, Yaw, and Roll.
  2. Apply a short opposite translation or rotation pulse.
  3. Release the control and observe whether the value continues increasing or begins decreasing.
  4. Repeat with smaller pulses until the motion is nearly stopped.
  5. Press HOLD when you want the guidance system to actively cancel all remaining motion.
There is no aerodynamic friction in orbit. Manual motion will not naturally fade away. Every unwanted movement must be canceled with counter-thrust or HOLD.
10

Auto Dock, Hold & Abort

Auto DockCenters Dragon, removes pitch/yaw/roll errors, controls closing speed, and completes capture.
Hold PositionUses active corrective thrust to cancel persistent translation and rotation, then maintains relative position.
AbortCommands an immediate retreat and is intended for unstable or unsafe approaches.
ResetReturns the spacecraft to the selected starting distance and clears the mission sequence.
11

Crash Detection & Red Alert

The simulator detects unsafe docking attempts and automatically aborts the docking if Dragon contacts the ISS outside allowable limits.

Failed Docking Conditions

  • Closing speed greater than 0.10 m/s
  • Lateral offset greater than 0.15 meters
  • Pitch exceeds 1.5°
  • Yaw exceeds 1.5°
  • Roll exceeds 1.5°

Red Alert Sequence

  1. Flashing RED ALERT / CRASH WARNING message appears.
  2. HUD and docking display flash red.
  3. Screen shakes to simulate impact.
  4. Reason for failure is displayed.
  5. Event is recorded in the Flight Event Log.
  6. Dragon automatically backs away to a safe distance.
Docking is not simply reaching the ISS. Safe speed, precise alignment, and proper attitude are all required for a successful capture.
12

Mission Tips

  • Use small control inputs; repeated large inputs create drift that takes time to correct.
  • Correct lateral and vertical alignment before the last meter.
  • Reduce the closing rate well before contact.
  • Keep the green target centered in the reticle.
  • Remove pitch, yaw, and roll errors before committing to final contact.
  • Use HOLD whenever the vehicle begins to feel unstable.
  • Use AUTO DOCK to recover from a difficult approach.
  • During undocking, wait for the automatic back-away to finish.
  • Unsafe docking attempts trigger the Crash Detection system and an automatic emergency retreat.
  • In Manual mode, releasing a control stops thrust but does not stop the spacecraft.
  • Use opposite thrust to cancel momentum on every translation and rotation axis.
  • Check the Roll readout as well as Pitch and Yaw before final contact.
Best technique: align first, stabilize second, then approach slowly.