NASA Docking System Block 1: NASA’s New Direct Electric Docking System Supporting ISS and Future Human Space Exploration

Abstract: The NASA Docking System (NDS) Block 1 is a key component of NASA’s vision for space exploration. It is designed to provide capability for visiting vehicles to dock to the International Space Station’s recently-installed International Docking Adapter ports. It is the first docking system to be developed by NASA since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project of the 1970’s. The NDS Block 1 includes provisions for capture, structural attachment, power/data transfer, and undocking. It uses a direct-drive ele…