You know, after hearing a bit about how the Japanese cargo vehicle is
supposed to be docked to the station, I cannot help wondering if this is
actually safe.

I mean, it has no automatic docking, it just comes to the station, and
station keeps very close while the arm from the station grapples it and
mates it rather like the mplm to a spare port.

If anything goes out of line during the grapple, the vehicle could surely
twist, and with its mass be very hard to stop before it hit something vital.
The mplm, after all is in a rigid mount when grappled, but the htv will be
free floating albeit attitude controlled one assumes. This sort of control
if it uses thrusters rather than gyros could also cause plume damage.

I've not read any discussion about all this and wondered if anyone had
brought it up previously.

Brian

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Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
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