ISS docking compartment
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/* Launch in 2001 */ dab [[Soyuz launch vehicle]] [[ISS Zvezda]]
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Image:Pirs docking module taken by STS-108.jpg There were two planned Russian element Docking Compartments (DCs) during the assembly sequence to provide egress/ingress capability for Russian-based EVAs and additional docking ports on the International Space Station. They are called "SO1" (Pirs, rus. Пирс) and "SO2". "SO1" (Pirs) was launched in August 2001 and "SO2" has been cancelled.
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Construction and design
The Russian docking compartment was manufactured by RKK Energia. The Docking Compartment is similar to the ones used on the Mir space station. It provides docking ports for the Soyuz-TMA and Progress-M spacecraft. It also has two airlocks to accommodate spacewalks by Russian cosmonauts wearing Orlan-M spacesuits.
Launch in 2001
The 3,630 kilograms Pirs Docking Compartment is attached to the bottom, Earth-facing port of the Zvezda Service Module. It docked to the International Space Station on Sept. 16, 2001, and was configured during three spacewalks by the Expedition Three crew.
Pirs launched Sept. 14, 2001, as ISS Assembly Mission 4R on a Russian Soyuz rocket. The Docking Compartment has two primary functions. It serves as a docking port for the docking of transport and cargo vehicles to the Space Station and as an airlock for the performance of spacewalks by two Station crewmembers using Russian Orlan spacesuits.
In addition, the Docking Compartment can transport fuel from the fuel tanks of a docked Progress resupply vehicle to either the Zvezda Service Module Integrated Propulsion System or the Zarya Functional Cargo Block. It can also transfer propellant from the Zvezda and Zarya to the propulsion system of docked vehicles -- Soyuz and Progress. The docking compartment's lifetime as part of the Station is five years.
Current Status of Pirs
Pirs was originally scheduled to be discarded and reenter when the "SO2" is installed on the International Space Station, but the "SO2" has been cancelled and deleted due to lack of funding and the Pirs will continue to be used instead.
Pirs Docking Compartment — airlock specifications
- Length: 4.9 meters
- Diameter: 2.25 meters
- Weight: 3,676 kilograms
- Volume: 13 cubic meters
Sources
Some of the material in this article came from NASA [1].
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