Deep Field

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Deep Field
29 September 2026 2518 stories tracked

Glossary · Crewed Spaceflight

Docking and berthing

Two ways to attach a spacecraft to a station: it flies in, or it is caught and bolted on.

Docking means the arriving vehicle flies itself into the port and latches under its own control, which is fast and needs no help — how crew vehicles arrive. Berthing means the vehicle holds station nearby, the robotic arm grapples it, and the crew bolts it onto a hatch, which is slower and gentler and allows a much wider opening. Cargo craft are usually berthed for that reason: the common berthing mechanism is wide enough to pass a rack of equipment through, and a docking port is not.

Related terms

EVA (spacewalk) Working outside the spacecraft, in a suit that is itself a spacecraft. Life support (ECLSS) The machinery that keeps the air breathable and the water drinkable, indefinitely. What weightlessness does to people Bone loss, fluid shift, weakened hearts and eyesight that does not always come back. Expedition The numbered crew rotation aboard the space station, roughly six months at a time.

Questions

What is Docking and berthing?

Two ways to attach a spacecraft to a station: it flies in, or it is caught and bolted on.

Why does it matter?

Berthing means the vehicle holds station nearby, the robotic arm grapples it, and the crew bolts it onto a hatch, which is slower and gentler and allows a much wider opening. Cargo craft are usually berthed for that reason: the common berthing mechanism is wide enough to pass a rack of equipment through, and a docking port is not.

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