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Space NASA Technology

SpaceX Reveals the Controls of Its Dragon Spacecraft For the First Time (arstechnica.com) 119

On Monday, SpaceX let reporters take a look inside its Crew Dragon capsule for the first time, as well as hear from the four astronauts: Bob Behnken, Doug Hurley, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins. Ars Technica writes about several pieces of hardware observed at the event in Hawthorne, California: During the event at SpaceX, engineers guided reporters through various displays. Outside, under a resplendent blue sky with the rolling hills of Palos Verdes in the distance, media was invited to crawl into a low-fidelity mockup of the crew Dragon spacecraft. This was a roomy vehicle, especially in comparison to NASA's current ride to the space station, a cramped Soyuz with a capacity of three. The Dragon will comfortably carry a normal complement of four for NASA, but seven seats can fit inside. On the second floor of its main factory, where astronauts have trained in recent years, SpaceX also showed off two simulators publicly for the first time. This marked the first time SpaceX has revealed details about the controls and the interior of its crewed spacecraft. The cockpit simulator demonstrated the controls that Dragon astronauts will have at their command. In comparison to the space shuttle and its more than 1,000 buttons, switches, and controls, the Dragon capsule has a modest array of three flat screens and two rows of buttons below.

These touch screens selectively display the necessary controls during flight and are the primary interface astronauts have with the vehicle. Below are two rows of manual buttons, 38 in total, that provide back-up control of the spacecraft. Many of the buttons are situated beneath clear panels, intended to never be used, because they are often the third option after the touch screens and ground control of the Dragon. One control stood out -- a large black and red handle in the middle of the console with "EJECT" printed in clear white letters above it. This initiates the launch escape system, which rapidly pulls the spacecraft away from the rocket in the case of an emergency during the ascent into space. It must be pulled, then twisted. Normally the flight computers would initiate such a maneuver, but the prominence of the escape system handle underlines its importance. Notably, after the vehicle reaches orbit, this control becomes "deadened," such that accidentally pulling it in space would do nothing.
CNBC has included several pictures of the Crew Dragon capsule mock-up in their report. CNN also has a first look video with text and quotes from the astronauts.
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SpaceX Reveals the Controls of Its Dragon Spacecraft For the First Time

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  • this control becomes "deadened," such that accidentally pulling it in space would do nothing.

    Cool, the whole thing looks neat. Too bad I'll never get to ride in it, as a pilot OR a passenger. (Well, maybe ashes, but I doubt I'd pass the fitness exam even then.)

    That being said: After a successful launch and orbit insertion -- Musk: "Here, hold my beer and watch this! You just need to pull and turn it the other way and ... "

    • this control becomes "deadened,"

      What illiterate journalist pulled that word out? The proper term is "defeated" or "disabled." "Deadened" is correctly used when, e.g., lowering sound pressure by 80 dB. Or, I suppose, getting rid of a pesky relative, " ... took a gun and deadened him"

    • this control becomes "deadened," such that accidentally pulling it in space would do nothing.

      Hopefully this eject disable includes a manually operated hardware interlock, so if the onboard AI turns against the crew, it won't be able to set the crew members adrift in space.

  • Touchscreens? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Erik Hensema ( 12898 ) on Wednesday August 15, 2018 @03:37AM (#57129090) Homepage

    I have trouble operating touchscreens in a moving car. I wonder what it'll be to operate them atop a rocket pulling multiple g's.

    • Don't forget things like power issues. Waiting on a computer to boot seems like it adds unnecessary overhead when a problem eventually develops.
    • There is a panel of buttons and a dirty great abort handle beneath the touchscreens to perform required operations during launch, once you are out of atmos there is no G loading or aerodynamic buffeting to cause problems getting the touch screen right. The thing basically flies itself to orbital insertion anyway, the crew are for the most part passengers.

    • I can't tell you how many times I've touched a touch screen button –, car, phone, etc. – and had it not register the touch. Now imagine doing it in space suit gloves.
      Or how many times i've touched a button off-center and had the neighboring button fire.
      • and had it not register the touch. Now imagine doing it in space suit gloves

        I have never not had a touch register while wearing gloves that were designed to interact with a touch screen.

        Or how many times i've touched a button off-center and had the neighboring button fire.

        That is a problem on a mobile phone. Hardly an issue on a large panel.

      • Or touched the screen and have it inadvertently register on the button next to what I was trying to do...

    • by jythie ( 914043 )
      Years back I worked on (non-mobile, 15"+) touch screen based devices. The larger the screen, the more likely it is to run into issues with calibration and more sensitive it is to things like minor pressure changes in its mounting frame. A good rule of thumb is to never use them in anything important.
      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Presumably these will be crappy resistive touchscreens too, so that they work with gloves. They tend to be more fiddly and prone to calibration problems than capacitative screens.

        • SpaceX has designed their flight suits with little pads on the fingers to allow the operation of capacitive touchscreens.

          • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

            Wow, that sounds like a terrible decision. What happens if the pad gets damaged or you need to operate it with something other than the finger of the suit?

            • They would presumably use the buttons below the screen.', or whatever needs to be done would be from ground control.

              Why would "you need to operate it with something other than...". Are strapped in cosmonauts getting their suits shredded off, or their fingers cut in that scenario?
            • by EvilSS ( 557649 )

              Wow, that sounds like a terrible decision. What happens if the pad gets damaged or you need to operate it with something other than the finger of the suit?

              There is a 6th touch compatible surface on the crotch of the suits for male astronauts and auto-injected erectile drugs for emergencies such as the scenario you are eluding to where all their fingers spontaneously fall off their hands during launch.

      • A good rule of thumb is to never use them in anything important.

        Someone should have told the designer of the movie ticket dispensing machine. It's not unusual for the touch screens to be unresponsive and/or have massive dead spots over the virtual buttons. If you're really lucky, one machine out of a half dozen will behave perfectly.

    • In Tesla, ppl love them over regular car because of things like all controls being on touch screen. So, it should be easier.
      • Until the single touchscreen dies or the LED backlight goes out and the entire car can't be driven.

        • Re: Touchscreens? (Score:5, Informative)

          by cellocgw ( 617879 ) <cellocgw@@@gmail...com> on Wednesday August 15, 2018 @12:01PM (#57131646) Journal

          Until the single touchscreen dies or the LED backlight goes out and the entire [Tesla] car can't be driven.

          Sigh...
          If you blooming geniuses would stop thinking that knowing Javascript means you know shit about anything else, you'd take the time to learn that Teslas drive just fine with both displays hung or rebooting. I've rebooted the main panel more than once while the car's in motion.

          • Back when we got our car, yeah, we had to boot a couple of times.
            BUT, it has been forever since we have re-booted either screens or computers.
            They have this fairly stable. At least for an old 2013 model.
            • I don't remember ever having to reboot the buttons and knobs on any car I've driven...
              • which has nothing to do with tesla. Nothing critical is rebooted.
                However, with the antiquated cars buttons, you get a rack of buttons (radio, hvac, etc) and then you supposedly 'know' which one is which by the feel.
                Yeah. Right.
                How do you know where the 3rd radio button is without glancing.
                • Grab the giant knob without looking and turn it. Some people have peripheral vision, we aren't all one eyed Musk fanbois who can see nothing but what they want to see.
                  Radio controls would be on the steering wheel anyway.

                  Alternatively 3 would be in the middle of a row of five and the middle has a bump so you know it's the middle. Press that one.

                  • How many turn knobs in your car? Why it must be a unique one if you think you have more than a couple. In my radio, not a single button is different. Iow, no raised plastic like a keyboard. Same on my heater. And the last thing a driver should do is be feeling around. Glance quickly and get it done. Everybody does that in spite of your lying.
                    • How many turn knobs in your car?

                      I'm a 50c Chinese troll remember. I'm saving up for my first rickshaw. Then I can have 2 jobs and just troll you in my downtime.
                      Just Google car dashboards and take your pick.

                      Why it must be a unique one if you think you have more than a couple. In my radio, not a single button is different. Iow, no raised plastic like a keyboard. Same on my heater.

                      Not sure why you feel the need to tell us you have a poorly designed car? Maybe with your expensive American troll posts you will be able to afford a better one soon.

                      And the last thing a driver should do is be feeling around. Glance quickly and get it done. Everybody does that in spite of your lying.

                      Glance quick and get it done, yes with a botton that feels different and has tactile feedback. Not glance slowly. focus on finding the right icon, glance at the road maybe

      • Better to have a knob you can turn and press without taking your eyes off the road as much.
        • except that with a touchscreen, you do not take your eye off the road anymore than you would with a knob
          • Clearly false, with a knob I can just feel it. With a screen you have to look and make sure you're pressing the right place.
            • There you go again.
              Cars have a few turn knobs, but most are pushbuttons, just like a touch screen. You will not know EXACTLY WHICH button to push unless you glance and make sure that you are there.
              WIth Tesla, we have the most important controls on the steering wheel which controls the fan, loudness, radio station/track, phone calls, etc.
              With the side screen, I use it mostly to see the back cam.

              Ppl who who claim that they are not taking their eyes off the road are liars. After all, they are looking
              • There you go again.

                There you go again.

                Cars have a few turn knobs, but most are pushbuttons, just like a touch screen. You will not know EXACTLY WHICH button to push unless you glance and make sure that you are there.

                Buttons give tactile feedback. Screens do not. Buttons can be different shapes and sizes.

                WIth Tesla, we have the most important controls on the steering wheel which controls the fan, loudness, radio station/track, phone calls, etc. With the side screen, I use it mostly to see the back cam.

                With every other car you can have the same.
                Ask yourself this though, and then go check. Are all those things on the steering wheel buttons or little tiny touchscreens? I wonder why...

                Ppl who who claim that they are not taking their eyes off the road are liars. After all, they are looking in the side and rear mirrors, or better be. And I have no doubt that all those making that claim, are making phone calls or even texting.

                Lets quote again what I said and you failed to understand

                Better to have a knob you can turn and press without taking your eyes off the road as much.

                People can glance once to find the right knob, (even that is often unnecessary with good design) and then use it without looking further. Try doing that on a touch

    • Re:Touchscreens? (Score:5, Informative)

      by gman003 ( 1693318 ) on Wednesday August 15, 2018 @07:55AM (#57129736)

      The crew has no control over the Falcon launch vehicle - the only control they need to be able to operate during launch, while pulling multiple Gs, is the abort sequence, which is that nice big lever in the center. The touchscreens (and all the other buttons) will only be used while in orbit.

    • You are aware that rocket launches are fully automated? All the astronauts will do is pull the abort lever.

    • by PPH ( 736903 )

      They'll use the WASD keys. And the space bar for a hyperspace jump.

      • by hawk ( 1151 )

        That's preposterous: WASD is for the *copilot*. Player 1 uses hjkl, prefixed by g if he doesn't want to pick up what's on the space.

        hawk

    • In the Dragon, you'll likely not have other (drivers) around you vying for road space, drawing your attention; at least for the first year or so! ;-)
  • by WaffleMonster ( 969671 ) on Wednesday August 15, 2018 @03:43AM (#57129094)

    Three touch screens and lack of buttons... there are some physical knobs hard to tell from the images... overall looks painful.

    High G's...Vibrations...space suite gloves and touch screens??

    • G-force and vibration are only an issue during launch, and Falcon is entirely autonomous. The only control active during that period is the abort sequence, which can be triggered by that big lever in the middle.

    • by drsquare ( 530038 ) on Wednesday August 15, 2018 @08:04AM (#57129770)

      Well done on the analysis, you should tell SpaceX and NASA right now, they clearly know nothing about spaceflight.

      • Well done on the analysis, you should tell SpaceX and NASA right now,

        Remarks were questions rather than conclusions or "analysis". If you have a substantive explanation you care to contribute it would be appreciated.

        they clearly know nothing about spaceflight.

        My guess people who build working rockets and space dinghys probably know at least something about spaceflight. Some may have even played KSP at least once during their lives.

  • by dohzer ( 867770 ) on Wednesday August 15, 2018 @04:02AM (#57129136)

    the Dragon capsule has a modest array of three flat screens and two rows of buttons

    People won't like being forced to use buttons. Either allow them to use their keyboard/mouse/gamepad of choice or the average consumer just isn't going to buy this thing.

  • I donno about that "space suit" though. What will THAT thing look like and act if you put even half an atmosphere of pressure into it?

    The Pillsbury Doughboy?

    • by joh ( 27088 ) on Wednesday August 15, 2018 @07:56AM (#57129748)

      It's an emergency pressure suit. It will only pressurize if the capsule depressurizes and then the crew will hardly do anything until they're on the ground again. In other words: Other than a spacesuit which is meant to work in it when it is pressurized these suits are meant to be worn unpressurized, except for keeping the astronauts alive in emergencies.

    • Spacesuits are not hard to design. They only need to hold 1 atmosphere of pressure. Heck, the descent module of Apollo 13 was basically a foil skin, and held up for days and days of habitable pressure.

      If you did a little research, you'd run across a type of thin, skin-tight space suit. (Think spiderman with a face mask) You don't even need a full atmosphere of pressure to live, and outside of breathing, the human body can withstand living in a tiny fraction of pressure.

      We have decades of experience in muc

  • by Guspaz ( 556486 ) on Wednesday August 15, 2018 @10:20AM (#57130798)

    They showed off both the controls and the interior in 2014. Neither were final at the time to be sure (the controls have changed dramatically and the wall panels were missing), but this is definitely not the first time they've shown the controls or the interior. The controls they're showing now don't appear to be final either, as the control panels aren't fully populated: one of them just has a pull ring instead of any actual controls.

    They appear to have given up any illusions of manual piloting, as the most prominent part of the original control interface that is missing is the manual joystick.

  • Was better, just a little cramped.
  • They could knock that button count down by half if they would just install the latest version of MechJeb.
  • I like it, man! Far out! It's groovy!

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