TORU
Russian manual docking system for Soyuz and Progress spacecraft
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TORU (Tele-robotically Operated Rendezvous Unit,[1] Russian: Телеоператорный Режим Управления, lit. 'Teleoperator Control Mode')[2] is a manual docking system for uncrewed Russian Progress and Soyuz spacecraft. It serves as a backup to the automatic Kurs system.[3] The system was used on the Mir space station and is used on the International Space Station.
Operation
TORU allows a spacecraft to be controlled remotely from the station during rendezvous and docking. The control interface is similar to that of a Soyuz spacecraft, with two joysticks used for translation and rotation. The operator receives a video feed from a camera mounted on the front of the spacecraft, comparable to the view provided by the periscope on Soyuz. Control inputs are transmitted by radio from the station to the spacecraft.[4]
Operators experience a delay of less than one second between control input and spacecraft response. This latency can affect handling, requiring operators to make smaller and more deliberate control inputs to avoid overcorrection.[5]
History
TORU was first tested in 1993 during Progress M-15[6] and was used operationally the following year to dock Progress M-24 after unsuccessful attempts using the automatic system.[7]
In 1997, TORU was used during the manual docking attempt of Progress M-34 to Mir, which resulted in a collision that damaged the Spektr module and caused a depressurization event. The system was subsequently used to dock Progress M-35 after a failure of Mir's onboard computer.[8]
TORU has also been used for manual docking to the ISS during Progress M1-4 (2000), Progress M-53 (2005), Progress M-67 (2009), and Progress MS-33 (2026).
