Category talk:Docking systems of spacecraft

Docking vs. berthing

This category doesn't map very well to the technical literature, nor to the corresponding topic(s) defined in Wikipedia (en). Although no single set of definitions is universally accepted in the technical literature, "docking" and "berthing" are distinct in all of them.

Several berthing mechanisms were designed and flown with the Space Shuttle, although not all use the word "berthing" in their nomenclature (e.g., "Payload Retention Latch Assembly"). Many images are freely available from NASA sources. There are also a few mechanisms that have been used for both berthing and docking, depending on exactly how the terms are defined. Most mechanisms designed specifically for berthing cannot do any docking. Conversely, many docking mechanisms can be used for berthing (again, depending on the exact definition used for the term).

A better title for the category might be "Orbital Assembly Mechanisms", with no subordinate differentiation based on functionality.

Just a thought - Not fred999 (talk) 18:10, 4 March 2020 (UTC)