Can someone give me a run down of the docking ports on the ISS

[AverageUser54]

What are all the different types of docking ports used on the ISS. How are modules connected and what port do they use

[Barzon]

I can only answer about the USOS. The modules in the USOS are connected with a Common Birthing Mechanism, and there are the PMAs, which have NDS ports on them for visiting craft.

[Twogoodsoul]

Well, There are 4 Docking Ports on the ISS. Those 4 Docking Ports are located at the Russian Orbital Segment and They're located specifically at Zvezda, Rassvet, Pirs and Poisk. The only thing I know about your "How are the modules connected" I am assuming you mean "How does the Station function with the modules" The only thing I know about is that the Soyuz Vessel controls everything. Correct me if I have any Information wrong.

[satnet]

The ports available for actually docking of spacecraft are:

• 4 Russian SSVP Docking Ports
• 1 International Docking Adapter - IDA/NDS/IDSS (Another one is scheduled to launch in July, and IDA-1 was lost with CRS-7)
• 1 Pressurized Mating Adapter - PMA (Actually there are 3, but 2 have things permanently docked to them)
• 2 Common Berthing Mechanism - CBM

The US modules are joined by using CBMs. The US and Russian sections are joined by a PMA. The Russian modules are joined by a variant of the SSVP.

The IDA adapter is used by commercial crew (Crew Dragon and Starliner)

The SSVP is used by Soyuz and Progress.

The PMA was used by the Shuttle and they are being converted to IDA (except PMA-1 which links the US and Russian sections).

The CBM is used by Dragon-1, Cygnus, H-II Transfer Vehicle

[Canopus]

@satnet easily the best answer.

[Ultimate Steve]

7 hours ago, satnet said:

The ports available for actually docking of spacecraft are:

• 4 Russian SSVP Docking Ports
• 1 International Docking Adapter - IDA/NDS/IDSS (Another one is scheduled to launch in July, and IDA-1 was lost with CRS-7)
• 1 Pressurized Mating Adapter - PMA (Actually there are 3, but 2 have things permanently docked to them)
• 2 Common Berthing Mechanism - CBM

The US modules are joined by using CBMs. The US and Russian sections are joined by a PMA. The Russian modules are joined by a variant of the SSVP.

The IDA adapter is used by commercial crew (Crew Dragon and Starliner) The SSVP is used by Soyuz and Progress.

The PMA was used by the Shuttle and they are being converted to IDA (except PMA-1 which links the US and Russian sections).

The CBM is used by Dragon-1, Cygnus, H-II Transfer Vehicle

To add to that for completeness, back when the European ATV was flying, it used the rear russian port, the shuttle delivered Multipurpose Logistics Modules (temporary cargo containers) that used the CBM, and the Dream Chaser is expected to dock to the IDA if I got my sources correct.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Ultimate Steve

[mikegarrison]

Some these make me think of attending business meetings, where I have seen UK computers plug into an adapter to use a US powerstrip, which in turn is using an adapter to plug into a European socket.

The IDAs, for instance, only exist to permanently plug into the PMAs, effectively converting the PMA interface into the IDA interface.

Edited April 22, 2019 by mikegarrison

[Reactordrone]

The US and Russian sections are joined with an APAS-95 docking system (androgynous peripheral attachment system) which was derived from the APAS-89 used for shuttle/Mir . That used to be the standard docking system on the pressurised mating adapters which the shuttle used for docking but they are being progressively changed over to the new (but similar)  NDS/IDS docking system.

If you look at the PMAs they have a common berthing attachment at the back where they attach to the station and the docking system at the front for US crew capsules to dock with.

Edited April 23, 2019 by Reactordrone

[mikegarrison]

6 hours ago, Reactordrone said:

The US and Russian sections are joined with an APAS-95 docking system (androgynous peripheral attachment system) which was derived from the APAS-89 used for shuttle/Mir . That used to be the standard docking system on the pressurised mating adapters which the shuttle used for docking but they are being progressively changed over to the new (but similar)  NDS/IDS docking system.

If you look at the PMAs they have a common berthing attachment at the back where they attach to the station and the docking system at the front for US crew capsules to dock with.

That's what I referred to. The IDS docks will actually be IDS plugged into PMA plugged into CBM. It would make more sense to have IDS plug directly into CBM and get rid of the possible point of failure of the PMA, except that as far as I know there is no way to remove a docking port without depressurizing the entire ISS.

Edited April 23, 2019 by mikegarrison