To What Extent do Astronauts Pilot Rockets?

[Kryten]

4 hours ago, benjee10 said:

In terms of docking, the most recent manned launch to ISS (Expedition 46) encountered a problem with the docking autopilot system a few moments before docking, and Soyuz commander Yuri Malenchenko switched it to manual and pulled all the way back before doing a manual docking. It was pretty interesting to watch since the stream showed the pilot's screen and you could see the control inputs happening (which I was translating into KSP controls in my head). 

Manual dockings and re-dockings have been pretty common for Soyuz and Progress (the latter through the remote control TORU unit), as the automated docking system isn't all that reliable. Most infamously, Mir was hit by a Progress during a test of the TORU unit, and one of the modules permanently depressurised.

[Alias72]

Another example would be Yuri Gagarin's flight. He had a manual override, but for the most part he was simply strapped to a lawn chair that had been welded to the capsule. No input controls were necessary (until he had to bail out the front).

[KerbonautInTraining]

Just gonna add something here: 

The P66 people are describing is accurate, as it allows the commander to re-designate the landing site target. If no further action is taken after switching to P66 the LM will land itself wherever uses the least fuel.

BUT: On every (I think every) mission, after letting P66 run for a bit, they flipped the navigation to "ATT HOLD" which is not unlike flying with SAS in KSP. Moving the stick determines the rate of rotation, upon centering it the LM kills rotation. During this time the throttle is controlled by the computer to maintain a descent rate. The rate of descent can be clicked up or down by the commander using a ROD switch. They then landed mostly by looking out the window and having the other astronaut  (Buzz) read stuff from the instruments.

Basically, load up a ship and fly it with the MechJeb translatron controlling your throttle and SAS on.

[/Apollo nerdgasm]

Edited January 8, 2016 by KerbonautInTraining
typo

[Beowolf]

On 1/3/2016 at 9:14 AM, Steel said:

Back in the Gemini days most of the orbital manoeuvering was done manually as few people actually had a good idea of how orbital mechanics translated into manouvres on orbit, so there was a fair bit of trial and error in the early missions

All the Gemini flights after Gemini 4 had an on-board computer and radar to manage rendezvous and maneuvering. But it was awfully primitive even by Apollo computer standards, and didn't handle problems well at all. So, like you said, plenty of trial and error going on, which to me is what made the Gemini missions special.

That on-board computer made a world of difference in their ability to rendezvous, though. Imagine trying to do a rendezvous without the KSP map screen, maneuver nodes, or any indication of your distance-to-target. They initially tried letting ground-based radar talk them through it, but the US only had a few radar stations that had that capability, and with an inclined orbit the spacecraft didn't pass over them frequently enough to do an adequate job.