temperatures (evaluation of changes in dimension considering tolerances, regulation, changes in the properties of the material etc.); 5) dynamic testing (individual characteristics of shock absorbers and other elements); 6) hermeticity (integrity of hull, absence of damage to surfaces and seals, etc.). Individual parts and entire assemblies are subjected to acceptance testing. Some of the verifications are repeated because failures of units in the assembled assembly may cause long delays for rebuilding. Acceptance testing of the assembly includes a control docking, in which assemblies intended for union in space undergo cross mutual verification. This is done because each experiment with docking is usually unique in purpose and expenditures of time and money. As a rule, there are no sufficient statistics and analysis on the effect of tolerances on the interaction of assemblies. Thus, in preparation for flight in the Apollo-Soyuz project, American specialists shipped to Moscow two flight assemblies (main and back-up) which were control docked with three Soyuz APDAs. In control docking the interaction of all basic elements and mechanisms is verified, as well as the most important dimensions of mutual position (clearances, course, etc.). Control docking is an operation which requires large expenditures of time and money, and are organizationally complex. Only those assemblies which have undergone this testing are used for docking in orbit. This becomes even more important when one considers the increased time of use of orbital stations and the number of transport ships servicing the station. For example, for the Salyut 1 orbital station, three control dockings were made, for Salyut 5, four. For the Salyut 6 orbital station control docking was done for the first eight active docking assemblies, that is, with each of the two passive docking assemblies of the station and with a specially created passive standard assembly. The analysis showed that control docking with only the standard insures normal connection of all matching elements of the docking device. Thus, subsequent active docking assemblies intended for the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft were subjected to control docking with only the standard assembly. Successful completion of 35 dockings of the craft with the Salyut 6 station confirmed the correctness of this method of pre-flight preparation.
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