TORU

{{Short description|Russian manual docking system for Soyuz and Progress spacecraft}}

File:TORU docking system.jpg practices docking with the TORU system in the Zvezda module on the International Space Station in preparation for the docking of the Progress 13]]

File:Damaged Spektr solar array.jpg

TORU (Tele-robotically Operated Rendezvous Unit,{{Cite web |title=Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/roscosmos-cosmonaut-sergey-ryzhikov/ |access-date=2024-10-05 |language=en-US}} {{Langx|ru|Телеоператорный Режим Управления|lit=Teleoperator Control Mode}}){{Cite web |url=http://suzymchale.com/kosmonavtka/fgb.html |title = Zarya FGB - Kosmonavtka |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070502192938/http://suzymchale.com/kosmonavtka/fgb.html |archive-date=2 May 2007 |url-status=dead}} is a manual docking system for uncrewed Russian Progress and Soyuz spacecraft that serves as a backup to the automatic Kurs system.{{cite web |url=http://www.hightechscience.org/toru.htm |title=MIR Space Station Toru Guidance System |website=Hightechscience.org |date= |accessdate=2016-02-25 |archive-date=2012-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217055351/http://www.hightechscience.org/toru.htm |url-status=dead }} It was used on the former Mir space station and is currently in use on the International Space Station. The TORU system became known to the public in 1997 when it was used during the manual approach of Progress M-34 to Mir that ended with a dangerous collision that punctured the Spektr module causing a slow leak that left it permanently uninhabitable. It was an approach of a previously used Progress spacecraft with the purpose of research work on further improvement of TORU.

TORU has a similar layout to the controls of a Soyuz spacecraft with two joysticks which can be used to manually fly the ship. The left joystick is used to control the movement of the ship (translation) and the right joystick is used to control its orientation (rotation). The system also includes a camera mounted on the docking spacecraft and provides visual feedback when the spacecraft is remotely controlled from the station to which it is docking. TORU also transfers sounds from the spacecraft that may provide indirect information about the docking process.{{cite web|url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progressm58.html |title=Progress cargo ship |website=Russianspaceweb.com |date= |accessdate=2016-02-25}}

While ships are sufficiently close when docking to make signal travel delay insignificant, cosmonauts claim that TORU has a certain delay when operating the ship from the space station remotely.{{cite web|url=http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp7/luletters/lu_letter4.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030713130952/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp7/luletters/lu_letter4.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2003-07-13 |title=HSF - International Space Station |website=Spaceflight.nasa.gov |date=2003-07-29 |accessdate=2016-02-25}} Some radio amateurs think they have observed TORU docking signals.{{cite web|author=Sven Grahn |url=http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/trackind/TORU/Toru.html |title=TORU signals identified? |website=Svengrahn.pp.se |date= |accessdate=2016-02-25}}

TORU was first tested in 1993 (Progress M-15){{cite web|url=http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/040/02.shtml |accessdate=July 3, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120906042304/http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/040/02.shtml |archivedate=September 6, 2012|title=Россия. Полет орбитального комплекса "Мир"|trans-title=Russia. The flight of the Mir orbital complex|language=Russian}} and actually used next year to dock Progress M-24 (after two unsuccessful attempts to dock automatically).{{cite web|url=http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/081/01.shtml |accessdate=July 3, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503040019/http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/081/01.shtml |archivedate=May 3, 2010|title= Россия. Полет орбитального комплекса "Мир"|trans-title=Russia. The flight of the orbital complex "Mir"|language=Russian}} Despite the 1997 M-34 collision, it was used again to dock the next Progress spacecraft, Progress M-35, after Mir’s onboard computer failed.{{cite web|url=http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/158/03.shtml |accessdate=July 3, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114202821/http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/158/03.shtml |archivedate=January 14, 2011|title=ПИЛОТИРУЕМЫЕ ПОЛЕТЫ|trans-title=Planned Flights|language=Russian}} TORU was also used in many later missions (Progress M-53, Progress M-67, Progress M1-4 and possibly others).