
SpaceX reveals the controls of its Dragon spacecraft for the first time - Kemet
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/08/spacex-reveals-the-controls-of-its-dragon-spacecraft-for-the-first-time/
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sdrothrock
The important bit for me was:

> . . . touch screens selectively display the necessary controls during flight
> and are the primary interface astronauts have with the vehicle. Below are
> two rows of manual buttons, 38 in total, that provide back-up control of the
> spacecraft. Many of the buttons are situated beneath clear panels, intended
> to never be used, because they are often the third option after the touch
> screens and ground control of the Dragon.

I wonder how much they've tested situations where those 38 buttons are all
astronauts have to use in an emergency situation, both with/without gloves.

> One control stood out—a large black and red handle in the middle of the
> console with “EJECT” printed in clear white letters above it. This initiates
> the launch escape system, which rapidly pulls the spacecraft away from the
> rocket in the case of an emergency during the ascent into space. It must be
> pulled, then twisted. Normally the flight computers would initiate such a
> maneuver, but the prominence of the escape system handle underlines its
> importance. Notably, after the vehicle reaches orbit, this control becomes
> “deadened,” such that accidentally pulling it in space would do nothing.

Similarly, I wonder if removing the judgment call (even at the risk of
accidental usage) from the eject handle is wise...

This article wasn't as design/UX-focused as I'd hoped from the title.

~~~
danielvf
For all of NASA’s faults, realistic practicing emergencies in a simulator is
something they get right. The crew have already started this process with the
Dragon, and will have been pressing these buttons while dressed for space and
in the middle of simulated emergencies.

(Fun fact, the buttons in the Soyuz capsule are currently operated with a
astronaut held stick during launch and landing.
[https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/4114/why-is-a-
stic...](https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/4114/why-is-a-stick-
required-to-operate-soyuzs-computer))

As for the launch abort handle not working in orbit - moving the capsule
rapidly away from a malfunctioning rocket behind you doesn’t really do you
much good once there is no rocket attached to the capsule anymore. You would
do a different sequence of actions to return from space in an emergency.

