International Docking Adapter
spacecraft docking adapter
The International Docking Adapter (IDA) is a spacecraft docking system adapter developed to convert APAS-95 to support docking with spacecraft that implement the International Docking System Standard. The IDA uses NASA Docking System (NDS) hardware. An IDA was permanently installed on each of the International Space Station's (ISS) two open Pressurized Mating Adapters (PMAs), both of which are connected to the Harmony module.
History
Prior to IDA several different docking adapters were designed to fill a similar role but were never implemented.
APAS to LIDS Adaptor System
The APAS to LIDS Adaptor System (ATLAS) was announced in 2008. It would have been placed on the open PMAs and converted APAS-95 to the Low Impact Docking System (LIDS). ATLAS was planned to be launched on Orion's first two missions to the International Space Station. Orion's missions to the ISS were later canceled altogether and its role as a crew transporter was replaced by the Commercial Crew Program.
Common Docking Adapter
The Common Docking Adapter (CDA) was announced in 2009. It was planned to be used to convert the Common Berthing Mechanism to the NASA Docking System.
“International Docking Adapter” enters the record as spacecraft docking adapter. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what International, Docking and Adapter can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“International Docking Adapter” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, International, Docking and Adapter provides the most credible route into that argument.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q22080327. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2008 and 2009.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “International Docking Adapter”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow International Docking Adapter primary sources, International Docking Adapter archive and International research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “International Docking Adapter”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “International Docking Adapter” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.