Ascent Stage Docking Procedure

The top of the ascent vehicle, where the crew sits, is flat. It mounts face-down on the flat part of the Lunar Transfer Vehicle.

1. When the ascent stage comes up to the orbiting LTV, the pilot flies it into a grapple fixture mounted on the LTV. This grapple fixture is mounted on the flat part of the LTV service module, near the hatch end.

2. Then the three crewmembers tether themselves to handrails on the LTV and release their tethers from the ascent stage.

3. One crewmember translates aft down the LTV using the LTV handrails. Another stays at the grapple fixture. The third is a sidewalk supervisor.

4. The grapple fixture is hinged, allowing the ascent stage to be rotated flat against the top of the LTV. The forward crewmember grasps the LTV and rotates it within reach of the aft crewmember.

5. The aft crewmember receives the ascent stage and berths it into simple latches located especially for this purpose. The latch would be a simple clevis and latch pin.

At that point, the ascent stage is firmly latched to the LTV service module. The crew are ready to ingress the LTV, repressurize it, and head home. Any lunar samples they have collected remain in their stowage bays aboard the LTV until the spacecraft has completed its return to whatever earth-orbiting facility we're using.

See also LTV Ingress Procedure document.