I'm very much impressed by the control precision of real-life space probes.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Animation_of_Rosetta...
And this is one of the many reasons why these machines are horrendously expensive - they are incredibly precise.
...after watching the Dragon/ISS docking manoeuvre for quite a bit longer than I probably should have, I think I now understand this precision better. When we think of "flying" including flying in space, we automatically have an image of something that's a bit unstable, always being buffeted a little, because that's how all the flying we are familiar with is.
Actually seeing that docking manoeuvre, you get a feel for just how stable things are in space. When the Dragon is parked in its relative position (10m?) it is just there, rock solid, as if attached with steel beams. No, better, as if both parts are part of a single piece of granite. No quivering, nothing.
Of course this is intellectually clear/obvious, but seeing it in practice is something different.
It's just insane. I guess every press of button needs to be planned years in advance.
