Common Berthing Mechanism

Imagine you have two toy blocks that you want to connect together. They have little bumps and holes that fit perfectly with each other, and when you push them together, they click into place.

Now, imagine two big machines in outer space that need to connect together. They also have special bumps and holes that fit together, but they're too big for someone to just push them together with their hands.

That's where the common berthing mechanism (CBM) comes in. It's like a giant version of the bumps and holes on the toy blocks. One machine has a "male" CBM, which sticks out, and the other machine has a "female" CBM, which has a cavity that the male CBM can fit into.

When the two machines get close to each other in space, they can use their thrusters to move closer and line up the CBMs. Then, they use robotic arms to push the two machines together until the CBMs click into place. This creates an airtight seal so that astronauts and equipment can move between the two machines without having to wear spacesuits.

So, the common berthing mechanism is like a big puzzle piece that helps two things in space stick together, so people and things can move around more easily.