nasa kennedy space center simulator intensity

Designers have made the simulators as close to real-life training as they can, including a 21-console control panel. The mechanical arm deployed and repaired satellites and positioned astronauts for “walks” outside the vehicle. Manipulating the “Canadarm” is also part of the experience.

They do this from the inside of Atlantis, the last space shuttle to liftoff from Kennedy. And once they arrive, they have to return and the simulator guides trainees back to Kennedy Space Center where a smooth landing is the goal. Participants get a chance to land an orbiter and dock it at the International Space Station. But what does a prospective space traveler really have to do to make it in outer space? In Kennedy Space Center’s training simulators, visitors find out. It sounds romantic and adventurous, looking down on planet Earth from 250 miles or farther. Many young people dream of being space explorers, roaming the galaxies in weightless suspension and eating freeze-dried ice cream from pouches. The reality of space travel is not sugarcoated here and taking part in the Shuttle Launch Experience is a reminder of the excitement and dangers of exploration.

Two shuttles and their crews, Challenger and Columbia, were tragically lost during that period and they are memorialized at the visitors complex. The Columbia kicked off the shuttle era with the program’s first flight on April 21, 1981, and Atlantis logged the last mission on July 8, 2011, marking the end of the nearly 30-year program. A video briefing by NASA astronauts, who helped develop the exhibit, gets riders ready to strap into the simulation ride. The Shuttle Launch Experience accomplishes this in thrilling fashion and is suitable for all ages. It’s awesome to be able to experience the sights, sounds and feelings of a launch without have an advanced degree in aeronautical engineering. Prepare for what might happen in an emergency. Learn how the massive shuttle gets fueled. Ride a module that fits tidily into the payload bay of a shuttle vehicle. Imagine taking part in the Space Shuttle Launch Experience with someone who has an actually commanded a vehicle or been part of the scientific experiments team. until 1:30 p.m., leaving time afterward to visit other parts of the complex before closing time (as late as 7 p.m. Participants tour the facility via motor coach with the guides, getting first-hand commentary about the shuttle experience and other aspects of space exploration. “Fly with an Astronaut” is a separately ticketed, regularly scheduled tour for small groups that includes lunch at the L-39 observation site where the Apollo crews set off for the moon. (How do you go to the bathroom? What’s it like to live without gravity? Do you get Wi-Fi up there?)Įven more special is to tour the facility with an astronaut guide. This is a prime opportunity to ask questions about the space experience and quite the blast for young would-be astronauts. Each day, an astronaut meets with general admission visitors.

Nasa kennedy space center simulator intensity