A retired NASA space shuttle simulation that was used to prepare astronauts for the motion of the vehicle in flight has moved again, this time to its new museum home.
The Shuttle Mission Simulator-Motion Base, which was used by every crew as part of their training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, arrived at the Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington on Tuesday. The roll-in took place on the same day as the 41st anniversary of the first space shuttle mission.
George Abbey, the former director of Johnson Space Center who was serving as director of flight operations when the SMS-MB was first used, said in an interview that he was happy that it was here. That was due to the training the crew had.
There are pictures of NASA's space shuttle program.
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Many of the engineers, technicians and instructors who operated and maintained the simulation during its use at NASA were able to see it for the first time since it was restored. The volunteer effort included removing over 1,000 pounds of cable and replacing 1,600 tiny incandescent bulbs with just as many LEDs by soldering each into place to light up all of the panels and control switches.
"It always takes a team, right?" said Bonnie Dunbar, a former NASA astronauts who trained for her five space shuttle missions using the simulator and now serves on the board of directors for the Lone Star Flight Museum. Many of the people who have passed away have their children here. We want them to have a place where they can see the simulator.
Members of the restoration team joined the former astronauts as they took the simulation to its new home. The final painting of the SMS-MB was moved to Ellington in early April after much of the restoration was completed at the Johnson Space Center. Abbey and others welcomed the procession into the Heritage Hangar at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
The approach and landing tests were flown by the prototype orbiter Enterprise off the back of a modified Boeing 747 jetliner, and the SMS-MB was built to support the approach and landing tests. The flight tests and operational missions were done on the simulator. The first time it was used was for flight crew training.
The commander and pilot stations, as well as flight engineer and mission specialist seats, were included in a full-scale replica of the space shuttle's upper level flight deck. There were screens in the forward windows that displayed computer-driven simulations of the various phases of a flight.
The ability to move was what made the SMS-MB unique. The cabin was mounted on top of a platform and lifted up and down to replicate the orientation of a winged spaceship as it was used to practice launch, orbital operations and landing.
After the shuttle program ended, NASA and Texas A&M University agreed to relocate the complete simulation to College Station, where it would be put back into use as a teaching and engineering development tool. After it was moved, the funding and logistics for such a setup fell through, and the SMS-MB was put into storage.
The Lone Star was identified as the site of the new display because of the help of Carl Brainerd, who worked on the simulator throughout its 40-year history and later led its restoration.
Brainerd was happy to see the simulator in place at the museum. It is great to see it rejuvenated.
The SMS-MB will not be moving now that it is at the museum. The museum could not support the cost of reconstructing the platform. New generations will be able to learn about how astronauts trained to fly into space with the static display.
Audio and video from the last run of the shuttle crew will be included in the exhibit, along with the trainer's console and crew procedures.
The museum plans to invite former shuttle pilots and commanders who flew the simulator to deliver weekend talks to help the public understand the historical importance of the SMS-MB and how it compared to the real vehicles.
The Lone Star Flight Museum has the first major artifact from spaceflight history. The museum has other exhibits such as NASA's small pressurized rover and a robot, but the main focus is on aircraft, including a North American B-25 Mitchell twin-engine medium bomber and Douglas DC-3 propeller-driven airliner. Many of the planes in the museum are still in use and can be seen in airshows.
The Lone Star Flight Museum saved and preserved a wonderful artifact from the space shuttle. The cockpit will be lit up in the same way that someone flew it.
Owens said that the public will enjoy this, and that it is great to be able to bring this piece of spaceflight history to them.
There are more photos from the delivery of the Shuttle Mission Simulator-Motion Base to the Lone Star Flight Museum.
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