Posted on Nov 08, 2007 12:00:00 AM | NASA EDGE | 8 Comments
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The NASA EDGE Crew (Chris, Blair, Ron, Don, and Jack"y") are at NASA Johnson Space Center this week shooting some NE@ segments. We had a chance to check out the Shuttle Engineering Simulator in building 16N. According to a few unverified sources, this is not the real simulator (motion simulator), but rather the engineering simulator where engineers look at Guidance Navigation and Control issues. Jennifer Madsen, JSC engineer, gave us the complete tour of the simulator.
Jennifer Madsen instructing Chris and Blair on how to fly the space shuttle. Credit: Ron Beard, NASA EDGE
After a crash course of learning the cockpit displays, it was my turn to try and land the shuttle safely. Jennifer set the simulation to an ascent abort scenario with one or two main engines failing. We couldn't land at Kennedy Space Center, so I had to try and land at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, VA. This happens to be my home town. I performed a 270 degree left turn to line up with the runway. After my co-pilot, Commander Blair "Spritzer Spray" Allen dropped the landing gear at 300 feet, I landed the shuttle on the runway.
The simulation makes you appreciate all the hard work and training the astronaut pilots go through in flying the shuttle. It's a brick with wings. The co-pilot didn't get a chance to land the shuttle this time because he was to busy revitalizing his face with the vitamin C spritzer spray. I have complete confidence in him that he can land the shuttle just as good if not better than myself. His Commodore 64 days of playing F-15 Strike Eagle would come back to him.
I want to personally thank Jennifer, Jeremy, Tanya, and Sydney for all their hard work and dedication in allowing us cover the Shuttle Engineering Simulator. A job well done!
Chris
Host
NASA EDGE
Tags : General
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8 comments so far ( Post your own )
- 8
On Jun 04, 2008 06:52:58 PM
DAVID12345
wrote:
THE SIMM IS A FINE THING, BUT WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO GET, ARE BETTER CAMERAS ON THE ISS. THE RES STINKS. I HAVE A 19 INCH MONITOR AND THE RES IS SO MODEL ON IT, THAT YOU CAN BEARLLY MAKE OUT ANYTHING. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU NEEDED SOME HIGH RES PICTURES IN CASE SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN, NA DA
- 7 On Feb 29, 2008 11:15:09 AM Syd's ground crew wrote:
Can't wait to see the podcast on this one. Hope Sydney's in it.
- 6 On Jan 14, 2008 08:18:18 PM Sooraj Prabhakaran wrote:
Very Nice to see this article
- 5 On Nov 19, 2007 12:10:44 AM Kristen wrote:
I agree with Darnell; this blog needs a splash of color and a sprinkling of zest. A NASA blog is such a great idea, and it is a shame to let the "architecture" of this site hinder the eye-candy NASA can offer. A LiveJournal account might be a good way to step over that boundary. I'd encourage you to check out some LiveJournal communities to see how "artsy" a blog can get (try looking up things like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Orlando Bloom...etc...big name celebrities, because you are bound to come across some "shrines" and very good examples of what a cool blog looks like). Throw up a picture of a particularly awesome looking nebula for the background, and collage some pictures of spacecraft for the header. And make some avatars/icons! They add a little something to your posts, and if people think they're cool, they'll save them and use them in their own blogs (FREE advertising!)
( http://www.peoplerecords.com for more info)
And speaking of LiveJournal, it would probably be easy to get a following there. Many LiveJournal users are digital artists, and I know that I often use NASA pictures of galaxies (and other pretty things) to accent my digital artwork. By posting pictures and NASA news, you could probably generate a lot of interest in the space program if you play your cards right.
As for Facebook, being a college student, I know a thing or two about it ;o) Have you looked at the applications feature? It would be very cool to have an application to put on profiles that tracked where the space station was at a given time, or that allowed NASAtv to be streamed from profiles. Even a NASA picture of the day would be neat.
Keep up the good work! This sort of "marketing" is exactly what the space program needs right now!- 4 On Nov 12, 2007 08:57:22 AM Sarah wrote:
Yay! Which orbiter did you fly? Very nice looking simulator...could you nab that for my living room??
- 3 On Nov 11, 2007 08:58:59 AM The Co-Host wrote:
Correction: My Medianaut call sign isn't "Spritzer Spray." It is "vitamin C." The "C" stands for "Cool."
The Co-Host- 2 On Nov 09, 2007 09:40:20 PM Zara wrote:
OMG!! You are soooooo lucky!! I agree with "RV"! That really looks like a lot of fun! I heard've of that simulator before, and it sounded cool. It must feel like you are actually the pilot of a space shuttle. AWESOME!
~Zara- 1 On Nov 09, 2007 09:13:04 AM RV wrote:
Man, you guys are lucky! That looks soooo fun!
- 7 On Feb 29, 2008 11:15:09 AM Syd's ground crew wrote:
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