NASA's primary system for training space shuttle crews. The US$100 million simulator system, located in Building 5 at the Johnson Space Center, was completed in 1977. It has two shuttle cockpits equipped with identical controls, displays, and consoles. One, the motion-base crew station, has positions for the commander and pilot. The other, the fixed-base crew station, is configured for the commander, pilot, mission specialist, and payload operator. SMS is the only high-fidelity simulator capable of training for all possible phases of a mission, including the launch, ascent, abort, orbit, rendezvous, docking, payload handling, undocking, deorbit, entry, approach, landing, and rollout. The system can duplicate the main engine and solid rocket boosters, with computer-generated sound simulations.

The shuttle mission simulator (SMS) at the Johnson Space Center. Pilot Frederick Sturckow was accompanied by four fellow astronauts and two cosmonauts on STS-105 to the International Space Station in August 2001.

Credit: NASA