Simulation and the space shuttle

Abstract

One of the current projects in which simulation plays a critical role is the United States space shuttle program. Clearly, simulation is the only way to investigate the feasibility and safety of the multi- billion-dollar space craft program. Its launch, orbit, and re-entry have been analyzed meticulously by an experienced team of engineers, but we still cannot be certain that the craft works properly until after the first landing from space.

That first landing is critical. The spacecraft has one shot at one of three 2.8-mile-long landing strips that NASA (The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has constructed in widely scattered locations: the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Edwards Air Force Base in California, and White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Its two highly trained pilots know they have one shot at that runway, and one shot only. While simulation has been used in every aspect of the program, its use in training the pilots is certainly one of the most important aspects of the entire effort. Let's talk to the man in charge of Mission Simulation and Training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He is Frank Hughes, a 15-year veteran of simulation at NASA.