While working out here in Houston, I had a chance to try out the Space Shuttle Flight Simulator and it was AMAZING!! The flight simulator is what the astronauts use as part of their training for launch, reentry, and landing scenarios.
The simulator positioned us on our backs to feel like we were in the 90 degree launch position. We then felt the launch sequence of liftoff, solid rocket booster separation, external tank jettison, and main engine cutoff.
The most awesome part was when I got to sit in the commander's seat and land the orbiter. I wasn't to shabby in the simulator!! :)
After landing the orbiter, I even got a "report card" rating me on my landing! :)
Ever wonder what the "bathroom" onboard the orbiter looks like?? Well here ya go!! Can you imagine trying to hold on to those handle bars in the microgravity environment?
4 comments:
Joe Acaba in an interview aboard the ISS got stuck answering the bathroom question! He explained that the air suckion isn't strong, and that they each had their own funnels. Also, things were made tight such that things can't escape for their boss to find. The interview included both commanders and Rich. It involved the usual senario of many student asking questions. Some of the questions I haven't heard a lot of like the one about what is the color of the Earth. Mike said that it's a grayish blue color, and that greenery could not be seen from space. There was also the usual bunch of questions like how do they sleep, eat, and can China's wall be seen.
Sandy Magnus has that anerexic skinny look because she's suffering from being a star in space. I enjoyed watching her during Commander Mike Fincke's expedition. It's, basically, hard listening to, watching, and enjoying people from other countries on the ISS.
Glad to see you had fun in my hometown! I'm right across from the simulations in Bldg 4S, in the ISS Payloads Office.
I'll actually be flying out to KSC tomorrow for hardware testing for a week. Any recommendations for places to eat or things to see while I'm in Cocoa Beach?
- Justin Kugler
Justin...I sent you a comment on your site on some places to eat around the area. :)
Excellent! Which reminds me... I really need to update that thing!
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