Dreamweaver

11 responses to “Dreamweaver”

1. 

   jurvetson

   Jun 12, 2011 at 6:11 pm

   Lunar surface model, from upper right in diagram above. (none of these are clickable)Cover and opening passage: . And insideThe shared memory computer comes standard with… a typewriter!The Instructors Station:

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2. 

   jurvetson

   Jun 12, 2011 at 6:29 pm

   And here it is, with Neil Armstrong inside
   =

   "This Lunar Module (LM) Mission Simulator, a large, complex device, was in operation at the Kennedy Space Center between 1968 and 1972. It was used by every Apollo astronaut to train for landing on the Moon prior to their mission. Only one was built, and, remarkably, it survived in good condition. This is a very historically significant artifact, one of the few key pieces remaining from the Apollo program.

   The device consists of a simulator cabin (LM Ascent Stage with complete original interior), four large rear-projection projectors and screens mounted outside the windows, an operators console, tape-drive computers and a simulated lunar surface model and camera. Instructors, at the operators console, could introduce malfunctions into the simulated mission the astronauts were running inside. Cameras, filming a model of the lunar surface, projected the image in front of the LM windows so the astronauts would feel as if they were actually maneuvering for a landing on the Moon. Astronauts would even sleep overnight inside this device in preparation for three-day stays on the Moon."

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3. 

   Leino88

   Jun 12, 2011 at 7:45 pm

   sweet. 🙂 …69 was a good year … 🙂

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4. 

   solerena

   Jun 13, 2011 at 12:02 am

   Cool, and now simulations are more advanced..

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5. 

   jurvetson

   Jun 13, 2011 at 4:35 am

   oh, yes, much more so. But this was like the first Star Wars, where they built a model of the Death Star to fly over, and they had up up to 11 layers of analog film overlays.

   [http://www.flickr.com/photos/95854675@N00] – and vintage, if that’s your position

   [http://www.flickr.com/photos/57023099@N03] – thanks, and much more to come. I just found a bunch of interesting details in the simulator notes on things they learned before the flight. Hope to post soon.

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6. 

   m.p.moody

   Jun 13, 2011 at 4:51 am

   Thanks for sharing. Brings back good memories I worked at Singer Link from ’76 to ’81 working on the Space Shuttle, F111, Blackhawk and 747 Simulators. I created the 3d Earth database for the Space Shuttle Simulator from the std. 22 global navigation charts. Sadly the old Singer Link building is now the Frys Electronics building in Sunnyvale.

   Before Singer, I worked at Ames and was fortunate to visit the Lunar Receiving lab and work on Planetary Geology projects to simulate wind/weather conditions on Mars in the huge 10 story building next to the runway. At Ames, I often visited the PR dept and picked up all of the Free collateral for years (and still maintain), including examples like this;
   http://www.flickr.com/photos/15752486@N07/5826882660/

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7. 

   Bill York

   Jun 13, 2011 at 8:20 am

   [http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson] Apropos that Star Wars multi-pass motion controlled camera, its inventor, John Dykstra, is the visual effects designer on the new X-Men movie. That’s almost 40 years since his first work on Silent Running!

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8. 

   The Rocketeer

   Jun 13, 2011 at 11:27 am

   Funny, Steve.. you used to draw scenes like that and I used to dream of finding fields of discarded computer circuit boards that I could take and reuse parts from when I was a teenager.

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9. 

   nhr

   Jun 13, 2011 at 12:33 pm

   > The shared memory computer comes standard with… a typewriter!

   Considering the context, I suspect that by "typewriter", they meant something like this, instead of the more common variety…

    
   > "INSTRUCTOR STATION: The instructor station has been designed to accomodate five instructors. [..] The telemetry operator has the capability to malfunction and monitor the various system parameters being converted to telemetry data."

   Very similar in concept to the flight simulators used to train aircraft pilots today, thus. Experienced pilots sitting at the consoles, who’ve actually "been there" before 😉 triggering the occasional simulated malfunction to see how the student reacts.
   What do you mean, "Chicken and egg problem" ? 😉

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10. 

    jurvetson

    Jun 13, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    and they are getting photo-realistic
    

    I thought the same thing on the typewriter – surely they mean teletype. But yesterday at the Computer History Museum, I saw a couple consoles with integrated typewriters. I had to look close to make sure they weren’t wired in any way. (The IBM SAGE had built in cigarette lighter, ashtray and rotary dial phone) Maybe mmoody_js can recall…

    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kt/] – the powerful pull to peer into the black box!

    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/15752486@N07] – I liked those Earth models! The Shuttle simulator is so cool, and massive….
    
    Two huge hydraulic pistons extend 75 ft. into the ground. And the structure is 120 ft. tall. The pistons lift 140,000 lbs, with a pod that slides along a massive horizontal beam. The pod also pivots about like the stationary simulators.
    

    (video of my visit and ride. Slideshow of VMS construction)

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11. 

    solerena

    Jun 13, 2011 at 8:55 pm

    Fantastic collection, enjoy your posts as usual… and your tour inside the simulator was cool!!!

    it seems pretty outdated visually in comparison with what computer gaming industry can offer in terms of graphics in our days… wonder if any private company is working with NASA on simulations to make it modern:) simulations seem like a toy for professionals to play with but they can actually save millions of dollars and human lives… thus, one of the best things ever invented… can be used widely for many different industries… and coach how to fly, teach, live, love and play better:D

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