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Applied Virtual Reality in Reusable Launch Vehicle Design, Operations Development, and TrainingApplication of Virtual Reality (VR) technology offers much promise to enhance and accelerate the development of Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) infrastructure and operations while simultaneously reducing developmental and operational costs. One of the primary cost areas in the RLV concept that is receiving special attention is maintenance and refurbishment operations. To produce and operate a cost effective RLV, turnaround cost must be minimized. Designing for maintainability is a necessary requirement in developing RLVs. VR can provide cost effective methods to design and evaluate components and systems for maintenance and refurbishment operations. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is beginning to utilize VR for design, operations development, and design analysis for RLVs. A VR applications program has been under development at NASA/MSFC since 1989. The objectives of the MSFC VR Applications Program are to develop, assess, validate, and utilize VR in hardware development, operations development and support, mission operations training and science training. The NASA/MSFC VR capability has also been utilized in several applications. These include: 1) the assessment of the design of the late Space Station Freedom Payload Control Area (PCA), the control room from which onboard payload operations are managed; 2) a viewing analysis of the Tethered Satellite System's (TSS) "end-of-reel" tether marking options; 3) development of a virtual mockup of the International Space Welding Experiment for science viewing analyses from the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System elbow camera and as a trainer for ground controllers; and 4) teleoperations using VR. This presentation will give a general overview of the MSFC VR Applications Program and describe the use of VR in design analyses, operations development, and training for RLVs.
Document ID
19990107378
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Hale, Joseph P.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1997
Subject Category
Launch Vehicles And Space Vehicles
Meeting Information
Meeting: Autofact ''97
Location: Detroit, MI
Country: United States
Start Date: November 3, 1997
End Date: November 7, 1997
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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