The Apollo Mission Simulator

During the Apollo program, astronauts spent a third of their training time using hardware simulators for training purposes. Simulators allowed crewmembers to not only rehearse and master their mission but also build resilience by understanding where things could potentially go wrong. Flight Director Gene Kranz quickly assumed that when his guidance computer displayed 1201 code,…

Spacecraft Architecture and Its Role in Exoplanet Exploration

Architecture now plays an increasingly vital role in outer space. From inflatable 3D-printed structures to entire space habitats, architecture’s presence is growing. But its challenges can be considerable: keeping residents comfortable while accommodating change while remaining functional at scale are just two major ones. Aerospace is developing strategies and processes to accelerate rapid development, quick…

Spacecraft Definition

Spacecraft are vehicles designed to travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere into interplanetary space or orbit planetary bodies, with systems and instruments to withstand its hostile environment. Instruments may record characteristics of phenomena close at hand, as with polarimetry; or at greater distances with remote-sensing instruments like radar imaging. These latter tools typically create images by analyzing…