Projection Planetarium facts for kids
Engineering diagram of the Projection Planetarium
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| Uses | Training astronauts |
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The Projection Planetarium was a special training machine used by NASA. It helped astronauts practice flying spacecraft. It was located at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. This amazing device was built to help astronauts learn how to control their spacecraft.
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What Was the Projection Planetarium?
The Projection Planetarium was a huge training tool. It had a custom-made star projector inside a giant sphere. This sphere was about 40 feet (12 meters) wide. It was made from a leftover part of a radar dome, which is a big cover for radar equipment.
How Did the Planetarium Work?
Inside the sphere, the star projector could move in three different directions. However, the mock-up of the spacecraft capsule and the pilots inside it stayed still. This setup allowed astronauts to practice controlling their spacecraft. They used what they saw "out the window" to guide their ship. This was important for flying in orbit and for practicing emergency landings.
When Was It Built and How Much Did It Cost?
The planetarium was built in 1965. It cost about $153,103 for the research and development. Building it and buying materials cost another $177,000. NASA also used about $145,400 worth of extra materials they already had.
Why Was the Projection Planetarium Used?
The Projection Planetarium was very important for training astronauts. It helped them prepare for real space missions.
Studying Spacecraft Control
A scientist named A.W. Vogeley talked about the system in 1966. He explained that it was used to study problems with Apollo spacecraft launches. Astronauts could see a "horizon-to-horizon view of Florida" from high up. This view was like seeing Florida from about 100,000 feet (30,000 meters) in the sky.
The big inflatable sphere showed images of stars. The star projector was good enough for pilots to practice controlling the spacecraft. They used the stars to figure out their spacecraft's direction. However, it was not detailed enough for practicing navigation, which is about knowing exactly where you are going.
Where Else Did Astronauts Train?
For more detailed navigation training, Gemini, Apollo, and some Space Shuttle astronauts went to the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This shows how different tools were used for different parts of astronaut training.
