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Shame that they don't have the resources to restore the original computers. Maybe I'm weird, but the details of the computers and however they were producing t

by phire 5y ago

Shame that they don't have the resources to restore the original computers. Maybe I'm weird, but the details of the computers and however they were producing the graphics with mid-70s technology is actually more interesting to me than the simulator itself. Are they using computer graphics by that point? Or are they stuck with computer-controlled cameras over over physical models? Edit: Found some high-level documentation of the whole computer systems[1]. Based on the description of the visual system on page 117, it looks like has specialised hardware for lit, flat-shaded polygonal graphics. [1] https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1980NASCP2150..113O https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1980NASCP2150..113O

jacquesm 5y ago
Mid 60's technology, actually.
EmilyHATFIELD 5y ago
If you like this kind of stuff check out CuriousMarc's youtube channel, he does great in-depth explanations of his restorations
lodovic 5y ago
They should just leave the simulator as-is and accept that it cannot be restored together with all the mission control infrastructure. Keep it as a museum artefact. And then build a new simulator from scratch with modern flat panels and a big PC, for people to use.
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  Or just throw flat panels at the current simulator, hook it up and let people take a ride for money. While it's a imperfect preservation from a historical standpoint giving a lot of people the opportunity to experience it would help preserve it for the future. Museums often struggle with this. Some historically interesting piece of whatever languishes and then eventually gets chucked whereas something that's more completely unremarkable and low value and common enough to let people actually interact with it winds up being the star of their collection.
  - bredren 5y ago
    It would be really cool if there was a replica shuttle and mission control simulator using modern techniques and software. But then it would also offer an arcade style version that the general public could just flip switches to try out. I’m guessing the general public would not be able to follow the sequences needed to make the original approachable or fun. I proposed a interactive art piece for Burning Man that offered this “follow the sequence by flipping switches and hitting buttons” game. But then the pandemic hit became one of the worst ideas possible. Here’s the concept video I put together: https://youtu.be/HpekTizfdf8 https://youtu.be/HpekTizfdf8
rbanffy 5y ago
IIRC, there were companies running pure CGI simulators in the 70's, so that could be the out of the window imagery for the astronauts. I'd love to know more about the software (and, mostly, what appeared on the three MFDs of the original shuttles, as well as detailed images of the glass-cockpit MFDs that are on this simulator. IIRC, the original ones were not raster displays, but long-persistence X-Y displays.
rbanffy 5y ago
> Shame that they don't have the resources to restore the original computers. With adequate documentation, they could be emulated, at least at the input/output level. Would be fun then to add new missions to an old simulator :-)

by phire 5y ago

jacquesm 5y ago

Mid 60's technology, actually.

EmilyHATFIELD 5y ago

If you like this kind of stuff check out CuriousMarc's youtube channel, he does great in-depth explanations of his restorations

lodovic 5y ago

They should just leave the simulator as-is and accept that it cannot be restored together with all the mission control infrastructure. Keep it as a museum artefact. And then build a new simulator from scratch with modern flat panels and a big PC, for people to use.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
Or just throw flat panels at the current simulator, hook it up and let people take a ride for money. While it's a imperfect preservation from a historical standpoint giving a lot of people the opportunity to experience it would help preserve it for the future. Museums often struggle with this. Some historically interesting piece of whatever languishes and then eventually gets chucked whereas something that's more completely unremarkable and low value and common enough to let people actually interact with it winds up being the star of their collection.
- bredren 5y ago
  It would be really cool if there was a replica shuttle and mission control simulator using modern techniques and software. But then it would also offer an arcade style version that the general public could just flip switches to try out. I’m guessing the general public would not be able to follow the sequences needed to make the original approachable or fun. I proposed a interactive art piece for Burning Man that offered this “follow the sequence by flipping switches and hitting buttons” game. But then the pandemic hit became one of the worst ideas possible. Here’s the concept video I put together: https://youtu.be/HpekTizfdf8 https://youtu.be/HpekTizfdf8

rbanffy 5y ago

IIRC, there were companies running pure CGI simulators in the 70's, so that could be the out of the window imagery for the astronauts. I'd love to know more about the software (and, mostly, what appeared on the three MFDs of the original shuttles, as well as detailed images of the glass-cockpit MFDs that are on this simulator. IIRC, the original ones were not raster displays, but long-persistence X-Y displays.

rbanffy 5y ago

> Shame that they don't have the resources to restore the original computers. With adequate documentation, they could be emulated, at least at the input/output level. Would be fun then to add new missions to an old simulator :-)