Rendezvous Docking Simulator
About this property
The Rendezvous Docking Simulator, also known as the Real-Time Dynamic Simulator, is a simulator at the Langley Research Center. It was constructed for the Gemini program in Building 1244 and it became operational in June 1963 at a cost of $320,000 and later reconfigured for the Apollo program. The simulator consists of a gantry frame, with an overhead carriage from which test craft were suspended by cables. A gimbal was powered hydraulically and was capable of changing pitch and yaw at a rate of 1 radian per second or roll at 2 radians per second. The gantry also moved like an overhead crane using electric motors and was capable of travelling 210 feet (64 m) longitudinally at up to 20 feet per second (6.1 m/s), 16 feet (4.9 m) laterally at up to 4 feet per second (1.2 m/s) and vertically 45 feet (14 m) at up to 10 feet per second (3.0 m/s). It is the only surviving simulator from the NASA Gemini and Apollo space programs that was used by astronauts to practice docking of space capsules with other vessels. Ability to dock reliably with the Apollo Lunar Module was a crucial skill essential for the mission to return from the Moon. The docking simulator was used alongside the Projection Planetarium in training exercises. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985. Currently it is stored, hanging from the rafters in Building 1244, a vast hangar at Langley, and there are no plans for it otherwise.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Rendezvous Docking Simulator
This page lists Rendezvous Docking Simulator. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Rendezvous Docking Simulator listed on the National Register?
Rendezvous Docking Simulator was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 2, 1985.
What type of historic resource is Rendezvous Docking Simulator?
Rendezvous Docking Simulator is classified as a object in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Rendezvous Docking Simulator a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Rendezvous Docking Simulator has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Rendezvous Docking Simulator?
The period of significance for Rendezvous Docking Simulator is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Rendezvous Docking Simulator?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Rendezvous Docking Simulator will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Hampton County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Hampton County.
Explore HamptonCounty ›More historic places in Virginia
Browse all historic places in Virginia.
View Virginiahistoric sites ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Rendezvous Docking Simulator will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.