Home>Museum News>Crew Compartment Trainer played vital role in preparing astronauts for space missions
Story at a Glance
• Crew Compartment Trainer played critical role in preparing astronauts for space flight • Astronaut Mike Foreman estimates that he has spent 400-500 hours in a CCT • Trainer was especially useful in preparing astronauts for launch and emergency bailouts • Instructor David Pogue calls CCT a "national treasure" for helping to make space flight possible
Photos
The Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT) is a high-fidelity representation of the orbiter crew station that was used primarily for on-orbit crew training and engineering evaluations. Here, astronauts learned how to operate many of the orbiter sub-systems in more than 20 different classes. (U.S. Air Force photo)
HOUSTON, Texas (06/2012) -- NASA Astronaut Mike Foreman explains some of the functions of a Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT). The CCT is a high-fidelity representation of the orbiter crew station that was used primarily for on-orbit crew training and engineering evaluations. The CCT will be moved from Johnson Space Center's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in late summer 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo)
HOUSTON, Texas (06/2012) -- NASA training instructor David Pogue explains some of the functions of a Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT). The CCT is a high-fidelity representation of the orbiter crew station that was used primarily for on-orbit crew training and engineering evaluations. The CCT will be moved from Johnson Space Center's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in late summer 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo)
HOUSTON, Texas (06/2012) -- The flight deck of the Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT), a high-fidelity representation of the orbiter crew station that was used primarily for on-orbit crew training and engineering evaluations. Here, astronauts learned how to operate many of the orbiter sub-systems in over 20 different classes. The CCT also could be tilted to the vertical position to support training in pre-launch operations. The CCT will be moved from Johnson Space Center's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in late summer 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo)
by Rob Bardua
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
7/24/2012 - HOUSTON -- He knew he wanted to be an astronaut since he was eight years old.
News reports about the space program were abundant and there were plenty of role-models for him to look up to in his native state as well.
"Growing up in Ohio, we got a lot of exposure to the space program because we had John Glenn, Neil Armstrong and Jim Lovell all from Ohio," said NASA Astronaut Mike Foreman during a recent interview at Johnson Space Center in Texas. "We're fortunate in Ohio, the birthplace of aviation, to have that history."
However, before Foreman could attempt to explore space as an astronaut, he had to train in a NASA Shuttle Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT). Three trainers were built to train astronauts for space missions - CCT-1, CCT-2 and a Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT), which also contained a crew compartment. CCT-1, which was built by Rockwell International in 1979, is anticipated to arrive in late August/early September at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
The CCT is a high-fidelity representation of the Space Shuttle Orbiter crew station that was used primarily for on-orbit crew training and engineering evaluations. The crew module of the CCT consists of a flight deck and a mid-deck, and contains components, such as panels, seats and lights, visible to or used by the flight crew. Non-functional switches, connections, guards and protective devices all have the same physical characteristics, operating force, torque and movement as a real space shuttle. Here, astronauts learned how to operate many of the orbiter sub-systems in more than 20 different classes.
"Probably the most important thing we trained for in the CCT was actually strapping in for launch and practicing bailouts because there were some situations where we might have to parachute out of the shuttle and we trained for that in here," Foreman said.
Foreman estimates he has spent 400-500 hours in a CCT as he prepared for his two separate space missions and figures he has touched every switch or button in the trainer during one procedure or another.
"The first time you see the shuttle cockpit, you think 'wow, there must be 2,000 switches, circuit-breakers, dials and buttons,' and it is intimidating at first," said Foreman. "But most of us flew airplanes in our previous life, so we are used to learning a new airplane. However, the space shuttle was probably 10 times more complicated than other airplane that any of us ever flew, so it was a challenge."
To help Foreman with those challenges are instructors such as David Pogue who has trained astronauts and astronaut candidates for their missions to space.
Pogue stressed the value of the CCT as playing a critical role in preparing the astronauts for space flight.
"I think one of the most important things about the CCT is that it represented a very flight-like environment," said Pogue. "So the switches, the lights, all of the physical things that the astronauts would touch inside a real shuttle were accurately representative so they could use that for training without putting one of the real shuttles at risk of damage for the lots of training that the astronauts had to do."
According to Pogue, training is a grueling task for astronauts. Depending on their role, astronauts can train anywhere from nine months to two years prior to flight. However, the key is to make sure astronauts are trained for anything that might come up and that everything is done right the first time.
"We train them on just about everything we can over and over again," Pogue said. "For every hour of space walks that they have planned during their mission, they'll probably spend at least 10 hours in the training environment - in the pool training for their spacewalk. So a 10 to 1 ratio is really pretty high, but you want to practice everything because by the time you're in space you don't have time to do it twice."
As part of the flight-like environment, the CCT could be pointed straight-up with the nose in the air to represent the shuttle being at the launch pad. Pogue could then conduct emergency egress training, which takes some getting used to at first.
"It is probably my favorite training that I would do in the CCT, but it was just so weird to be walking on the walls and to have the floor as a wall so that everything was sort of in a different orientation than what we're used to," said Pogue.
Among those who have trained in a CCT was former astronaut John Glenn at age 77, prior to his space flight in 1998. Although he was the oldest astronaut to date to prepare for a space mission, he was still subject to the same training that all mission specialists and other crew members go through, Pogue said.
"He still did all the same things all of the other astronauts do, which is very, very impressive because they wear the same suits in training that they wear for the flight," said Pogue. "They're wearing 90-pounds worth of suit, so crawling around with all of that weight on there can be quite taxing even for people in the prime of their youth."
And because of astronauts like Glenn, and the numerous hours spent by many dedicated people including instructors, flight controllers and all of the people in the background - the CCT represents a significant part of space history.
"Although it's not a 'real shuttle,' it is a national treasure because this is something that we trained a whole lot of astronauts in," said Pogue. "We spent a lot of time in a CCT, and not only for training but we did a lot of other things in here that made space flight possible for Americans and even people who were not Americans that we flew on the shuttle."
Foreman agreed and couldn't be happier that such an important artifact is coming to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
"I am so excited that the Air Force museum is getting this trainer because so many people will now get to see it," said Foreman. "For the public to be able to see the stuff that we got to use, how small it is inside the crew compartment - like living in a couple of phone booths - and then to see all the switches, it just gives a wow factor, which is pretty cool!"
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located on Springfield Street, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Admission and parking are free.
NOTE TO PUBLIC: For more information, please contact the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at (937) 255-3286.
NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information, contact Rob Bardua in the National Museum of the United States Air Force Public Affairs Division at (937) 255-1386.
