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Vertical Motion Simulator

A time-lapse photo of Ames's Vertical Motion Simulator, the world's largest, is used to test both aircraft and spacecraft at various points of the design.
The Vertical Motion Simulator plays a vital role in the advancement of aerospace vehicle design, development, and training.
NASA / Dominic Hart

At NASA Ames Research Center, in California’s Silicon Valley, scientists conduct advanced research in a unique flight simulation complex. The facility provides researchers with exceptional tools to explore, define, and solve issues in both aircraft and spacecraft design. It offers fast and cost-effective solutions using real-time piloted simulation, realistic sensory cues, and the greatest motion range of any flight simulator in the world.

While the VMS offers much that is unique, two capabilities stand out. First, engineers can customize the system to simulate any aerospace vehicle, whether existing or in the design stage. Existing vehicles that have been simulated include a blimp, helicopters, fighter jets, and the Space Shuttle Orbiter. One aircraft being designed that is being considered for simulation at the VMS is a next-generation transport capable of flying in near-earth orbit.