Viewing page 58 of 63

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

                                                                   21
The SMS was an excellent tool in putting the whole rendezvous task in prespective [[perspective]] with the Orbiter systems.  The SMS visual interface computer (VIS IC) continues to suffer from a reliability standpoint.  The system regularly failed in a manner which took down the aft visuals and/or the CCTV's.  This system is crucial to rendezvous and proximity operations and steps should be taken to increase its reliability (R).  The aft visuals are extremely poor in resolution and brightness which greatly hampers what is primarily a visual task.   Improvements are needed in this system, also (R).

Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA):  The STA continues to be a mandatory piece of training equipment.  No other means of developing and maintaining landing proficiency was available.  The STA was an excellent simulator of the Orbiter in the landing environment.  One flight a week for the last 3 months was an adequate rate.

PDRS:  The PDRS training was adequate for all of the RMS operations and the instruction was generally excellent.  MS1 was the prime operator and the CDR received a subset of the training as the backup operator.

The training facilities included the manipulator development facility (MDF), the SES, the simulation facility (SIMFAC), and the SMS.  Each facility was preferred for a particular phase of the RMS operations.  The MDF was the only facility that was suitable as a berthing/unberthing trainer.  Although the dynamics of the payloads in flight were significantly different than those in the MDF, the techniques used to recognize constrained motion and the integrated use of the CCTV system were much the same.  The dynamics of the RMS in flight were indistinguishable from the model in the SES.  The SES offered the best training for the combined proximity operations (PROX OPS)/RMS activities that included the nominal Solar Maximum Satellite grapple, the rotating grapple, the single joint track-and-capture, and the LDEF and Solar Maximum Satellite deploys. The SIMFAC facility seemed to be considerably less damped and more dynamic than the flight RMS.  As such, however, it is an excellent trainer for rotating grapples, forcing the operator to develop good techniques with smooth inputs.  One session early in the training flow and another shortly before flight were very helpful in preparing for the rotating grapple.  Finally, the SMS provided the best malfunction and integrated RMS training.

MMU:
SOS Denver:  The SOS motion base carriage was a valuable trainer for the final approach and docking phase of the Solar Maximum Satellite capture.  Of all the simulators, the SOS had the lowest down time and best support.  The fidelity of the simulation was excellent.  The effect of MMU plumes on the Solar Maximum Satellite was not modeled and would have added to the fidelity of the sim.  It would also be an essential item to include in capturing smaller payloads.  The schedule of one SOS session per month was adequate.  It was helpful to train both crewmen together, with the crewman not flying, acting as an observer.  Flying suited was necessary on the SOS and prepared the crew adequately for flight.  The training syllabus was developed mostly by the crewmen and necessarily emphasized MMU malfunction training during the final 3 months before flight.  The response of Martin Marietta to crew techincal [[technical]] questions was excellent.  

SES:  The SES was useful for simulating MMU payload bay ops and translations from the Orbiter to the Solar Maximum Satellite.  It was the only simulator where