The Space Station Mobility Trainer (SSMT) is a
training simulator used to train
astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
s who will be staying in
space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew in orbit for an extended period of time, and is therefore a type of space habitat. It lacks major propulsion or landing systems. An orbital station or an orbital space station i ...
s.
Astronauts in a space station orbiting a planet experience
weightlessness, and therefore, have no physical
sensation of up and down. They do however need to know where objects should be placed and how they should be oriented while
building and
maintaining the space station. The Space Station Mobility Trainer rotates the
trainee
A trainee is commonly known as an individual taking part in a trainee program within an organization after having graduated from higher and technical
Technical may refer to:
* Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle
* Technical analy ...
on a single axis in a small loop. Grip tape as used on
skateboards or stairwells is placed strategically throughout the loop to prevent slipping. The trainee is strapped into a
chair
A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...
mounted on a rotating axis (
vertical) The astronauts "run" in this continuous loop and are flipped over repeatedly. Then the trainee stops suddenly, and must figure out where everything is. Trainees on this particular simulator usually will become disoriented.
International Space Station