Lunar Landing Research Facility
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Lunar Landing Research Facility, located at the west area of the Langley Flight Research Center, is a A-frame steel structure 400 feet in length and 230 feet in height. It was constructed in 1965 for the purpose of training Apollo astronauts. The facility once served as a moon landing simulator where astronauts such as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin could practice piloting the final phase of the lunar landing mission. More recently, the facility, renamed the Landing and Impact Research Facility (LandIR), has been the site of impact testing for NASA Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV).
Images
(1974) The Langley drop test facility, originally a lunar lander simulator, where aircraft crashes can be simulated. Image by NASA Bob Nye - Great Images in NASA Description, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6450036
NASA Langley researcher "moon walking" under the gantry of the Lunar Landing Research Facility. Image by NASA - Great Images in NASA Description, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6455150
12 February 1969. Neil Armstrong poses at the Lunar Landing Research Facility at NASA Langley. Image by NASA - https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/images11.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47324021
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Lunar Landing Research Facility is located at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The A-frame steel structure, 400 feet long and 230 feet tall, was constructed in 1965 for a cost of $3.5 million dollars. Originally, the facility served as a training simulator for the use of 24 Apollo astronauts in preparation for the final phase of the lunar landing mission. Amongst these astronauts were Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men to walk on the moon in 1969.
When President John F. Kennedy made the decision to land a man on the moon, NASA had to develop new techniques to make such an accomplishment possible. One of the main challenges faced by engineers was finding a means by which to recreate lunar conditions here on Earth. The design of this research center was intended to do just that. Data gathered during the tests conducted at Langley indicated that it would indeed be possible for astronauts to master the skills necessary to land the LEM on the moon.
The facility allowed astronauts to practice "flying" a full-scale Lunar Excursion Module Simulator (LEMS). The LEMS was a device which was suspended from the gantry via an overhead bridge crane. Cables were attached to the module by a gimbal system that allowed for freedom of motion in pitch, roll, and yaw. Today, the LEMS can be viewed at the Virginia Air and Space Center.
In addition to flight practice, the Lunar Landing Research Facility was also utilized as a lunar walking simulator. Astronauts were suspended at an angle by slings and cables attached to a trolly that traveled along an overhead track. Fill dirt resembling the lunar surface covered the base of the structure. This exercise was intended to prepare the astronauts for the reduced gravity on the surface of the moon.
In 1974 the Lunar Landing Research Facility was renamed the Impact Dynamics Research Facility (IDRF) and served to research aircraft crashes. The facility was temporarily closed in 2003 and slated for demolition owing to lack of funding. However, in 2004, NASA adapted the site for the purpose of providing support for its Constellation program. The renamed Landing and Impact Research Facility (LandIR), re-opened in 2005, was to conduct landing tests for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Orion. Though the Constellation project was cancelled, the LandIR continued performing impact testing, owing to plans to use the CEV to service the International Space Station.
The Lunar Landing Research Facility was added to NRHP on October 3, 1985, designated a NHL on October 3, 1985, and designated a VLR on February 18, 1986 for its critical role in the United States space program.
When President John F. Kennedy made the decision to land a man on the moon, NASA had to develop new techniques to make such an accomplishment possible. One of the main challenges faced by engineers was finding a means by which to recreate lunar conditions here on Earth. The design of this research center was intended to do just that. Data gathered during the tests conducted at Langley indicated that it would indeed be possible for astronauts to master the skills necessary to land the LEM on the moon.
The facility allowed astronauts to practice "flying" a full-scale Lunar Excursion Module Simulator (LEMS). The LEMS was a device which was suspended from the gantry via an overhead bridge crane. Cables were attached to the module by a gimbal system that allowed for freedom of motion in pitch, roll, and yaw. Today, the LEMS can be viewed at the Virginia Air and Space Center.
In addition to flight practice, the Lunar Landing Research Facility was also utilized as a lunar walking simulator. Astronauts were suspended at an angle by slings and cables attached to a trolly that traveled along an overhead track. Fill dirt resembling the lunar surface covered the base of the structure. This exercise was intended to prepare the astronauts for the reduced gravity on the surface of the moon.
In 1974 the Lunar Landing Research Facility was renamed the Impact Dynamics Research Facility (IDRF) and served to research aircraft crashes. The facility was temporarily closed in 2003 and slated for demolition owing to lack of funding. However, in 2004, NASA adapted the site for the purpose of providing support for its Constellation program. The renamed Landing and Impact Research Facility (LandIR), re-opened in 2005, was to conduct landing tests for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Orion. Though the Constellation project was cancelled, the LandIR continued performing impact testing, owing to plans to use the CEV to service the International Space Station.
The Lunar Landing Research Facility was added to NRHP on October 3, 1985, designated a NHL on October 3, 1985, and designated a VLR on February 18, 1986 for its critical role in the United States space program.
Sources
"Lunar Landing Research Facility." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Accessed November 30, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Landing_Research_Facility.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "Refurbishment and Museum Installation for the Lunar Excursion Module Simulator National Historic Landmark." nasa.gov. Accessed November 30, 2016. https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/crgis/images/c/c3/Lunar_Excursion_Module_Simulator_Description_of_the_Aff....
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "Refurbishment and Museum Installation for the Lunar Excursion Module Simulator National Historic Landmark." nasa.gov. Accessed November 30, 2016. https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/crgis/images/c/c3/Lunar_Excursion_Module_Simulator_Description_of_the_Aff....