Using simulation for launch team training and evaluation

This paper describes some of the history and uses of simulation systems and processes for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration´s (NASA´s) training and evaluation of launch, mission control, and mission management teams. It documents some of the types of simulations that are used at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) today. It provides an initial baseline and some recommendations for further research into simulation for launch team training and evaluation in the near future. A theme of this paper is that the use of simulation for the training and evaluation of launch teams is very important, and NASA should learn from and expand on these types of simulations especially as it prepares to develop new launch vehicles and processes under the exploration program