Building 5: Mission Simulation and Training Facility (MSTF)
(during the Apollo and Skylab era)

Mission Simulation and Training Facility (MSTF)

The MSTF building looking north-east.

The building has a North Wing and a South Wing. The South Wing has been expanded in 1991. This extension has been marked in blue and is not depicted in the floor plans shown below.

In the background the circular shaped building 29, the Flight Accelerator Facility. It was used to prepare the Apollo crew for the launch and the reentry phase of their mission.

Credit to Google Earth.

MSTF floor plans
MSTF first floor

In the MSTF the Apollo astronauts were prepeared for their missions in the CSM and LM simulators. These simulators could also be connected to the Mission Control Center for a socalled integrated simulation.
In the Apollo LM mock-up area astronauts were prepared for their lunar surface exploration activities.
The Water Immersion Facility (WIF) was used to train astronauts for extra vehicle actvities (EVA's)

This floorplan of the MSTF represents the situation in late 1971 when the Skylab trainer facilities were installed to prepare the astronauts for the Skylab missions as from May 1973.
OWS: Orbital Workshop
MDA: Multiple Docking Adapter

The MSTF has also been used to train astronauts for the Gemini missions. The Gemini program was instrumental for the development of the Apollo Program. In the floorplan the footprint of the Gemini spacecraft simulator is shown.

MSTF second floor

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MSTF third floor

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The Gemini mission simulators in the MSTF
picture 1

The Gemini spacecraft simulator in the North Wing of the MSTF.

Credit to NASA and to the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
picture 2

The Gemini spacecraft simulator with the peripheral equipment in the North Wing of the MSTF.

Credit to NASA
picture 3

The Gemini docking simulator in the South Wing of the MSTF. (not depicted in the floor plan)

Credit to NASA and to GetArchive.

The Apollo mission simulators in the MSTF
picture 1

The Apollo CSM simulator with the peripheral equipment in the North Wing of the MSTF.

Credit to NASA.
picture 2

The Apollo LM simulator with the peripheral equipment in the North Wing of the MSTF.

Credit to NASA.
picture 3

The Apollo mock-up area in the North Wing of the MSTF.

Credit to NASA.
picture 4

The Water Immersion Facility in the North Wing of the MSTF. In this watertank astronauts were trained for extra vehicle activities (EVA's).

Credit to NASA.
picture 3

The Apollo Translation and Docking Simulator (TDS) in the North Wing of the MSTF.
Most of the docking training was done in the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Credit to NASA.
picture 4


A docking simulator to flight-qualify the docking mechanism.

Credit to NASA and to Internet Archive.


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The Skylab mission simulators in the MSTF
picture 1

Training mockups of the Skylab space station’s components in the South Wing of the MSFT. The Orbital Workshop (OWS) in the background and the Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA) in the foreground.

Credit to NASA.
picture 2

Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr. is standing in the Multiple Docking Adapter.


Credit to NASA.
picture 3

Skylab-3 astronauts Owen K. Garriott, left, Alan L. Bean, and Jack R. Lousma at the wardroom in the Skylab Orbital Workshop trainer in July 1973.

Credit to NASA.
picture 4

Scientist-Astronaut Edward G. Gibson is practicing with the control and display panel for the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) during simulations inside the one G trainer for the Multiple Docking Adapter.

Credit to NASA.

Abbreviations
ATM Apollo Telescope Mount
CSM Command and Service Module
EVA Extra Vehicle Activity
LM Lunar Module
MDA Multiple Docking Adapter
MSTF Mission Simulation and Training Facility
OWS Orbital Workdhop
TDS Translation and Docking Simulator

References
  1. Jake Garn Mission Simulation and Training Facility, Building 5
    Historical Documentation
    Prepared for: NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston
    Prepared by: Archaelogical Consultants, Inc, Sarasota, Florida
    March 2010




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Copyright 2022 by Sander Panhuyzen
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