I’ve always been a space nerd, and I’ve always been a computer nerd. Well, now I am going to combine both. I have recently just become completely overcome by my passion for space, and so starting a few days ago, I began planning to build a real-life Apollo spacecraft and mission simulator.
Now this process is going to be a long road, and I have a feeling it may be years before it’s completed. But that never stopped anyone from doing something they were passionate about, right? The project will take three distinct stages:
- Research: Building a simulator requires that you ’simulate’ an actual working object. In this case, I have to simulate how the Command Module of the Saturn V rocket series will travel from land to space, around space, and then back. This is going to require a pretty extensive knowledge of the spacecraft, including most of its systems and procedures. One of my goals for the simulator is that every button in my simulator will affect the state of the simulator. Now this phase not only will include researching the spacecraft, but researching and understanding the physics and dynamics of space flight, definitely on a simple level. I will have to have a grasp of such topics as energy conservation, equations of motion, power, time derivation of kinetic energy systems, and the Tsiolokovsky rocket equation, just to name a few. A lot to learn, so I better get started!
- Software: After getting a good grasp on the mathematics and technicality surrounding the Apollo missions, I need to actually write the software that will simulate all of the variables and systems. In terms of time, this will probably be the longest stage. Most likely, I will have to write a ton of software to get the simulator using concepts of distributed computing, since I don’t think my MacBook Pro alone will be able to compute all the necessary pieces hundreds of times a second needed to achieve a realistic simulator. So if you’ve got any old Macs you want to send me, I would totally appreciate it!
- Hardware: The last stage of the simulator building process is building a physical simulator that will interface with my software in order to make gauges show values and to access and mutate the simulation model. I have a sickening feeling this will be an extremely expensive part of the process (since both stages up to this point are free), and also one requiring a divine expertise in electrical engineering. If you know anyone who wants to help, please send their name along.
Here are some of my goals for the simulator and process I will be going through to build it:
- First and foremost, learn and have fun. This is a project spawned not from need (obviously), but from shear passion for the subject material. There is so much I want to learn, and though this project is definitely ambitious, it will help me really learn the basics (and maybe the basic advanceness) of astronautics, spacecraft systems, simulation design, distributed computing, electrical engineering, and a whole plethora of other subjects.
- Obtain a mastery knowledge of the Saturn V rocket.
- Get a really good grasp of rocket dynamics, from both a conceptual and mathematical standpoint.
- Write simulation software that is well organized and efficient, but also that is extendible to be moved and molded to simulate other spacecraft like the Delta IV rocket or maybe even the space shuttle.
- Build a real-life cockpit where every button, dial, and switch represents real simulation model data and can change the way the spacecraft is flying.
- Find a good name, ideas?
- Overall, design a realistic simulator that will not only teach me a ton, but will help others enjoy flying to the moon in the Command Module used by the first man to walk on the moon.
I encourage all of you to keep me accountable to working on this. I don’t want to flake out, I want to do this through. So please kick me in the butt if I am lazing off on my Apollo simulation project.
Alright ambitious project, bring it on.