The Utilization of Simulation as a Research and Development Tool

The objective of this paper is to review the flight simulation facilities at NASA Ames Research Center, and to also consider the many uses of flight simulation that have emerged over the last decade. Flight simulators have evolved into a very useful and economic research tool. Component technologies have also evolved considerably to meet demands imposed by the aerospace community. In fact, the utilization of flight simulators for research and development has become so widely accepted that they are now being used as an integral element of much different and more complex domains. Whereas flight dynamics and control, guidance and navigation, human factors, vehicle design, mission assessment, and training have been, and perhaps always will be, the most popular research areas associated with simulation, many other areas have realized significant benefits from the use of simulation. This paper will survey the simulation facilities at NASA Ames Research Center, and also consider their utilization in a broad sense for the purpose of highlighting the expanding role of simulation in aerospace research and development at NASA Ames.