Space Flight Simulators

Space Flight Simulators for educational & entertainment purposes

At the beginning of June 2022 in Chorzow, the rebuilt and renovated Silesian Planetarium - Silesian Science Park was officially opened, in which three fields of science are popularized: astronomy, seismology and meteorology.

One of the highlights of the Science Park is an attraction that blends science and fun - a space flight station equipped with five rotating simulation platforms and a flight control center for 7 people. Additionally, each simulator has a VR interface with content dedicated to this application. The space flight simulator at the Silesian Planetarium is a tight pairing of the motion hardware and the VR content. Visitors are secured inside large capsules (PS-2ROT3-150) shaped to resemble the interior of a futuristic rocket. The capsules sit in special mounts that generate vibration, rotation and the matching g-forces a passenger would feel. The passenger inside puts on the HTC Vive VR goggles, seeing in them a 3D animation created for the planetarium. In it, the rocket takes off straight from the Silesian Park, thanks to which visitors can see nearby attractions such as the Silesian Stadium or an amusement park.

Unlimited motion in two axes and additional 3DOF seat inside the cockpit

The PS-2ROT3-150 motion platforms, which were the basis for the construction of simulators, combine a 3DOF seat moving in three directions with unlimited rotation about the vertical and horizontal axes. This puts the rider through the accelerations and rotations the flight calls for. One space flight simulator can be used by one user at the same time, the flight control station was prepared for 7 people. The flight control center is modeled on the real control center and includes a console with monitors presenting the parameters of individual phases of flight. The console has built-in computer keyboards, printed start-up and emergency procedures.

Acceleration and weightlessness

What is most important is the effects of acceleration and weightlessness, which are realized by changing the participant’s position in the simulator with a VR projection creating the illusion of being in space. Additionally, placing a person in a horizontal position with the face turned upwards gives the feeling of being “pressed” into the chair, and thus a feeling of being overloaded. Tilting a person face-down, on the other hand, creates a brief sensation of falling that stands in for weightlessness. The participants of the simulation see everything from the perspective of an astronaut.

The VR journey and its narrator

The narrator who takes visitors on a cosmic VR journey is Jarosław Juszkiewicz - a popular radio journalist, whose voice is widely known, among others from Google navigation. Sim Factor built the virtual environment and filled it with scenery - the Silesian Park and the International Space Station among the landmarks that pass by in flight. VR goggles complement what the capsule provides. The feeling of breaking through the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere builds up the film’s tension.

Industrial Grade Components

The devices were designed for industrial purposes. The motion platforms run long daily sessions across the whole week, which is why the installed motion systems are efficient, durable and economical in power consumption, maintenance and service.