Dating from 1959, this time-delay image shows a piece of custom-built NASA training equipment known as the Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility, or MASTIF.
Used for training astronauts preparing for Project Mercury, the gimballing rig was designed to simulate a tumbling, out-of-control spacecraft. It was housed at the Lewis Research Centre – now the John H. Glenn Research Centre – in Cleveland, US.
Looking perhaps more at home in a funfair than an aeronautical institution, MASTIF was deployed for only a couple of years, before being dismantled in the early 1960s.
Originally published by Cosmos as Preparing for space, rolling coverage
Cosmos
Curated content from the editorial staff at Cosmos Magazine.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.