The MomentThe Multiple Axis Space Test Inertial Facility at what is now the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland mimicked the complex motions of a spacecraft during astronaut training for Project Mercury in 1960. The rig, which consisted of three aluminum cages powered by nitrogen jets, aimed to teach pilots how to regain control of a tumbling craft. An operator set the apparatus rolling, pitching, and yawing (video); the test pilot strapped into the center then used the jets to stabilize the simulator.
The ShotNASA photographer Bill Bowles used both double-exposure and long-exposure techniques to create this image of the trainer in action.
