- Cosmodome (Laval)
The Cosmodome is the home to both Space Camp Canada and the Space Science Center (a museum). Space Camp Canada welcomed its first campers in July 1994 while the Space Science Center, opened its doors to the public in December 1994.
The Space Science Center
The Space Science Center is the only museum in Canada dedicated solely to the space sciences and houses one of two lunar rocks on display in Canada. The one featured was retrieved by astronaut
James Irwin on theApollo 15 mission.pace Camp Canada
Space Camp Canada is one of 5 Space Camps in the the world, the others being located in Huntsville(Alabama, USA), Turkey, Belgium and Japan. Space Camp Canada features 6 space simulators, described below. Each is designed to help the space camp trainee understand the difficulties of working in space.
1/6th Chair
The 1/6th chair simulates lunar gravity by suspending the user in a chair connected to a series of springs on a rail which allows for movement in an allotted area. A trainee's challenge on the 1/6 chair is to pick up objects from the ground while bouncing.
Zero G Wall
The Wall of Weightlessness, also known as the Zero G Wall, uses a counterbalance to suspend the trainee in mid air. By filling the counterbalance with water until its weight is approximately that of the trainee, the trainee is free to move in the 3 translational directions. Missions are usually given to trainees to heighten the experience and generally consist of interacting, in one way or another, with a mock-satellite suspended in proximity to the wall.
Space Station Mobility Trainer
Manned Maneuvering Unit
The
Manned Maneuvering Unit simulates the NASA vehicle of the same name. By forcing compressed air out of rubber pads, the Space Camp MMU functions as a hovercraft, and is hence able to move with little resistance. A series of motors controlled via user input allow for horizontal translations and rotations, and a large gear and hydraulic pump allow for 360 degree roll and 30 degree pitch respectively.5 Degrees of Freedom
Multi-Axis Chair
A trainee is strapped to the multi-axis chair which spins on three axes, disorientating its occupant. The trainee's challenge at the multi-axis chair is to read words, identify images, and do other tasks while rolling in three dimensions simultaneously.
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