Consumer Space Travel Enablers

As CAT monitors advancements in civil aviation training it is following the sector into its new frontier – commercial space travel.

It was with some interest that we learned during the 2012 I/ITSEC that Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, ordered Quantum3D’s six-channel Independence® IDX 7000 image generator. Virgin Galactic will use Quantum3D’s most advanced real-time image generator to train pilots on spaceship equipment and command.

The IDX 7000 offers Virgin Galactic a versatile and powerful simulation and training platform that can be set up in a dedicated room or easily transported, to meet a range of onsite, on-location and mobile training needs. The image generator is combined with the company’s Mantis® shader-based real-time scene management software with geo-specific, worldwide synthetic environments. Accordingly, Virgin Galactic will be able to train its pilots in a variety of simulations, from instrument/cockpit familiarization to a full range of special effects, sensors, weather, and lighting, along with mission-critical functions such as height-above-terrain and line-of-sight intersection testing.

Pratish Shah, Quantum3D’s marketing director, told CAT the IG, to be delivered to Virgin Galactic this quarter, enabled the creation of a very high fidelity database. Some of the imagery included imagery of the company’s spaceship models, buildings, hangars and spaceport.

Quantum3D’s IGs and Mantis software support simulation and training applications for the company’s military and original equipment manufacturer customers.