Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, Space research facility at Johnson Space Center, Texas, United States
The Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Building 9 houses full-scale replicas of International Space Station components and spacecraft. The complex contains several specialized training areas with operable systems and instruments for astronaut preparation.
The facility began in 1967 when NASA expanded astronaut training and needed specialized preparation centers. Since then it has supported every major human spaceflight program the agency has undertaken.
The facility demonstrates how astronauts prepare for their missions by training with realistic equipment and systems they will use in space. Visitors can observe the seriousness and precision of this preparation process.
The complex features specialized overhead lifting systems that allow large components to be moved and positioned for training purposes. Visitors should plan several hours to explore the different training areas and their equipment thoroughly.
The facility has doors and lifting systems engineered to accommodate and reposition full-size spacecraft mockups. This industrial infrastructure is invisible to visitors but critical to how the center operates.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
