Space Vehicle Mockup Facility

Space Vehicle Mockup Facility
A wide angle panorama of the ISS mock-up area
Built1967
LocationJohnson Space Center
Coordinates29°33′37″N 95°05′16″W / 29.5603453°N 95.0878476°W / 29.5603453; -95.0878476
IndustryAstronaut training
Employees1100+
Buildings1
Area42,500 square meters
AddressBuilding 9 at the Johnson Space Center
Owner(s)NASA
The Full Fuselage Trainer of the Orbiter Space Shuttle in the SVMF

The Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) is a large open space area located inside Building 9 of Johnson Space Center in Houston. The SVMF houses mockups of most pressurized modules on the International Space Station (ISS). It is primarily used for astronaut training and systems familiarization.[1]

The ISS mockups found in the SVMF are 1:1 scale, and vary in level of fidelity compared to the ISS. An industrial door at the North End, and overhead cranes allows the installation of new mockup spacecraft to be loaded into the facility. Space Center Houston offers a Level 9 VIP tour of the entire training facility during its afternoon tour. Ticket cost is $199.[clarification needed].

  1. ^ Space Center Houston Official Souvenir Book. AeroGraphics, Inc. 2016. p. 44.