Virgin Galactic to train pilots on spacecraft equipment and command with simulations from Quantum3D image generator

ORLANDO, Fla., 10 Dec. 2012. Virgin Galactic, the commercial spaceline, has ordered Quantum3D’s six-channel Independence IDX 7000 advanced, real-time image generator to train pilots on spaceship equipment and command.

“Our first priority in suborbital space exploration is safety, and by leveraging Quantum3D’s IDX 7000 with the most advanced image generation, we are giving our pilots the best training available for space exploration,” explains Keith Colmer, senior test pilot, Virgin Galactic. “Quantum3D created an impressive high-quality database, including imagery of our spaceship models, buildings, hangars, and spaceport to provide the most realistic simulation possible for our pilots, which will assist in creating a space program to support flying almost anyone to space and back safely.”

The IDX 7000 simulation and training platform can be setup in a dedicated room or transported to meet a range of onsite, on-location, and mobile training needs. The image generator can be combined with Mantis shader-based real-time scene management software, which provides geo-specific, worldwide synthetic environments.

Virgin Galactic can use Quantum3D technology to train 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.

“Virgin Galactic is on the cusp of a new frontier, making sub-orbital space accessibility a reality,” says Wade Guindy, president, Quantum3D. “We are proud to have Virgin Galactic using our IDX 7000 image generator and Mantis software to train their pilots for the future of consumer space travel.”