711 HPW — Human-Rated Centrifuge 711TH HUMAN PERFORMANCE WING HUMAN-RATED CENTRIFUGE The only human-rated centrifuge within the Department of Defense is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. While the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) 711th Human Performance Wing (711 HPW) owns and operates the centrifuge, Air Education Training Command’s 342nd Training Squadron (AETC/342 TRS) and the Human Effectiveness Directorate’s Aerospace Physiology Research section jointly operate it. About 1,100 students – fighter pilots, astronauts, aircrew members, flight surgeons, aerospace physiologists and others – train in the centrifuge each year. The centrifuge has three interchangeable cockpits for training, research and testing. Each cockpit is realistic and contains displays with high-definition visuals. The centrifuge allows students to experience up to 9 g's, or nine times the normal force of gravity, to teach the effects of g-forces on human physiology and to measure the subject's ability to counteract the effects and prevent g-induced loss of consciousness. The centrifuge's cockpits can be linked to the control room to create a virtual battlespace, a capability not available in previous centrifuges. Motorized pitch and roll axes create a more realistic sensation. Aircrew acceleration training and research/testing missions are conducted in the 711 HPW centrifuge, which can produce 20 times the force of gravity and can accelerate up to 15 g's in one second. Pilots learn anti-g straining maneuver to maintain consciousness at high g accelerations. Students are trained to no more than 9 g's. The Human Effectiveness Directorate (RH), part of AFRL’s 711 HPW, is responsible for the research and training/evaluation mission. RH’s Aerospace Physiology Research section researches and develops solutions for understanding and mitigating the physiological impact of the air and space flight environments on Airmen and Guardians. Approximately, ten DOD research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) projects are conducted each year in the centrifuge. Current RDT&E efforts involve equipment evaluation (masks, regulators, helmets), post exposure fatigue, breathing resistance, F-35 life support systems and musculoskeletal/performance studies. AETC/342 TRS is responsible for initial and refresher acceleration training in the centrifuge for all U.S. Air Force fast-jet aviators. The centrifuge also hosts astronauts from agencies including NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. Astronauts experience simulated profiles with g-forces similar to spaceflight in preparation for their missions. The centrifuge system achieved full operational capability status May 30, 2018, and began providing training on Oct. 1, 2018. CENTRIFUGE SPECIFICATIONS: Arm length: 31 feet Degrees of freedom: 3 (planetary, pitch, and roll) Maximum peak G: 20 g's Maximum g-onset rate: 15 g's per second Sustained g profile: 60 minutes Three cockpit modules (two training and one research) 1,000 lb. payload capacity for research module High fidelity virtual tactical simulation Realistic Cockpits and Displays with High Definition Visuals (210º Horizontal and 120º Vertical) 97% operational availability CENTRIFUGE MOTOR SPECIFICATIONS: 45 rpm max Power: 3.5 MW or 4,700 hp Torque: @ 100% 1153 kNm or 850,409 ft lb.