What was the name of NASA's simulator used to train Space Shuttle crews?

NASA's simulator for training Space Shuttle crews was called the Shuttle Mission Simulator.

Located in Building 5 at Johnson Space Center, the Shuttle Mission Simulator reproduced the major phases of an orbital mission, including launch, ascent, on-orbit operations, deorbit, atmospheric entry, approach, landing, and rollout. It was designed to give astronauts realistic practice before facing those events in flight.

The system also linked crew training with flight-control training. Simulated missions could connect the cockpit with instructor stations and the Mission Control Center, allowing astronauts and controllers to rehearse communications, procedures, malfunctions, and emergency responses together. That teamwork was essential because shuttle operations depended on a tightly coordinated air-ground interface.

The name is sometimes confused with NASA's Vertical Motion Simulator, a separate facility used for vehicle and aircraft motion studies, or the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, where astronauts practiced spacewalking underwater. The Mission Control Center directed real missions; the Shuttle Mission Simulator recreated them for preparation and evaluation.