The shuttle control center is called the White FCR (Flight Control Room pronounced ‘fick-er’) and the space station control room is called the Blue FCR. (A Red FCR is used for training while the other two are busy flying). The goal of this mission is to connect the Z1 truss (the first truss element) and the PMA3 (Pressurized Mating Adapter) to the Node.
We were simulating Day 5, the first EVA and Chiao and MacArthur were in the NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Lab) pool simulating the spacewalk underwater. They had to connect 21 different umbilicals to get the Z1 and the PMA3 up and running before the cold of space froze them into inoperability. The SIM began at 8:00am and lasted till about 4:00pm followed by a two-hour debrief.