Space Shuttle Alpha Mach Indicator (AMI) as removed from a high fidelity Space Shuttle simulator.
Displays alpha, or angle of the Space Shuttle passing through the air stream. Also displays the air speed of the Space Shuttle in Mach number (speed of
sound) or in feet per second (FPS).
Although a critical part of countless flight simulations, the unit was no longer needed after the Space Shuttle avionics were upgraded to
a “glass cockpit” design (see NASA fact sheet pdf for more about the MEDS upgrade).
Hours meter indicates that this artifact has logged 5,719 hours of use in Space Shuttle simulators and in bench testing.
Retired from space program service in April 2009.
The inside of this unit would appear similar to the inside of the AVVI unit (seen on the AVVI page).
