On December 11, 1963, technicians at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, prepared a test subject to use the Reduced Gravity Walking Simulator. This innovative device allowed a person’s legs to experience just one-sixth of their normal weight, simulating the gravitational conditions on the Moon.
The simulator was instrumental in studying how people moved—whether walking, jumping, or running — under lunar gravity. It also served as critical training for Apollo astronauts, helping them practice tasks in an environment similar to the Moon’s unfamiliar terrain.
The simulation was remarkably accurate. The effect was quite realistic. When asked what it was like to land on the Moon, Neil Armstrong replied, “Like Langley.”
