LaunchLab VR: A Lesson on Launch Vehicles in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) can provide immersive learning experiences that can enhance student engagement and understanding. Although VR has long been used within the aerospace industry for productivity and training, it was not until recently that aerospace engineering educators began to adopt the technology for teaching. This reflects a broader increase in studies exploring the potential of immersive technologies as educational tools. But despite growing interest, the integration of VR into formal aerospace education is still considered to be a novel trend. Recognizing the lack of research in using VR for aerospace education, this paper details the design and implementation of a supplementary simulation, titled LaunchLab VR, into an existing graduate-level course in aerospace engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In this short, 20-minute VR simulation, students explore Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, learn the anatomy of a two-stage rocket, launch it, and follow its trajectory as it reaches orbit. After having completed the VR activity, students answered a series of qualitative questions regarding the experience. Though a small number of students reported instances of cybersickness (12\% of users), analysis of responses show that students expressed significantly positive sentiments (p-value < 0.001) towards the simulation in most cases; the only inconclusive agreement was preference for learning with VR over a lecture. These results demonstrate that, although VR is effective and engaging, it should be complementary to traditional teaching methods rather than substitutional.