Sat, Oct 07, 2006
Students Can Fly Zero-G And Lunar Gravity Hops
NASA has put the word
out it is looking for college students to design science
experiments to study zero and reduced gravity applications.
The Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program at
NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, has given undergraduate teams
the chance to research, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate reduced
gravity experiments annually since 1995. This will be the first
time students can design their experiment for lunar gravity, which
is one-sixth of Earth's.
If your experiment is accepted, you'll be flown on the NASA
modified DC-9 officially called the "Weightless Wonder" -- but
commonly known as the "Vomit Comet". The plane will fly over the
Gulf of Mexico where it will perform a series of steep climbs and
dives in a parabolic maneuver. Each cycle provides about 25 seconds
of weightlessness, with other periods of reduced gravity simulating
that found on the moon.
"These students will be the ones helping to design our trips
back to the moon and beyond" said Donn Sickorez, university affairs
officer at the Johnson Space Center. "By putting them through the
same procedures as our space research scientists and providing them
with a three-dimensional reduced gravity laboratory, we're better
preparing students for these future missions"
Each proposal will be evaluated for technical merit, safety and
an outreach plan. The selected proposals will be announced December
11, and flown in 2007. Selected teams may also invite a journalist
to participate with them to document their experience.
With this project, NASA continues the agency's tradition of
investing in the nation's education programs. It is directly tied
to the agency's major education goal of strengthening NASA and the
nation's future workforce by inviting young people to participate
in the Vision for Space Exploration program.
Deadline for submitting applications is Monday, October 30.
Hmm... this makes us want to go back to school...
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