Vladimir Pletser

By Vladimir Pletser

Aircraft parabolic flights provide repetitively periods of reduced gravity whose duration depends on the target reduced gravity level and on the type of aircraft used. Typical durations for a large aircraft vary between approximately 20 s for a 0 g environment and 32 s for a Martian g level environment. Parabolic flights are used to perform short duration scientific investigations in weightlessness or at partial-g levels, to train astronauts, and to allow the general public to experience what astronauts’ encounters in space during discovery flights. This chapter introduces the aircraft parabolic flights and presents their objectives, the parabolic flight manoeuvre and accelerations, the type of flights organised and a summary of the aircraft used throughout the world.

Part of the book: Preparation of Space Experiments

By Vladimir Pletser and Thais Russomano

Microgravity is the state encountered in a vehicle in free fall, whether on Earth, in low Earth orbit or in deep space. Microgravity research has opened up new possibilities for investigations in physical and life sciences that are necessary to enhance our knowledge of how physical systems and the human body, from cells to whole body systems, perform, react and function in microgravity, which will help prepare for the human exploration of outer space. This chapter presents an introduction of the microgravity environment, which can be obtained using different microgravity platforms, including space missions. Simulation of microgravity effects is also used for research and presented here. The chapter further considers the effects of microgravity on several aspects related to the physical sciences and on the adaptation of the human body to this altered gravity environment.

Part of the book: Preparation of Space Experiments