Today, July 12, 2011, was the day the first four members of our team had their first (and for CJ, sixth) experience of microgravity. But before the flight was able to happen, many preparatory things had to occur. When we arrived at Ellington Field, we first had a short morning meeting followed by a briefing from our flight surgeon who would later distribute our anti-motion sickness medication. There was some anxiety among the group when some lost tools caused a short delay, but both tools were shortly found and we continued on as scheduled. After receiving our medications, today’s fliers boarded the plane in a single file line with cameras flashing all the way.
We took our seats in the back of the plane and as with every commercial flight, we were lectured on the “safety features of this aircraft” including oxygen, life vests, and the over-wing emergency exit doors (we were even asked to turn off our cell phones!). From take off to ten thousand feet, all was as a normal commercial airline flight but then the 10 minute countdown began.
That is ten minutes to the beginning of the first parabola. All the teams went to their respective experiments and began making the final preparations before the big moment. Kevin started up the computer and data collection while Sean and CJ attached two cameras to the payload. Down to four minutes now. Our team was ready to go and all took the ideal position on the floor that best reduced the possibility of motion sickness. Only one minute to go. All the pickles (a nickname for the participants because of the dark green flight suits we wear) were lying down on the floor holding on to straps and handles in preparation. Thirty seconds left, the engines rev, and the pilots start the first upward turn. Hypergravity, 1.8g’s, and the feeling of almost double one’s body weight bore down on our team members. Seconds left, the weight eases, the engines slow, and poof.
Tory, Sean, Kevin, and CJ all floated from the floor as the term “weight” became meaningless. Nervous giggles were had by all as our minds and bodies tried to make sense of the new environment, but by the second parabola, excited talk and laughter was heard throughout the cabin. Everyone was so enthralled with the feeling of weightlessness, we almost forgot about our experiment! On our first turn, the astronaut candidate on the flight asked about our setup and found it very intriguing. Parabola 22 marked the time we could start our outreach experiments (a.k.a. gyroscopes, floating green paratrooper men, and spinning patches). During parabolas 29-31, we experienced Lunar gravity (1/6 that of Earth) and Martian (Mars) gravity (1/3 Earth’s) on parabolas 32-34. When the pilots pulled out of parabola 34 applause was heard throughout the plane as we all cheered the success our first microgravity flight.
Upon reviewing the data collected, we found results that were not exactly as predicted. The liquid lens did not form the ideal “perfect” shape we expected, but we believe we have found the problem and hope tomorrow’s group will see the results as predicted. Despite his best efforts and the effects of the medications, Kevin unfortunately succumbed to motion sickness, but all four of us returned to terra-firma as veterans of microgravity.
Articles on both Arizona teams were published today in the Arizona Daily Star as well as University of Arizona News. Links to the articles are below.
AZ Daily Star (We made the front page!)
UA News
Posted by Sean Gellenbeck
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