Zero Gravity Flight

7/23/2019 Zero Gravity Flight

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How Zero-gravity Flights Workby Jonathan Strickland

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Training to become an astronautrequires an applicant to endure physically demanding and stressful tests -- ariousmachines and simulators measure each trainee!s response to the rigors of space trael" Today# an entirely unrelatedindustry uses many of these simulators and other deices for a different purpose -- entertainment"

Photo courtesy ofZero Gravity Corporation

Playing catch with a fellow passenger in a low-gravity environment

$e% of these simulators appeal to the general public more than the zero-gravity flight.&lmost eeryone dreams offloating effortlessly like astronauts in space" 'urrently# (&S&uses a modified C-9planeto create simulations ofa%eightlessenironment# both for training purposes and to conduct %eightlessness e)periments *%ithout theenormous costs of space trael+" ,ntil recently# only a select fe% had the priilege of e)periencing these flights"Today# a company called ero .raity 'orporation */0-.+ offers this e)perience to the general public"

n this article# %e!ll learn about graity# free-falling and %hat it!s like to board the so-called omit comet" e!ll start%ith %hat it!s like to e)perience %eightlessness"

Simulating WeightlessnessSo e)actly ho% can %e simulate %eightlessness %ithout escaping the graitational pull of the /arth5 The simplestans%er is that %e obsere an ob6ect in free fall" $ree fall is %hen an ob6ect falls solely under the influence ofgraity"7ecause of air resistance# an ob6ect can!t truly be in a free fall %ithout being in a vacuum"
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Photo courtesy ofZero Gravity Corporation Zero Gravity Corporat ion

Parabolic flight path

n order for passengers in a plane to e)perience a free fall safely# the aircraft must climb at a steep angle# leel off#and then die# creating a path called a paraolic arc# also called a !eplerian "ra#ectoryor free-fall path" n a trueparabolic arc# the only acceleratie force is graity pulling in a ertical direction -- hori8ontal velocityremains

constant" 7ecause of air resistance# ob6ects in /arth!s atmosphere only trael in arcs that appro)imate a trueparabola"

Typically# /0-.!s plane# called .-$0'/-(/# flies bet%een 24#999 and 32#999 feet altitude" This gies the pilotenough room to maneuer the plane safely through its flight path" The plane!s descent must start at a high altitude toproide enough distance for the pilot to safely pull out of a die" &s the plane climbs to the peak of its arc# the pilotorients it at a 4:-degree angle" ;uring the climb# the plane!s acceleration and the force of graity create a pull 1"Ton the moon presents its o%n challenges"

Suiting 'pf you %ant to e)perience a 8ero-graity flight# you can book a trip on .-$0'/-(/ -- a modified 7oeing @2@-299 --

through the /0-. eb site or at your local Sharper mage store for A3#:99" The package includes your flight#unique merchandise and a post-f light celebration *or# depending on your point of ie%# a %ake for your temporarydramatic %eight loss+" Passengers must be at least 1: years old if unaccompanied# or 12 if flying %ith a parent orguardian"

>otion Sickness/0-. has a stigma to shake off -- that of the (omit Comet# thename passengers gae to (&S&Bs 8ero-graity flight programs">any people %ho hae taken a trip on (&S&Bs 8ero-graity flightse)perienced seere motion sickness" /0-.Bs focus is more onentertainment than research# and so they strie to reducepassenger discomfort"

&ccording to the company# most people begin to e)perience motion

sickness after the plane has traeled through 2: or more parabolicarcs -- the company limits .-$0'/-(/ to 1: arcs per tripCSourceD ero .raity 'orporationE" The company also proides;ramamine for passengers prone to motion sickness"

&fter you book your flight# the company %ill mail you a packet of information and forms to fill out" $orms include a%aier and statement that you are not suffering from any conditions or illnesses that could become %orse during theflight" Some passengers may need to obtain a doctor!s permission before the company allo%s them to go on the

e)perience"

n the day of your flight# you!ll trael to the appropriate location -- normally either >c'arren nternational &irportin=as Fegas or the Gennedy Space 'enter in $lorida" nce you!re at the airport# you!ll hae to check in %ith the flightcenter %here you!ll receie your o%n flight suit"

Hou!ll then en6oy a light meal *you %ouldn!t %ant to f ill up before thro%ing your sense of equilibrium out of %hack+proided by the company before %atching an orientation and safety ideo" The ideo is a mandatory part of thee)perience# and the company is serious about sho%ing it to eery passenger" f you leae during the ideo for anyreason# you %ill hae to %atch the entire ideo again uninterrupted before the company allo%s you on the flight" &fterthe ideo# passengers participate in a question-and-ans%er session %ith the flight cre%"

n the ne)t section# %e!ll find out %hat it!s like to do a somersault in 8ero graity

"aking the )lunge

Photo courtesy of-&/&

NA#A$s %C-&'(A in a

)(-degree ascent*
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nce the question-and-ans%er session is oer# it!s time to board the plane" Passengers sit in the rear of the plane#%hich looks like a normal @2@# apart from the lack of %indo%s" Hou!ll fasten your seat belt# and the pilot %ill ta)i theplane to the run%ay and take off 6ust like any other flight" nce you reach cruising altitude# it!s time to unbuckle yourseat belt and moe to the play area of the plane# %here you!ll lie do%n as you prepare for the first steep climb# during%hich the g-forces increase"

hen the plane goes oer the top of the highest point# a cre% member %ill yell >artiangraity# =unar graity or8ero graity" &t that point you can moe about the play area# e)periencing a reduced-graity enironment" The cre%offer assistance and take pictures and ideo footage of your e)perience as you float# somersault# fly and bouncethrough the play area" hen the plane begins to pull out of its die# a cre% member %ill yell# feet do%n" This is yourcue to orient yourself so that you may safely land on the floor as graity gradually increases" Hou!ll hae to lie do%nagain to prepare for the ne)t climb"

/ach flight includes 1: parabolas# %hich means you!ll e)perience seen to eight minutes of reduced graity" nce theplane completes the final parabolic arc# you!ll return to the seating area and strap in for landing" ,pon your return tothe airport# you!ll leae the plane to go to a post-flight party# complete %ith complimentary champagne and souenirs"

0 face10arial#helvetica0 sie10203Martian and Lunar Gravity7y ad6usting the cure of the flight path# the plane can simulate thegraity of>arsor the moon" The shape of the parabola iselongated and not as steep as the free-fall path" The resultingcentrifugal force is %eaker and only partially offsets the force ofgraity"

/arthBsgraity is about three times stronger than >arsB and aboutsi) times stronger than =unar graity"

n the ne)t section# %e!ll find out ho% the 7oeing @2@-299 %as retrofitted to %ithstand the force of 1: parabolic arcs"

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*nsi+e the ,-FC&-/&;octors Peter ;iamandis and 7yron =ichtenberg founded /0-. in 1??3 %ith the intention of creating a spaceentertainment and tourismcompany" (&S&used to conduct 8ero-graity flights using a 0oeing !C-1234Stratotanker# originally designed as an in-flight aircraft refueling ehicle" ;iamandis and =ichtenberg needed anaircraft that met $&& *$ederal &iation &dministration+ regulations *(&S& is e)empt from $&& certification# butcommercial trael is not+# yet could %ithstand the stresses inoled in simulating %eightlessness" The aircraft alsoneeded to be less e)pensie to purchase and maintain than the G'-13:&" They focused their attention on the0oeing565-677"

Photo courtesy of Zero Gravity Corporation

Each flight incl"des &( parabolas

-- a total of seven to eight

min"tes of red"ced gravity*
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Passengers can eat candy in a weightless environment and

not gain weight *** at least "ntil they land*The @2@ has many qualities that appealed to ;iamandis and =ichtenberg" >ost large airportsin the ,nited States canaccommodate the aircraft" &lso# because the @2@ is still a ma6or part of the fleets of many airlines# parts and sericingare readily aailable" &nd although /0-. made some minor modifications to the aircraft# the @2@ met $&&regulations# including standards on noise abatement"

n 2994# the $&& granted /0-. the permission to conduct flights in a @2@-299 using parabolic paths" The companyflies oer uninhabited areas that are out of the %ay of most commercial flight routes" /ach flight takes place %ithin an$&&-designated corridor about 199 miles long and 19 miles %ide"


+ERO-G$s ,oeing .-.//0 G-FORCE-ONE/0-. modified the @2@-299 to better suit the company!s needs" 're%s remoed most of the seating and created apadded# ?9-foot-long corridor %here flyers -- the company!s term for passengers -- %ould e)perience %eightlessness"The rear of the plane can hold up to 3: flyers and si) cre% members" /ngineers designed a ne%hydraulicsystemthat preented air and hydraulic fluid from mi)ing in a %eightless enironment -- such a mi)ture could result in a lossof hydraulic pressure# making it ery difficult to control the plane" The ne% hydraulic system is a closed system#meaning a series of ales preents air and hydraulic fluid from mi)ing"

/ngineers also designed a special accelerometerfor the cockpit" The accelerometer measures the plane!s speedand path through a parabolic arc" 7ecause of /0-.!s focus on proiding entertainment to customers# the companyfelt that comfort of customers %as an important concern *(&S& relies on its pilots to follo% the parabolic path on theiro%n and is less concerned about the smoothness of the flight+" Pilots can receie data on their flight path# makingminor ad6ustments %hen necessary to make ensure each arc is smooth as possible"

7oeing designed the @2@ to %ithstand forces from -9"1 . to 2": ." The g-load stresses during parabolic flight on .-$0'/-(/ range from 9 . to 1"< .# %ell %ithin the range of safety" /0-. regularly inspects the aircraft forsigns of equipment fatigue and maintenance needs"
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The company!s headquarters is in =as Fegas# (e" >ost flights originate from=as Fegas or the Gennedy Space 'enter in $lorida# but because manyairports can accommodate a @2@# the company inites customers to charterflights based out of their nearest ma6or airport# making it that much easier toachiee a lifelong dream of defying graity"

To find out more about 8ero-graity flights# check out the links on the ne)t page"

$ots %ore *nformation0elated o%Stufforks &rticles

o% &irplanes ork

o% &irports ork

o% do satellites orbit the /arth5

o% does the speedometer in an airplane %ork5

o% >ars orks

o% (&S& orks

o% Space Planes ill ork

o% Space Shuttles ork

o% Space Tourism orks

o% eightlessness orks

>ore .reat =inks

ero .raity 'orporation

(&S&

The K Pri8e $oundation

Sources

& brief interlude in 8ero-." (e% Scientist" Fol" 1?4# ssue 2L92# :M:M299@" ;empsey# 0obert# et al" Thank Hou for $lying the Fomit 'omet" The Physics Teacher" Fol" 4:#

$ebruary 299@" .old# Scott" $loating $ree and Nueasy" =os &ngeles Times" Sept" 1:# 2994"

Personal interie% %ith ;r" Peter ;iamandis on July 29# 299@" Spangenberg# 0ay and >oser# ;iane" The orld!s ighest 0ollercoaster" $inal $rontier#

Sept"Mct" 1?

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Zero Gravity Flight