How astronauts prepare for weightlessness in space
How astronauts prepare for weightlessness in space
Description of weightlessness and how astronauts prepare for it.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
NARRATOR: As astronauts travel beyond Earth's atmosphere, they experience a feeling of weightlessness. The speed of their spacecraft moving forward in orbit cancels out the effects of the downward pull of Earth's gravity. This causes the astronauts to enter a state of free fall, which feels like weightlessness or floating to them.
NASA prepares its astronauts for this kind of environment by training them on parabolic flights, which simulate the sensation of free fall during a series of arcs. After reaching an altitude of 24,000 feet, the aircraft begins to climb at about a 45-degree angle. During this time, passengers experience the weight of gravity at twice its normal effect. At 34,000 feet the plane dives down until it reaches 24,000 feet again. The passengers fall at the same rate as the plane, causing them to feel weightless for about 20 to 25 seconds.
You may experience a similar feeling on a roller coaster. As you climb upward on the track, you feel yourself pushed back against your seat, as gravity pulls you downward. Once you reach the top of the climb and begin to rush downward, you may feel yourself hang in the air slightly—floating—before your safety harness pulls you down with the rest of the coaster.
A typical parabolic flight completes 15 parabolas. This time in free fall introduces astronauts to the sensation of zero gravity, and it provides NASA researchers with the opportunity to conduct short experiments and test new equipment in reduced gravity.
NASA prepares its astronauts for this kind of environment by training them on parabolic flights, which simulate the sensation of free fall during a series of arcs. After reaching an altitude of 24,000 feet, the aircraft begins to climb at about a 45-degree angle. During this time, passengers experience the weight of gravity at twice its normal effect. At 34,000 feet the plane dives down until it reaches 24,000 feet again. The passengers fall at the same rate as the plane, causing them to feel weightless for about 20 to 25 seconds.
You may experience a similar feeling on a roller coaster. As you climb upward on the track, you feel yourself pushed back against your seat, as gravity pulls you downward. Once you reach the top of the climb and begin to rush downward, you may feel yourself hang in the air slightly—floating—before your safety harness pulls you down with the rest of the coaster.
A typical parabolic flight completes 15 parabolas. This time in free fall introduces astronauts to the sensation of zero gravity, and it provides NASA researchers with the opportunity to conduct short experiments and test new equipment in reduced gravity.