{"id":14226,"date":"2017-04-17T00:00:11","date_gmt":"2017-04-17T04:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14226"},"modified":"2017-04-17T00:00:11","modified_gmt":"2017-04-17T04:00:11","slug":"zero-g-provide-weightlessness-for-university-research-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14226","title":{"rendered":"ZERO-G provide weightlessness for university research projects"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gozerog.com\" target=\"_blank\">ZERO-G<\/a> sends the\u00a0 message below about university research projects flown on the companies Boeing 727 that provides periods of weightlessness by flying parabolic trajectories.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>ZERO-G Research Flights Advance Technology for Future Deep-Space Missions<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>As Part of NASA\u2019s Flight Opportunities Program, Research Groups<br \/>\nTested Systems in Zero Gravity Crucial to Long-Term Space Missions <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 <\/strong>April 6, 2017 \u2013 As part of NASA\u2019s Flight Opportunities Program, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gozerog.com\/\">Zero Gravity Corporation<\/a> (ZERO-G<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>) recently worked with research groups from University of Florida, Carthage College and University of Maryland to validate technology designed to further humanity\u2019s reach into space. A collection of flights on G-FORCE ONE, ZERO-G\u2019s specially modified Boeing 727, gave researchers the chance to run experiments and test innovative systems in the only FAA-approved, manned microgravity lab on Earth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u201cG-FORCE ONE is the perfect test bed for space-bound technology and is one of the last steps before sending experiments into orbit,\u201d said Terese Brewster, CEO of ZERO-G. \u201cThe data collected from these universities and future groups who do research with us is vital for the future of space exploration.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IGtZASJ_Yj4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The below experiments were conducted by groups during the research flight:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rocket Propellant Thermal Management System for Deep-Space Missions<br \/>\n<em>University of Florida<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Long-duration space travel to Mars and beyond will utilize primarily liquid oxygen and hydrogen \u2013 cryogens \u2013 for rocket propellant. Before these cryogens can be injected into the engine as liquids, transfer lines must be cooled to temperatures below 20 to 80 Kelvin, approximately minus 425 to minus 315 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooling process is typically done the initial flow of liquid cryogens, which are then vented outside the spacecraft as vapor. For long-distance space missions, the transfer line \u201cchilldown\u201d must be accomplished with minimal consumption of cryogen to conserve that material for propellant use.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A team of nine undergraduate and four graduate students led by Professor Jacob Chung developed a special coating for the inside of the propellant transfer pipe to enable a faster cooling process and minimize cryogen loss. The team\u2019s system proved viable in extreme temperature changes and maintained integrity in microgravity and high G-forces during the research flight with ZERO-G. Findings show that coating a transfer pipe reduced chilldown time and fuel consumption by as much as 50 to 70 percent. The team will continue its research on perfecting the technology and revolutionizing space travel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Measuring Propellant Levels in Low Gravity<br \/>\n<em>Carthage College<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Current methods to gauge spacecraft propellant in low gravity have a margin of error of five to 10 percent of the total propellant mass, creating a challenge for NASA\u2019s goal of a sustained human presence in space. These limitations also cost the satellite industry millions of dollars as satellites are required to carry an extra 10 percent of fuel to make up for inaccuracies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Working with engineers at Kennedy Space Center, a team of students led by Carthage College Professor Kevin Crosby developed the Modal Propellant Gauging (MPG) Project. MPG is a non-invasive, real-time and low-cost method of measuring liquid propellant volume by analyzing sound waves produced by vibrations applied to the tank. Findings show MPG has a margin of error less than two percent over a range of propellant volumes. This increase in accuracy is equivalent to an annual industry-wide savings of tens of millions of dollars.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Creating Reliable Models for the Effects of Gravity on Flow Boiling Heat Transfer<br \/>\n<em>University of Maryland<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Future space missions will require lighter, smaller and more powerful spacecraft, which will utilize two-phase thermal systems. Currently, single-phase thermal subsystems are used due to lack of reliable models to predict two-phase system performance in various types of gravity. In order to design efficient heat removal equipment for these spacecraft, a heat transfer database and dependable models must be developed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Maryland designed an experiment to collect the data and develop the models needed. Unlike previous work in this area, the team obtained local measurements using temperature-sensitive paints. Data analyzed in Martian gravity, lunar gravity and low-G will determine how inlet subcooling, wall heat flux and flow rate are affected by varied gravity environments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ZERO-G\u2019s current schedule includes additional research flights during the week of November 13, 2017. For more information about the ZERO-G research program, please visit <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gozerog.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.gozerog.com<\/a><strong> and click on the Research Tab. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>About ZERO-G: \u00a0<\/strong>Zero Gravity Corporation is a privately held space entertainment and tourism company whose mission is to make the excitement and adventure of space accessible to the public.\u00a0 ZERO-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of weightless flight in the U.S. for the general public; entertainment and film industries; corporate and incentive markets; non-profit research and education sectors; and the government. ZERO-G\u2019s attention to detail, excellent service and quality of experience combined with its exciting history has set the foundation for the most exhilarating adventure-based tourism.\u00a0 For more information about ZERO-G, please visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gozerog.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.gozerog.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ZERO-G sends the\u00a0 message below about university research projects flown on the companies Boeing 727 that provides periods of weightlessness by flying parabolic trajectories. ZERO-G Research Flights Advance Technology for Future Deep-Space Missions As Part of NASA\u2019s Flight Opportunities Program, Research Groups Tested Systems in Zero Gravity Crucial to Long-Term Space Missions ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14226\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">ZERO-G provide weightlessness for university research projects<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,96,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-micrograv","category-spaceflight-parabolic-flight"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-3Hs","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3364,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=3364","url_meta":{"origin":14226,"position":0},"title":"Students study fire in microgravity on parabolic flight","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Students at Univ. of California at San Diego carried out experiments on combustion and flame in weightlessness while riding on a NASA plane flying parabolic trajectories: Weightless Flames: How Fires Burn in Space | Fire in Zero-G - Space.com MAE UCSD Team accepted into NASA's Microgravity University program - UCSD\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Education&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Education","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/OXRF95iuLvg\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8556,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8556","url_meta":{"origin":14226,"position":1},"title":"Sizzling cooking in weightlessness","author":"TopSpacer","date":"August 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A Cornell University group experimented with cooking in weightlessness by taking \"a specially constructed space galley\" onto a plane doing parabolic flights: In low gravity, scientists search for a way to saut\u00e9 - Cornell Chronicle Extraterrestrial Cooking: Splatter Control - Leonard David From the Cornell Chronicle: In a series of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Living in Space&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Living in Space","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"Apollo Arquiza","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.cornell.edu\/sites\/chronicle.cornell\/files\/Apollo_Galley8-7a.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12218,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=12218","url_meta":{"origin":14226,"position":2},"title":"The making of the OK Go video in weightlessness","author":"TopSpacer","date":"February 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This article explains how the OK Go music video for Upside Down & Inside Out (see earlier post) was made using a Russian aircraft flying parabolic trajectories:\u00a0How OK Go Made That Amazing Zero-G Video - Jalopnik. This video also is about the making of the Upside Down... video: [ Update:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Space Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Space Music","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/pnTqZ68fI7Q\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1403,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=1403","url_meta":{"origin":14226,"position":3},"title":"Seth Green&#8217;s weightlessness adventure","author":"TopSpacer","date":"March 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's a video of actor Seth Green describing his weightless adventures on a\u00a0Zero G parabolic flight (via Parabolic Arc)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Spaceflight &amp; Parabolic Flight&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Spaceflight &amp; Parabolic Flight","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=44"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12193,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=12193","url_meta":{"origin":14226,"position":4},"title":"Video: OK Go makes music weightlessly","author":"TopSpacer","date":"February 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's a cool music video of the song\u00a0Upside Down & Inside Out from the band OK Go. It was filmed on a\u00a0S7 Airlines\u00a0aircraft flying a series of\u00a0parabolic trajectories, which\u00a0provide periods of 20-25\u00a0seconds of weightlessness. [ Update: This is the third video link I've\u00a0posted here. The other two were each disconnected\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Space Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Space Music","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"Zero_gravity_flight_trajectory_C9-565","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Zero_gravity_flight_trajectory_C9-565.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10126,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=10126","url_meta":{"origin":14226,"position":5},"title":"The Zero Gravity Cocktail Glass Project","author":"TopSpacer","date":"March 14, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The Cosmic Lifestyle Corp, founded by long-time space advocate Samuel Coniglio and others, has opened a crowd-funding campaign for the Zero Gravity Cocktail Project on Kickstarter, which aims to\u00a0design and manufacture\u00a0a stylish container to hold a drink in weightlessness: Award Winning Robotics Engineer Launches Cocktail Glass for Space What happens\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DIY space&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DIY space","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"af_original","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/af_original.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14226"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14227,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14226\/revisions\/14227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}