This is no doubt important if we want to colonize outer space.
This should not be surprising as all living organisms have evolved under the constant 1g of gravitational force.
But we also need to find out how weightlessness influences our perception and behavior.
During these flights, a refitted Airbus A310 aircraft follows the trajectory of a parabola.
This means it alternates between rises and descents, at a 45 angle of inclination.
This lasts about 20 seconds.
The pilots then let the aircraft drop into free-fall.
This is repeated up to 30 times and the entire flight lasts around three hours.
Bumpy ride
Doing science on these roller coaster parabolic flight maneuvers is very challenging.
There are severe constraints on time.
Whatever the experiment requires, it has to be performed in about 20 seconds.
Because several experiments must go up together, space is also tight.
So, forget the comfort of a lab.
You cant risk mistakes so each experimental step, even each movement, needs to be perfectly planned.
These movements must also be perfectly synchronized with drops and lifts of the plane.
Like a dance, we choreograph and rehearse in the days before liftoff.
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It is not by chance that parabolic flights have earned the nickname Vomit Comet.
In weightlessness, the 1g pull we have experienced our whole lives disappears.
The science
Why embark on such an adventure?
This is the ultimate frontier of understanding how the brain can adapt to new environments and demands in microgravity.
We have also been investigating the effect of gravity on the perception of our own body weight.
So far research has looked largely at how society and culture affect body weight perception.
Andwe know thatbody satisfaction, body image, and risk for eating disorders play a role.
Imagine, for example, that you are an astronaut operating levers to control arobotic space arm.
Me in my flight suit on a recent trip into the atmosphere.
It is arguably the most persistent sensory signal in the brain.
In the meantime, I am enjoying the ride weightlessness is the best experience I have ever had.
The pilots announce 3, 2, 1, INJECT, and there you are floating.
