The Flight Week
The flight week begins with an introduction to the facility, the crew, and a description of what is planned overall. The rest of the week involves training, tours, setup, and flights.
Setup of the experiment is done at Ellington Field's hangar 990 concurrently for all teams in the flight week. The hangar houses the C-9 as well as NASA's two WB-57 high altitude research aircraft; the setup period typically goes for three days, after which the experiment is loaded onto the C-9, strapped into place, and finalized. Microgravity flights are performed during the next two days: two of the fliers on one day and the other two on the other day.
The flight day begins with a briefing which involves last minute instructions and advice, and also the administration of anti motion sickness medicine.
Each microgravity flight contains 30 zero gravity sessions, called parabolas, lasting 20 to 25 seconds each. Additionally, Lunar and Martian parabolas are done (one each).
Transportation and housing for the flight week and the trip to Houston are not provided by NASA and must be arranged by the students.
Read more about this topic: Microgravity University
Famous quotes containing the words flight and/or week:
“No Raven’s wing can stretch the flight so far
As the torn bandrols of Napoleon’s war.
Choose then your climate, fix your best abode,
He’ll make you deserts and he’ll bring you blood.
How could you fear a dearth? have not mankind,
Tho slain by millions, millions left behind?
Has not conscription still the power to weild
Her annual faulchion o’er the human field?
A faithful harvester!”
—Joel Barlow (1754–1812)
“A baby nurse is one that changes diapers and loves ‘em dearly. Get up at all hours of the night to give ‘em the bottle and change their pants. If the baby coughs or cries, you have to find out the need. I had my own room usually, but I slept in the same room with the baby. I would take full charge. It was twenty-four hours. I used to have one day a week off and I’d go home and see my own two little ones.”
—Ruth Lindstrom (c. 1892–?)