Jul 4, 2013 - groups dedicated to Moon-g levels (13 parabolas), followed by two .... on each campaign providing micro-, Moon and Mars gravity levels with.
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→ JOINT EUROPEAN PARTIAL-G PARABOLIC FLIGHTS:
CRÉATION CARRÉ NOIR AOÛT 2005
Two campaigns for science and exploration at moon and mars gravity levels Vladimir Pletser
Ulrike Friedrich
Payloads and Platforms Division, ISS Utilisation and Astronaut Support Dept, Human Space Flight and
Research under Space Conditions, German Space Agency, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V./
Operations Directorate, ESA-ESTEC, The Netherlands
German Aerospace Center DLR, Bonn, Germany
Sebastien Rouquette
Jean-Francois Clervoy, Thierry Gharib and Frederic Gai
Microgravity Experiments Office, Toulouse Center Directorate, CNES, France
Novespace, Av. Marcel Issartier, 33700 Bordeaux – Mérignac, France
Aircraft parabolic flights provide repetitively short periods of reduced gravity and are used to conduct
Organisation of the JEPPF campaign
scientific and technology microgravity investigations, to test instrumentation prior to space flights and to
In order to give additional research opportunities to European investigators, ESA, CNES and DLR decided in Spring
train astronauts before a space mission. Since 1997, CNES, DLR and ESA use the Airbus A300 ZERO-G, currently
2010 to organize jointly the first two European partial g parabolic flight campaigns (JEPPF) for partial g and gravity
the largest airplane in the world for this type of experimental research flight. This mean is managed by the
depending experiments and microgravity experiments which would need data at other partial g levels.
French company Novespace. Since 2010, Novespace offers the possibility of flying reduced gravity levels equivalent to those on the Moon and Mars.
A specific Announcement of Opportunity was launched in parallel by the three agencies from 1st June till 31st August 2010 to invite European investigators to submit experiment proposals to take advantage of the several
To answer an increasing request of scientists to conduct experiments at intermediate levels of gravity
partial g levels that will be offered during flights.
(between 0 and 1g) to better study the influence of gravity and to prepare for research and exploration during space flights and future planetary exploration missions, CNES, DLR and ESA organized two Joint European
The two JEPPF campaigns took place in June 2011 and December 2012 from the Bordeaux-Mérignac airport
Partial-g Parabolic Flight campaigns in June 2011 and December 2012. During these two campaigns, parabolas
with three flights. Each flights included 31 parabolas in groups of seven and six parabolas with the first two
were flown during three flights on each campaign providing micro-, Moon and Mars gravity levels with
groups dedicated to Moon-g levels (13 parabolas), followed by two groups at Mars-g levels (12 parabolas),
duration typically of 20s, 25s and 32s with a mixed complement of investigations in Physical and Life Sciences
and a last group of 0-g levels (6 parabolas), according to requests of investigators.
and in Technology.
Joint European partial-g parabolic flight campaigns list of experiments
Introduction
Technologies for ExoMars – Preparatory activities in Martian gravity [ESA]
Aircraft parabolic flights are a useful tool for performing short duration scientific and technological
experiments in reduced gravity. The principal value of parabolic flights is in the verification tests that can be
Influence of reduced gravity on human visual orientation determined by the rod-and-frame test [CNES]
conducted prior to space experiments in order to improve their quality and success rate, and after a space
P. Baglioni, A. Pacros, B. Bethge (ESTEC, SRE-PE)
Prof. G. Clement, Dr A. Buckley (ISU, Strasbourg, F), Drs E, Groen, J.E. Bos (TNO, Soesterberg, NL),
mission to confirm or invalidate (sometimes conflicting) results obtained from space experiments.
K. de Winkel (Univ. Utrecht, NL)
Cry0genic - low g [CNES]
Since 1997, the Airbus A300 ZERO-G is used in Europe for short microgravity investigations. The Airbus A300
Dr J. Lacapere (Air Liquide, Sassenage, F)
is currently the largest airplane in the world used for this type of experimental research flight. The French
company Novespace, a subsidiary of CNES, is in charge of the organisation of Airbus A300 flights.
Prof. P. Stephan, S. Fischer (Techn. Univ. Darmstadt, D)
An aircraft in parabolic flight provides investigators with a laboratory for scientific experimentation where
the gravity levels are changed repetitively, giving successive periods of either 0.38g for up to 32 s, or 0.16g
Dr J. Teiser, Prof. G. Wurm, T. Kelling, T. Meisner (Univ. Duisburg-Essen, D)
for up to 25 s or 0g for 20 s, preceded and followed by periods of 20 s at approximately 1.8 g level.
Local heat flux investigation during a single bubble cycle under low gravity conditions [ESA] Local erosion of (pre-)planetary bodies by light induced dust eruptions [DLR] Sonofluidized granular packings under reduced gravity [ESA]
The new capability of flying partial g parabolas at Moon and Mars gravity levels introduced in the last few years was motivated by two reasons: first, the request since several years from the European science community to perform complementary research at partial g levels; and second, to provide a European tool allowing recreating Moon and Martian g levels for studies and tests for future human or robotic missions.
JEPPF 1
Prof. E. Clement (ESPCI, Paris, F), Dr. M. Sperl, (DLR-MP, Köln, D)
Alterations in autonomic cardiovascular control induced at partial g forces [ESA]
Prof. S. Van Huffel, Dr S. Vandeput, Prof. A. Aubert (Univ. Leuven, B)
Sensorimotor coordination under partial gravity levels: movement control and adaptation [ESA]
Profs. P.Lefèvre, J.L. Thonnard, (U. Louvain, B), Dr J. McIntyre (U. Paris Descartes, F), Dr V. Hayward (U. Paris 6, F), Dr S. Stramigioli (U. Twente, NL)
Orthostasis beyond Earth (ORB-Study) [DLR]
providing additional data points at intermediate g levels in a variety of scientific fields in physical sciences (e.g.
Prof. F. Wappler, Drs. U. Limper, P. Beck (Univ. Witten/Herdecke, D), Dr U. Mittag, P. Gauger (DLR, Köln, D)
fluid and soft matter physics), life sciences (cell, plant and animal biology, human physiology) and technology.
In particular in Life Sciences, investigations can be conducted on organ systems, as well as opportunities to
Prof. A. Gollhofer (Univ. Freiburg, D), U. Kübler (Astrium, Friedrichshafen, D)
understand how humans, small animals, cells and plants are affected by a low gravity environment similar
to those on the Moon and Mars. Many issues of relevance for the preparation of future human space
Prof. R. Hampp (Univ. Tübingen, D)
exploration that includes stays on the surface of planetary bodies can also be investigated.
Role of gravitational and inertial components of the efferent copy for the control of arm movements [CNES]
The Nintendo Wii as a training device for balance control under reduced gravity conditions [DLR] ROS (reactive oxygen species) and calcium analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures [DLR]
Drs J. McIntyre, M. Tagliabue, P. Senot (Univ. Paris Descartes, F)
Furthermore, aircraft parabolic flights are the only suborbital carrier to provide the opportunity to carry out
medical and physiological experiments on human subjects under conditions of microgravity or reduced
Profs. P. Denise, S. Besnard, H. Normand (Univ. Caen, F), Prof. G. Clement (ISU, Strasbourg, F),
Partial gravity and vestibular decompensation in rats [CNES]
gravity such as other planetary g levels (Martian 0.38 g, Lunar 0.16 g), to prepare for extra-terrestrial planetary exploration.
Dr S. Wood (USRA, Houston, USA)
FLOREIA - FLOwability of lunar REgolith In REduced gravity [ESA]
Prof. A. Höhn M. Pfeiffer, P. Hager (Techn. Univ. Munchen, D)
Parabolic flight manoeuvre
For 0 g flight, the microgravity environment is created in the Airbus flying the following manoeuvres
Dr D. Brutin, F. Carle (Aix Marseille Université. F)
(see Figure 1):
PROGRA2 (Optical properties of astronomical and atmospheric grains) Regolith – Preliminary studies [CNES]
•
from steady horizontal flight, the aircraft climbs at 47° for about 20 s with accelerations between 1.8 and 2 g;
•
all aircraft engines thrust is then strongly reduced for about 20 to 25 s, compensating the effect of air
JEPPF 2
The interest in partial g parabolas is multifold. It allows to complement microgravity experiment results in
Evaporation dynamic’s and thermo-convective instabilities in drying drops of pure fluids [CNES]
Drs J.B. Renard, J. Lasue (LPC2E-CNRS, Orléans, F), Dr. E. Hadamcik (LATMOS, Guyancourt, F), Prof. A.-C. Levasseur-Regourd (Univ. Paris 6, F)
drag (parabolic free fall); •
the aircraft dives at 42° (pull-out), accelerating at about 1.8 to 2 g for approximately 20 s, to come back to
Conclusion
a steady horizontal flight.
The two JEPPF campaigns were the first organised jointly by ESA, CNES and DLR and were the first European
Alternatively, for partial g parabolas, the engine thrust is reduced sufficiently to a point where the remaining
parabolic flight campaigns entirely dedicated to experiments in reduced gravity at 0.16 g and 0.38 g
vertical acceleration in the cabin is approximately 0.16g for approximately 25 s or 0.38 g for approximately
(Moon and Mars g levels). They were marked by and excellent cooperation between the three agencies during
32 s (see Figure 2) with angles at injection of 42° and 38° respectively for Moon and Mars parabolas.
the campaign preparation and performance phases. In the future the three agencies might decide to offer again this possibility of flying partial-g parabolas to the European scientific community.
↑F ig. 1. Airbus A300’s parabolic flight manoeuvre
JEPPF.indd 1
↑F ig. 2: Shape of Airbus A300’s parabolas for 0g (blue), lunar g (green) and
Martian g (red) (Cred-it: Novespace)
7/4/13 4:51 PM
