Zero-G Portugal: 31 young Portuguese have already left in flight to win in astronaut wings for a day – Science
Not all of us have the chance to be astronauts, but today, the group of finalists of the Zero-G Portugal – Astronaut for a Day initiative, organized by the Portuguese Space Agency (Portugal Space), comes a little closer to that reality. YOU 31 young people, 30 selected and one more substitute, aged 14 and 17, finish from the first parabolic year held in Portugal, where they will have the opportunity to experience a sensation of zero gravity.
Young people departed from Air Base No. 11 of the Portuguese Air Forcein Beja, following aboard an Airbus A310 operated by Novespacesubsidiary of the French Space Agency (CNES).
Click on match images for more details
Even before they became astronauts for a day, young through a preparation process, including a detailed briefing the day before departurethat SAPO TEK also had the opportunity to follow.
The moment is of special importance, serving as a “bridge” between experts from the European Space Agency (ESA), CNES and NovaSpace, who guided the finalists through all the procedures they had to take into account before, during and after the flight.
See the preparation images
YOU finalists of the initiative were divided into four teamseach one with the name of a specific planet and accompanied by a flight instructor for the first time the suits they will take on the flight.
On the flight, young people will be accompanied by a crew consisting of four pilotseach with specific functions to fulfill, and by a team of 16 peoplebetween flight coordinators, instructors, safety specialists, a doctor and office managers, as well as cabin managers, as well as those responsible for capturing an entire experience in photographs and videos.
On board the Airbus A310, operated by Novespace, Jean-François Clervoy, former astronaut and president of Novespace, and Matthias Maurer, ESA astronautwho spent 175 days on the International Space Station and who, yesterday, gave young people more details about their experience in Space.
How does everything happen on a parabolic flight?
During the briefing, experts from CNES and NoveSpace explain that by simulating the absence of gravity, the plane where the young people followed perform a series of rise and fall maneuvers.
During this process, there are 20-22 second cycles where passengers and crew have the opportunity to feel like they are in zero gravity. As Jean-François Clervoy details, this moment is the last of the three affirmations of gravity that is felt in a parabolic flight.
In a first phase, passengers and crew will be the effects of gravity as they will be on Mars and, in a second phase, as if they will be on the Moon. In all, on the two-hour flight, young people have the opportunity to experience between five and six minutes of zero gravity..
Parabolic flights require specific rules to avoid accidents 100 square meter interior space where young people will earn as their astronaut “wings” and where teams are strongholds in areas they must not leave.
According to Sebastien Rouquette, CNES Parabolic Flight Instructorthere are many activities that can be performed during a parabolic phase of flight, however, injured legs, waving the legs and arms and leaving the anterior zones are not recommended practices..
Remember that, in total, Portugal Space received 460 applications from young people aged between 14 and 17. The selection process selected several phases, which include tests of perception and interpretation of Space. The finalists were chosen by a group of 60 chosen who were chosen in the last two phases of selection.
Click on the images to record the finalists announcement
The Zero-G Portugal – Astronaut for a Day initiative is designed with the collaboration of Ciência Viva, as well as with the support of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto (FPCEUP), the Portuguese Air Force and the Faculty of Human Motricity from the University of Lisbon (FMH).