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| Home : Volume 26 : Fall 1999 : | |
| Engineering mechanics students fly on NASA "Vomit Comet" | |
Teams of engineering mechanics students are back from a wild ride on modified KC-135A reduced-gravity aircraft nicknamed the "Vomit Comet." The KC-135A is a modified Boeing 707 used to fly parabolas in order to investigate the effects of "zero" gravity.
Sponsored by NASA and administered by the Texas Space Grant Consortium, the program provides a unique academic experience for undergraduate students to successfully propose, design, fabricate, fly and assess a reduced-gravity experiment of their choice over the course of eight months. That experience includes scientific scholarship, hands-on test operations and education/public outreach activities.
Engineering Mechanics students experience near zero gravity on board a modified KC-135A.
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Engineering mechanics students Patrick McKenna and Suzannah Sandrik, advised by Engineering Physics Professor Daniel C. Kammer, flew an experiment called "GOFER" (Guided Orbital Flight EVA Robot). GOFER is a device designed to provide a more efficient method for storing and transporting items needed during extravehicular activity (EVA) missions.
A second team advised by Engineering Physics Professor Wendy C. Crone and MS&E Professor John H. Perepezko included engineering mechanics students Jeremy Hart, Betsy Reinecke, Nichole Mattson, Jeremy Marr, biological systems engineering student Janice Frias, and mechanical engineering student Kirk Lambert.
Their experiment examined how particle-reinforced composite materials formed in microgravity differ from those formed in a gravitational environment. In their abstract, the students cited the increasingly vital role of composites in many modern technologies that require materials with superior strength, stiffness or corrosion resistance. "Improving the techniques used in composite formation would be of significant benefit to many industries, particularly aerospace," the team said.
Senior Betsy Reinecke served as one of the two-member ground crew. Part of her responsibilities included preparing for a test-readiness review where the experiment is presented to those in charge of the flight.
"We did use sodium acetate on the flight, but it didn't pose a danger to anyone. We made sure everything was self-contained and there no chance of anyone coming in contact with it," Reinecke says.
The team will continue their experiment in Madison where they will repeat the tests under normal gravity for comparison with the in-flight tests.
See the GOFER project on line at:
www.cae.wisc.edu/~sandrik/gofer/main.htm
Content by perspective@engr.wisc.edu
Date last modified: Wednesday, 03-Nov-1999 16:00:00 CST
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