A reduced gravity aircraft is a type of fixed-wing aircraft that provides brief near-weightless environments in which to train astronauts, conduct research and film motion pictures.
Versions of such airplanes, officially nicknamed Weightless Wonders, have been operated by the NASA Reduced Gravity Research Program. The unofficial nickname "Vomit Comet" became popular among those who experienced their operation.
Read more about Reduced Gravity Aircraft: Operating Principles, Usage By NASA, Airsickness, Inventors
Famous quotes containing the words reduced and/or gravity:
“The sumptuous age of stars and images is reduced to a few artificial tornado effects, pathetic fake buildings, and childish tricks which the crowd pretends to be taken in by to avoid feeling too disappointed. Ghost towns, ghost people. The whole place has the same air of obsolescence about it as Sunset or Hollywood Boulevard.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
“Here I sit down to form characters. One I intend to be all goodness; All goodness he is. Another I intend to be all gravity; All gravity he is. Another Lady Gish; All Lady Gish she is. I am all the while absorbed in the character. It is not fair to say—I, identically I, am anywhere, while I keep within the character.”
—Samuel Richardson (1689–1761)