NASA plans to begin outsourcing its microgravity flight testing needs starting in September. In a request for proposals (RFP) to be released by next week, the agency will seek a provider to fly as many as 24 NASA passengers on up to 20 reduced-gravity flights a week, with 40-60 parabolic manoeuvres completed per flight.
The aircraft will fly from Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas as well as from the John H Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. NASA currently uses its own McDonnell Douglas C-9, a DC-9 derivative, based at Ellington Field.
Manoeuvres are to include near-zero gravity to simulate spaceflight, 0.16g to mimic lunar operations and 0.38g to simulate Mars gravity. Sustained "hyper" conditions of up to 1.8g for one minute are also on the menu.
The aircraft, which must be maintained to Part 121 airline standards - although the operator will not be required to be Part 121 certified - must be able to accommodate free floating experiments weighing as much as 182kg (400lb).
Byron Lichtenberg, chief technical officer for Zero-Gravity Corp, which operates civilian zero-g flights using two Boeing 727-200F aircraft, says his company will most likely bid for the work.
Zero-G has provided more than 100 flights since receiving US Federal Aviation Administration approval two and a half years ago. The company owns one aircraft and leases another for weekend flights from the Space Shuttle landing facility at the Kennedy Space Center.
Lichtenberg says NASA could contract the flights directly to Zero-G - it is listed as an approved government contractor and no other service providers are readily available.
Source: Flight International
