Jul 31, 2008 07:40
WASHINGTON — NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program has selected seven Small Business Innovation Research program, or SBIR, companies to participate in reduced-gravity test flights in early September. The companies will have the opportunity to test their newly developed hardware on an aircraft that simulates the weightless conditions of spaceflight. The fights will the first by NASA’s Facilitated Access to the Space Environment for Technology Development and Training program, called FAST. Testing new technologies in weightless conditions is an important step in making them available for applications in NASA space projects. An aircraft flying on a parabolic trajectory can create weightless conditions for up to 30 seconds at a time and simulate the reduced gravity conditions of the moon or Mars. This allows developers to test new technologies to ensure that they will work in space or, if they do not work during testing, understand why. It is difficult for emerging technology developers, especially small businesses, to gain access to parabolic aircraft flights. Through FAST, NASA will provide a flight demonstration opportunity while the developer provides the technology.
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