Each flight lasted around 3 hours, in which 30 parabolas were performed. The parabolic sequence consisted of a hypergravity (1.8-g) phase of approximately 20 s as the aircraft accelerated upward at an angle of 45º, then a period of 23 s of weightlessness at the apex of the parabola, then a second hyper-g phase of 20 s as the aircraft pulled out of the parabola.

We have developed a parabolic flight experiment to study changes in head-eye coordination during simulated 0-g, in collaboration with Dr. Floris Wuyts. This experiment was carried out on the  the European Space Agency (ESA) parabolic flight campaign on three flights in March 2005. The flights took place on an Airbus A300 based in Bordeaux, France.   

 

 

 

Drs. Moore and MacDougall enjoying weightlessness.

Head and eye movements were recorded during tracking of a laser-projected target during g-level transitions.

Drs. Buyle and Moore board the A300.

The aircraft performs 30 parabolas over a 2 hour period, with 23 s of zero-g per parabola.

A modified Airbus A300 is used in the ESA parabolic flight program.

The experimental aim was to quantify changes in head-eye coordination during the transitions from 1-g to 1.8-g and 0-g. Subjects were seated and securely strapped a chair, facing a large white screen onto which laser-projected targets appeared in a random sequence. Subjects were asked to continuously fixate on the targets over the course of 15 parabolas, and head and eye movements were recorded.

 

 

Human Aerospace Laboratory